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  “From what I can see the male attacked the female, but she retaliated. She was facing him when he cut her stomach, you can see the blood sprayed across the front of his uniform,” she explained as she pointed out the stains.

  “She scrambled to get away form him, knocking into the table and sending its contents scattering. She was going for her cell phone, but it hit the floor along with everything else. She then grabbed the gun from beneath the couch cushions and shot the male before he knew what was happening. My guess is she dropped the gun thinking she had killed him then turned to find her cell phone and that was when the male shot her,” Ember finished telling the silent room.

  “She never reached her cell phone, so how did you know she was in danger?” she asked Orlando.

  “The vampire queen had a premonition,” he responded in a daze.

  Ember had no idea the new queen had the power of premonition. All she knew was that Elsie was the first ever human-turned-vampire and had been the talk of the realm for obvious reasons.

  “She saw the baby and blood and said I needed to get here. That’s when we called you guys because you were closer,” Orlando explained as he began pacing the room with the infant in his arms.

  “That’s probably what saved the baby,” Dr. Fruge cut in. “If they hadn’t responded when they did we would have lost them all.”

  The doctor’s pristine white lab coat was covered in blood now, reminding her of the emergency surgery he had performed to save the baby’s life. She’d never seen a baby born and had wondered what natural childbirth was like. If it was anything like she’d just witnessed she never want to have a baby.

  Orlando stopped and ran his free hand through his white blond spikes, leaving red streaks through the strands. As upset as he was, he held the boy close to his chest as if his very life depended on it. He was a protective male and the shifter in her liked that trait. Pack was everything. In her opinion, the strong were responsible for protecting the weak. And, it was clear the baby sensed he was safe because he had quieted and was content for the moment in the warrior’s arms.

  “What do we do with the infant?” Gerrick voiced.

  The warrior had a scowl on his face, and that, along with the scar, made him frightening. There was no doubt the male was a stone-cold killer. It was a good thing he used those skills to kill demons and skirm. She was grateful he was with the Dark Warriors. Otherwise, she was certain he would be a big problem for realm police.

  Orlando looked at his friend and grimaced. “I have no idea. I promised Jaidis I would look after Brantley. Is there even a precedence in the realm for a situation like this?”

  “What about surviving family members? Realm law dictates that the stripling be placed with them.” Dr. Fruge threw in.

  “I think we need to contact Dante and Hayden and ask for their help with Brantley,” Jace added and Orlando bared canines at the healer.

  Ember had no idea what was in store for the small infant, but she could tell by Orlando’s reaction that he was prepared to fight tooth and nail to keep his promise to the female he clearly loved. An unexpected bout of jealousy startled Ember, but she quickly shoved it aside.

  Orlando’s loyalty and protectiveness were two of her favorite traits in a male, which only added to her attraction to the warrior.

  Too bad for her it was clear his heart belonged to someone else.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Orlando should be paying attention, but his mind refused to focus on the chatter around him. Orlando could only concentrate on Brantley. He’d finally managed to get the baby to take the bottle Elsie had made for him. He was out of his league with the infant and had never felt more helpless in his life.

  He was a warrior trained to hunt and kill the enemy, not comfort and cajole a baby. He refused Elsie and the other females when they offered to feed the stripling. It was his job. Jaidis had made him promise to take care of her son and he was going to fulfill that no matter what. Not to mention, Brantley trusted him. He had been through quite an ordeal since his birth and needed to know he could count on someone.

  The soft breaths against Orlando’s neck made his chest tighten. What the fuck had happened? He had prayed a million times over the past day to wake up from the nightmare he’d found himself in, but that wasn’t going to happen and he had no frame of reference of where to go from here. This was unchartered territory for Orlando and he was scared shitless of the outcome.

  This was not how he saw his life going. Despite the centuries old “mating curse” that had dominated the Tehrex Realm until Zander found Elsie, Orlando had always believed he would find his Fated Mate and live happily ever after. Now, he doubted his judgment, as well as, everything having to do with mating.

