Chapter Chapter One Hundred Sixty-two When he finally came home, Bryn made sure her mom was watching the kids so they could have some time alone. She made dinner and served it in the dining room--which was rare, given that they often ate with the kids in the living room. She was waiting for him there, her napkin folded in her lap, wondering if he would even be hungry after he heard what she had to say. He knew something was up when he came in the door and Bernadette told him that Bryn was waiting for him in the dining room. So he hung his coat in the closet and headed into the dining room. And he caught himself doing a double take when he saw the food laid out on the table. "My dear, what's the occasion?" She looked up at him with sad eyes, gesturing for him to sit. "I need to talk to you. Would you rather eat first?" "No," he said with a shake of his head. A look of concern crossed his face as he took the seat. "Bryn, what is it? What's wrong?" She took a deep breath. "I had a talk with Lindy today, after you left. And it seems that no only does Nate thinking what you're doing is a bad idea, but..." She licked her lips. "Well, no one really thinks it's a good idea." Anton blinked at her. "No one thinks it's a good idea?" he repeated with a sinking feeling. "Including you?" She swallowed heavily, unable to look at him. "I wanted to, Anton. I wanted to support you in all of this. But the more that I think about it, the more it worries me. And now that I know what Nate and Lindy think...it's really hard for me to keep wanting to help you." "So you're changing your mind," Anton said. His expression darkened as he stared across the table at her. "How long were you going to pretend to support me in this? Or did you ever think that this was a good idea?" She bit her lip. "I don't know. I wanted to, Anton. I wanted to support you in everything you do. But this scares me. A lot. And I'm not sure your reasons for wanting it are...the right ones." "The right ones." Anton's frown grew even more severe as he crossed his arms over his chest. "And what are my reasons?" She frowned right back him. "You tell me." "I've told you my reasons," Anton said, arms still crossed over his chest. "I want to make certain that what happened to me won't happen to anyone ever again." "You're doing this because you want to feel safe. Because you want to feel like you're in control. But what you don't realize is that everyone else feels the most vulnerable now. You wouldn't be in control, Anton. You'd be a huge target. And so would your family. We don't want to lose you, sugar." "And I'm not a target now, Bryn?" Anton said. He stood up and started pacing along the table. "There are those out there who blame me for Lilith's downfall. We're just as much at risk now as if I were Emperor." "No, you're not, Anton, because we wouldn't be standing up in front of crowds, waiting for them to turn on us. We're in relative seclusion here." She let out a sigh. "I know you think I'm being really disloyal to you, but I'm not. I'm trying to help you. I love you." Anton stopped in front of her. "Then why did you lie to me? Why did you tell me that you were behind me in this, when you are obviously not?" "I wasn't lying," she said, quietly. "I just didn't fully understand what I was feeling. I wanted to be on your side so much. I wanted to support you. But I was always scared. And maybe..." She squeezed her eyes shut. "Maybe a part of me was turned on by the idea. By the power that you'd have." Anton looked at her almost in disbelief. Part of him wanted to pull her into his arms and comfort her. But another part of him felt that she had lied to him from the beginning. And that was what was causing more of the pain. She couldn't stand that look on his face. She knew she was hurting him, and Ú that was precisely why she hadn't wanted the others to talk to him first. If he'd turned to her for comfort, after speaking to them, she didn't think she would have had to guts to stab him in the back. "I hate doing this to you. It breaks my heart. But I can't stand back and let you make a mistake." He wanted to yell back that this wasn't a mistake. That he knew what he was doing. But now there was a quiet voice asking him if he really did? If Lindy, Nathaniel, and most importantly Bryn all felt that this was the wrong thing to, then maybe it was? "You're sure," he said after a moment, "That this isn't the right thing to do?" She nodded, her eyes watering. "Regardless of what I or Lindy think...I don't want you to ruin your relationship with Nate. He means so much to you, and I know he has to have been on your mind all day. If you do this, you'll lose him. Maybe forever. And you won't be able to live with yourself. You can be mad at me all you want, but you can't alienate him." Anton's head drooped as he dropped back into the chair. Bryn was right about that. In all the time that he had known Nathaniel, only once had it come to blows. And that was when he thought he was in love with Natasha. For his brother to react so violently meant that he was truly scared. "You're right, Bryn. I can't alienate him. Nor you." She reached forward and squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry, sugar. This is