Her Brother, Her Mate

Simone POV

“Good morning, my love,” Vincent whispers in my ear from above, bending over the bed. He rubs his nose down my cheek and places a soft k**s on the corner of my mouth, making my lips quirk up in the corners. I peek at him from my heavy eyelids.

“Where are you going?”

“My office to sign some forms, then I have to run to the club and pick up the ledgers. I have a surprise coming for you in an hour so get up and shower. I left a mango papaya smoothie and some muffins for you in the fridge.”

“What’s coming in an hour?” I ask groggily, stretching out in bed while he’s watching my cami ride up with heated eyes.

“You’ll see,” He smiles, kissing my lips one more time before leaving the room.

I g***n, rolling over and pulling his pillow towards me, burying my face in it. I drift back to sleep, but not for long. The bed shifts next to me, and I think it’s Vincent until a hand comes down sharply on my a*s. I jump up squealing, “What the hell!”

“Wake up!” Carli smirks at me, smacking chewing gum loudly. She has Rosie in her lap, and Rosie starts smacking my butt copying her mother. I g***n, grab the baby, then snuggle her into me while rolling back over to go back to sleep.

“If you’re my surprise, you can go. Leave the munchkin,” I grumble.

“Not me!” she laughs, “I’m the surprise before the surprise. Some butchy vampire named Simon let me in. Said your real surprise will be here in thirty minutes.”

I g***n. Rosie giggles and squeals, poking her little fingers inside my ear and nose, then lifting my eyelids open, laughing hysterically when I growl at her.

“Get up! You’re so effin’ lazy,” Carli nags me.

“Effin’?” I peek over at her, smiling at her filtered word.

She huffs and rolls her eye, “I’m trying to watch my mouth in front of Rose. Parker won’t ever let me have another if she learns any more cuss words.”

I smile mischievously, “So I shouldn’t say shiiiii-”

Her murderous growl cuts me off, making me laugh, “Ok, little nugget. Come help aunty Sim brush her effin’ teeth,” I tickle Rosie’s belly, carrying her into the bathroom with me.

The mango and papaya smoothie is creamy and delicious, and the muffins are lemon; my favorite. I’m curious if he knew that already or if it was just a coincidence.

Rosie is wreaking havoc with a muffin on Vincent’s pure white rug. She’s sitting still for once so we leave it. There are too many breakable things in this apartment. If she’s containing her mess to one area, it’s a win.

Simon lets in several manicure and salon technicians soon after, and I squeal in excitement seeing them setting up in the dining room.

“What about Rosie?” I ask Carli, fearing the danger the baby will get into while we are stuck in a chair with wet nails.

“Parker’s on his way to get her. He had a meeting this morning with the reps from the East Fairy Kingdom and dad’s with Elena at a meeting with Lady Delilah so she had to come with me until Parker got done.”

“East Fairy Kingdom?” I ask. Why does that sound familiar?

“Yeah, that’s where your psycho ex’s parents are. They found his car I guess. Came to talk to Parker. They are ruled by a king and said it was improper for me to be there. My delicate ears need not worry of issues between men is exactly what they said. I thought me showing them how delicate they were instead of me would impede the search for the prick so I left.”

“You mean Parker told you to leave?” I lift my eyebrow at her. She doesn’t back down from a fight that easily.

“Shut up,” she turns her nose up defiantly and whispers “b***h” so Rosie can’t hear. “I realized he was right after I left so same thing.”

“Sure it is,” I laugh at her. Parker comes up when the manicurists are ready for us and retrieves his daughter. She is so excited to see him, as usual, and it’s heartwarming. Parker’s a fantastic dad. I know how much that means to Carli. She wants Rosie to have all the things she never had.

I wonder if Vincent wants kids? I never gave it much thought, but watching Parker with his daughter has my uterus tingling. We could definitely already be pregnant after yesterday. Neither of us thought about protection once. We should probably talk about it today when he gets home. We need to be on the same page with that kind of stuff.

“How you holding up?” Parker gives me a quick side hug and peck on the cheek.

“He’s torturing me over here, as you can see,” I laugh, waving my hand in the direction of the technicians waiting patiently to get started.

“What a monster,” he gasps sarcastically. “Have fun both of you. I’ve got the rugrat all day today, babe. You don’t need to get her from your parents. If you get done before me you can go straight home.”

