She swept my hand to the side and pulled me into a tight hug. “Nonsense, we're family.”
Turning her attention to Tammy, her smile became strained. “Tammy, darling. How is your husband?”
I swear, she sniffed as she said ‘husband’. Suddenly, I understood Tammy's apprehension and why Danyelus was all too willing to stay home. “Hello, Aunt Delilah. Danyelus is home, continuing his work.” Danyelus was a lawyer of sorts for the Unseen. He represented creatures of all bloodlines in disputes before the Junta courts. He knew the Junta laws in and out. Apparently, something about Danyelus was offensive to Delilah.
She turned back to me and focused on my stomach. “And that's the little problem child. Do we know yet if it's a Supay or a Shapeshifter?”
She just jumped right to the point. “No.” I didn't know what else to say.
“No matter. Whatever it is, we'll protect it.”
I smiled. Her attitude about the baby was comforting, even if her personality was a little overwhelming.
“Don't you worry. I've had six children. And our healer is the best. I believe you've met her?”
I nodded in the affirmative.
“Good. You'll do great.” She put an arm around my shoulders and steered me toward a door behind the winding staircase, all but completely shutting Tammy out. I twisted my head back and gave Tammy a panicked look. She threw her arms up and huffed but followed. “I owe you,” I mouthed at her.
“What's that, dear?” Delilah asked.
“Just clearing my throat,” I said brightly. “Where are we going?” I really wanted my men back around me to show me around. If we were going to be stuck somewhere, at least it was fun somewhere.
“To the kitchen. You look famished.”
I look like a moose.“Thanks?” I wasn't sure what else to say.
We traveled down a short hall and into a kitchen that would have Axoular drooling. “I can't wait for Axo to see this,” I said.
“Who?” Delilah asked.
“He's my... Well, I don't really know what to call him.” I looked at Tammy for help, but she was rifling through the fridge. Pulling out bottles of blood and fruit juice, she handed the juice to me and popped her blood in the microwave. “When did they start bottling blood like that?” I asked Delilah to turn the attention off of what Axoular was to me.
“It's my new business venture. We haven't even started distribution yet.” She pulled her perfect pouty lips into a wide grin.
“That's great!” I said, not sure where to take the conversation since I didn't know her very well. “When I lived with Michael, I managed a coffee shop and we distributed coffee all over the U.S.”Crap. Don’t bring Michael up!
Her expression dimmed with the mention of her son's name. “Yes, well. This was Michael's idea. He'd talked about doing it when he was a teenager, but once he was of age, he disappeared. Once we found out he'd...” She trailed off, probably unable to say he'd died. I understood. “Anyway, we decided to give it a go.”
“I never knew that.” She sat at the table, and I joined her, pretending to ignore Tammy sneaking out of the room with her bottle of blood. “He never told me about his Supay life. I thought he was human until last October.”
She shook her head. “What he did with you, that was unlike him. It was so out of character.”
“So I'm told.”
She stared at me, searching my face.She's looking for what it is about me. She wants to know what I have that's so special that would make her precious son give up his life to be with me.
“I don't know,” I said.
“Excuse me?” she asked, eyebrows arched perfectly.
“I don't know what it was about me that made Michael fall so hard in love. We just met and fell in love. As far as I knew, we had a run-of-the-mill marriage. Money problems, occasional fights, the whole nine yards.”
“Money problems!” she exclaimed. “He was wealthy beyond most human dreams. And now so are you. Our legal system honors your marriage to him, you know.”
“I know. I haven't been able to look into it much, though. Elias and Anthony have handled the finances. Though it's funny, with Michael, I did and never would've thought I could give it up. With him gone, though, I'm happy to never think about it again.” I found myself talking about aspects of myself and my marriage to Michael that I hadn't talked to anyone else about.Who loves a man as much as his wife besides his mother?
“Elias and Anthony are good boys. They'll do fine with it. Though now you're married it's theirs as well, besides your dowry.”