the last thing in the world that I would want to do to you. I hate making you feel unsafe, and I hate making you feel like you can't trust me." Anton squeezed her hand in return. "I know, my dear. I'm sorry I made you feel you had to back me no matter what. I just wish you felt that you could have said something earlier." He let out a heavy sigh. "I guess I should call Hadrian and tell him that the deal's off." She sniffled softly. "I think it can wait a little while. Dinner's going to get cold. If it isn't already." He looked down at his plate. "I can't eat like this," he said as he stood up. Silverware and napkin were placed on the plate. Taking it and the glass, he walked around the table to her side. Depositing the china next to her, he pulled the empty chair nearer to her before taking a seat. "Let's eat." Chin quivering, she stared at him, before dissolving in to tears. It was made only worse when he reached for her, but she went in to his arms willingly, pressing her face to his neck, releasing every bit of shame and regret that had been building ever since her talk with Lindy. She squeezed him tightly, grateful that he wasn't as angry with her as he had a right to be. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, brokenly. "It's okay," he whispered, stroking her hair. How could he have been so blind to miss everything that this was doing to his family? "I just wish you could have told me straight out that this wasn't a wise idea." Sniffling, she said, "Me too. I just never wanted to disappoint you." Pulling back a bit, she wiped her eyes and grabbed a paper napkin to blow her nose. "I've been a basket case all night long." Anton gently reached over to squeeze her hand. "I'm sorry, Bryn. I didn't want to put you in that situation ever." She gave him a wry smile. "This is supposed to be my apology to you, not the other way around. You have nothing to be sorry for." Wiping her face clean, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then turned to softly kiss him. "Well...let's eat. How was your day otherwise?" "Tiring," Anton said with a sigh. I've been worried about you, worried about Nathaniel. Trying to figure out somehow to make it all work. But there is no real way to do it, is there, my dear?" She reached for the mashed potatoes and began dishing them out. "I don't think so, sugar. If there were, one of us would have come up with it by now." She gave him a sad smile. "But maybe we could convince Hadrian to take the position?" "Maybe, í" Anton said. "If not me, he will find someone else." He grabbed the green been casserole and dug in with the spoon. "I should call him after dinner. But after I talk to Nathaniel." He let out a small sigh. "He's never going to let me live this down." "Anton, if he says a word, I'll punch him for you." Anton laughed as he picked up the fried chicken. "I'd love to see that, my dear." He selected a leg and added it to the plate. "Do we want to invite the children and your mother to join us?" She shook her head. "Let's just have a quiet dinner for once. Mom already ate and we can feed the kids later." She took her own piece of chicken and bit in. Moaning in delight, she made sure to swallow before saying, "It will be interesting to see if she ever adapts to our schedule." "Yeah, although she seems to be trying." He took a bite of chicken and a sip of water from the glass in front of his plate. "How long before her home is done? They seem to be mostly done with the construct ion." "I think they're working on the plumbing for the kitchen and bathrooms now. Putting in the cabinets and painting. It shouldn't be too long before she can have her furniture moved in." She glanced at him. "You know, as much as a pain as this has been, I'm kind of going to miss having her downstairs as a built-in nanny. Or Granny. Whatever." "Yeah. But do you really want her living permanently here with us?" Anton asked. "She'll just be across the way, like Lindy's parents are. And she might end up over here more than we realize." "I know. You don't have to talk me out of anything. I just liked the convenience. Besides, she has a spare bedroom over there...and she was even talking about sleepovers." Anton gave her a teasing grin. "For you, for me, or for the kids?" "It's all for you, sugar. Don't you know that by now? She wants your hot bod." Anton let out a mock shudder. "Don't say things like that at the dinner table, my dear. You'll make me lose my appetite." She grinned. She wasn't going to mention that maybe that was why her mother had been asking her all of those sex questions before. He probably didn't need to be any more traumatized than he already was. Taking a drink of water, she decided to go back to the original subject. "You'd let me know if you were upset with me, right?" Anton sobered up as he answered her. "Yes I would, my dear. I would let you know if I were upset with you. You know I can't hide things when it comes to you. I'll admit that I'm hurt that you felt that you had to hold back and support me right or wrong. But am I angry at you? No." "It's not like I'm saying you forced me in to supporting you. I guess I've just felt like, since we came home, I've wanted to do whatever I could to make you happy. I saw you so sad for so long...and when something came along that made you feel safer, saying no to it Ówas the last thing I wanted to do." She set her fork down. "But I ended up hurting you anyway." Anton bowed his head and took her hand in his. "Bryn, I do want you to support me. Not at the cost of our safety or peace of mind, though." His thumb moved gently over the back of her hand. "I'm not seeing things clearly. I know that now. I'm letting things that happened affect my judgment. So I need you now more than ever to help guide me along the safest path. And if that means disappointing me, then do it." Bryn was quiet for a moment, looking in to his eyes. Then she took a deep breath. "Okay." Anton gently stroked her hand. "Thank you, my dear." