Page 114 of Dead Wrong

“From what I’ve heard,” Azrael chuckled. “Papa told me horror stories of his labor with me. I’m glad this one didn’t put up as much of a fight.”

The youngling stirred in his arms, one of the furry, pointed ears protruding from the crown of his head, twitching as he yawned, then settled back in.

“You still haven’t decided on the name,” I reminded Azrael, resting my head against his.

“Would you be angry if we called him Balthus?” he asked, watching me with violet eyes full of worry.

“I could never be angry with you,” I assured him, planting a soft kiss across his lips. We looked down at our creation. “Welcome to the world, little Balthus?—

“No!” I cried, tears streaming down my face.

“Just a moment longer, Tobias!” Bastien shouted, his voice strained.

All three tethers pulled at me, threatening to rip me apart. I couldn’t let them do this. I didn’t want to rid myself of the connection I held for them. Reaching down into that place in my chest, I drew out my aura and wrapped the connections up inside of it, reinforcing the threads till they braided together into a single cord, connecting the four of us?—

“Are you coming to bed?”

Bastien looked across the sofa at me, the question still worn on his brow.

I set my book aside, pulling out the watch from my pocket and checking the time. “Shit, I didn’t realize the night had grown so late. Yes, I will be up in a minute.”

He nodded, leaning over to plant a kiss on my head. “Don’t take too long.”

My heart sputtered at that, and I quickly marked my place as Bastien ascended the staircase. Heading down the hallway, I peeked into the office where Cirian sat at his desk, one hand tangled in the locks of his fiery hair, the other tapping the end of a fountain pen against the parchment beneath.

“Writer’s block?” I asked, leaning in the doorway.

“The worst,” he replied with a sigh, returning the pen to the ink well across from him. “Are you turning in for the night?”

I nodded. “You know, if you’re looking for a little help breaking through that block…”

Cirian was out of his chair in a flash, wrapping me up in his arms and trailing kisses down my neck. “I was hoping you’d offer.”

“Head upstairs. I’ll be right behind you.”

He held me for a moment with his stygian gaze. “Don’t get lost, love.”

Cirian disappeared down the hallway, headed for the staircase as I rounded the corner, nearly running into Azrael as he came out of Balthus’ room.

“Another nightmare?” I asked, wanting to smooth the furrow from the man’s brow.

“Hm? No, no, not tonight. He just wanted me to check his closest one last time,” Azrael explained. “I’ll be glad when we get through this monster phase.”

“I think we all will. Bastien almost got stuck under his bed last night. I had to drag him out by his ankles.”

Azrael smiled as I grabbed him by the waist, pulling him against me.

“We’re headed to bed. Would you care to join us?”

He grinned back at me. “Let me guess, writer’s block?”

“You know Cirian needs all the help he can get.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that before. Tell you what, if you can catch me, I’m in.” His smile turned mischievous as his body shimmers, then disappeared.

Holding back laughter, I chase my invisible partner up the stairs, managing to grab hold of his tail just as we clear the bedroom door, and he becomes visible again in time for me to crash into him with a kiss.

Waiting in the bed, Cirian and Bastien are already locked in a kiss, and as I push Azrael over the edge of the mattress, I join them, tangling myself between a mess of limbs and lips, and lose myself?—

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