“Actually, Teddy and I will make four immortals in enforcement here,” Katricia told him. “Hazel and D.J. are on vacation in BC at the moment, and Elvi and Harper are not hunters, so it’s just Drina, Victor, Teddy, and myself.”
“And me,” he added quietly.
Katricia crinkled her eyes and said, “Yeahhhh.” It was a long drawn-out sound that was more dubious than anything. “No offense, Father, but just having met your life mate, you are not going to be much use for the next little while. I fear you are going to be a little distracted and not very dependable when it comes to vigilance and stuff.”
“She means your brain is going to be firmly lodged in your drawers for the foreseeable future,” a deep male voice announced, and Basileios turned to see his younger brother, Victor, stepping into the house through the back door. Elvi had been the only one to greet them when they all arrived in the van, and said that Victor had made a run to the grocery store for her. Katricia then offered to show Sherry to the room they’d set up for her. Victor was back now, though.
“Drawers?” Stephanie asked. “Nobody uses that word anymore, Uncle Vic. At least not in that way,” she announced, closing the refrigerator door and moving to hug Victor in greeting.
“Well excuse me, Miss Know-it-all,” Victor said, giving the girl an affectionate squeeze with the hand that wasn’t holding four grocery bags. “I’ll try to remember that in future so as not to offend your delicate sensibilities.”
“Good, ’cause you’re too handsome to sound like an old fuddy-duddy,” Stephanie said with a grin as she slipped out of his one-armed embrace. “Did you get anything good?”
“Scads of chips and other junk food,” Victor said with dry amusement as she began to relieve him of the bags. “Your Aunt Elvi thought you might want comfort food after your close encounter.”
“Ooooh, brownie mix!” Stephanie squealed, dragging the bags to the counter to begin removing the contents.
Shaking his head, Victor left her to it and moved around the counter to approach Basileios and Katricia. He gave Katricia an affectionate hug, then turned to Basileios and did the same, the two men slapping each other’s back. When the hug ended, Basileios arched an eyebrow. “Uncle Vic?”
“Well I cannot be Dad, she has one,” Victor said with a smile. “But she is our girl . . . and Drina and Harper’s, and Hazel and D.J.’s,” he added wryly, then glanced to Katricia and said, “And on occasion she’s even Teddy and Katricia’s.”
“She is a lucky girl,” Basileios said quietly.
“We are all lucky,” Victor assured him, and then arched one eyebrow. “So where are Drina and Harper?”
“Harper was taking a nap when we got here,” Katricia announced. “Drina went up to wake him and tell him we have arrived.”
Victor nodded and glanced to Basil. “And where is this life mate Lucian was telling me you found? Sherry, is it?”
“Yes. Sherry.” Basil realized he was grinning at the mere mention of her name and tried to tamp it down a bit. “Elvi took her up to show her to her room.” Basileios glanced toward the stairs now, disappointed to find them empty. Turning back, he added, “But I did not find her, Stephanie did.”
“Ah.” Victor nodded. “Yes, she did say she could tell who were life mates to each other when she met them and who was not. It was just a matter of time before she turned into a mini Marguerite,” Victor said lightly as he turned and headed around the counter that separated the kitchen from the dining room. Pausing at the refrigerator, he glanced around at the others as he opened the door and asked, “Blood?”
Basileios hesitated, his glance shifting to the stairs again.
“Has she not seen you feed yet, Father?” Katricia asked, either reading his expression or reading his mind.
“‘Dad,’ Tricia,” Stephanie corrected with amusement. “Call Basil ‘Dad.’ You can’t keep calling him Father.”
“Why not?” Basil asked with a frown.
“Because it makes her sound old,” Stephanie said dryly.
“She is old,” Basil pointed out.
“Thanks . . . Dad,” Tricia said as dryly.
“We are all old,” Basil said quietly. “Compared to mortals, that is. Though you are just a pup to me.”
“I didn’t mean old like in years,” Stephanie said with exasperation. “Like you say, you’re all old. But you look young, yet you guys all talk like you’re from another century.”
“We are,” Basil pointed out.
“Yeah, but—”
“Stephanie thinks we draw attention to ourselves with our antiquated speech,” Victor said calmly.
“I don’t think it, I know it,” Stephanie said, and shook her head. “I don’t understand it either. I know you guys avoid mortals as much as possible, but you do see and speak to them on occasion. Why is your speech still so old fashioned?”