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it lightly. "It's okay to disappoint me, too. I know neither one of us does it on purpose. Besides, our marriage can't be perfect all the time. That would get boring after a while." Anton gave a soft chuckle. "I'm so very lucky to have married such a wise woman, my dear." "Yes, you are." She grinned at him, leaning over to softly kiss his lips. "All right, let's finish eating so you can play with the rugrats. They've been missing you." "Okay. And let's take dessert out to eat with the kids." He kissed her gently and then picked up the chicken leg he selected earlier. After the children were in bed and the door was closed, she stood near the bed and silently watched him undress. Even though he'd said he forgave her for changing her mind, part of her warily waited for any sign he might still hold a grudge. Slipping off her shoes, she worked on slowly removing her jewelry, her gaze on him the entire time. You didn't spend almost a thousand years hunting your meals on an almost nightly basis without learning to sense when you are being hunted. Anton knew that Bryn was watching him, but wasn't exactly certain why. "Bryn?" he asked, knowing he'd get nowhere if he didn't. "Is there something wrong?" "No." Putting her earrings down on her night stand, she hopped up on the tall bed and began pulling her shirt over her head. "Why do you ask?" "Because I can feel your eyes on me, but not in the usual 'push me on your bed and have your wicked, wicked way with me' way." He sat down next to her and pulled his shirt off as well. "So what's up." "I'm just a little nervous, I guess. About what happened earlier. I know it's just me being a twit." She gave him a small smile. "Besides, I like watching you." Anton gave her a soft smile. "It's okay about earlier. Honest." His hand reached out to reassuringly caress her hair. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, followed by the corner of her jaw. "And if you're going to watch me, shall I give you a show?" She gave him a bright smile and nodded. "Lemme get comfortable first." With that, she took off her pants as well, then settled back against the pillows. "Okay." He watched her get settled and then scooted back to the end of the bed. There was a wicked smile as he leaned against one of the posters at the corner of the mattress, fingers lightly resting on his chest. "So do you have any requests?" he asked as his fingers lazily plucked at his nipples. She smiled widely again, sitting forward a bit. "Hmm. Well, I think I'd like to watch you get yourself really hard...and then I'll take it from there." "I think I can do that," Anton said. Slowly he turned around and strutted away from the bed. He toed off his shoes as his fingers traced the waistband of his jeans. Back still to her, he started unbuttoning his jeans. Grinning, she sat forward a little more, eager to watch. The tight, anxious feeling in her chest was slowly beginning to dissipate. Crawling forward towards the end of the bed, she propped her chin in her hands and got comfortable once more. His hips swayed back and forth as his jeans loosened, allowing them to slip down his hips. With a lewd swing, he turned to face her, allowing his jeans to fall to his knees. With a rolling motion that started in his toes and traveled up his legs, his jeans fell to around his ankles. Giggling softly, she felt a bit like a bride-to-be at her own bachelorette party. All he needed was a little G-string and some shiny lotion for his skin, and he'd be the perfect male stripper. Well, and he'd need to shave. But otherwise, he made her breath catch. "Mmm. You're far too good at this, sugar. Makes me wonder if it's really the warehouse you disappear to every night." "You're welcome to follow me," he said, stepping out his jeans. "I can assure you that I practice all my sexy moves as I'm approving invoices. Especially this one." He flexed his abdomen, making the muscles ripple. She bit her lip, releasing a small whimper. "I really hope you don't do that with anyone else in the room, or I'll have to scratch someone's eyes out." "Nope, just me and the computer. Hopefully nobody's installed a secret webcam in the office." He grinned at the thought. "Or would you like that, my dear? To be able to see me whenever you'd like?" "Oooh. I do like that. And maybe we should get one for at home, too? You know, for your 'lunch' break?" Anton grinned. "I like the way you think, my dear." Slowly