Taming Darkness

~Aleera-

My baby bump has grown substantially within a matter of weeks. It was rather funny seeing the shock on Darius, Tobias, and Lycus' faces when we found out that there was more than one little life growing inside me. Kalen and I, however, were not surprised; we could discern the changes in my aura, and the fact I had three was a dead giveaway to us. I am carrying both a boy and a girl.

We found a reliable source within the Harmony-Fae, who used to be an OB-GYN before my mother imprisoned him. We steered clear of the more conventional methods, none of us trusting the Fae government hospitals, knowing the risks that came with them. My children would not become the next science experiment.

"Well, we definitely have more than one," he observes, as the cold gel on my belly makes me shiver. He rolls the device down, pressing harder to show everyone the two distinct heartbeats.

I can't help but feel excited about having twins.

"So, definitely twins?" Darius asks for confirmation.

"Maybe check again?" Tobias suggests.

"So, there is more than one?" Lycus stares at the screen, his jaw slack. "Are you sure it isn't just one?" he demands, and I listen to his heart rate spike.

The next second, a heavy thud echoes in the room, and we look over to see Lycus passed out on the floor, overwhelmed by the news. For a Were-Fae, he is quite dramatic. If anyone should be fainting, it should be me! After all, I'm the one carrying them! The only thing he'd need to help with is diapers and feedings, and it wouldn't surprise me if he tries to weasel his way out of that responsibility. After all, he has a history of avoiding his duties when it comes to helping with the baby Phoenixes.

The Phoenixes have grown up, and we now have more; my flock has doubled in size. Most of the recruits are used to them, but the Phoenixes seem to enjoy terrorizing some of the new recruits just for the fun of it.

Ryze has learned to talk more and can now pronounce everyone's names clearly. She's always pestering Tobias and Darius for belly rubs; now that she's too big to fit on my lap with my growing bump, she's become quite the handful. "Depending on how your pregnancy goes, you should be okay with the delivery, but if anything comes up, don't hesitate to call me. We owe you a great debt for saving us from the facility," the doctor says, bowing his head to me.

Despite ridding the world of my mother, we took extra precautions to ensure Astrid remains a safe haven; we don't need any more intrusions in our lives. We've all lost so much but gained even more through our bond. The Harmony-Fae have been reintegrated with the rest of the Fae population.

The Fae government recovered all the files they required from my mother's old base. It implicated my parents as the source of both waves of the plague.

Long before any of us were born, a bitter war between the demons and Seraphim boiled over, resulting in the annihilation of most of the Seraphim population, with only a handful remaining.

I discovered that my mother, over time, filled my father's head with the desire to take over the world and bring down the Demonic King. My mother's intention was to bring back the Seraphim population and keep the ultimate weapon under her control, her own daughter. I was never meant to live as a child in their eyes, only a tool for their agenda.

If it weren't for Darius and Tobias, I would have died in that fire and the most painful part? My mother wouldn't have shed a single tear at my loss. To Lydia, it didn't matter who died of the plague she released. All those lives were lost, so she could parade around like the dictator she clearly was. She had me purely for my blood, and when she discovered me still alive, she didn't see her daughter; she saw another opportunity. Lydia saw me as a weapon.

My mother's plan was decades in the making, convincing everyone that Harmony-Fae had died off while she collected them one by one, her own private collection. There are moles everywhere within the Fae authority, seduced to believe they would be given control. Lydia had planned to release a third wave of the plague, which was what she injected Porter with, ultimately killing him. Who did she think would be left to rule with the Dark-Fae gone?

Her plan lacked rhyme or reason. After Porter went on the run for killing his wife, my mother made him a deal: help her find me and kill Xandrious along with Darius. She knew that Darius and Tobias were my mates, and when she saw Lycus and Kalen's names on Darius' infinity symbol, she connected the dots.

Lydia knew they would come for me since I am their keeper and that they could potentially destroy her plans. She convinced my father that it was better for me to die than to be mated to the son of their enemy. In her twisted mind, it was better to kill me than to give Xandrious access to all the power and the cure I contained.

I wonder if she ever had an ounce of love in her heart for me. Or for my father, for that matter. It's so much to process and take in.

On a brighter note, Tobias' parents have made an effort to accept Tobias and his choice to be involved with our other mates and me. It's almost as if they're trying to make up for lost time or their past mistakes, now that he has his own children. Ryze swoops in and perches on the windowsill, "Aleera, outside." Her sharp eyes plead for me to go. I push myself up from my seat and stand, waddling as she follows me down the stairs-she has grown too big to sit on my shoulders. I stagger down the last landing and exit out the front door, only to be greeted by an excitable shout.

"Surprise!"

As I step out of the castle doors, I am taken aback by the sight of all the recruits and family. All dressed up, standing in the yard with balloons. The tables are decorated with colorful tablecloths and centerpieces of fresh flowers. There is an array of snacks and treats laid out, ranging from finger sandwiches to cupcakes. Balloons of various sizes, shapes, and colors are scattered across the lawn, with banners and signs hung up in the trees. The centerpiece of the decorations is a beautiful cake decorated with colorful icing and topped with flowers.

The recruits and my mates have thrown a surprise baby shower. I never knew demons even celebrated like this. They're usually dark and somber.

However, since most of them helped raise the Phoenixes and took down my mother, a lot has changed for them. They're still demons, of course, but they have developed a lighter side. To think that over a year ago, I despised them and wished they were all dead, and now they're all family. Darius comes over and helps me to my seat. He cuddles me every chance he gets, propping up my feet and even kicking Lycus out of the bed for fear he would crush me and my growing belly. I definitely don't miss the old Darius; this version of him, though, I've fallen in love with.

Looking around, I notice Beverly and Aldric Kade are here too, Tobias' parents. Tobias falls heavily into a chair beside me before reaching over and stealing me from mine, dragging me onto his lap. He still doesn't trust his family, and usually uses me, Darius, or Lycus as a shield, so he doesn't have to deal with them or speak with them, knowing we'll carry most of the conversation. But at the same time, we all know he misses them. He just doesn't know how to be around them, so we tolerate them for his sake. Our son will be named Thomas, after Tobias' brother, who saved me from Lydia and sacrificed himself in the process to keep me safe.

Darius sits next to me while Kalen, on the other side, smooths his hand over my bump, making my stomach ripple. One of the babies must have been sitting in just the wrong spot because I suddenly needed to use the bathroom.

"Since you both made one of them stomp on my bladder, you both need to help me up to use the bathroom," I scold. Tobias' arms tighten around me. "Are you trying to make me pee myself?" I ask him when I spot his mother, who's been slowly wandering our way. "Beverly!" I call out, and her head instantly whips in my direction, a bright smile on her face. She all too enthusiastically rushes over.

"Did Darius show you the nursery?" I ask her, and Darius shoots me a look, but I am about to wet my damn pants, and Tobias isn't letting me go.

"I need to pee, but Darius will show you. Now, one of you, help me up. I've got to go!" I snap at my mates, and I feel Tobias' arms slowly loosen.

Lycus rushes over. "I'll do it. You two are constantly trying to hog her." Lycus lifts me up effortlessly, sticks his tongue out at our mates, and helps me back inside before I wet my pants.

"Are you coming, Tobias?" I hear Beverly ask her son.

"Yeah, why not," I hear him reply reluctantly.

"Have you decided on any names for the girl yet?" I hear her ask him. Little do they know, I have a surprise for our daughter's name. It's the one name we couldn't agree on. They wanted to name her after me, while I suggested Lycus' mother's name. But he didn't want his daughter's name to represent such a horrid memory for him, and mine was not an option for me.