Forever More New: Carson Manor, #4

So much has happened over the last few months. Baby Carter is growing, fast. He’s now nine month’s old and trying to crawl. Being a father has been the most rewarding thing to happen to me, next to meeting Skyler and making her my wife.

Carter's changed our lives so drastically, but I wouldn’t change it, not even for a minute. With his blonde curls, he inherited from his mommy and his wide stunning brown eyes that were passed down from me, he’s going to break a lot of girls hearts when he’s older. We’re going to have to try and keep the heartbroken girls he meets to a minimum.

Just in the last couple of weeks, he’s begun to crawl. Hell, he get’s into everything, and damn, as much as I love him, I miss the quiet time, the intimate time Skye and I used to share.

Skye’s baking business has boomed to the point that we’re building another house on the property, one she can bake in. Phillip had come to visit Carter a few months back, and when he tasted Skye’s muffins, he insisted she move to Edmonton and be his head chef. Skye, of course, declined. Neither of us wanted to move away from our family and the fact that no one had a security system like ours, one guaranteed to keep us safe. So, he came up with the whole idea of building a new home with a massive kitchen so she could separate work from our home, but I only had one objection which was that staff were to be hired and trained by Skye, so when all was said and done, she’d be able to spend more time with her family.

While Skye was pregnant with Carter, we had to go into hiding. There had been threats against us, and against our unborn child, so we fled. At first, we were tucked away in Maine, but Phillip had us move onto Ireland, where we stayed with our vampire friend, Lucas, and his fae wife, Celeste. They offered us sanctuary and assured us that they would help fight off anyone that would try and hurt Skye and the baby.

Finally, the threat became real, and we had word that Ernest, one of Phillip’s fellow council leader, had decided that he wanted Skye moved to council headquarters so that he could have her and our child studied.

We weren’t about to let that happen, so a plan was put in place. Skye was to go down to the panic room along with Lila’s human boyfriend, Pete and Celeste. Because she was fae, her powers could be used to help calm my wife as I went into battle. I couldn’t have my wife in a panic while pregnant. We had no fucking idea why or how the pregnancy happened in the first place. She was fae, and I was a vampire. Vamps cannot get anyone, including a fae pregnant, special didn’t even begin to describe what our baby was and we were fortunate enough to have some pretty amazing people in our corner making sure no one hurt the loves of my life.

Leaving her to go into battle that day and closing the door to the panic room, was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do. To leave the woman I loved and our unborn child, killed me inside, but I couldn’t let the others fight on our behalf while I stayed behind. I couldn’t have others who were fighting for us and with us to go down without me out there to help.

When most of Ernest’s men had been killed, I was left standing in a field opposite Chris, the man that was once my best friend. The man I gave shelter to when he had no home. The man I found in bed with Koby the woman I was supposed to marry all those many moons ago, the woman who made my life at the time, a misery. He had come to kill my wife because Al, Lila and I made sure Koby was dead just the year before.

***

As soon as I’d found Skye hiding out in Texas with her fae friend Jessica, Koby managed to find us. Again, I raced a still very weak Skye downstairs into the safe houses panic room along with Jess. I ran back upstairs and gathered the vampires, and we began to make a plan. As we were congregated around the dining table, my phone began beeping in my pocket.

Slipping it out, I checked the screen, it was a message from Skye telling me she saw Koby breach the perimeter and that she was hiding behind the water tank at the rear of the safe house.

Immediately, we headed outside, where we found Koby lying in wait. As much as I wanted to be the one to kill the bitch, I knew Skye was watching the surveillance cameras, and I couldn’t let her see me do that to someone. Not when I’d just found her again. Not when I knew she had so much going on in her beautiful head. She was already scared, I couldn’t add on to that.

***

As I stood opposite Chris, my guard was down, and while we spoke, I was stupid. I let my anger and disgust control my emotions which gave Chris a perfect chance to sweep in and stab me. The only thing that crossed my mind as my body bled out was the fact that because of the blood bond Skye and I shared, I knew she'd feel the knife stab through my stomach.

