Chapter 1
“He really is quite boring,” Xandra told everyone loudly as she stared down at baby Abshir.
“Xandra!” Charlie exclamed.
“What?” her daughter asked her with the face of an innocent angel. Anasta, Adisa’s imprinted mate, laughed, as did the rest of the clan members.
“Honestly,” Charlie sighed, approaching her daughter. “That’s not a nice thing to say.”
“But it’s true,” Xandra insisted. “He can’t even speak,” she added in a child whisper, like it was a big secret and a thing to be ashamed of.
“He’s two months old. He will learn. You didn’t speak when you were his age either,” Charlie told her daughter. Xandra looked like she took it as a personal insult.
“You will be able to play with him in a few months,” Adisa comforted Xandra.
“Fine! But he better not hog Blood Stride,” Xandra told her uncle. Adisa did a good job at hiding his smile.
“I will tell him,” he promised. Charlie knew her daughter would be deeply disappointed to learn it would be a couple of years before Abshir would be able to ride on her beloved pony.
“I think you need this,” Caine told Charlie and held a mug of hot coco under her nose.
“Oh yes,” she agreed and took the mug and had a sip. He had spiked it with some rum and it tasted amazing. “Thank you,” she told him and gave him a kiss, then she smiled as some of the whipped cream had transferred from her lip to his. She wiped it away. He smiled and put his arm around her.
“Can I have some, mommy?” Xandra asked.
“I have a special princess mug,” Vidar told her and bent down to show her a mug in pink with a lot of whipped cream covered in pink sprinkles and blue mini-marshmallows. Xandra’s eyes grew big. “You have to sit down on the couch or the floor first,” Vidar said.
“Uncle Henry, I will sit next to you,” Xandra declared and ran over to the couch where he was sitting. He happily made sure she was comfortable and then helped Vidar hand over the mug.
“And one for you, children’s version,” Vidar then told Anasta.
“Thank you,” she told him. Vidar took another mug from the tray Henry had put on the table. Charlie guessed it was the grown-up version, judging by the scent coming from it. Vidar then stood on her other side and also put his arm around her. She relaxed as she watched the scene in front of her. It was like a fairytale Christmas card. They had decorated the drawing room with winter green and red ribbons, lots of tinsel and popcorns on strings. In the large fireplace a fire was roaring. Anasta was sitting in an armchair not far from it, baby Abshir in her arms and her husband stood behind her, looking down at his wife and baby with pure adoration. Henry was on the couch, talking to Xandra about her and Blood Stride’s latest adventure. Nasir had left half an hour ago to get the last of the guests. Liwei, Jun and their son wouldn’t arrive until New years. Charlie loved Christmas nowadays. It was full of family.
“Happy?” Vidar asked.
“Almost always,” she told him. Both he and Caine chuckled. It was true, they lived happily in their little castle, tucked away between the alps, the forest and the lake. Just thinking about it made it feel surreal. Sometimes she still couldn’t understand that this was her life. A little bubble of happiness. She knew it wouldn’t last forever. Xandra was getting older. Soon, they needed to consider moving closer to a good school. For now, the little school in the village on the other side of the lake was good enough. Charlie wasn’t ready to give up her paradise just yet. If she was honest with herself, she was hiding. Hiding from having to face the fact that her brother and his husband were getting older, when she wasn’t.
“Don’t frown, my star. Focus on the present,” Caine whispered to her. She looked at him and smiled. She knew he understood. Everyone in the room did, in a way. All of them had watched people they cared about grow old and die. They would all help her through it, but Caine was the only other one who had seen his family grow old. It was something only the two of them shared. They all heard the car driving over the drawbridge. Charlie’s smile grew bigger. They put down their almost empty mugs to greet the new guests.
