Important! Make sure you have read chapters forty-one and forty-two before reading this!

Three years later.

Nathaniel leaned forward to lift the lid of the pan and stir it's contents. Sniffing the air suspiciously, 'This doesn't smell right Ly... You sure you read the recipe correctly?'

The Drakos seated at the table shrugged, 'Who cares?' Staring contently into the face of the tiny infant in his arms was all he had eyes for anyway. If Nate's attempt at dinner failed again he'd simply get Elliot to fix him something or maybe he'd go out for dinner.

Elliot laughed loudly, 'You are terrible Nate, give it up will you? You'll have a lot more happy around if you do.' The Witch flexed his golden arm, a habit he'd gained since losing the limb. It was to reassure himself he really wasn't dreaming.

Tlanextic had somehow managed to make him the thing, it was pure magic and neither Nathaniel or Sammuel had in all their lifetimes seen something of the like. It was just as good as Elliot's real arm had been, just golden.

'Shut up Ely, go bother my sister,' Nathaniel growled half heartedly.

'Fine... I'll go bother Missy, she loves it when I do,' Elliot was up and out the door quickly but as he passed the stove he couldn't resist sniffing the sadly failed food on the stove. 'Oh yeah looks delicious man...'

'Do you want me to kick your ass boy?' Nathaniel exclaimed in annoyance. 'It's not funny!'

The boy laughed loudly as he left, walking only a tad bit faster to make sure the almighty vampire wasn't truly pissed off and really meant to chase him.

Nathaniel just sighed and shrugged as the door closed, he had to admit it. He was terrible at cooking and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make a single edible thing. He should just give up.

He looked at the Drakos sitting with his feet propped up at the table again. 'I swear you spend more time with my daughter than I do...' the Regis said appearing by Lysander's side to pluck the contently sleeping infant from his arms. Already humming his lullaby to the fresh faced little girl.

The baby barely stirred, opening sleepy eyes only once to look at who was holding her. They were the same golden eyes that Amelia had. Nathaniel sighed happily, 'She's so beautiful...'

Laughter, low and male and slightly mocking, 'Yeah for a wrinkled little piglet she's quite the eye catcher!'

'Shut up Sammuel!' Lysander snarled, already jumping to his feet and spinning to glare at the Jotun as he entered the kitchen. 'She's perfect!'

Sammuel smirked, 'You're just in love...'

Lysander was already opening his mouth to retort furiously when he was interrupted:

'She's mostly hungry, that's what I think,' Hayden piped up, entering the kitchen on the heels of the tall Viking. Right on cue the infant started wailing loudly and not even Nathaniel's gentle humming could calm her down now.

The empathic boy had grown and his voice was occasionally changing pitch now, completely out of control. Much to Hayden's annoyance and the great amusement of the rest of us.

Nathaniel smiled: 'A ghra mo chroi, you better get down here. Your daughter is hungry.' He send her the thought as he switched off the stove with a flick of his telekinetic powers as moved over to the rocking chair by the window.

'Oh and it's only MY daughter when she's hungry is she? Already on my way.' Amelia's laughter echoed gently through Nathaniel's head as he stuck his pinky in his daughter's mouth to silence her wailing and satisfy her hunger for a short moment.

The door swung open to the living and Amelia strode in, lighting up the room and making all the males sit up straight. Lysander dropped his feet from the dinner table and Hayden quickly hid his dirty hands behind his back.

'So how's dinner coming along?' the love of Nathaniel's life said as she took the little infant from his arms with expert care. Settling down on the rocking chair and nestling the beautiful girl to her breast like she'd done a hundred times before.

She stopped crying instantly and a soft suckling filled the room.

'I eh... Gotta go,' Sammuel exclaimed and he rushed from the room.

'See you at dinner!' Hayden added and he followed the giant.

Lysander was also getting to his feet in a hurry. 'Yeah I think'll I'll join them for a bit! Bye!' The door fell shut behind them with a soft thud, the men in this house always mindful for the tiny baby.

Amelia laughed, 'They're all so squeamish about something so natural...'

Nathaniel just shrugged, rubbing a finger over his daughter's chubby little cheek, 'I don't mind. I rarely have the two of you all to myself.'

'Oh shush, we have all night to ourselves and Lysander is the perfect baby-sitter. Our precious little babai ur feels right at home with him.' Amelia told her Mate with a soft smile on her face as she looked down at the golden haired child.

Her eyes strayed up towards the mantle above the fire place, on it a heavy silver candlestick, slightly crooked and dented. Yet proudly displayed. The very candlestick that Amelia had used to kill Devon with.

Lysander had tried sneaking it out several times but Nathaniel had always brought it back. For reason's the Drakos wouldn't explain to Nathaniel he had a fierce hatred for the thing.

Nathaniel followed her look and nodded, 'It's exactly three years since that day... There's still been no sign of the Demon Raim.' He carefully took the baby, now done feeding, from Amelia so she could rearrange her clothing.

'Yes I know, Hayden isn't scared, he says the Demon is terrified of him.'

Nathaniel nodded, 'And rightly so. But I don't believe it's the last we've heard from that monster... If he could he would still take Hayden's powers for himself and Hayden still can't see Tlanextic.'

'The video conferences seem to satisfy the both of them for now. We'll just have to worry about it when the day comes. I refuse to live in fear.' Amelia held out her arms again to take the little girl back in her arms.

'Only happy things lie in our future Nathaniel, I'll make sure of it.'

The Regis of Northern America looked down at his beautiful half Angel Mate and precious little babai ur. 'Yes, you are right.'

Note:

After a long time away on Wattpad I'm back and here with a new story: Hook, Line & Sinking. It's about mermaids and mermen (sexy ones obviously) and it's set in the same universe as Thicker Than Blood, though there's no story overlap. If you click on the external link button slightly below this you'll go straight to the first chapter.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/295370403-hook-line-sinking

Book 2 TTB is still a thing, but right now I am working on rewriting a lot and testing out how to get things actually published. (Super exciting!)

Also, come check out my facebook page for more information on my stories and my published works! Including extra bonus scenes. https://www.facebook.com/RobinOConnorBooks