The Blood-Book III

Chapter 9: Whipped Cream

He kissed my temple and nodded. "At least someone appreciates me around here."

"Oh good God, spare me," Lyanna groaned. "Ethan do you need help?"

"Want to get some plates and silverware?"

She nodded with a smile. "So, heard you met Luca?"

"We did," I chuckled out. "I can see where Levi and Lander get it from."

Ethan grunted in agreement before he poured the batter in the pan. I rolled my eyes and looked over at Evan, who was eying the bruise that was covering Ethan's eye and cheek. "Levi."

Evan nodded in understanding. "Should have asked bro."

"Lucas and Luca both said something similar," I mused.

"How is he?" Lyanna asked.

"Good," I said while catching Ethan's eyes. "He and Lydia are good."

"He was always the worst babysitter," Lyanna said with a soft smile. "Lydia would get so mad at him. He always let us sneak out of bed and watch scary movies with him after Lydia would fall asleep. Which totally backfired. Liam and I would get so scared–we would end up crawling in bed with him, which he complained about for like five minutes until we would all pass out."

I shook my head while my heart slightly twisted. "Sounds very like Lucas."

Ethan flipped a pancake, or blob, while the coffee pot beeped as it finished making the coffee. I turned quickly and started to pull out mugs when there were more knocks on the door. Lyanna walked quickly around and opened the door for Dagny, Bernard, Caleb, and Daphne to walk in.

Dagny practically fluttered in with her bunny, Alice, in her arms. "What is that fabulous smell?"

"Ethan is making pancakes," I answered.

"Really?" she asked. She looked around before she met my eyes with a smile. "Smells fantastic."

"We have plenty if you want some?"

She nodded quickly to me then walked over to give me a gentle hug. "Bernard told me about the tree, I'm sorry it was–well, just ugly."

"Don't worry about it, I don't foresee it happening again," I replied with a slight forced smile, because the thought of never seeing Lucas or Lydia again was too painful.

Ethan flipped another pancake then looked at me with a half-smile and knowing eyes–eyes that felt my pain. Not touching the tree again meant never seeing any of them–never seeing Eli. I sighed and turned to greet Daphne, who walked around the island to hug me. "Hello dear."

"Hello," I breathed back. "Coffee?"

"That would be lovely, thank you," Daphne said while Caleb lit up a cigar. He snapped his fingers, stopping the smoke from going more than a foot from his before it just disappeared into thin air.

"So tell us about this book," Evan said while I started to pour coffees.

Bernard eyed him then set the book on the island. "Like I told Charlotte and Ethan, it's very old. Supposed to have been missing for the last fifty years. It's not a book, but a collection of pages from other books."

"I thought it was locked?" I asked as I passed Daphne a coffee.

She smiled warmly at me. "Thank you, dear."

"You're welcome," I replied before I looked back at Bernard.

"Blood payment little wolf, Caleb opened it," he said before he eyed the coffee. "And just black please."