  Kenny was missing half of his face in the realm morgue, thanks to Jaidis, and she was on the steel table next to him. Both dead and their infant orphaned. The entire cluster fuck should not have happened. The Goddess should never have allowed the mating to go so wrong. It still stunned Orlando that Kenny could harm Jaidis at all, let alone, to such terrible lengths. Not only did she deserve to be loved and cherished, it would be like harming yourself when inflicting pain on a mate.

  Everything Orlando had seen in the mated couples in the compound went against the abusive relationship Kenny and Jaidis had. What had happened between them that it devolved to this point?

  Against his better judgment, he had allowed himself to fall for Jaidis, much like he had with Elsie, and now she was gone. The worst part was at one point he’d had this justification rolling through his head that Jaidis wasn’t Kenny’s mate, but his, and one day he was going to go to her house and convince her to run off with him.

  What a fucking idiot he’d been.

  Instead, he was mourning her death and holding her baby, waiting to hear what was going to happen next. Orlando’s cat came alert as he sensed the presence of his Omega before Hayden entered the war room.

  “Now, that’s a sight you don’t see everyday,” Hayden chuckled as he saw Orlando cradling the baby. “A warrior in full combat gear feeding an infant.”

  Normally Orlando would have a humorous comeback, but he didn’t have the energy. “Then you must not come around often,” he informed his Omega flatly.

  “I’m going to let that slide given what you’ve been through tonight. Don’t forget who you’re talking to,” Hayden growled as he took his seat, his chocolate brown eyes glaring daggers at Orlando.

  Orlando swallowed hard. He had been so caught up in the grief and despair that he had forgotten he was addressing his Omega. Not only was Hayden huge, standing at six and a half feet tall with shoulders as wide as a house, he also had the ability to cause Orlando and his leopard significant pain for their disrespect.

  If Hayden wanted to, he could reach out with his power and seize control of Orlando’s animal. It was unpleasant, not to mention humiliating. The Omega typically only did so with striplings just past their transition when they struggled to control themselves.

  “Sorry, Sire. It’s been a shitty day. Thank you for coming,” Orlando murmured.

  Slightly mollified, Hayden pushed his long brown hair over his shoulders and rested his arms on the table. Orlando had never realized exactly how big Hayden was, but when he reached out to touch Brantley, he couldn’t help but notice that the baby would fit in the palm of his hand. Orlando’s protective instincts immediately went on alert and had him clutching Brantley a bit tighter.

  Hayden quirked his eyebrow at Orlando before addressing the rest of the room. Yeah, it was odd behavior, but Orlando was helpless to control it. Brantley’s own parents hadn’t protected him while in the womb and Orlando felt it was up to him to ensure his safety.

  As much as he cared about Jaidis, he was upset at her for not accepting his offer of a safe home while she was pregnant. He didn’t blame her for being abused and could understand not seeing a way out, but when he gave her the solution and she denied it, she was knowingly placing her and her unborn child in danger.r />
  Dante walked in and took a seat on the other side of Orlando, startling him. He hadn’t heard the male enter the room. When had Elsie gotten up? She’d been sitting next to him a moment ago. There was a time that Orlando could have told anyone every move Elsie made when they were in the same room together, but not now.

  At least that was one positive that had come out of the catastrophe. He was no longer completely obsessed with Zander’s Fated Mate.

  “Is this the little guy?” Dante asked as he stroked the baby’s cheek.

  Where Hayden’s power was stifling, and almost felt like being buried alive, Dante’s was more seductive, like a warm breeze caressing your skin. That was fitting given Dante was the Cambion Lord and a sex demon.

  When more than a few of the Dark Alliance council were in the same room, their power made the space feel incredibly small. Zander’s power was pervasive and tended to sink into your being despite any shields you had in place. Orlando pulled at the collar of his black t-shirt as he adjusted to the competing sensations. Thank fuck Evzen, the Guild Master of the sorcerers, wasn’t also in the room or Orlando would be sweating.