he turned around to face away from the bed. His thumbs pulled the elastic away from his waist, lowering it over his ass slowly. She let out a little squeal, unable to resist leaning forward to give one of his cheeks a squeeze. She grinned when he turned to look at her, surprised. "They just look so nice and squishable. Like a couple of hamburger buns...without the sesame seeds of course." Anton chuckled. "I'm surprised you didn't take a bite out of them." He turned back around so she could see his erect cock. "Does this make you hungry?" Bryn licked her lips, nodding. "Like a really big bratwurst, bursting with juices." Anton let out a low chuckle. "You wanna take a taste?" he asked with a roll of his hips. "Mm hmm." Giving him a sly smile, she rolled over on to her back and tilted her head, so that the length of her throat was one long line. Watching him upside-down, she motioned him closer and grabbed the back of his thighs to hold him tight. "Feed me, Seymour." Anton gave her a wicked grin. Edging closer he let the tip of his cock slide over her mouth. Slowly it disappeared between her ripe lips in small thrusts letting out small gasps. She moaned at the taste of him, her tongue immediately sweeping, generously, over the head of his cock. Taking him deeper inside, she let her nose brush over his balls, nuzzling them gently. She kneaded his thighs as she sucked him, twisting her tongue around his shaft. He let out another sharp gasp, leaning a little further forward. One hand balanced him on the mattress while the other slid up and down her body. Long fingers teased firm breasts before sliding down to circle her navel. Then the moved further along her, cupping between her legs and delving into the cleft there. Whimpering sharply, she bent her knees and lifted her legs to give him better access. If she could have wrapped her legs around his head, she would have. Instead, she tried to concentrate on breathing and pulling him as deep in to her throat as she could. He was deeper in her mouth than he'd ever been before and she felt a bit like she was trying to devour him. He tasted wonderful. It was hard to concentrate on stroking her slickness the way she was sucking his cock. But Anton continued to thrust lightly and tease her even as his breathing grew heavier. "That's good, my dear," he whispered as to his dismay, he could feel his balls rising. His fingers sped up and added a bit more pressure, Not wanting to end things by him cumming without her. "So good..." Feeling him getting close, she pressed on his hips, motioning for him to move back. She watched with a slight bit of distaste as a long string of saliva stuck to his cock as he pulled back from her. Reaching up to remove it, she took a moment to swallow before saying, "I want you inside me." "I thought I was," he said with an impish grin. Straightening up, he grabbed her hips and spun her around on the bed. And he didn't even allow her time to wrap her legs around his hips before he was inside of her, pumping hard and fast. Gasping, Bryn pulled her legs up close to her chest, her nails digging in to her thighs as she absorbed the quick pace of his thrusts. Every deep plunge forced the breath out of her, each of which was punctuated with a moan or whimper. Reaching a hand around her thigh, she began stroking her clit in time with his thrusts. Anton's breath hissed through clenched teeth. Biting his lower lip, he force Nd his thrusts to slow down, adding a side to side twist of his hips. But he made sure that he went in as deeply with every plunge he made. Her body tightened in anticipation as he drove her closer and closer to ecstasy. Stroking herself harder and faster, she let out a shrill scream as her orgasm peaked, her body vibrating with pleasure. Clenching hard around his cock, she watched him as she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. Anton let out a loud yell at the sight and sensation. His mouth dove for hers as he came, sucking on her lip to taste her blood. His hips continued to push against hers, trying to get that last bit of pleasure for the both of them. Wrapping her arms and legs tightly around him, she kissed him deeply, filled with bubbly joy. She let out a happy moan as he settled more fully on top of her, his weight pressing her down in to the plush comforter. Lazily scraping her nails up and down his back, she put all her energy into letting him know just how happy she felt. He continued to kiss her as he settled on top of her. Eventually his kisses turned into soft, light pecks against her lips. Reaching around his back, he grabbed one of her hands and gently squeezed. Smiling against his mouth, she stared deep in his eyes. "I love you, sugar. So, so much." "I love you too, my dear." He reached down and stroked her hair back from her face. "Now and forever, my dear." "Will you please let me come with you when you talk to Nate and Lindy? I don't want them to start harassing you." "I'm sure I can take care of myself, my dear. But you're more than welcome to come along." He grinned. "I like the idea of you playing my body guard." She gave him a slight frown. "I just don't think it's fair for them to start yelling at you about it. You already changed your