A/N: Thank you all for reviewing. And to answer someone's question from the previous chapter yes Lucian described the boy whom he is named after. So this chapter is a bit exciting because it's the triplets first birthday! So read and enjoy!
Chapter Nine
Two Months Later
I sat at the small kitchen table, watching Dana as she zipped around the room. I looked over at the large three-layer cake sitting on the table in front of me. The white icing was elegantly decorated with blue swirls and orange flowers with a large blue and orange swirled candle perched at the top. I smiled to myself as I looked at the candle. The triplets were one year old today…well by human standards at least. Dana looked over at me eyeing the cake and smacked the back of my head playfully. I glared at her, rubbing the spot where she hit me.
"I know what you're thinking," she smirked, "and if you so much as try to taste that icing I will end your life Darrin Cobalt."
"And live the life of a single mother of three, I think not," I replied pouting at her.
"Did you wrap the presents like I asked?" she questioned turning back to the dinner she was preparing.
"Yes," I sighed. "And I hid them before you ask."
"Good boy," she chuckled. "Now go find the kids. Dinner is almost ready."
I nodded and stood from my chair. I kissed Dana before walking from the kitchen to go in search of my children. When I walked up the stairs and down the hall, I spotted Curajos, Sagira, and Eamon standing outside mine and Dana's bedroom. I raised a brow and walked towards them. Curajos was the first to see me approach and he quickly let out a growling meow. I heard the excited whispers of my children as the all tumbled out of the room, looking up at me with innocent eyes.
"Hey Papa," Autumn said dancing over to me.
"Hey yourself," I said kissing her forehead. "Now just what you three doing in our bedroom?"
"Nothing," all three said a little too quickly.
"You wouldn't happen to be looking for your presents were you?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest.
"No!" they all shouted in unison.
"Good," I said narrowing my eyes and smiling slyly, "because they aren't in there. Now come downstairs. Dinner is ready."
They all zoomed past me and towards the dining room. The rest of our family and clans were sitting at the table, giving the children bright smiles…well everyone but Davian and Raven who both smirked at the children. Dana came in with a large roast and set it in the center of the table, which was overflowing with food. The three of them ran to the remaining empty chairs and sat there smiling at their mother. She smiled back and gave each of them a kiss on the head before starting to serve the food. I sat next to Lucian and ruffled his hair as he started to dig into the plate his mother sat before him. When all the plates were clean and everyone had their fill, Dana backed into the dining room holding the large cake in front of her. The small candle was lit and cast a warm glow to Dana's face. Our children looked up at her with wide, excited eyes as she set the cake in front of them.
"Happy birthday to you," we all started to sing, "happy birthday to you. Happy birthday Victoria, Autumn, and Lucian. Happy birthday to you!"
"Make a wish," Dana whispered as she smiled down at our children.
They all closed their eyes for a moment. Together, they stood in their chairs and blew out the candle in a big breath of air. We all clapped as the beamed at all of us. Dana was chuckling softly as she cut the cake and passed it around to those who wanted it. Despite eating mass amounts of food, all three children scarfed down two pieces of cake and some ice cream that Dana brought out.
"Alright time for presents," Dana said clapping her hands.
The three children shouted in joy and ran to the den, their shadowlings hot on their heels. There waiting for them, were three piles of presents. Granted they weren't as large as their Christmas piles, but they were still a pretty good size. Dana directed them towards the appropriate pile and signaled for them to wait.
"You all have to wait for each person to open their gifts before your own," she said sternly. "Since he is the eldest, Lucian can go first."
Lucian wasted no time in opening his presents. Father had made him more soldiers for his fort with weapons and horses to go along with them. Mother had gotten him a leather hunting jacket to go along with the boots he had gotten for Christmas. Cain and Abel got him more arrows with bright red and green feathers at the ends. Chris had gotten him another book, this one on survival. Helios and Alex had gotten him a pair of boxing gloves made of a soft, but tough red leather. Raven had gotten him different types of sports equipment including a soccer ball and net, a football, and a baseball and bat. Dana handed him a slender black box. Lucian looked at it curiously before opening it up. Inside was a silver flute cushioned by black velvet. Lucian blushed and nodded his thanks to his mother. We found out his musical talents one day when he was messing around on the grand piano in the den.
I smiled at him and reached under the couch to retrieve my gift for him. I pulled out the long slender box and slid it towards my son. He looked at me curiously before taking it and opening the box. There, nestled in the tissue paper, was a long sword in its sheath. Lucian looked at it with wide eyes as he took it and slid the blade from the sheath. It was a little longer than his arm and the hilt of the sword had the silver metal crafted to look like flames lapping up towards the blade. A small ruby was set were blade met hilt and glinted in the fading light. Lucian dropped the sword and wrapped his arms around me. I hugged back and glanced up at Dana. She was giving me a disapproving look but smiled at our son.
