Page 28 of The Mating Claim
“Yes.” Tristan waved a hand and the pint vanished. “Come, let’s go into the living room and talk a while. I may have to leaveshortly.”
In the living room, Niki picked up the glass globe music box he’d given her for their one month anniversary. Twin girls sat on a bench reading, their heads bent together, replicas of Nia and Nikita at the age of ten. She turned the hand and the music box played “What the World needs now islove.”
The world did need more love, he reflected as she set the box down. Too bad darkness seemed to outshine it thesedays.
But here inside his home in the afterworld of Tir Na-nog, his loved ones were as protected as the girls inside the globe. Until someone dropped it and it shattered. And all it took for one asshole to drop a bomb on him was for said asshole to hurt thechildren.
Tristan plopped onto the couch, waved a hand and clothed himself in sweatpants and a black T-shirt. Niki loved him in casual clothing. He patted his lap and she sat, curling her arms around hisneck.
Several long, deep kisses later, he finally got around to the talking part. He told her about his long day on earth and she filled him in on details of hers, and what the twins haddone.
They were forming complete words and each day their vocabulary increased. A sense of wistfulness filled him. He wanted to be here for every single minute of theirchildhood.
Obligations called him away instead. But while he was here, and no shifter needed him, he would enjoy hisfamily.
They went into the nursery and saw the children were up, babbling to each other in their separate cribs. His heart turned over as he slid an arm around Niki’s waist and stared at their children. They looked identical, but were not. Both had chubby cheeks, dark blond hair cut short and eyes blue as his belovedmate’s.
“They’re growing so fast.” Niki gave a wistful sigh. “Nia would love to see them and spoil them. You seriously want them to decide about thistrip?”
Tristan thought of his plan and smiled. “Yes.”
He went to the cribs and held out his arms. The twins screamed “Dada,” clamoring to be held. He picked up both in his arms and showered them inkisses.
“Who wants to go for a pony ride?” heasked.
“Pony ride, me, me,” Kara calledout.
“Dada,” Keeganadded.
They had noticed Kara seemed to have more command of language, while Keegan was more dexterous. Keegan had yet to say more than “Dada” and “Momma.”
The twins also seemed to have their own special language, which Niki had told him was the same way she and Nia and communicated when they wereyounger.
Outside, he carried Keegan while Niki cartedKara.
He shifted into a small Shetland pony and Niki strapped Keegan on his back. Tristan trotted around the small paddock in the back yard he’d created for thetwins.
After a short ride, with Keegan screaming for joy as he bounced up and down, Tristan used his powers to unstrap his son, lift him up and float him into the arms of his beaming mother, who sat on the park bench withKara.
Tristan shifted back into his human form, clothed himself in jeans and a western shirt and plucked Keegan out of Niki’s arms. “Yee haw! Was thatfun?”
“Dada,” Keeganshouted.
“Fun, fun,” Kara screamed. “Me next Dada! I want ponyride!”
Keegan grinned at him, showing his first tooth. Marveling, Tristan picked up his tousle-haired son. He was growing so fast. Too fast. He wanted to cherish every single moment withhim.
“You liked yourride?”
Keegan nodded, his dark blond hair flying up and down with theeffort.
“There’s no place like home, eh son?” Tristan gave Niki a smug smile. “Here, you can have whatever you want, all the ponies you wish to ride. So which place is better, Keegan? Here in Tir Na-nog with Dada or inMontana?”
Then Keegan looked at his sister, who babbled something. His son clapped his hands andnodded.
Tristan’s happy grin dropped a minute later as his beloved son touched his face and spoke hischoice.
“Montana.”