mind and they should I just accept that." "I don't know that they'll yell at me about changing my mind, my dear," Anton said, still stroking her hair. "Nathaniel might yell at me, saying he was right and we never should have gotten involved in the first place, but nothing more." Pushing him over on to his back, she crawled on top of him and sat staring down at him. "You didn't see how mad Lindy was. And if she's that mad, you can easily imagine that Nate's even worse. I am going with you, and if they say a word, I'm kicking some ass." Anton gave her a soft smile, inwardly chuckling at the mental image of Bryn coming to his rescue. "In that case, my dear, let's go visit them." Making sure that the children were happy with Bryn's mother before he and Bryn headed over to Nate and Lindy's. "Now, remember your promise," he said with a grin. "They say a word, you'll kick their ass." She glanced over at him, her eyelids narrowing. "Why do I have the feeling you're making fun of me?" Anton arched an eyebrow with an exaggerated twitch. "My dear, since when do I make fun of you?" She swatted at him. "You're doing it right now! Don't make me kick your ass, too. You'll be sorry." "Okay, I'll behave," he said, ducking slightly. Stepping up to the porch he knocked on the door, waiting to see who would answer it. A few minutes later, they heard footsteps in the foyer and then the door opened. Looking somewhat surprised to see them, Nate quickly adopted a sour glare. "What do you want?" "I'd like to talk to you, please, Nathaniel." There was a contrite look on Anton's face, but he knew that this wouldn't be as easy to do as it sounded. "May we come in?" Nate stared at him for a while before finally stepping back and holding the door open. "Might as well. I'm sure this'll be good for a laugh." Yup, Anton thought. This was going to go well. "Thank you, Nathaniel," he said, stepping into the living room. Lindy, dishrag in hand, stepped into the living room. "What's going on?" she asked, looking between Nate, Anton, and Bryn. Looking bored, Nate flopped on to the couch and waited for Lindy to join him. Anton waited for Lindy to sit down before speaking. "I just wanted to let you two know that I won't be taking the position of Emperor that Hadrian has suggested. And I was wrong not to listen to your concerns. I am sorry." Nate glanced at Lindy, and then back at Anton. "Just like that? You expect us to believe that?" "Yes," Anton said. "We've worked too hard and come too far for me to let anything come between our relationship now." Nate let out a deep breath. "That didn't stop you earlier." Taking a step forward, Bryn glared at him...only to pause when Anton put his hand on her shoulder. "No, it didn't." Anton squeezed Bryn's shoulder reassuringly before stepping forward. "But I am letting it stop me now. á Nathaniel, you are right and I am wrong. And whether or not you believe I am sincere, I am." "Why the sudden change of heart?" "Because if you, Lindy, and Bryn are all saying the same thing, it's in my best interest to listen." Nate's gaze shifted momentarily to Bryn, then back to Anton. "So what are you going to do?" "I'm going to call Hadrian and tell him that the risk to my family is too great for me to take the position of Emperor. If the Council wishes me back, then I will accept the position that I was forced to abandon. Nothing more." Bryn glanced at Lindy. "What about you? Any questions?" Lindy pursed her lips thoughtfully. "It just seems like it's a sudden turn around," she said. "But I'll admit, I'm very relieved." "We talked last night. And I admitted that I was wrong and that while part of me wanted to be behind the idea, the greater majority was scared of it. And Anton realized that his reasons for wanting to do it weren't exactly what he thought t áhey were, either." Anton nodded. "I was trying to protect you. Protect all of you, by becoming Emperor. I didn't want to consider how much danger I was actually putting us into. I would only have an illusion of control." Turning his attention to Lindy, Nate reached across the back of her shoulders and squeezed her arm. "What do you think?" Lindy was looking at Anton with an arched eyebrow. "If this is true, Anton, and you're at peace with this decision, then I'm glad." She hoped that she wouldn't see him moping around about what might have been. "I'm at peace with this, Lindy," Anton affirmed. Although his arms were no longer crossed, Nate still looked quite closed-off and skeptical. Still, he shrugged. "Fine." "Fine?" Bryn asked. "That's all you have to say? Fine? Yesterday, you tried to knock his head off for daring to disagree with you and go against your wishes. Now this? What kind of brother are you? You're being an insensitive jerk, if you ask me." "It's okay, Bryn," Anton said, squeezing her shoulder. He knew this was how Nathaniel reacted when he was still processing, and not quite believing what he was being told. "Anything else you want to discuss, or should I go make that call now?" Nate shook his head. "The sooner, the better." Bryn growled at him, before grabbing Anton's hand. "Let's go home. This is ridiculous." Anton stood up and followed Bryn towards the door. "I'll talk to you two after I speak with Hadrian he said." Disappointed, but mostly for Anton, Bryn led him outside and down the porch steps before stopping and pulling him in to a tight embrace. She hugged him for a long time and kissed his cheek, whispering, "I'm proud of you, sugar." "Thank you, my dear." Anton hugged her tightly. He'd try talking to Nathaniel again later, after there had been some time to prove he was sincere. But there were other things that needed to be tended to first. 