She looked over at Autumn and gave her a nod to open her gifts now. She dived towards her presents and pulled the first gift she could get her hands on towards her. Mother and father had gotten her some beautiful necklaces and matching bracelets. Cain and Abel gave her more dresses and clothes for her China doll. Helios and Alex gave her a couple more delicately made dolls for her dollhouse. Chris gave her a book of cute little love stories. Dana gave her an antique looking doll from her childhood. Raven gave her a journal and a calligraphy kit. She looked up at me hopefully and I chuckled handing her a small box. She opened it and gasped at the delicate ring sitting in the silk cushion of the. Set on the thin silver band was a small ruby with thin silver spindles enclosing around it. Autumn looked up at me with tears swimming in her eyes as she hugged me tightly. I chuckled and kissed the top of her head softly.
We all turned to Victoria, our youngest child. She smiled at us before opening her gifts. My father had made her a mighty dragon to go with her castle, each scale carefully painted to through off the light in small rainbows. Mother had made her a princess dress for her and one for her China doll. Cain and Abel gave her miniature unicorns for her castle as well. Helios and Alex gave her more paints and brushes for her art set, and Raven gave her a small potter's wheel and some supplies to go along with it. Dana smiled at our daughter and gave her a small charm bracelet that was her mother's. Victoria scampered over to me and sat down in my lap, looking up at me expectantly. I gave her a smirk before shooing her off my lap and reaching for a box under my chair. I handed it to her and she ripped it open. It was a delicate jeweled comb-pin with small rubies carved into roses. Smaller diamonds clustered around the jeweled flowers amongst silver spindles weaving between the face roses. Victoria held it gently in her hands and looked up at me with a bewildered expression.
"You all should know," I said addressing all of my children, "that the gifts I have given you I began making the day after your birth."
"You made these?" Lucian asked in disbelief as he looked from his sword to his sisters' ring and comb.
"Yes I did," I replied my chest puffing up slightly.
"Thank you Papa!" they all shouted as they threw their small arms around me.
I smiled and kissed each of them on the forehead, carefully detangling their arms from around me. Dana was looking at us with a warm smile as she ushered the kids upstairs to get ready for bed. I looked over at Davian and gestured towards the large pile of wrapping paper and boxes. He sighed and began to help me clean up. We brought the children's gifts up to their rooms and walked back to the den where our father was looking out of the window carefully. I looked over at my brother before going to stand by my father.
"You don't smell them," he stated not asking any questions.
"Smell who?" Davian asked his eyes now scanning outside.
"I could have sworn I smelled an Amethyst," my father said tearing his eyes from the window to look at me.
"I don't doubt that you did," I told him glancing outside for a moment.
"What do they want?" my father asked frustrated as he stormed from the window.
"According to Alice," I said trying not to cringe as I said the name, "Dana's children will bring upon an era of peace between vampires and humans, allowing us to join them in society rather than hide in the shadows. Since Amethysts need humans to sustain life in the form of blood, if they knew about us then they would know that humans didn't die from blood loss and from a vampire bite."
"I never looked at it that way," my father mumbled.
"I have my suspicions that Alice didn't really die," I said quietly, "that somehow I didn't kill her. I mean, her body just disappeared at the end of the Games along with Tristan. And low and behold Tristan appears with thoughts of getting my son to her, her being Alice if I am not mistaken."
"But how are your children supposed to join vampires and humans in peace?" my father snapped. "If they go out and try this, they will either be locked in a mental institute for spouting such bullshit or sent to a lab to be experimented on if someone actually believes them."
"I assume you know this because it's been done?" Davian asked crossing his arms over his chest.
"There is a research facility called Cell," Father said rubbing at his temples. "This facility is funded by the van Helsings to try and find the gene that separates creatures like vampires and werewolves from human beings. For years now, vampires have been disappearing without a trace only to turn up a few months later dead. Their bodies were cut up and mutilated so much that we had trouble identifying them. Their bodies also had this burning sweet minty scent."
"You're kidding me," I groaned. "So that means that they're in charge of our destruction. But what do the van Helsings what with our genetic material?"
"Probably to create a race of superhumans," Davian answered with a shrug.
"We need to stop talking about this," I said listening out for Dana. "Dana will be down here any moment so no more talk of this. I don't want you two to even think on this. The last thing she needs is knowing that some science nerds are out to get her children."
A/N: Sorry for killing the happy mood…again. But I bet you all are starting to get an idea as to how the third installment is going to go. Please remember to review!