Nathaniel and I didn't talk again till after dinner, which we spend in the large kitchen. Surprisingly Sammuel and Jaden joined us as well so for once there were more people actually eating than just sitting around.

I had thought Jaden ate a lot but damn! Sammuel easily ate twice as much if not more... It seemed however that Elliot had been warned about it because he'd made loads more food than usual so there was enough for everyone.

Hayden didn't know of course that our grandfather had been here and I decided not to tell him. It would only make him sad to know he'd missed him and that he might never be able to see him.

The boy was unusually quiet as he looked around and focused his golden eyes that looked so much like Tlanextic's on everyone. First he stared at Nathaniel as if trying to figure out what my Mate was thinking.

Nathaniel was leaning back in his chair, his long legs stretched out underneath the table as he carefully surveyed the room. One arm he'd spread out along the back of my chair so he could occasionally stroke his long fingers along the nape of my neck or run them through my hair.

But despite the easy going posture he was still incredibly tense and worried. He wasn't sure if he'd done the right thing by inviting Tlanextic here that much was sure.

It was clear that Hayden could sense Nathaniel's tension and by the focused look on his face he was trying to ease it somehow. I wasn't sure what he was doing or if I was just imagining it but he wasn't just very emphatic, he seemed to be able to actually influence people for the better.

After a while I could almost feel the tension drain away from my Mate and that's the moment Hayden's attention switched from Nathaniel to Sammuel.

The big man had taken off his blade and carefully balanced it against the table right next to him. His chair a little pulled sideways so that he could face the entire room as he ate. He seemed intent on eating his food, which he did with the table manners of a Viking... Not surprising because he'd probably lived at that time.

Sammuel didn't speak or make rude jokes and jibes like I had come to expect from him, his eyes occasionally drifting towards Nathaniel or Jaden. But when Hayden focused his attention on him he visibly stiffened as if he noticed something unpleasant or surprising.

Shortly after however dinner was finished and the Viking excused himself with a brusque nod and a few growled words. Nathaniel let him go without saying anything, at least not vocally but I had the feeling he could speak with the Viking mentally just like he could with me, well maybe not exactly the same but still.

I took Hayden upstairs for bed and tucked him in. As usual I read him a few pages from one of his books and soon he was ready to sleep. For once he insisted I sing him a lullaby again which I did with a strange feeling of Deja Vu.

Nathaniel's lullaby came so easily to me as I sang that I really wondered how I'd picked it up so fast. This was only the second time I sang it myself but I knew it word for word by heart and I had from the start.

As I closed the door to his room behind me Nathaniel was right there, leaning against the opposite wall as if he'd been waiting for me. His stormy eyes piercing as he gazed at me but his words were gentle.

'You have a beautiful voice Ams, I wish you'd sing for me as well,' a smile made his face look less stern. I started to blush as he flowed to his feet and reached his hand out to me. Pulling me into his side and then quickly guiding me to our bedroom.

'We are going back to school tomorrow, just a few more days and then we're moving back to my stronghold,' he informed me as he used his powers to close the door behind us. With one hand he softly stroked across my now marked skin.

'You are connected to him, by his spell...' he trailed off sounding unhappy about it. He was talking about my grandfather now. Forcing my mind to jump to that conclusion after the bomb he'd just dropped on me.

With an impatient snap of his fingers my clothing changed to sleeping attire. Something I'd never put on myself: a slinky black and red negligee that hid very little and emphasized a lot.

'Really? Is that all you can think about?' I asked, one eyebrow raised sardonically.

He shrugged as he let his eyes rove across my body. 'What can I say? You look good in it, really good...'

Before I could reach the closet to find something more appropriate to wear for bed he wrapped me in his arms from behind. Then tilted my head so he could attack my mouth with a mind blowing kiss.

'This should be a day of celebration, we mated. Let's think about our responsibilities tomorrow...' he told me. Suddenly I realized what he was doing, distracting me from being upset about Tlanextic nearly stabbing me and his own response to all that.

'You are going to give him a chance okay? No forbidding me to see him,' I ordered.

