Page 52 of Marcello
“Don’t feel bad,” Mazzi said. “Naldo and I took off and actually left the coven for an entire month when we first claimed each other. You and Marcello are supposed to have your time together.”
Abel smiled. “Back at the council, one of the guys that works with Lewis just mated with one of the hellhounds last winter,” Abel told us. “Banner started calling that time his matemoon, and I think it’s the sweetest phrase.” Abel shrugged. “Humans have a honeymoon right after getting married, so it actually makes perfect sense that we have a matemoon right after claiming our mate.”
“Why haven’t you mentioned that to me before?” I asked.
Abel shrugged again. “It’s not that important, really. I mean, we spent time together, and you took all of that time off.”
“Yes, but I like your idea of a matemoon. I should have taken you away,” I told him. It was too late at this point. I couldn’t take Abel out of the villa until after he recovered from giving birth at this point. The twins were due in just over two weeks, and there was no hiding Abel’s pregnancy. “We will have to go away once the babies are born, and you are up for it. There is a whole lot of Italy that you haven’t seen,” I said.
Abel rolled his eyes. “I haven’t seen any of Italy except this compound. You can call it a villa all you want. And it is gorgeous. But there is a wall around the entire place. It might be a hedge, but it’s still a wall,” Abel said. “I understand why. I do. But it’s still a compound.”
I looked at the others, unsure how to respond to that. “He has you there,” Mazzi said.
“Yes, well, if the two of you need a traveling companion that is of a magical sort, I wouldn’t mind seeing more of Italy again,” Rio said. “Of course, I would understand if you didn’t want someone else tagging along.”
“I wouldn’t take Abel and the children out without at least one other person,” I told Rio. The thought of having a warlock with us was certainly positive. “Abel is very much comfortable with you. And although I am certain the idea of traveling with a mated couple with two young children isn’t exactly your idea of a good time, I certainly wouldn’t mind taking you up on that offer if my beloved was agreeable to it.”
“I wouldn’t mind Rio joining us, but I think he’d be bored. I mean, I have the twins to be looking after, and I’m not sure how well they will be about sightseeing.” Abel sighed wistfully. “I’d love to see Rome though. And the Trevi Fountain is definitely on my list of things to see. But there’s the Colosseum and Pantheon, and Mount Etna down in Sicily.” Abel looked at me with wide eyes. “You have so many things to see. All the things!”
I smiled at my beloved. “Yes. We can make sure we make time to see all of those places eventually.”
“It can be done in a weekend,” Mazzi and Rio both said. Abel and I looked at the others.
“Sure. The two of you have magic and can get from place to place with ease. We’re not exactly able to do that as the two of you are,” I told them.
“I’m perfectly capable of getting all of us from place to place without being seen. I might not be as old as Mazzi, but I am still a powerful warlock,” Rio said.
“If everyone is agreeable, we could make it a group trip. Naldo, Tulio, and I could join as well,” Mazzi said. “I’ve traveled here, but it has been some time.”
“I was reading about Madrid, and there are so many places to see there as well!” Abel said.
“There are,” Mazzi said with a smile. “I’m sure that getting away to Madrid for a day or two, perhaps a long weekend, isn’t something your beloved would be against,” Mazzi said while looking directly at me. Way to put me on the spot. I liked Mazzi though. He’d meshed with us so perfectly I sometimes forgot that he was from Spain and not Italy.
“That would be fine. I can either go, or the two of you could go have a run. I know that Naldo and I could manage the babies for a weekend,” I said. Mazzi and Abel both looked at me with wide eyes, and Rio started laughing.
Abel’s face changed subtly, and if I’d not been staring at him, nor if he’d had any sort of block up between us, I wouldn’t have felt the sharp pain in the center of his stomach.
“Are you all right?” I asked as I sat forward and reached for my beloved.
“Yeah,” Abel said. He rubbed the front of his stomach and sighed. “Someone is moving, and it was just a really sharp pain.”
I wasn’t so convinced. I’d felt those movement pains before, and this definitely didn’t feel like those had before in the past. I quickly glanced at Rio, who nodded subtly. His hand started to glow dimly, and in order to keep Abel preoccupied, I turned his face to look at me. “Tell me if things change, all right?” I said. Abel nodded. “The babies could come anytime now.”
Rio tilted his head side to side. What did that mean?
“I’m good,” Abel said. “It was just a sharp pain, but it was the first one, and I think it was one of the twins trying to find more room.”
I stared intently at Abel, but I found no deceit through our bond. He was saying he was all right, so I was going to have to take him at his word.
“I’m sorry to run,” Mazzi said as he stood. He looked directly at me. “Call Naldo’s phone if he goes into labor, and I’ll come and help,” Mazzi said. “But I need to get to Naldo. He’s saying that Tulio is fussing and won’t stop.” Mazzi rolled his eyes. “I’m sure he’s exaggerating, but we will see.” I nodded, and then Mazzi looked at Abel. “Don’t think some pain is insignificant. Any of them at this point could be labor, and then you might get stuck out here in the gardens like I did and go into labor.”
Abel and Mazzi both laughed. “True. But Marcello can carry me back to our rooms.”
Mazzi touched Abel’s shoulder as he walked by. “Yes he can. Rest. And make sure you feed your beloved because those first few days are going to be a huge blur for the both of you, and if he’s needing to feed, he’s not going to be the best help for you.” With that, Mazzi walked off.
I’d not thought about that, and I was sure that Abel hadn’t either. It had been about a week since I’d fed, but it had also been about a week since we’d had sex. Abel wasn’t feeling the best, which was completely understandable.
“Umm…Rio?” Abel said, and it sounded like a question was to follow.
