Takes place in the time right before and during chapter 82 of Seeking

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If the chapter title looks familiar that's because it is the same as the one in Seeking that this correlates with.


Chapter 10
Jace's POV
For Valentines he decides to get his cobra flowers and carefully reviews what he knows about flowers. He ends up getting a small red crystal floater bowel with multiple colors of violets and white camellia with his dad's assistance. Thankfully, his bondfather is not against the cobra nearly as much as his bondmother and has no issue taking him to the flower shop to order them. The rest of the day is spent studying though he is startled when just before dinner a delivery man drops off a small box of caramels and toffees of a variety of flavors. Though there is no note or card with him, he is moderately certain of who they are from.

The rest of the month goes smoothly with him spending time with the wolves and his family. In recent weeks he has taken up trying to cook because his ma was nearly eight months pregnant, and while she never got very big, she is tired a lot and he has wanted to help her. Unfortunately, he is not very good at, surprising really, but then vipers have different tastes than the wolves he grew up making soup for. Despite his inability to cook meals that his ma likes, she still seems to appreciate it.

At the beginning of March viper females start arriving, all of which have kin-scent to his bondmother. They take over the cleaning and cooking, and for some reason some of the older vipers refuse to allow him to be with his ma alone which bothers him greatly.

On the eighteenth of March his bondmother goes into labor and the rest of the viper side of their family shows up. Many bringing food and gifts for the family, the house is rather full, with most of them staying in his parent's living room. The oldest females and those with the healing gift, all of which is weaker than his, the elders, and his ma's, take his bondmother into the nesting room designed for her to have her baby in. When he goes to join them they refuse to allow him entrance and he keens sitting on the floor outside of the door.

Every time one of them come or goes he jumps to his feet to try and peer in to the room, only they block his view, along with his entrance. This goes on all day, causing him to be very frustrated.

Then on the nineteenth he calls for the elder, because he can feel that his bondmother is in labor and the vipers will not allow him near her. He needs to be near her. The healer in him is terrified that something will go wrong, particularly since there are no strong healers within the group of vipers in group. Why won't they allow him with her?

Alpha, Elder, Healer, please, ma is going through labor and they won't let me near her, he calls out to the alpha on the pack. I just want to be with her. Why won't they let me near her?

I will be there shortly, I have also summoned Eric, he can drain any extra emotions floating around the house. Your sire has also called me via the phone. He hears as the older wolf replies to him.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, he replies, his mind relaxing a bit at the idea that the healer he knows will be here soon to help with his ma, that his bonded will be there as well is just reassuring. His eyes are still locked onto the door. He still wants to be on the other side of it where he belongs.

Not half hour later he can smell as the elder and his bonded enter the house, his ears picking up the sounds as everything falls silent. He knows that is the vipers in the house are very scared of the cobra that has just entered the home.

If you want, rather than being surrounded by them, I have a private living room where none of them have been yet. He tells his bondmate, showing him how to get there through the house to the room.

My thanks, it would be appreciated, there are too many scents and tastes within this room. The cobra replies taking his offer and heading into the other room according to the fact he can feel the relief from all of the vipers.

A moment later the alpha-elder-healer is coming around the corner of the steps to find him sitting on the floor staring hard at the door. The older shifter opens the door and he can feel them speaking even though he does not hear it.

"Jace, your dame says you may observe with her if you desire since you are training as a healer." The older wolf tells him.

Nearly as soon as he is on his feet and ready to enter into the room the viper females get between him and his ma causing him to growl low in his throat though he is not sure that it is actually heard over their hissing. Meanwhile, the alpha-elder-healer deals with them before he is told he can go in. As soon as he can, he bolts to her side, rubbing his nose against her neck and shoulder to get her familiar scent. At the same time, he links with her through touch and takes a bit of the pressure and pain caused by the labor from her, absorbing it into his own body.

Be careful love, I am female and built for this, you are not, she tells him tiredly, lifting a hand to brush his black hair away from his face.

This is nothing, mama, I have been dealt worse. He tellers her as he settles into the sport next to her. It is the spot that he will stay in for most of the labor except for when he fetches her something to drink and something to eat in order to keep her energy up. By the time that her labor intensifies and his sister is ready to be born, she has been in labor for twenty-nine hours, with the healer having been there eleven hours so far. It is still three more hours past that before his sister enters the world nearly silently, her tiny body speckled with colorful scales that match their mothers.

