“Uneventful,” I replied as I grabbed an apple off the table and bit into it.
“That’s good, right? No drama, no worries.”
I chewed and swallowed the bite of apple. “Right.”
She watched me, seeing deep into my soul like the sorceress she was. It was fucking scary how clearly she understood me. “But you’re a bit bored, aren’t you? Not enough souls for the Reaper?”
He grumbled in response.
“Or chaos for the Berserker?”
He made a guttural, frustrated sound at her words.
Gavin leaned over to whisper in Gage’s ear. “Daddy’s Reaper and Zerker make lots of noises.”
Nylah snorted.
I crouched and slowly stalked my way toward the boys, who began giggling.
“Daddy’s coming,” Gage whispered.
To be clear, my boys didnotknow how to whisper.
I began to growl as I got closer. “I need brains.”
The twins went still.
Nylah covered her mouth to hide her laugh.
Gage leaned closer to Gavin as they watched me. “It’s the zombie Zerker.”
Gavin nodded. He inhaled and exhaled twice. “Get him!”
The two boys roared as they rushed from their seats, tackling me as I went down to the floor. I pretended to use my claws and teeth to attack, slashing at their little bodies as I acted like one of the Wild Things in our favorite bedtime story.
The boys managed to roll me onto my back and climbed on my chest and stomach, punching as they subdued me. It didn’t hurt. After all, the twins were only four.
“Oh, no!” I shouted. “Gavin and Gage got me!”
The boys cheered. I closed my eyes and played dead. The Reaper loved this, sticking out our tongue. The Berserker couldn’t hide his urge to grin, twitching our lips. I must have looked deranged.
And then I got smacked in the face with something tiny and opened my eyes. Above me, Gia was smiling, picking up Cheerios and throwing them over the front of her highchair to pelt me in the face. How did a nine-month-old baby have such good aim?
Nylah couldn’t hold back her laughter. When she saw my surprise, she clutched her stomach, tears leaking from her eyes. “Rael.”
Gavin and Gage were encouraging Gia to throw more Cheerios as I covered my face. Then I dropped my hands and growled. Gavin and Gage tried to flee but I caught and hugged them to me, squeezing as they screeched and laughed. Being a dad was the best fucking thing in the world, and I felt so fucking lucky to be one.
Chapter 6 Nylah
“How about this one?”
Cameron held up a slinky cream-colored dress with a long slit up the side that would show off my legs. It was also backless. The front was daringly low-cut.
My sister tried to hide a laugh. “I like it.”
“Mimi.”
She shrugged. “Rael would love it.”