'You can see him if I think he's no threat to you or to Hay. You promised me that you wouldn't fight me on your protection.' Nathaniel was deadly serious as he spoke, no room for argument there...

Boy did it suck that he used that promise against me like that! But scowling I nodded, 'But you'll be fair about it. He's not gone cold like you said, he's filled with emotions. I could feel them!'

Nathaniel appeared not to believe me but he was done talking now. Attaching his mouth to the center of my mark and sending pleasure through my body so intense that my legs gave way. Not that it mattered, Nathaniel held me upright against him without effort.

With my back pressed against his front, one arm like a vice around my waist to hold me up. My head pressed to the side to allow him access to my mark, so he could lick and kiss and nibble to his heart's content.

Waves of warmth washed over me and my body felt hot and heavy under his administrations. I tried to remember what he had been saying before but he left me no chance for that. If Nathaniel Flynn wanted me distracted... He had no problem achieving it.

He took me to the bed and made love to me long and hard until I was so exhausted I fell asleep in total ecstasy.

I woke up to Nathaniel softly stroking his fingers through my hair. Balanced on his elbow above me with his long body leaning over me, one leg draped over mine.

'Morning a ghrá mo chroí, are you ready for school for one last week?' he asked me softly.

One last week of school... and then? I didn't have to finish it and get my diploma? Go on to college? Did I want that? It was obvious that Nathaniel much preferred it if I just stay by his side as much as possible.

'I suppose... Do you think Devon and his gang will give us problems again?' I asked as I scrunched up my face, my wrist sending me a painful pang in remembrance of our last encounter.

'There is nothing to be worried about. I'll keep mental tabs on you and Elliot will be ready to flash you out at any moment on my order. Jaden and Seratin both will be close by at all times,' Nathaniel told me reassuringly as he got up out of bed. He disappeared into the bathroom but reappeared a short moment later.

'It's unfortunate that Jeremy was killed and that the packs rule has fallen to that mutt Devon but you'll be perfectly safe a rún,' he said as he took his own sweet time getting dressed, not caring one bit about being naked or cold.

'If he's smart he stays away from you and saves his own hide,' he added, returning to my side wearing a crisp white shirt with his sleeves rolled up. The mark clearly on display. Black slacks flowed over his legs, obviously expensive and the shoes he wore appeared Italian and custom made.

'Now get up a ghrá mo chroí, I'm sure you don't want me to dress you for school.'

He sure was right about that but I really didn't want to go anyway, people would be talking about me. Plus, despite what Nathaniel said and believed, I knew Devon would never leave us in peace. I'd glimpsed insanity in his eyes, he wouldn't stop until he had me or couldn't reach me any longer.

Going to Nathaniel's stronghold, whatever that was, seemed like a pretty good idea. Even if that might mean waiting a year or so before finishing school and going to college.

Sliding out of the warm bed I wobbled for a moment, my legs felt like jelly and my body felt heavy from last night's activities. Nathaniel's definition of celebrating our mating seemed to mean only one thing: sex.

But damn! It was the most amazing thing ever! I flushed scarlet and felt my body heat up just from remembering.

Nathaniel's chuckle made me realize that he was aware of my thoughts as he watched me get dressed and do my morning routine in a hurry.

I decided on jeans and, with a look at Nathaniel, a long-sleeved snug shirt with a very wide neckline so that the mark wasn't covered either. 'I assume you will cover yours so that nobody will wonder why we have matching tattoo's?'

Mine would have to be visible to scare off Devon and his pack, although Were's should be able to smell it too.

'No,' Nathaniel answered as he led me downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast. 'I will cover yours for human eyes only.'

'What about my wrist? Last they saw me at school it was broken...' I didn't want people to wonder about that and ask questions I couldn't answer.

'The nurse was mistaken, it was only bruised,' Nathaniel replied. He seemed to have thought about everything.

*

The red brick building of Riverwood High came into view way too soon for my taste. Sprawled out the building looked as if it had been expanded several times over, to accommodate for the growing amount of students.

