Chapter 500

Jesse sighs, glancing at his watch and then looking to the door, an undrunk glass of champagne in his hand. “Where the hell is your damn sister?”

“Your damn cousin,” Rafe murmurs, draining his glass and then pouring himself another.

“You’d better stop that,” Jesse says, turning his head to Rafe with a frown. “There won’t be any for Ari at the rate you’re going –“

Rafe laughs, shrugging. “Her fault! She was late! She knows the rules.”

Jesse grins at Rafe and then turns his eyes to the chaos of the roof, which has kids running all over it. “Didn’t we pick this place because it was quiet and secret? So that the three of us could have a moment alone every Midwinter?”

“Yes, we did,” Rafe murmurs, frowning around at the shouting, laughing kids. “But that was before your ex-mate created the ultimate kid fort and gave the pups free reign.” He raises his glass towards Midnight’s converted yurt, in and out of which all the children run, laughing and playing even as the hour grows late.

As the pair watch, Seraphina growls and chasses Marigold back inside, where a waiting Mark snatches her up into his arms in a pretend attack. The little girl shrieks with delight as Seraphina jumps up and down, shouting that it’s her turn.

“Don’t blame Midnight,” Jesse murmurs, smirking at the yurt. “First, because it was your mom that converted it into the kid paradise it is. And second because Midnight is getting…powerful. She’ll probably kick your ass.”

Both turn their eyes to where Midnight stands across the roof on a little wooden block, smiling down at Daphne, who kneels at her feet. Daphne laughs at something Midnight says, her eyes crinkling with joy, even as she plies her needle to hem the head-to-toe black outfit that she made Midnight as a gift for Midwinter.

Ben, Elias, and Pippa stand at Midnight’s other side, curiously watching Daphne’s process and chatting softly. Pippa presses a sleeping Bianca to her chest, the little girl – nearly one year’s old – slumped with exhaustion, her head on her mother’s shoulder.

“Why does Mids even need a spy disguise,” Rafe murmurs, laughing even as he sips more of the champagne. “She just…sinks into the shadows anyway.”

“Because she looks cool,” Jesse says, grinning over at the girls and watching as Midnight experiments with pulling up the hood and lifting the fabric that covers her nose and mouth. Even though he can’t see most of her face anymore, he can tell by the shine in her black eyes that she’s desperately pleased.

“It is very cool,” Rafe concedes. He turns to Jesse. “How are things going with Daphne, anyway?”

Jesse beams, bright and shining. “Fantastic.”

“Still no bond?”

Jesse shrugs, tearing his eyes from his girl and turning to Rafe, giving him his full attention. “Nah, but…same feeling like there should be, like we’re waiting for it to snap into place any moment. But what about you?” he asks, leaning against the counter and giving Rafe his sneakiest grin. “I noticed Maryam wasn’t at the festivities yesterday or today.”

Rafe groans, tilting his head back to stare up at the sky.

“Did you forget to invite her?”

Rafe snaps his head back up, glaring at Jesse. “Of course I invited her.”

“How rude of her not to come,” Jesse says, grinning so wide it crinkles his eyes half shut. Rafe just groans, shaking his head. “So, seriously…it’s not going well?”

“It’s…going.” Rafe says, clearly not comfortable getting into it. “Just…she’s a very challenging person, Jess.”

“Sometimes the challenging ones are the best ones,” Jesse murmurs. “Keeps you on your toes. Nice and spicy.”

Rafe smirks, his voice dropping low as he glances at his cousin. “You have no idea.”

Jesse bursts out laughing and smacks Rafe’s arm. “Tell me!”

“No way!”

“Tell me!” he smacks again. “Right now!”

Rafe hisses in pretend pain, leaning away to throw Jesse off the scent, but Jesse just laughs harder and smacks his cousin again.

“Hi! Hi!”

They both turn towards Ariel’s voice as she stumbles out the door, a little tiny form strapped to her chest. “I’m here now! I’m sorry! Who’s telling who what!? Tell me too!”