  “Aye, ‘tis Jaidis’s bairn. Were you able to learn anything before coming over?” Zander asked.

  The vampire king sat at the head of the large wooden conference table with Elsie at his side, holding his hand on top of the table. Orlando smiled slightly at the sight.

  As an empath, Orlando sensed the love and affection the couple shared. No matter how exasperated the couple was or how many cross words were exchanged, it was never anything but respect and devotion. This was how it should be between mates. He never thought he’d lose faith in the Goddess, but that was exactly what happened after Jaidis and Kenny.

  For longer than he could remember, Orlando had yearned for his Fated Mate and it had only intensified since Zander found Elsie, but now he questioned things. Mating was no longer the perfect union he had imagined and he wasn’t certain he wanted anything to do with it.

  “Well, I learned that Kenny has family in Mississippi. Jaidis’s family was killed in a skirm attack two decades ago. She had been on her own until she met Kenny last year,” Dante explained.

  “What did his family say? Are they coming for Brantley?” Orlando blurted as his heart raced in his chest. He didn’t want to give the baby up, but he knew he didn’t have a legal right to keep him.

  “They aren’t coming. His brother said he wanted nothing to do with that asshole’s baby. Apparently, they disowned him after he strangled their mother,” Dante said with a shake of his head.

  That quick Orlando’s rage was back. It wasn’t surprising to hear Kenny had murdered his mother and it made him question the Goddess’s wisdom even more. Why the fuck would she put Jaidis in his care? Why not give her to a male like Orlando who would treat her like a queen?

  “Oh my gosh,” Elsie interjected. Her hand fluttered over her heart and Orlando was bombarded by her sympathy. He had always experienced Elsie’s emotions stronger than most others and now was no different.

  “The baby isn’t his father. Why would they reject him because of that? That’s so unfair. Whatever happened to make Kenny abusive has nothing to do with this child. What is going to happen to him now?” the queen asked.

  “I’m keeping him,” Orlando blurted as he held the sleeping infant close. He may not be the child’s blood, but they belonged together.

  Dante shook his head while the rest of the room watched in silence. “Besides being a cop, you’re a Dark Warrior. If that’s not bad enough, you aren’t a cambion, Orlando. You won’t know how to care for him,” Dante declared.

  Orlando bristled at the assumption that he wouldn’t make a fit parent. He liked Dante, considered him a friend even, but at that moment Orlando wanted to deck him.

  “Fuck that,” Orlando spat, clenching his free fist in his lap to keep from lashing out.

  “Isn’t that something for your social services to decide?” Elsie asked, confusion clear on her beautiful heart-shaped face.

  “We doona have social services, a ghra,” Zander informed her. “The leaders make these decisions for their people.”

  “What? You guys aren’t qualified to decide that. If you don’t have social services, do you have domestic violence shelters?” Elsie asked incredulously.

  Orlando normally enjoyed when she challenged Zander and what she called the realm’s backward ways, but this was different. He didn’t want strangers to decide if he was fit in raising the child and he certainly didn’t want to wait or be temporarily separated from him. Brantley’s future needed to be decided and he wanted the people that knew him best to make that decision.

  “Nay, we doona have any shelters,” Zander replied as he tried to wrap his arm around Elsie’s shoulders. Orlando didn’t miss when she shoved his arm off and scooted away. “The Tehrex Realm is different, a ghra. We doona need shelters. Our families take care of our own. As you know, we live in large family groups often with three or four generations in the same house and this is rarely an issue.”

  “Obviously, you do need shelters. Did you learn nothing from this situation? I can’t believe you are still sitting here spouting this BS to me. Your families aren’t better than humans because you live together. There are still abusers in the realm, children are still orphaned, and, in no way, do you three men know what is best for children or abused women. You guys know fighting and killing,” Elsie exclaimed angrily.