Jake got out of the car first and held out his hand for me with a smile, a real one that showed not a single hint of fang. 'Don't worry sweety, it'll be fine. Nate is a master at planning.'

Jaden behind the steering wheel 'hmphed' before saying: 'He had help you know.' But then he laughed warmly and winked at me, 'We got your back kid. Thornten won't bother you at the school, even he won't sink that low. And me and Ser and my men can wipe the floor with those mutts here anytime. Hell! Even you can wipe the floor with him if you can knock out a dragon!'

At the reference to Lysander the arrogant Greek Taoiseach I smiled and nodded, feeling just a little proud myself. 'I suppose.' He was right about that, maybe I could fight of Devon on my own, if I could focus my powers and do that trick again.

I just really hated it that I couldn't come to school with Nathaniel himself. It would have been really nice to be reassured by him before I had to enter the building and see either Devon or Eliza or both...

As I got out of the car and walked into the school I couldn't seem to shake the feeling that something big was going to happen. Something that would change my life and that of many around me forever.

But just as I was about to say something to Missy I spotted Nathaniel on the other side of the parking lot getting out of his own car. He appeared completely relaxed as he stopped occasionally to chat with a student or another teacher as he made his way into the building.

I was caught with the impression that he was saying goodbye to the place and people already. And I realized how much he loved teaching and going to school, seeing the students and enriching their lives.

It saddened me when I realized that he could never fully do that, because he was the leader of an entire continent even if his Taoiseach Dílseachta did most of the work for him usually. Still he could never stay in one place for more than a few years... Because the humans would start to wonder why he didn't age.

Missy gave me a soft push towards the school, 'Come on. Class won't wait for you.' I allowed her to lead me into the school and to my first class of the day. With the grizzled old teacher Mr. Reynolds who was actually a werewolf himself.

I knew it was to be expected but still I shivered every time I realized either the teacher or a student was looking at my mark. It was unsettling to realize how many in each of my classes were not really human.

It seemed at least two or three in each of my classes was a wolf and as Missy pointed out, at least one witch attended each class too. There were no other vampires though but Missy claimed that was because they in general were loners and it didn't really work well to hunt the same area for food with many.

It made me wonder how all of the men stationed at the Flynn residence got fed. I knew there was at least a dozen vampires and certainly at least a dozen Were's too that were responsible for the protection of us and the building.

It wasn't until I made my way over to my third class that day, English with Nathaniel, that I finally bumped into Eliza.

The beautiful blonde swept her eyes over me and then focused them on my bare neck, straight on the mark. A moment of surprise made her appear younger and then she lifted her baby blue eyes back to mine and smiled.

Yes. She actually smiled, and it was a true one too. Not one of those fake smiles that she usually shared with her 'besties.'

It was only then that I noted her appearance, her clothing just a little more drab and less flamboyant than usual. Her dress actually reaching to her knees although still hugging her curves and her neckline high enough to be called demure!

Wow what had happened to her?

'Morning Amelia...' She muttered but somehow she seemed unable now to meet my eyes and in a hurry she turned away and sat down in her usual seat at the front of the class.

She didn't even look at Nathaniel as he stood in front of the chalkboard, his sleeves still rolled up so that everyone, even the human population of the class, could see the mark. He didn't look at me as I passed him but I felt him brush my mind in a gentle caress.

Smiling and feeling better about this day and myself even despite my bad feeling when I arrived that day I sat down beside Missy. Laughing with her when we heard the rumors and speculations fly around the room about Nathaniel's 'tattoo.'

The two were's in the back said nothing, both of them girls, as they occasionally glanced at me. Frowns marred their foreheads and it made me wonder if Devon, as the new Alpha of the pack, had told them about his plans for me...

It felt weird to be in school again after the past week but Nathaniel didn't really seem to bother teaching Missy or me. Instead he allowed us to talk quietly so that Missy could teach me how to mentally talk with her too.

It wasn't hard but still I had to focus a lot more compared to talking with Nathaniel or Hayden or even Tlanextic!

