Breakfast

Dev and I started making breakfast. He didn’t like to use the stove top said that’s you’re thing, I’ll do other things. And he did. He beat the eggs into submission, mixed the batter got out all the measuring cups. He even put the sugar in the water for our berries. Dev liked helping – usually it was more of a game than it was this morning. He must really be hungry.

As my back was turned I asked, “So Darwynn, tell me what about that report.”

“It’s not really a report. It’s a few recordings of meetings the CCB has had with some of us lower members alerting us to some upcoming changes. I figured you’d want to know.”

“What’s in these recordings?” I asked.

Dev handed me the bowl of batter an I started making pancakes. I was learning how to make shapes with the batter for Drake, but this morning we were getting just plain ones. We had company.

Drake was sitting in Darwynn’s lap contently coloring in his coloring book that was purposefully left on the bar for him. Darwynn sighed, “Probably shouldn’t be something we say in front of kids.”

Matt laughed. “I doubt anything you say is something we’ve not heard. We’ve heard them having sex Darwynn.” Matt didn’t even blush when he said it. And when I turned around he still wasn’t blushing. I gave him a questioning look and he smirked at me. He was lying through his teeth.

Matt grinned at me. “You think you are all so quiet.”

“Never thought we were quiet. But I didn’t think you heard anything you shouldn’t.”

Matt rattle off a few of my choice phrases and my jaw dropped.

“Super human hearing – all of us.”

All three of us muttered, “Fuck!”

I had to ask, “Even here?”

Matt shook his head. “No, was at Sage’s house. But here you put us on the opposite side of the house and sound proofed all the walls. I can’t here Drake in the next room unless both our doors are open.”

I nodded. “Say something next time Matt.”

He shrugged. “Maybe I liked listening to you guys in love.”

Fae came into the kitchen stretching, his t-shirt pulling up above his pj pants and he quickly yanked it down. “Matt…”

Matt gave Fae a look that said to shut up and Fae did. I might have to have a little talk with Matt later. Fae was impressionable at 16. He hadn’t lived a life like Matt or I, or even Dev and Sage. His was one of survival and he hadn’t really had time to be a kid. That time was now, and he adored Matt in everything. But Matt was not the same kid I’d met either. They were both very different people than they were this summer. Both boys I was proud of.

“Matt can you take Drake into the living room and play a game with him, please?”

He sighed, “I never get to hear the good gossip.”

“You are 16.”

He sighed and grabbed the crayon from Drake and set it in the bin and closed the book and pushed it where it went. Matt may not be OCPD but he sure as hell understood my desire for order. “Come on Drake, Daddy is being a meanie. Let’s go play a video game he doesn’t let you play.”

But Matt was very spiteful too. It was a Venatori thing, and he was everything Venatori. So was I but being half human made me an outsider so I wasn’t quite so learned in the Venatori behaviors.

Darwynn watched as the boys left. Fae followed but stopped in the doorway. He looked at me and frowned, “Morana’s sleeping in the theater. Is that okay?”

I nodded. “I’ll take care of her.”

Ant stepped out of his hiding spot and smiled. “I’ll take her to bed. Darwynn can look after you until Frankie shows up for his duty.”

I nodded. “Night.” I had stopped saying I don’t need a babysitter and Ant stopped treating me like a child. He was spiteful too.

Darwynn shifted in his chair. “The meetings were about the Venatori. Rumors have it the big wigs want the Venatori gone. The thorn in our side removed so to speak.”

“Did they mention how they planned on doing it?” Dev asked.

Darwynn shook his head. “No. But there are rumors. Some think they’ll turn the Venatori in on themselves with some shocking new revelations. I suspect that has to do with you being this new regent or whatever you call it. I’ve heard whispers of bombs being set and taking out city blocks that have Venatori in it. I think there are several of those type floating around, mail bombs sent to key individuals to spark a war internally.”

Darwynn shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Thanks for the warning. I’ll tell Dorian and he can do with it what he wants.”

Darwynn nodded and then he started to drool as I pushed pancakes in front of him with eggs and ice-cream. I made the rest of the batter for pancakes. Dev was already digging in. He wasn’t about to wait on anyone else and had started eating when the first two pancakes were done. I flipped the intercom switch with a bit of air and shouted, “Breakfast is ready.”

There was a scramble from every direction and the boys were all in the kitchen washing their hands in the sink before sitting down to their own food. Dee sauntered in with a towel wrapping her wet hair. She pressed a kiss to my cheek and sat down at the table in the kitchen with a cup of coffee and a muffin. A fucking muffin…