My pregnant wife who needed no added stress knew I was down and knew I was in bad shape.

As I lay motionless and unsure of whether I was going to be killed off for good, Lila and Al saw what had happened. They charged in taking the asshole down and made sure he was dead and gone.

I had no idea how long I’d been unconscious, but the instant my eyes opened, Skye was the first person I saw. Her blue eyes met mine, and she continued to cry. Her lips kissed every inch of my face and neck and other than pain relief, there was absolutely nothing else I wanted or needed at that moment. Her touch and love were what got me through.

All of the others surrounding us told her to leave me be, to have a break because she was so consumed with grief, my wife who would usually take the others advice, spent the time I was unconscious, screaming at anyone who tried to pry us apart. She wasn’t going to leave my side until I’d opened my eyes and I assured her I would be okay.

For the next few days, Grantham a very old vampire friend and supernatural doctor, had me sedated, under my wife’s instructions, so my body could heal. As much as she missed me being awake and able to talk to her, she knew I had to heal fast because unbeknownst to me, Skye had gone into preterm labor when I was first moved up to the bedroom in the mansion.

To make sure I didn’t miss the delivery of our son, Skye had Grantham give her a shot to stop the preterm labor, but they didn’t know if it would work because it was made for humans, not vampires, but thank fuck it did. I would have been devastated if I missed the birth. It was our only chance we’d ever have, so it was imperative I be there.

When Skye was sure the contractions had stopped, she went on to design a kickass security system for our house. The slate walls that now surround the property are nine feet tall and electric. I had never seen that before, it’s always been wire fences that have electricity, never slate and the very top of the walls, are lined with silver to ensure no vampires can get in without seriously harming themselves. The tall front gates are silver and metal filled. She even had cameras installed at every point surrounding the property as well as inside the home, and she also installed panic buttons in each room. No one will ever be able to get in without our knowledge. Hell, she even had a panic room installed, but in all honesty, it’s more like a two-bedroom apartment. We’d be able to live in there for a minimum of two months without ever needing to leave. My girl is smarter than some of the oldest vampires I’ve come across in my one hundred and eleven years.

With each month that passes, I’m always amazed when I stand back and watch my wife. Whether she’s playing with Carter, training new staff or putting a vampire like Phillip back into his box.

When I first met her, she was shy, quiet and never wanted to be a burden on anyone she’d come across, but that girl is gone.

Now, she’s headstrong, a teacher, and most importantly, she doesn’t take shit from anyone, including me.

When Carter was born, and we came back to the states to start our forever after, Phillip made sure that we patented the security system. Thanks to his genius, now, when any vampire orders the same system, Skye gets a cut of the profits. But her only condition, the systems were only to be sold to vampires that were on our side. The side of good and not evil. Never did she want it used for the men like Earnest, who tried to take my wife and son away from me. It was never to be used for evil and of course, Phillip agreed.

Anyway, since we refused to leave our house so Phillip could have my wife as his personal chef, he insisted she turn her baked goods into a business. Skye bakes constantly, and even Lila has become involved because Phillip makes sure that each and every day, there is a delivery made to him.

Since the last council meeting he had her cater, the business has tripled. Vampires from all around the world, order from her. But we also knew she couldn’t devote all of her time to it. We were determined to keep Carter as our number one priority since we would never have another biological child.

Because things have been so crazy, we wanted to somewhat franchise the idea. On top of building on the property, there are now another five bakehouses going up across the globe. Soon enough, she won’t be working at all. Skye’s even had her recipes published through a werecat publisher, Phillip has dealings with.

Sure, at first the werecats were anxious about the whole, publishing baked goods made from blood, idea, but the moment they met my wife, they knew she wasn’t a bloodsucker who would fuck them over, so they relaxed. Nowadays, we have werecats popping in from time to time because my wife doesn’t discriminate. She cares for everyone that surrounds her.

