Page 116 of Sinful Mates

“Well, I better be off. You know where to find me, if you need me,” she says before standing and leaving out the door.

“How long was I out?” I ask, staring up at Tobias.

“Only a day, but you will be fine now,” he says looking toward Theo, who nods verifying his words.

Chapter Forty-Three

That night I suggest Caroline and Josiah should go home so they can have some time to themselves. They have been so busy helping us, I sometimes forgot they have their own lives. Caroline and Josiah bid farewell after dinner, promising to be back bright and early in the morning. One thing I’m most thankful for, though, is that Caroline has helped get Thaddeus into a more regular sleep routine. He only got up once or twice during the night now instead of every hour, making nighttime easier and allowing everyone to get some decent sleep.

Carrying Thaddeus into the kitchen, I make him a bottle, Theo and Tobias keep offering to take him, which is becoming a little annoying. They refuse to leave me alone with him and it is getting on my nerves.

“Here, I can take him, you make the bottle,” Theo says, holding out his arms expectantly.

“I’m fine, Theo. I can make a bottle with one hand,” I tell him, ignoring him and grabbing the baby formula off the bench. Thaddeus keeps pulling my hair while I make his bottle, and I have to keep untangling his little fingers. When I’m done, I settle on the couch and flick on the TV, finding something to watch.

Feeding Thaddeus with his bottle, I can hear Tobias and Theo talking in hushed voices before they turn up in the lounge room. Tobias sits next to me rubbing Thaddeus’s feet and when he finishes his bottle, I stand to burp him while walking up the stairs to change his bum.

“Did you leave Mommy a present?” I ask him, laying him down on our bed. He coos softly while I take him out of his onesie.

“I can change him,” Tobias says, stepping into the room. I reach for the nappy and wipes, ignoring him. Thaddeus sucks on his thumb, slobbering all over it. I pull it from his mouth only for him to pop it straight back in there. Sighing, I quickly change him before tossing the nappy to Tobias to chuck in the bin. He disappears downstairs, returning before I even have a chance to pick Thaddeus back up.

“Want me to put him down to bed?”

“No, Tobias, I know what I am doing,” I tell him, becoming frustrated. Theo steps into the room, watching from the doorway.

“What?” I ask, annoyed that they keep hovering.

“You need to feed, Imogen,” Theo says, making me roll my eyes at his tone and his answer. I felt fine. I’m hungry, but I not ravenous, and I have control.

“I’m fine, I will after I put Thaddeus to sleep,” I tell them sitting on the edge of the bed.

Rocking back and forth, I watch as Thaddeus's eyes get heavier before they blink back open from the light beaming down on him.

“Can you turn off the light and get out?” I tell them. Theo flicks off the light, but neither of them leave. I continue to rock Thaddeus and once I think he is asleep, I go to move and transfer him to his basinet only for Tobias to wake him as he tries taking him from me.

“What are you doing? You’re waking him,” I tell him, smacking his hands away. He holds his hands up in surrender, and I place him in his bed, wrapping him up and tucking him in. Walking to the door, I leave it slightly ajar before walking downstairs.

Grabbing his bottle from where it lay on the lounge, I walk to the kitchen to sterilize it. Theo and Tobias follow me like a shadow.

“What the hell is your problem,” I say, turning to them.

“You need to feed, Imogen. It has been hours since Astral brought you back. I know you’re hungry, we can feel it,” Tobias says.

“I am fine, Tobias, you didn’t need to keep trying to take him from me. I won’t hurt my son,” I growl pissed off.

“We don’t want to risk you hurting him. See how fast you flip?” Theo says.

“I am angry because you were hovering, I am capable of looking after him.”

“We didn’t say you aren’t, just not while you’re like this.”

“You made me like this from trying to take over, Theo. I was fine right until now,” I said, placing the bottle in the sterilizer and turning it on.

Moving to the kettle, I turn it on. Grabbing the mugs, I make coffee. Tobias’s arms wrapping around my waist.

“Don’t be upset, we just don‘t want you to accidentally hurt him.”

“The only people who will get hurt around here is you two, if you don’t back the fuck off,” I tell him, shrugging him off. I hear him growl before Theo tugs him away. I feel more in control this time, maybe because I can’t feel the darkness tainting my magic and I have had my emotions pretty in check considering how annoyed I am.