  Orlando chuckled at the way Zander paled and Hayden looked a touch panicked. Orlando knew the Omega would never put the vampire queen in her place, but he could tell that her words had struck a cord with him. Dante smirked and didn’t appear bothered in the least by Elsie’s outburst.

  “That’s what’s up,” Nate added, laughing as he set the tray of snacks in the middle of the table.

  “This doesna concern you, dragon” Zander warned the majordomo.

  Nate ignored the vampire king’s gruff tone. “No offense Liege, but I beg to differ. If this child remains at Zeum, he will very much be my business. And, I happen to agree with the Queen. Even on Khoth we have a system of trained individuals who are responsible for children in such situations, as well as, adults in need,” Nate shared.

  The dragon shifter was walking a fine line. Orlando wasn’t sure his deference was enough to ameliorate Zander’s ire as the veins at the king’s temple looked ready to blow.

  “Don’t get mad at Nate,” Elsie murmured as she placed her palm over Zander’s chest.

  The king met his mate’s clear blue eyes and instantly calmed. Orlando had always envied the connection they shared, but he was convinced that he was cursed and would ever experience the same so he mentally stabbed that dream with his switchblade. He was done hoping for things not meant for him. It only led to heartbreak and loss.

  “We need to change this and now. How you survived without an official system to help those in need baffles me. Elsie’s Hope has just expanded. During the day, we will still help the humans, but at night we will begin assisting supernaturals in need,” she declared. Elsie’s determination impressed him, as well as, her confidence.

  It struck him how far she had come since becoming the vampire queen. He recalled how timid and unsure she had been. She believed she wasn’t queen material and had little faith in her abilities, but he’d seen the potential like many others and wasn’t surprised by how easily she’d adapted to the role. There was a time when he’d have said it was because the Goddess created her for the role, but after losing Jaidis like he had, his beliefs had been rocked to the core.

  “A ghra,” Zander began, but she held her hand up stopping his next words.

  “I’m not done. Each faction will put money into organizing shelters in each of the major cities. I understand that the supernatural population in rural areas isn’t big enough to warrant such services, but they can go to the nearest city. The question remains what we do with children like Brantley. Do we begin training social workers who can make those
decisions?” Elsie finished.

  “I will set up an alliance meeting in the next few days so we can work oot all the details,” Zander conceded, earning him a triumphant smile from Elsie. “Tonight, we need to decide Brantley’s fate. That canna wait.”

  “Jaidis’s dying words were for me to take care of her son and that is what I plan to do,” Orlando reiterated for what felt like the hundredth time as resolve steeled his spine.

  The affable warrior he had always been was gone at that moment. He couldn’t help but admit he was acting more like Gerrick than himself. “I may not be a cambion, Dante, but I live with one and I have no doubt I can ask Rhys for advice or help when I need it,” Orlando declared, pinning Dante with a glare.

  Dante sighed and shook his head. Orlando knew his friend well enough to know he was wavering. “I won’t argue with a mother’s wishes. Are you okay with this infant coming into your home?” Dante asked Zander.

  Suddenly, he panicked. He hadn’t asked Zander his opinion in the matter. Fortunately, they were a family at Zeum and he hoped his leader and friend would support him.

  “Aye, the bairn is welcome here. Although, Isobel may see him as one of her dolls,” the king laughed and met Orlando’s gaze. The sincerity he saw in the king’s eyes was comforting and Orlando smiled his appreciation.

  “And, the infant will be welcomed into the pack,” Hayden announced, shocking Orlando. “If you ever need a babysitter, the females in the nursery would love to help take care of him.” That was more that Orlando expected from the Omega.

  He recalled his days in the nursery. At the Grove, there was a nursery where infants and children went while their parents worked or performed pack duties. He had always preferred to spend his days at the nursery because the dynamics he lived with at home weren’t present. Helga refused to allow his siblings to pick on him, unlike his mother.

  He envisioned Brantley amongst the various shifter children and thought he would get a kick out being around them. Shifters didn’t have control over their animal and shifted with the slightest emotion and he imagined they’d make the perfect playmates.