Page 56 of Sandro

Chapter 22

Leonardo

“So that’s what a porcupine looks like?” I said to Abel and Mazzi as we stood in the gardens, watching the prickly-looking thing sniff around the flowers.

“I mean, I guess?” Abel said. He looked at me with wide eyes. “I’ve never actually seen one in that form, and there are several different types of actual porcupines. I’m not sure if there is only one type of shifter porcupine or not.” He shrugged. “I know the created porcupine is on Treasure Ridge, but I honestly couldn’t tell you if I ever met him or not or if he looks like that when shifted.”

“Fair enough.” We all watched as Dr. Higginson went over to the flowers, sniffed them, and then started eating them. “Umm…do you think Master Vincent is going to be happy if the new doctor eats all of his flowers?” I said to neither one in particular.

“Probably not,” Mazzi said. “I can fix them, but still. One would think that the doctor would know not to eat the coven master’s flowers.”

Just then, Dr. Higginson looked directly at us, his mouth halting the chewing motion for a moment before he went back to chewing the flower.

“Have you met him yet?” I asked.

“I haven’t,” Mazzi answered, “but he just arrived last night.”

“I haven’t met him, but I’ve seen him,” Abel answered. “I was with Marcello when he arrived, and of course, Marcello needed to be there to greet him. I wasn’t introduced or anything, but I didn’t want to be. I saw the guy with Rio, then I left. I figured if I needed to be introduced, Marcello would have.”

I tugged on Abel and Mazzi, pulling them in the opposite direction of the new doctor. It wasn’t that I was afraid of him, really. But I didn’t know him, and right now, he looked very prickly, and I didn’t know if he would be friendly and open to visitors while in his shifted form.

“So, you’re due in two weeks,” Mazzi said after we sat near one of the fountains. “Are you excited?”

I nodded. One of the great things about having a warlock for a friend in the coven was the fact that Mazzi could and would magick a super-soft and comfortable lounger here near the fountain for us. It couldn’t remain out here all the time because it would get wet, especially this time of year, when it rained. But right now, the skies were sunny, even if the temperatures had cooled considerably.

I placed my hand on my quite rounded stomach. “We have everything we need for the baby, I think. I was trying to be sensible and not order everything I saw that was cute, and I did okay, but I failed a few times, and there are a few things that will probably get minimal use.”

“Eh,” Abel said. “Don’t think I didn’t put a rather large balance on Marcello’s card when I started ordering things for the twins.” Abel snorted, then started laughing. “Actually, I still do. He doesn’t even blink when the bill comes. Never has.” Abel’s grin turned playful. “In fact, he can get really…ahem…attentive when I spend his money.”

I shook my head. “I don’t understand that.”

“How not? My mate likes it when I spend his money. He shows how much he likes it by fucking me in the shower. Or while we’re having dinner in our suite.”

I laughed. I did not need to know that about Abel and Marcello. Sure, they had sex. They had twins. But still. Did we all need to know that they liked to go at it while eating? Really?

Movement caught my attention, and I looked over at Dr. Higginson. He was sort of…well, for lack of a better term, waddling over toward us. He walked right up to us and stopped.

“Uh, hi, Dr. Higginson. It’s nice to meet you,” I said. “Well, sort of meet you?” I looked over at Mazzi and Abel for help.

“Are you liking it here?” Abel asked. “I can shift, and we can hang out together, but we can’t communicate because we’re not mates.” Abel made a face. “Actually, maybe that isn’t a good idea.”

“Did you need something, Dr. Higginson?” Mazzi asked.

Dr. Higginson made some squeaking noises but then walked away.

“What do you think that was?” I asked.

“Not sure. Maybe he was trying to say hello?” Mazzi suggested.

“Or he was saying something else, and we’ll never know,” Abel added.

All were possibilities. The breeze picked up, and when I looked up to the sky, my mood soured. “It’s going to rain. The sky is getting dark over there.” That meant we would be forced to go inside. That or Mazzi would have to do his magic and put a cover over us. But Marcello would have a fit if Abel was out here and not inside when the rain was pelting down on us. “How is the nanny working out?” I asked him.

Abel made a face. “The twins are inside because they’re with Marcello. I told him I wanted thirty minutes, and then I’d be back. I set a timer on my phone so I wouldn’t stay out here too long.” He sighed. “She’s okay. I mean, she’s been here only a few days. It’s odd having someone else help with the twins. It’s nice around mealtime, but otherwise, it’s just…it feels off.”

“If you don’t feel as if she’s a good fit, then say something to Marcello and find another nanny. She’s been here only a few days. It’s not like your children have bonded to her yet,” Mazzi said.

That might not have been the best thing to say because Abel suddenly had a horrified look on his face, and he was up and off the lounger in a blink. He ran across the garden and out of sight.