The healer carefully tends his sister and he is drawn between helping him and helping his bondmother. Eventually, he settles on sending a flurry of energy through his bondmother, making sure that her body is almost completely healed before scurrying over to where the healer is in the corner of the room with his sister. Carefully, he touches a finger to her tiny cheek and smiles at her before the healer hands her over to ma and then takes off.

One of the older viper females approaches him, gently laying her hand on his shoulder, "Jace? Come, she needs to be prepared to the acceptance. Only the three oldest of us will stay for this, the rest of us will wait for her downstairs."

He glances at the old shifter, his empathy checking for sincerity. He also reaches for his mate to ask if this is something he knows of to which he is answered it is, it is a custom common among serpent species. So he nods and goes with her after nuzzling his nose against his bondmother's shoulder and sister's soft head.

Down in the living room area, he curls close to his bondfather, ducking his head against the taller man's chest.

Am I allowed to show him what she looks like? He inquires of the cobra who he can still feel in his living room area. He is actually considering going to the other living room but wishes to support his sire too.

No, he has to accept her as his without seeing her, you may share your impressions of scent and emotions if you would like. The older shifter responds.

He mentally nods, I don't know if I should stay here or not.

Stay with your father, he will appreciate the support and it is custom. Traditionally his family is supposed to be with him right now along with any children that they have together. While our kind are matriarchal, the child must still be accepted by both families in order to be presented to the den. By birthing the child she has shown her acceptance of it, now he must show his acceptance. First of the child, then of the bond between them. This will be done for every child they have. The older shifter explains to him softly, I am getting ready to leave, but will make sure that you remain shielded. Something tells me I need to be with John right now.

Thank you. I think I am going to stay with him, we're his only family and I want him to know I support him. He replies, sending affection through their link. He is also thinking about the situation and when they bond if they have children how would it work? According to the healer, they would have to use a surrogate to carry a child if they wanted it to have both their DNA. However how would they go through the Ritual of Acceptance then? Neither would be carrying the child, so would they both do the acceptance ritual? Or would one of them be declared the 'mother' and the 'father' would do the ritual? Later he will ask his bondmate or ma.

Over the next hour, stays close to father as some of the older vipers flutter around. At one point it gets to be too much for him but things suddenly get clear and he realizes it is the cobra increases his shielding him so he sends a brush of thanks for it.

Just before noon the three elder females come downstairs before fanning out in front of Nathan, the oldest looking directly at him.

"Nathan Arden of the Watson Den, do you accept the responsibility of fatherhood and all it entitles of the female child born of Daria Arden Miron of the Watson Den?" the oldest inquires, her voice carrying a tone of formality to it.

"I accept the fatherhood and all it entitles of the female child born of Daria Arden Miron of the Watson Den." he responds just as formally, joy filling his scent.

A large smile splits the old vipers face as she announces, "Then accept this child as your own." before stepping to the side so that his bondmother holding his new sister can step forward.

His bondfather carefully takes the infant, pulling her close to carefully sniff the top of her head and just under her tiny jaw before he presses right wrist to her forehead smiling at her happily.

The old viper looks around before announcing, "This is the daughter of Daria Arden Miron and Nathan Arden, may she always belong to the family."

After that things seem to become a flurry, the four of them are encouraged to sit close together while some of the younger members of the family, mostly male make up plates of food and bring them drinks. For a while his sire holds his sister while his ma eats, then he carefully claims the newborn, holding and carefully nuzzling her while encouraging both his parents to eat. He is full so he might as well do something productive. Of course, he does not mention that he is checking her too, and falls into his healers gift in order to carefully ensure there is nothing wrong with her, though he is certain that the healer would have dealt with anything that was wrong. He still feels the need to check as he is sure his ma will do the same when she is feeling a little more energetic.

oOo

Eric's POV
He was surprised to a point to be called to the Arden house. After all, if he is not mistaken, Daria is close to giving birth to her child. Wait a moment that is why he is being summoned, to make sure that the emotions of those within the house do not interfere with her labor or the child's birth. He is probably also being called to provide extra energy and to make sure that his bonded is shielded from overload.

Something he worries about is the fact his bonded has such a hard time shielding and he wonders if it has something to do with the time while his pup was mistreated at the hands of his birth den. According to John there was nothing they could do to improve it, his natural shields were pitiful at best, and his ability to shield on par with a child, which is to say next to none. So he will shield for him, his shields are excellent, able to withstand an attack from nearly anything short of one of the Old Gods. A fact he had tested during one of his early hunts when he had accidently stumbled into a gathering of corrupt gifted and immortals. The whole lot of them had been shocked by the fact, particularly when he withstood each of their attacks and then proceeded to killing them.