“Where are you going?” she asks him, hugging him around his waist and kissing his lips.

“Dad and Mary wanted to see Rosie,” he tells her with a somber expression.

“Eww, well enjoy that,” she mutters. Parker pulls her tightly against him with one arm, k****s her head, then heads out with Rosie in tow. I see Simon in the elevator as the doors open, offering him a little wave. He smiles curtly before the doors close and it descends down to the parking garage.

We both receive full manis and pedis before a lunch of Mediterranean salads and a charcuterie board is delivered. After our delicious lunch, 2 massage technicians work on us out on the open balcony, both of us moaning in pleasure. Jerome and Philipe are very skilled vampire masseuses, with very skilled hands. I sense they are extremely gay and a couple.

“f**k, yes,” Carli g****s beside me. “Jerome, you can just come home with me. I’ll put you on salary. You just have to put your magical hands on me every day.”

A deep growl from the open balcony door makes both of us giggle. Parker must have finished at his parent’s house early. I peak over, lifting my head from the hole in the table, and see he’s missing my munchkin.

“What are you doing back so early?” Carli asks him, not bothering to lift her head while Jerome’s hands glide down her naked back.

“Am I interrupting your time with Jerome’s magical hands?”

“Yes,” Carli states, before moaning when Jerome works a knot in her lower back, “Go away.”

“They’re both gay, Parker. Relax,” I mind link him when I sense he’s about ready to pounce on a nervous-looking Jerome. He huffs but settles down.

“What are you doing back so soon?” I ask him out loud.

“I need to talk to Vincent. He’s on his way here now. When I got to my dad’s, the rep from the East Kingdom called me with more not great news.”Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

“What news?” Carli and I ask at the same time.

“Well,” Parker grabs a lounge chair, pulling it a little too close to Carli on purpose, “They think they know how he left Fairy without being detected. Makes things harder for us so we may have to rethink you staying here, Simone.”

“How did he leave the Fairy Kingdom?” I ask him, leaning up so I can look at him, much to Philipe’s annoyance since he was working on my shoulders.

“His father’s job permitted him the use of a flying horse. He got to keep it when he retired since the horse was old and ready to retire as well. His father told the knights that his horse is no longer in the stables. It’s been missing for a couple of days; since the day Aiden attacked you.”

That’s where I remember hearing about the Eastern Fairy Kingdom. Aiden always wanted to take me there so I could take a ride on some Pegasus but since I refused to make him my mate I couldn’t enter Fairy. That was so many months ago that completely forgot. He was so upset with me when I refused to mark him and let him place his seal on me that that’s when I started pulling away from him. I told him I was done completely a few weeks later.

If he is airborne, he could be watching us right now and we wouldn’t even know it. I feel exposed and unsettled all of a sudden, and reach back to stop Philipe’s hands on my back.

“I think we’re done here, boys,” Carli mutters as I look around the sky, holding a towel against my naked chest.

What if he’s been watching me this entire time? Oh, my goddess….Vin and I had s*x out here last night. What if he was watching us, and knows Vincent is my mate? I feel dirty and defiled thinking about Aiden watching us from above.

What if he’s after Vincent now too? He only got violent when he heard me tell him I found my mate. If he knows that mate is Vincent then Vincent is in more danger than I am. I can’t let him hurt my mate.

“Vincent,” I whisper in a broken voice.

“He’s on his way back,” Parker reassures me, “Nothing is going to happen.”

I’m starting to panic, dread for my mate; for the possibility of someone taking him from me. If anything happens to Vincent it will be all my fault.

“Sim, hey. Simone, look at me,” Parker is gripping my face, trying to get me to focus on him as my eyes dart across the sky. What if he’s watching now? Watching and waiting to kill Vincent and take me?

“No, he can’t,” I mumble, “Vincent, he-”

“I’m right here!” Vincent’s voice calls out as he runs out onto the balcony, “I’m right here, my love. You’re okay.” He pulls me into his arms cooing and soothing me as I try to focus on his voice, my eyes darting from his handsome face to the clouds above. “Mi amor, I’m right here. Everything is okay. You’re okay, my love,” he continues to whisper, cradling me against him. He carries me inside, taking me back to his bedroom.

I can’t let anything happen to him. I just got him. I don’t want to lose my mate.