'Now let's go home and make that phone call." She nodded, taking his hand | again. They walked in silence for a while, side-by-side in the moonlight. FInally, she broke the silence by saying, "What if you don't call?" Noticing that she definitely had his attention, she added, "What if you just go, instead, and listen to what they have to say...and maybe make some suggestions of your own?" "Such as not to make me Emperor?" Anton teased. He did give it a thought while he shifted his hand around her waist. "I'm not sure how god of an idea that is, my dear. It might look like I'm reversing myself again to Nathaniel." "Nate's being a jerk anyway." Even as she said it, she didn't sound so convinced herself. "I know it sounds risky, but what if you take him with you? Maybe not inside the meeting itself--since they probably wouldn't let him in--but at least to wherever the meeting is held. You could discuss ideas with him and let him be a part of the process. I just want them to listen to you, Anton. If you're out of the process altogether, they can do whatever they want." "That does sound like a good idea. And I know he's wanted a chance to tell off the Council for ages... centuries is probably more like it." He gathered Bryn close to his side and kissed her. "Have I told you lately how much I love you, my dear?" She turned her gaze skyward, as if thinking about it. "Nope. I don't think you have." "Shame on me, then." Anton kissed her lips lightly again. "I love you, my dear. So very, very much." Smiling against his mouth, she lifted up on her toes to kiss him more fully. "I love you, too, sugar. So very, very much." She woke slowly that evening, blinking her eyes open in expectation of the alarm going off. When it didn't, she turned and glanced over Anton's shoulder to see that was indeed past the time the alarm should have sounded. Settling back against the pillow, she let out a yawn. No alarm could only mean it was Saturday. And if it was Saturday, that meant... Sitting bolt upright in bed, she let out an excited gasp, her face lighting up with as much wonder and excitement as that of a child's on Christmas morning. [Today's the day!] Turning, she began vigorously shaking Anton's shoulder in an attempt to wake him. "Get up! It's here! Mom's moving-out day!" Anton's head raised off the pillow, and one eye cracked open. "Huh?" he mumbled, raising his hand and then letting it drop back onto the pillow. His brain wasn't quite connecting her words with the concept. "What's today?" She smacked him on the belly, standing up on her knees. "Come on, you lazy slug. Today's the day. Mom's furniture has been delivered. The werewolves are probably helping her move in right now. God, if we're lucky, they might even already be done!" Anton opened his eyes and sat up, rubbing them. "You sound entirely too enthusiastic about this, my dear." Stretching, he yawned and stood up. "Aren't we supposed to be helping her as well?" "Yeah, sort of. We're supposed to go over there now." Climbing off the bed, she hopped to the floor and headed to the dresser to get some clean clothes. "I may be entirely too enthusiastic, but you don't sound enthusiastic enough, if you ask me." "Give me half an hour to wake up and a cup of coffee, and I'll show you enthusiastic." He had to admit he was looking forward to getting a little more distance between himself and Bryn and Bernadette. His wife's mother meant well, but she was also causing unintentional problems that were slowly driving them nuts. Pulling on a pair of stretchy jeans and a t-shirt, she headed for the door. "I'll get the kids up." Anton chuckled as he pulled on his jeans and t-shirt also. "And I'll go make breakfast, my dear. Cereal or eggs?" "I'll just have a bagel with cream cheese, and a cup of coffee for now." "I'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes, my dear." He pressed a kiss to her temple before heading downstairs. Smiling at him as he headed down the stairs, Bryn headed in to wake up the kids. Kat was mostly awake anyway, eager to get out of her crib. Max took a bit more coaxing, but eventually allowed her to get him dressed. Taking his hand as they headed slowly down the stairs, she could smell coffee brewing and felt her stomach growl. "Almost time to help Grandma move in to her new house." "But not before you eat something," Anton said in response. The smell of frying eggs could be just barely detected beneath the coffee. Anton also had some bacon frying. "Do you want toast with this, my dear?" he asked. "I could go either way." She nodded. "I guess so." Getting the kids set up in their highchairs, she grabbed some bibs. "Think I should call over there and see how they're doing?" "Only if you want to go over before you have eaten." He let the