***

It’s morning, and for the first time in a long time, Carter had slept through the night. When I roll onto my side, my hand immediately reaches out for Skye.

When my eyes open, I see she’s already awake and reading a book. Slipping closer to her, I drape my arm over her stomach, and nuzzle my face into her neck, kissing her delicate, naked shoulder. Morning, I whisper.

She sets the book down and then turns to face me, her blue eyes meeting mine, her smile wide, Morning, baby, she whispers in return.

According to Al and Lila, all Skye and I do is hump like overly happy jackrabbits. I’m beginning to think they’re right because I always want her. Skye is my soulmate, and my feelings for her will never fade.

I begin to kiss up her cheek until my lips meet hers, but just as my tongue brushes against hers, we've pulled apart when we hear Carter begin to stir through the baby monitor. Raincheck? she asks.

Definitely, I chuckle, and we both hop out of bed, pull on our robes and make our way hand in hand to our son’s bedroom.

The instant he spots us, he begins to smile. With his chubby cheeks and big brown eyes, it’s impossible to be upset with him for cock-blocking me from his mother all the time.

Hey, little man, Skye coos as she lets go of my hand and reaches in to pick up our adorable son. When he’s in her arms, he smiles, and I melt. This boy owns me and his mother’s hearts.

Carter reaches out, taking my pinkie between his chubby fingers, and my smile matches his. Hey, little buddy. Did you have a good sleep? I ask as I stare into his wide brown eyes. I let go of a chuckle when he starts shaking his head. Well, okay then. Are you hungry?

Baba, is his response.

Skye chuckles, How about you give your daddy a cuddle while I go downstairs and make you some breakfast? she coos.

My arms reach out, and Carter willingly comes to me. Come on, daddy will change your diaper while mommy makes you some num nums. I couldn’t be happier. My life is complete.

When Skye’s left the room, and I’ve changed Carter, I make my way downstairs, with my son in my arms.

As soon as we’re in the kitchen, Pete spots us coming, and he immediately stands and makes his way over to us, Come here, little man, he says as he takes him from my arms.

Pete and Lila have been together for just under a year now, a few months back, he proposed to her and she said yes. Granted, he is human, but he has told us that in time, he would like to become one of us. He said he couldn’t imagine ever having to live without Lila. He’s scared to death she’ll lose interest in him when he grows older when he begins to look more like her father rather than her fiancé.

We know Lila would never do that to him, but I understand where he’s coming from because Skyler had the same insecurities when she was a fae. It would be difficult to cope with, to think that someone would fall out of love because they were aging. It would be sheer torture like your love has an expiration date.

While Pete takes Carter to the dining table to sit down, I make my way over to the coffee pot. I pour two cups of coffee, one for me and one for Skye. Yes, our baby slept through the night, but it was the first time in so long. He’s been frustrated and upset thank my hearts has been aching for him.

Here you go, I say as hand her a cup.

Thanks, babe, she leans in to give me a kiss and my free hand reaches up and cups her cheek.

I love you, I whisper. No matter what goes on around us, or to us, I will always love her. She will always be my number one, well next to Carter, of course.

Love you too, she whispers in return.

Okay, lovebirds. Break it up, there’s a baby in the room, Lila calls as she approaches the bench, reaching for a mug.

Lila has been on cloud nine since Pete proposed. For the first time in a decade, she’s abandoned her pixie looking ways and decided to let her hair grow out. When I asked her why she opted for the longer locks, and natural tones with her makeup, she told me she had found a picture of a woman with long cascading brown hair in a wedding magazine and she was mesmerized, so she wants to have that hairstyle on the day of her own wedding.

Although I miss the way she looked, she’s still stunningly adorable, something she doesn’t like to be called, but in my eyes, she's my little sister, so adorable, is appropriate.

"I