For fourteen hours he drew the emotions from the house, keeping his mouth firmly shut against the scents of the ever-gathering collection of serpents. He is thankful that his pup had allowed him into his domain. It allows him a place that has very little in the way of scent except for that of his mate and those of the nestlings he is friends with. It is useful, very useful. Once the nestling is born he escapes by shielding himself and leaving through the front door while another wave is entering.

He has to escape now. Before the memories of times long past rise to the surface. Knowing it would not be wise to be by himself he heads to John's flat, letting himself in and taking up a spot on the sofa while the wolf is in the shower. He will drain the excess emotion while his mind wanders over scenes of his the birth of his youngest sister when he was sixteen and the birth of each of his children.

He had been so worried he would get it wrong when his oldest daughter was born, Shuri had been a beautiful newborn with tiny scales on her fingers and toes but nowhere else. He had felt such joy at her birth, but Kimberly had only allowed him a small amount of time with her. Truthfully, he had only the been allowed to touch her while his family was there. At Zara's birth his mother stuck around longer so that he could spend time with his younger daughter. Something he had appreciated, she had also had a word with Kimberly, and for the few brief months between Zara and Aidan's birth he was allowed to be with her, hold her, love her. Then Aidan was born and everything changed. Just hours after the acceptance she broke the bond between them, shattered it in the space of his nap and forced him out. If not for his mother forcing the issue he wouldn't have been allowed to see his children at all. For the four years between Aidan's birth and the death of his den he had three months out of the year that he had the little ones with him. Then after the death of his den he had only been allowed around them for one week a year for the next four years until he would be cut off completely.

Several times after the wolf lies down he feels him awakening. Each time his mind reaching for his bonded though they are currently Dusk blocked. A little surge of power is used in order to put the wolf back into sleep and roughly five hours later he feels bad when he awakens the wolf to inform that the daughter of the Jade Line that is coming up the stairs.

His eyes carefully sweep over her, his mind scanning her before she even finishes stopping at the door. She is highly concerned for her boss, the elder-seconds older brother. He is extremely ill, dying in fact, and she is in no way, shape, or form ready for him to no longer be the one in control. He has to live, not only for the job, but also because she considers him a friend. Of course, she also likes the detective inspector jackal-child and there is something building between the, something that she would love to see become something more. Like most gifted she is strongly for family. Her boss is a family man, but handles it horribly. She thinks he needs to learn to be more open, more giving of himself though she understands why he does not.

While John and the Jade daughter speak he stays where he is, and uses his laptop to break into the private hospital files in order to collect information on the human. It is the same hospital as he had been taken on several other occasions in order to have problems dealt with after missions when he was still a field agent. In recent years he has been injured a lot less but has slowly had health declines though no one seemed to know how or why since nothing in his yearly checkup says anything about it. Then last night he was admitted to the hospital after collapsing, his body shutting down despite that everything that the medical staff is doing.

Will you guard the elder Holmes from any potential threats? The wolf inquires with a glance as he finishes the conversation with the gifted female.

Shutting his laptop and closing his eyes, he nods slowly once.

Direct them when they get here, I am going to change into work clothes because I do not know exactly what I need to do and get my kit from the closet to set up. The wolf requests as he heads into his bedroom.

Again he nods, his attention shifting to the gifted female. He listens to her conversation with the medical staff, including the orders she barks out before hanging up. When she is done, she turns to him, bowing low respectfully, supplicant to Tracker. An acknowledgement that this is technically against the Old Laws and thanks that he is not stopping it. Of course he is not stopping it, Mycroft Holmes, human, is the elder brother of the elder-second. There are exceptions to the rules in regards to family members that are not den, including the allowance for healing of human members as long as they are brought into the den following the event even as a edge member.

A quick flick of his tongue in the air tells him that the problems with the human are worse than expected as his staff takes him upstairs into the second bedroom. Nearly as soon as the human is settled and everyone as left, the wolf heads upstairs wearing his work clothes and carefully checks him over.

I will need extra energy if you have it, the wolf politely requests when he is done studying the damage done to the human.

Snorting both aloud and mentally he sarcastically responds, Please, we are surrounded by people, I can find energy, most humans are brimming with it.

A distracted mental nod is the response that he receives before he starts funneling energy to the wolf as he falls into his healing. He will not leave until the situation is completely resolved.