The topic Missy wanted to discuss however shocked me to my core.

Children, and she didn't mean that in the aw they're cute kind of way. No she was actually telling me how much she'd like to have kids herself and that she hoped she'd be able to conceive soon with Elliot.

Gaping I asked her out loud, 'Come again? I thought you couldn't? I mean... eh aren't you?'

'Aren't we what? And why wouldn't we?' Missy asked in return and I hurriedly tried to switch back to the mental conversation.

'I thought being a vampire you couldn't have kids? You died!' I exclaimed. If she was saying that she could get pregnant if they tried... Didn't that mean Nathaniel could actually get me pregnant too?

I was very sure we hadn't been using protection but I'd assumed it hadn't been necessary! I suddenly felt a little sick. Sick enough in fact for Nathaniel to turn his eyes on me and frown in concern.

'Eh yeah well you only die for like a few minutes and seen as we're still warm and got a heartbeat we aren't dead. Not even undead. We're very much alive. Didn't Nate explain this to you?' Missy was saying to me.

'Since we have a heartbeat albeit a very slow one, say about twenty beats per minute, and we all have regenerative powers... It wouldn't make sense right to be infertile? It's just a very small chance for it to happen, since we're more or less immortal and the reproduction rate sort of has to balance with that.'

I heard what she was saying but I was still staring and trying to come to terms with all the information. My stomach heaving in shock at the possibility that I might actually be pregnant because Nathaniel had seemed to forgotten about that tiny little detail!

'Are you okay love?' Missy said out loud, stretching out a hand to pat my forehead. 'You're suddenly a little distracted....'

I was incredibly grateful that class was finally over at just that moment. Students streamed out of the room in a hurry, eager to get to their lunches and I jumped out of my chair and stalked over to Nathaniel, seated behind his desk to glare at him.

I couldn't say anything as long as there were still students in the room, at least not out loud but I allowed him to feel the full force of my glare. How could he go around hiding key information like that!

Behind me I heard Eliza suddenly say loudly, 'Come on let's get out of here! Hurry.' Barely twenty seconds later the room was empty except for Missy, Nathaniel and me.

'What the hell Nathaniel! Why didn't you tell me!' I spat out, clenching my fists to keep them from going to my stomach. I could be pregnant! I didn't want that! Not right now!

A little surprised Nathaniel looked at me, one eyebrow raised in question before looking at Missy over my shoulder. She must have either mouthed the answer to him or telepathically said something because suddenly his expression cleared.

'I'm sorry a ghrá mo chroí, it didn't seem important,' he said, shrugging his wide shoulders.

'Not important! Not important! How can it not be important? I thought it wasn't possible...' I spluttered indignantly.

'It slipped my mind to be honest...' he replied, stepping around the desk so he could grab hold of my shoulders. Behind me I heard the door close as Missy left.

'It slipped your mind that you should have used protection and that I could possibly be pregnant now? What kind of 1500 year old adult are you?'

'Protection? Why would we use that?' he asked, confused now... Oh my did Missy not fill him in properly?

'Didn't Missy tell you it takes ages for couples to conceive? Vampire couples at least... We aren't all that fertile even though everything works just fine. Wasn't it in that book you read a while back?'

I stared... But the chance was still there wasn't it? This wasn't reassuring in the least!

He pulled on my shoulders until he could hold me against his chest, 'I swear you are not pregnant Amelia and even without protection you probably won't be for a very very long time. Maybe even a century or longer...'

'You'd know if I was?' I asked him, feeling a little more reassured now.

'Yes, instantly...' he replied.

'You should have told me about this! It's still my choice if we should be using protection or not. I don't want to be pregnant right now....'

'You are right a ghrá mo chroí. Forgive me, but it really did not occur to me that you might feel that way. I will arrange protection as soon as possible.' He sounded genuinely remorseful about it but I also realized something else.

Once, long ago he'd already been a father and he'd lost both his children to famine and disease... Despite the long time that had passed that must still hurt him deeply somewhere, the chance, that very small chance that one day he might be a father again gave him peace of mind.