Page 22 of Arthur

I chuckled. “Nothing, I suppose. It’s just that I didn’t find Patrick. I was sent to him.”

George looked at me. “Sent?”

I nodded. “Yes. I came here, to this very spot, but wasn’t alone. I saw her before I even came close.”

“Her?”

I looked directly at my brother. “The goddess was here waiting. She was cryptic, like always. She told me my One needed me, that I needed to rescue him. She gave me a vague idea as to where I needed to go—the city on the point of the lake.” I shook my head and chuckled at the memory.

“You’re telling me that the goddess told you where your One is?”

I nodded. “Yes. Patrick’s parents were going to force him to marry a human. Beyond that though, Henry had been abusinghis son for years. Patrick said they were only ever strict with him before they came here and while they lived with us. But after they left, he was abused. I needed to get to him before he was forced to do something that couldn’t be undone.”

George’s eyes widened. “Tell me you took care of his parents.”

I slowly shook my head. “That wasn’t my burden to bear. Father did though, and he made them suffer as they had Patrick.”

“Is Patrick all right? No resentment for what happened?”

I again shook my head. “Patrick knew what needed to be done. He mourns the loss of another set of grandparents for our child and hopefully future children. He does not mourn the loss of Henry and Agnes specifically. They inflicted a great deal of pain, both physical and emotional.” Part of me wished I had been the one to deal with them, but a bigger part understood why it wasn’t my burden to bear. Father had dealt with others in the past before. It was, in part, why he was created, from what we could ascertain from reading his book.

George sighed. “I am truly sorry for what they have done to their son.” George went silent and shook his head. “I cannot imagine doing such a thing to your own child.” George looked directly at me. “Children are to be cherished. A true gift that we have been blessed with.”

I smiled, again thinking about William. “I agree. I believe those currently in our coven would agree with you as well. I would do anything to protect William. I love and cherish Patrick and would do the same for him. I’m not certain why it is that Patrick’s parents were the way they were. Patrick often said it was at his mother’s insistence about things, which leads me to believe that it was Agnes who was displeased with Patrick. At least in the beginning. I could never hurt William though. Even the thought makes me ill.”

George nodded in agreement. “I don’t even have children as of yet, and I can’t imagine hurting them. How could someone do such a thing?”

I shrugged. “I’m just as at a loss as you seem to be.”

We stood there for a moment in silence before George spoke again. “So tell me how it’s like to be mated. You seem happy.”

I grinned. “It’s the most wonderful feeling. Having what the others do, that connection, it’s unlike anything I expected. I am incredibly lucky in that Patrick was more than willing to claim one another immediately. I whisked him away from the tavern he was in with his parents, and we came back here. We talked for a bit; he was unsure at first.” I looked at George and shook my head. “He didn’t feel he was worthy. I quickly quelled those fears. We’ve not had any issues since. He had a decent pregnancy, and he gave birth last month.”

“Can I ask when?”

“The twenty-eighth.”

“Quite literally a month ago.”

I nodded. Today was the twenty-eighth of May. Our little bundle was now exactly a month old.

“Do you enjoy it? Is he a good baby? Will I get to see him? I got a peek last evening, but I couldn’t really see him.”

It was my turn to chuckle. “Yes to all of those things. Becoming a mate was one thing. A new father is another. But you cannot have one without the other, and Patrick is and will always be my greatest treasure.” He would. My mind wouldn’t ever be able to be changed from that way of thinking either. I could be happy with just Patrick. He and I were blessed to be gifted a child though, and William helped round out our family. If we were to be gifted more, I wouldn’t complain, as Patrick and I would both like a larger family. Probably not Frederick and Oliver large, but three or four more would be nice.

“If you would like to hold William, you will need to make sure you are at the kitchen before Dad gets to him. Once Patrick enters the kitchen, William is almost always swept away by someone. Sometimes it’s William or Father. Mostly it’s Dad though.”

We both chuckled at that. George placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle shake. “Then I suggest we get back that way. I would very much like to meet my nephew.”

I could certainly get behind that. “Then let’s go so you can be introduced to William.” We started back toward the inn, and I reached out to Patrick immediately.

“My love. We’re coming back to the inn. Are you there, or are you still in our cottage?”

“I’m enjoying breakfast with the others. Dad has William and is talking gibberish to him. Is everything all right with your brother?”

“Everything is. There isn’t much to share, really, but George didn’t find his One. He said he didn’t even think to look for a second aura last evening. He was dejected and just didn’t think that I would have been lucky and found you. He would like to both apologize to you for barging in on us, as well as meet William.”

George gave me a quick look once the buildings came into view. I pointed at the inn. “He’s having breakfast.”