"Hip bothering you again?" Alex joked.
Cassius tilted his head, white filling his eyes, while Alex jumped out of his chair and started scratching his arms violently. "Make it stop."
Cassius smirked. "I have no idea what you're talking about, siren."
Ethan rolled his eyes. "Cassius…"
"Fine," Cassius snapped, his eyes flashed, and Alex stopped itching.
"You know I hate ants," Alex grumbled, crossing his arms. "Making me see one of my fears isn't a good way to make friends."
"I have friends." Cassius shrugged.
I smiled and reached for him. Ethan's eyes were leery, but I knew it would be okay, knew that touching Cassius would do nothing to me.
He must have realized it too because the minute my hand snaked out, Cassius clenched it with his and kissed me on the knuckles. "I'm glad you're feeling better."
"Me too." I squeezed his hand back and then kissed his cheek.
Ethan growled.
"Settle." Cassius rolled his eyes. "She feels nothing for me. Her heart is pure green."
"Funny," Ethan hissed.
"Like her eyes." Cassius smiled.
"I only have four steaks." Mason interjected. "So, if you guys need more food, someone has to go to the store, and I vote Alex, since he's the most irritating of the group."
"I don't eat." Cassius frowned. "But…"
I laughed and pointed to the meat. "Maybe you should try to be more human."
"She has a point." Ethan pulled me into his lap. "It may help things along."
"Things?" Alex squinted. "What things?"
Cassius growled.
Alex's eyes narrowed. "Oh no. Hell, no."
Mason chuckled. "So, we get more steak."
"Am I the only one who thinks this is a really bad idea?" Alex shouted.
"What idea?" I played dumb, knowing exactly what was going to happen. Cassius was going to pursue Stephanie… as he should.
"I'll murder you," Alex said in a low voice.
"Any more fears, Alex?" Cassius taunted.
"Bastard."
"King." His eyes flashed. "And don't you forget it."
Ethan
The minute I'd discovered she was pregnant, it was like I'd ceased to exist, and every thought focused on the tiny life growing inside of her.
I couldn't stop staring at her all throughout dinner. I didn't want to eat food. I wanted to taste her — taste and make sure the baby was healthy — and force my own blood down her throat even if I had to trick her. It would make the baby grow faster.
And I'd feel a hell of a lot better about protecting both their lives.
"Stop fidgeting," Alex said to my left. "You're worse than a woman."
"Don't call me a woman," I snarled, trying to pay attention to the card game, while Genesis and Mason attempted to bake a cake.
She wanted chocolate.
He had some extra berries for the toppings.
And now they deemed themselves professionals. Pans went flying, and I knew it was only a matter of time before my gourmet kitchen was going to have dings all over it from both Mason's inability to do anything gentle and Genesis's newfound strength.
A knife had impaled itself into Alex's thigh when she was cutting vegetables. Don't ask me how. One minute it had been in her hand; the next minute it had gone flying. Naturally, I'd gotten out of the way.
Alex, however, had been too busy daydreaming.
He'd bled for mere seconds before he healed.
But he was still irritated.
It was torture — waiting for the cake to bake. Waiting for everyone to stop talking.
Waiting, waiting, waiting.
Finally, Cassius cleared his throat and whispered something in Genesis's ear before giving me a fleeting look and walking out of the room.
She jumped to her feet, reached for my hand, and the next thing I knew, she was pulling me up the stairs toward our bedroom.
The doors slammed behind us.
And her mouth was on mine.
"You taste like chocolate," I growled, biting at her lips. "Sweet."
"Mmm…" She gripped my hair with her hands, jumped into my arms, and wrapped her legs around me. "…and you taste like sugar."
I chuckled and bit at her lips again. Tasting a bit of her blood mixed with her scent had my mind racing as I tossed her onto the bed and ripped at her clothes aggressively. "I've been wanting to do this for hours."
"Rip clothes?" she teased.
"Only yours."
"I didn't know." Genesis tilted her head back while my lips found her neck, trailing kisses all the way down until I came into contact with her bra — worthless piece of material. I ripped it off and made a mental note not to let her wear any undergarments — ever. Too many unnecessary layers.
She let out a moan when I licked between the valley of her breasts, my mouth making a wet trail down her stomach.
"Cassius said we needed alone time."
"Remind me to vote him into office." I swirled my tongue around her belly button and moved lower, tugging her leggings away. Damn, she wore a lot of clothes. Where the hell were all those dresses I told Stephanie to buy for her?