eggs fry for a few seconds more before slipping them out of the pan and onto some plates. "How long do you think this will take?" He asked as he got the milk for the children's cereal. "I'm still not sure how much furniture Bernadette brought with her." "Most of it was delivered today. Didn't you hear the truck outside?" Getting down some plates, she poured them both a cup of coffee. "I have no idea how long it's going to take. I wouldn't think too long, since Mom will want to go to bed sooner or later. But that doesn't mean she won't ask us to do some unpacking after she does." "Well, look at it this way, my dear," Anton said. He sat a bowl in front of Max and Kat, and a plate in front of Bryn. There was a playful sparkle in his eye. "The sooner that we have her settled in there, the less we have to worry about her walking in on us." "Why do you think I was so excited earlier?" She gave him a wink. Pouring cinnamon-vanilla-flavored cream in her coffee, she let out a soft moan as the delicious scents of breakfast wafted up to her nose. "Maybe we'll even get to take advantage of that later tonight." Anton smiled and winked back, the gleam in his eyes growing brighter. "I know we will be definitely taking advantage of that, my dear." Then his eyes came to rest on Kat. "Is Lindy and Nate baby-sitting? "I don't think so. I think they're helping. I'm sure someone will look after the kids while everyone else is working." She dug in to the eggs, dipping her toast in the yolk. "Mmm. Good eggs, sugar." "Thank you," he said with a wink as he put down his plate in front of his chair. Although knowing that they were due over at the new building in the next few minutes, Anton took the time to enjoy the eggs and eat some of the bacon, as well as help feed Kat the cereal. Bryn glanced over at Max, who now had his bib and shirt soaked with milk. Every handful of cereal he brought to his mouth dripped more milk all over him. "That wasn't exactly the greatest idea." "Nope," Anton agreed as Kat, not wanting to be left out, dribbled as well. "But at least it will kill some time cleaning up the children before we have to be there," he added with a conspiratorial wink. She rolled her eyes. "You're terrible. The longer we linger here, the slower she gets moved in. If you want her out of the house, you have to help." "Okay, my dear," Anton said. "If Max is finished eating, I'll take him upstairs and change him while you finish your breakfast. Then it's over to your mother's new place to help." "Okay. Hey, grab some of their toys while you're up there. Hopefully they'll keep somewhat occupied for a while." "Okay, my dear." Anton stood up and plucked Max out of his highchair. "Oh dear, my boy. You really have made a mess." Carrying him up to his bedroom, he called back over his shoulders, "I'll be down in five minutes, Bryn." Shaking her head as she watched him go, Bryn spooned a few more soggy cereal pieces out of Kat's bowl and fed them to her. It was going to be fun having the house to themselves once again, but as the kids grew older, private time grew more and more scarce. Quickly eating the rest of her breakfast, before Kat decided to make the same mess as Max had, Bryn put her dishes in the sink. She fed their daughter as much as the little girl would willingly eat. And then she set about cleaning up both of the highchairs. A few minutes later Anton came down the stairs. On one arm was Max cuddled against his chest, and on the other was a diaper bag filled with toys and other things the children would probably be needing. "Are we about ready to go?" "Yup." Plucking Kat out of the high chair, she wasn't particularly surprised when Kat cried and wanted to get down. The kid was very indecisive. "Forget it, little kitten. We're going to see Grandma. And Jess. I'm sure they'll both want to spoil you." Following Anton to the door, she said, "If our kids become brats, I'm blaming the grandmothers." "Because you know that we had nothing to do with it," Anton said with a grin. "Do you want to take the tunnels or take a walk outside?" "We better walk outside. The tunnel might be blocked by furniture." As he headed for the door, she followed along, watching his ass in his tight jeans. "Now that we have the library back, I can start painting again. Maybe." "Maybe?" This was the first time he had heard her speak of painting since she had been attacked by Justinius. "What would be stopping you?" "Well, I'd have to be inspired by something. And it might be nice if I had someone to watch the kids for a little while. I just need to be alone and in the mood." "Well, if you want, I'm certain that Jess or Lindy or your mother would be willing to babysit. Or I could always could come home and watch them. Inspiration though is a little trickier." She smiled at him. "Yeah, it always is. That's kind of why I was starting to think I should go back to work. I'd get out of the house more often, if I did. And I'd have more interesting conversations than baby talk...hopefully." He looked at her slightly surprised, but he should have expected it. "Where would you like to go back to work?" Anton asked, although he already had a vague suspicion. She shrugged. "I don't know. I hadn't really thought it