“No, forbidden!” Jesse says, pointing at the baby in its sling. “We said just the three of us, no offspring!”

Ariel bursts out laughing and gestures out to the rest of the roof. “Of all the interference to our plans, you’re going to point out this tiny, adorable, sleeping infant pup as the problem!?”

Both boys look down at the little dark-haired baby, whose amber eyes flicker open to betray her mother’s words.

“Come on, kid!” Ariel hisses, smoothing a hand over the baby’s soft little head. “You’re blowing my cover!”

Rafe gasps, pointing towards the door. “And you brought your mate!? Ariel. Betrayal!”

Ariel spins towards the door to where Jackson appears, the second little baby strapped to his chest, this one fully asleep, just a little patch of rose-gold hair peeking out of her sling. “Jackson! What are you doing here!? I told you expressly to stay away!”

He stops at the top of the stairs and narrows his eyes at her. “You told me…to come up here and be sneaky so you didn’t have to be away from the baby.”

Jesse gasps and gives Ariel’s shoulder a shove. “Subterfuge!”

“Jacks!” Ariel sighs, laughing as she smacks a hand to her forehead. “You and your daughter are determined to betray me.”

“I’m very sorry, my love,” Jackson says, laughing a little and sketching out a bow. “Clearly, I have failed you.”

“Oh, I forgive you,” Ariel sighs, unable to help the smile that spreads over her lips. Jackson smiles at his girl and then waves to all of them and wanders over to Daphne and Midnight. Ariel watches him go, her eyes moving steadily over his tall form, biting her lip.

“Look at you, all moon-eyed over your mate and baby-daddy,” Rafe says, grinning at his sister.

“Don’t be jealous,” Ariel says, snatching her glass of champagne off the counter and raising it in the air.

Rafe smirks at his sister but doesn’t protest. Because it’s true, honestly – he does want what she has with Jackson, someday. But with Maryam, who still resents him a great deal, even if she perhaps doesn’t hate him anymore? And her being a human, meaning children are impossible?

God, how will it ever work?

Rafe puts the thought from his mind, raising his glass in turn. Jesse joins in, clinking them all together.

“To the coolest three Sinclairs,” Jesse says, lowering his voice for the sake of secrecy. “Which no one else will admit, even if they’re all aware.”

Ariel laughs, grinning at him and leaning close. “To the best brother and cousin a girl could have.”

“You’re just flattering so I let you cheat off my commander exam next semester,” Rafe says, laughing a little as he playfully narrows his eyes at his sister.

“Yes!” Ariel says, grinning at him and raising her glass with such vehemence that a little bit of champagne sloshes over the side. “Now you say something! Toast, toast!”

Rafe pauses a moment, his eyes moving between Jesse and Ariel, the two people who are perhaps closest to him in the world. “To more of this,” he says quietly, a soft smile curling his lips. “I’ve missed you two these past couple of months. Let’s make a point to spend time together more often.”

“You got it, my guy,” Jesse says, clinking his glass against theirs before taking a long sip.

“Yes, I agree,” Ariel says, her eyes getting a bit misty.

“No crying on the child,” Jesse says, putting a hand on Ariels shoulder and nodding down to the baby. Ariel laughs and shakes her head, dipping her face to press about six kisses in a row to her daughter’s hair.

“Now,” Jesse says, slipping his arm fully around Ariel’s shoulders and giving them a squeeze. “Rafe was just about to tell me all of the details about what’s been going on with Maryam.”

Ariel gasps, delighted, her eyes flying wide as she fixes them on her brother’s face. “Yes! Finally!”

“No way,” Rafe says, laughing and turning away.

“Oh, come on,” Jesse wheedles, giving Ariel a squeeze. “Ariel’s mated with three children. I’m ridiculously happy. We need to hear about your miseries, just to give us a baseline for our joy.”

“Well…” Rafe says, unable to help giving half a smile as he turns back to his favorites. “It’s not all misery…”

Jesse and Ariel both gasp, leaning in.

Rafe grins fully and leans in too, beginning to tell them the tale.

THE END