“I meant to discuss this with you beforehand, but my request was processed so quickly and it just so happened that they had a need.” Gabriel stopped pacing, his back to his mate.
“What request?”
“I asked them to look into possible children that needed adopting,” Gabriel said, turning around.
Ashby felt as if all the air in the room were sucked out of the window. He gasped and grabbed his chest. Gabriel was instantly before him.
“I knew it. I knew you wouldn’t want me because I couldn’t have babies.” Ashby closed his eyes in pain.
“No! No,mon ange. I saw how much pain you were in and how hard you tried to hide it from your closest friends. I could feel it in your heart, the desire for a child of your own. How could I not move Heaven and Earth to make that happen for you? Youare my very reason for existing.” Gabriel peppered Ashby’s face with kisses.
“What did they say?” Ashby asked, feeling like his entire world was spinning out of control. In the background he heard the doorbell ring.
“They found us a child, my angel. They are making arrangements to send the little one to us, possibly after the New Year.” Gabriel smiled and seemed to hold his breath.
“We’re going to have a child! We’re going to be parents!” Ashby yelled. The doorbell chimed again.
Ashby jumped up and started to pace the room, mimicking Gabriel’s earlier movements. Gabriel tried to walk alongside but Ashby seemed to start, stop and turn as new concerns or ideas popped into his head.
“How old? Is it a boy or a girl? Do you have any idea how much stuff we have to get!” Ashby ranted, waving his arms. He tried to get his breathing under control. The doorbell chimed again, and again and again.
“Someone get the damn door!” he screeched.
Gabriel visibly winced.
Beyond the office door they heard people stampede for the front door at Ashby’s uncharacteristic display of temper. Ashby took a deep steadying breath.
“They wouldn’t tell me anything except that the child’s parents had been murdered by Drainers and that they had no one in the world to take care of them. As for supplies, we have plenty. The things in the spare room that you think are for Rebecca are actually early Christmas gifts for you.” Gabriel pulled Ashby into his arms.
“Hey! Did anyone order a baby?” Daniel’s voice rang through the house.
Ashby froze and looked up at his mate. Gabriel looked as close to panic and shock as he had ever seen him. Ashby dashedfor the door and ran downstairs to the foyer. Gabriel, with his vampiric speed, made it there seconds before him.
Ashby stopped a few feet from a small woman holding a tiny bundle wrapped in a blue blanket. She wore a tidy, tweed suit and sensible shoes. She looked like the quintessential British nanny.
“I am Prince Gabriel, who might you be?” Gabriel asked.
“I’m so terribly sorry, I assumed the council let you know I was coming. Oh dear. I have brought the child they told you about. There was a mistake on the paperwork for the adoption date, his foster family is going out of the country for the holidays and of course couldn’t take him with them. Will that be a problem?”
“No!” Ashby and Gabriel practically yelled, and the woman jumped and gave a nervous titter.
“I’m afraid he doesn’t come with much,” she said and eased the baby into Ashby’s shaking arms.
“Is that ours?” Daniel asked excitedly.
Gabriel nodded with tears in his eyes.
“David! David, hurry, we’re having a baby!” Daniel screeched, and coven members began to pour into the foyer.
“When?” David yelled.
“Now!” Daniel jumped around from foot to foot, trying to catch a glimpse of the infant.
“What!” was the bellowed reply from the landing before David tumbled down the stairs in his effort to get to the foyer to see the baby. Daniel ran over to help his twin.
Ashby felt Gabriel standing close behind him, peering over his shoulder. With trembling hands Ashby pushed aside the blanket so they could see their son for the first time. When he saw his son’s face he couldn’t stop crying. He looked up at his mate to see that the Prince of all vampires had pink-tinged tears streaking lines down his alabaster cheeks.
“How?” Gabriel croaked and cleared his voice and spoke again. “How can he look just like you?” His voice broke. Ashby rubbed his cheek along the baby’s soft head.