through that far. Maybe the warehouse?" "I could find a position for you there." He didn't mention that in the previous time, it hadn't worked out. "Or maybe you would be happier in an outside position? Something at an art gallery?" She glanced at him. "Why? If you don't want me to work at the warehouse, just say so." "It's not that I don't want you to work at the warehouse," Anton said. "It's that you seemed to be happier when you were working outside it. Before what happened with Justinius, I mean." She understood what he meant now. "I'm not going back there, Anton. I can't. There're too many memories." "I didn't mean that you had to go there, Bryn" he said as they walked up to her mother's home. "I would never ask you to go back there if you didn't want to. But I meant somewhere else, if you'd like." "I don't know. I just think I'd feel safer working for you." "Okay, my dear." They would discuss it more when they were alone and he had some time to plan a position for her in the warehouse. He glanced at the closed door. "Ready to go in?" She nodded, feeling a bit depressed suddenly. Hoping that some work would improve her mood, she led the way in to the house, surprised to see that the living room was completely finished. All that was left to do was hook up the electronics. "Is anyone home? Sorry we're late." "In the kitchen," came Jess' voice. Which, as Anton suspected, was still mostly in boxes. The werewolf and Bryn's mother were sorting through them, pulling out and putting away assorted cutlery and dish ware. "Lindy's upstairs with Liam unpacking the guest bedroom if you want to put the kids down there," she said. "Okay." Bryn reached for Max, pulling him close with her free arm. "I'll be upstairs." Anton handed over Max without a word. He could tell that Bryn was upset, but wasn't sure how to comfort her in front of everyone. Or even if she wanted him to comfort her. So he turned to Bernadette and Jess. "What do you want me to do?" "We've saved a special job for you," Jess said, handing him a stack of plates. "You get to put these up on the shelves we can't reach." And upstairs Lindy heard footsteps of someone coming towards the room. Liam, excited by all the activity, had Changed and was romping around on all fours, tail wagging as he stalked people as they passed by. "Who ever's coming, beware of your ankles." Rounding the corner, in to the room, Bryn shook her head as Liam pounced on her feet. Max let out a happy giggle, immediately wanting to get down and play. Kat, however, climbed higher in her arms, wanting nothing to do with the rowdy boys. Letting Max slide down to the floor, Bryn walked around the bed and sat down. "Hey." "Hey there. It's about time you got over here to help with the heavy lifting," Lindy teased as she hung a framed photo on the wall. Her smile dimmed some when she saw her friend's attitude. "What's wrong?" Bryn shook her head. "Nothing. Just sort of a disagreement with Anton." "Really?" Lindy said tilting her head to one side. One eye was kept on Liam romping with Max on the floor. "What kind of disagreement? Want to talk about it?" Bryn shrugged, looking in the boxes piled on the bed. "It's nothing. We were just talking about me going back to work. I suggested the warehouse, because I might feel safer there. But I think Anton would rather I worked elsewhere." "Really?" Lindy said with a frown. "That doesn't sound like him." She sat down on the bed and patted a spot next to her for Bryn to sit. Bryn let out a sigh. "Maybe he just wants a place to himself. I've always felt a bit like that's his sacred space. I've never really felt very comfortable in his office--kind of like I was trespassing. And maybe that's part of the reason why he's always so anxious to be at work. I mean, if he needs time away from me, that's okay. I just kind of wish we hadn't talked about it today. I was happy about my mom moving out and giving us some time alone together." Lindy shook her head. "He could have chosen a better time, that's for sure," she said. It sounded odd to her, given how Anton was always with Bryn. "Is there anything I can do to help you?" she said, reaching for her friend's hand. Bryn shook her head. "I know it's just mostly me being insecure. I can always find somewhere else to work. Preferably with a female boss. I just feel sad is all. I can't help feeling a bit rejected. But I'll get over it. Maybe this is something that needed to happen. I do tend to be clingy." "And maybe Anton needs to remember that he's not the only one who was traumatized by what happened," Lindy said. "You want me to talk to him?" "No. He didn't do anything wrong. If he needs space, that's fine. It's not his fault I'm upset. I just need to get over it. I'll be fine." Lindy gave her one last squeeze. "But if you still need someone to talk to Anton, or help kicking his ass, let me know." Bryn gave her a little smile. "I'll keep that in mind." Standing up, she added, "Let's get this stuff put away. I'm ready to focus on something else for a while." "Okay," Lindy said and stood up. "Let's focus on getting this room sorted out. Then we can focus on the bathroom." End Chapter Chapter One Hundred Sixty-two <- Previous Chapter | Home | Next Chapter ->