Rebecca Martin

Responding to Your Story

Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon … continued

As Kyrian awoke he thought of how wonderful it was to be human again and how he ever could have found such an amazing woman. Best of all, he was going to be a father for the first time. He was scared but at the same time he couldn't be more excited. He felt Amanda stir next to him.

"Good morning beautiful." He whispered. "How are you and that little guy in there?"

"Good morning and how do you know it's a boy? You don't have that power anymore." She cocked her brow at him. "What if it's a girl?"

Kyrian responded with "I wouldn't care either way as long as it's health. I'm just happy to become a father. It only took two thousand years."

Amanda smiled at Kyrian as she realized how different he is now compared to who he was when they first met handcuffed together in that room. He is the same prince and general that lived two thousand years ago.

"Hey general," Amanda asked "What would you have done if you and your wife had a child back then?"

Kyrian stopped and thought about it. He never thought of Therone as a mother. "I don't know. It would have been impossible though."

"Why would it of been impossible?"

"Therone was older than I, at least in her late thirties. She couldn't have conceived."

"But if see had," she said "you would have been an extraordinary father and you will be."

Kyrian looked at Amanda with all the love in the world. After Therone betrayed him to Rome, he thought he would never be able to trust another woman again. But here he was married to the future mother of his first child. He feels as though he will wake up from this dream and be an alone Dark Hunter again at any moment but it continues.

"Kyrian, what names do you like for the baby?"

"For a boy, I would like Nicholas after Nick. He was the closest thing I to a son I had and I was the closest thing to a father he had." Kyrian thought of how much Nick annoys him. But after eight years, that stubborn Cajun can really grow on you.

"What about for a girl?"

"I want you to pick the name." He kissed the top of her head "I hope whatever gender the child may be, that it looks like you and that those beautiful crystal blue eyes of yours are a strong gene."

Acheron dreaded what was to come when he entered Artemis's temple on Mount Olympus. He opened the great doors and wandered into her over-the-top white throne room. It was made of gleaming marble with ascents of red cloth to compliment her fiery red hair. She sat at her throne with her long elegant legs crossed underneath her floor length white dress. Ash looked up to her face to meet her lust filled green eyes. His eyes were only filled with hate and disgust. At one point in his life he loved the way her long, red curls framed her face, shoulders, and arms. Now he wants nothing to do with her. Her lips curled up into a smile and he knew exactly what she was thinking.

She tilled her head to left and said "Why the tall face Ash?"

Ash could never figure out why she had a problem with simple sayings. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's 'long face' Artie and I just want to get this done and over with."

"I remember when you liked 'spending time' with me." She stood up and walked toward him. She stopped and placed her left hand on his cheek. "Now you're just rude and cruel to me."

He almost laughed at that. "Your idea of 'spending time together' is having sex with me and then beating me. Who wouldn't be cruel toward their abuser?"

"I never abused you! You asked for it and liked it."

"Why would I ever like being whipped and pulled around by their hair?"

"Speaking of hair," She paused and ran her hand through his elbow long deep purple hair. She smiled and said "Why don't you do that thing with your hair and change it back to blonde and we can begin." Her smile turned to a frown. "Why must you always change your hair? I like you much better blonde."

"Change makes me feel young. But then again," he paused "being with you makes me feel extremely young since you are so much older than I." He smiled but he knew he would come to regret those words.

"You're going to pay for that." The lust in her emerald eyes turned to anger as she grabbed a fist full of hair at the root and dragged him off to her bedroom. Acheron could only pray for her to be quick.

Amanda finished getting dressed and walked down stairs to see Nick and Kyrian sitting a crossed from each other in the living room. Nick was starring at Kyrian with this freaked out look on his face.

"Can you start wearing sunglasses again?" Nick said. "Your eyes are creeping me out."

Kyrian cocked his brow. "Why?"

"I'm use to the pitch black 'I'm a scary Dark Hunter' eyes not these hazel 'I'm a weak human again' eyes."

Amanda laughed "I like his eyes."

"Yeah, well you didn't work for him for eight years. I got use to the black eyes."

"We should probably start telling our family and friends about the baby." Kyrian said "You have a lot of family and that will most likely take the rest of the pregnancy."

Nick stood up. "Don't worry. I've already sent a text to Grace and Julian. I also called some if the other squires and they'll tell their Dark Hunters about it."

Amanda was shocked. "How many Dark Hunters are there anyway?"

"Thousands" Kyrian answered.

"Why do you think you received so many wedding presents?" Nick said "Most of them came from Dark Hunters"

"Since we all were betrayed, most of us bonded and became great friends."

Nick added "Like Talon and Wulf. Talon was a Celt while Wulf was a Viking but they both were betrayed by their tribe. They're best friends."

Amanda turned to Kyrian "So I guess we have a lot of choices for godparents or do you want Julian to be the godfather since he's your best friend."

"To tell you the truth I'd rather have Acheron as the godfather."

Amanda smiled "I think that's an excellent idea."

"Hey!" Nick objected "Why Ash? What about me?"

"Don't worry," Kyrian took Amanda's hand "We have a plan for you."