Gifts of Fate [Kindred of Arkadia 7] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Alanea Alder

Doc asked, his eyes showing a rare
    hint of vulnerability.
    “It was never my place to forgive you, but to answer your question, after what you did today there is no
    way I could be mad at you. You’re family after all.” Sebastian sighed happily, holding his son close.
    “My man is amazing.” Felix held up their joined hands and kissed their intertwined fingers.
    “Only because of you.” Doc grinned.
    “Come on, kitten, let’s get our boy home,” Liam said, bursting with pride.
    “He needs to meet Al.” Sebastian grinned.
    “Who is Al?” Liam asked.
    “The stuffed alligator I bought him.”
    Behind them Sebastian heard Felix burst out laughing. Liam’s face looked worried.
    “When do baby hybrids start shifting?” he asked nervously. Sebastian turned in his mate’s arms and
    waved at Sebastian.
    “Sebastian.”
    “Bye Felix, come by soon.”
    “Sebastian?”
    Sebastian kissed the top of his son’s head and thanked Fate for his son.
    Chapter 6

    Ashby

    Dec 22nd Evening

    “ And then we didn’t know if the baby was going to make it. But I swear Fate herself helped baby
    Lucian. Nic, Rebecca and I talked about it after Sebastian went to the clinic, we think she responded to our
    prayer.” Ashby bubbled over with excitement.
    “Every baby born is a miracle, but it sounds as though you experienced something truly beautiful, mon
    ange. ” Gabriel held Ashby in his lap in his office at the coven house. Though his words matched the
    conversation, Ashby could tell his mind was somewhere else.
    “You still haven’t been able to find a supplier, have you?” Ashby whispered.
    Gabriel’s arms tightened. “No, not yet.”
    “Gabriel, we live in a shifter town,” was as far as Ashby got before Gabriel started to shake his head.
    “I never want to give our neighbors the idea that we look at them as though they were food. It could set
    back our relations with them in irreparable proportions. I’ll find a way, angel.” Gabriel sighed.
    “What else?”
    “Rhys is no closer to regaining his humanity than the day we brought him home. I fear he is lost to us.”
    Gabriel whispered and buried his face in Ashby’s blond curls.
    “We’ll get through to him, you’ll see. I went down there yesterday…”
    “Alone?” Gabriel demanded. Ashby sighed at his overprotective mate.
    “Of course not, Baptista was with me after he got back from visiting Kate’s babies. Rhys recognized me,
    I know he did.”
    “He needs to do more than recognize you to stay alive. If his eyes haven’t shifted back by the time
    Baron comes back to Arkadia, he will be put down like a rabid dog.”
    “It’s not fair! He didn’t ask for this. It was forced on him.” Ashby turned his face into Gabriel’s chest.
    “It is our law.”
    “It’s a dumb law!”
    “The council has been very lenient with us, mon ange , they have helped us enormously.”
    “How has the council helped us?” Ashby was confused. The shifter council rarely interacted with the
    vampires.
    When Gabriel didn’t respond right away, Ashby looked up. Gabriel’s eyes were weary, and he gazed
    down at him nervously.
    “Gabriel?”
    Gabriel stood and set Ashby in his chair and began to pace in front of the desk.
    “Gabriel you’re scaring me.”
    “I meant to discuss this with you beforehand, but my request was processed so quickly and it just so
    happened that they had a need.” Gabriel stopped pacing, his back to his mate.
    “What request?”
    “I asked them to look into possible children that needed adopting,” Gabriel said, turning around.
    Ashby felt as if all the air in the room were sucked out of the window. He gasped and grabbed his chest.
    Gabriel was instantly before him.
    “I knew it. I knew you wouldn’t want me because I couldn’t have babies.” Ashby closed his eyes in
    pain.
    “No! No, mon ange . I saw how much pain you were in and how hard you tried to hide it from your
    closest friends. I could feel it in your heart, the desire