Chương 440: Faces of the Future

10 years later

Jaden yawned as she entered the kitchen. She tightened her robe around her as she neared the large island in the center of the room and the massive man bent over it. She tugged the apron string free and slid her hands under his tee shirt. She ran her hands around to his flexed abs, teasing each as he remained bent in concentration. "Ry what are you doing down here this time of morning? The kids aren't even awake yet." She groaned tiredly as she rested her lips against his back. She let her hands slide down to the waistband of his pants and teased him there.

"I couldn't sleep… So, I decided to make everyone breakfast."

Jaden arched a brow. "Russ is the one with a big day today, so why is it you can't sleep?"

Ry blew out a sigh as he stood and turned to face her. He leaned against the counter and tugged her against him bringing her hands to his mouth to place kisses on each finger. "He wants me to attend this one with him as an equal and there will be dignitaries from all over… I don't want to make him look bad or make our relationship too obvious… and I know that if I'm there it will be…"

Jaden sent him a sweet smile as she tugged her hand away and leaned closer. She caressed his scruffy face. "He wouldn't have asked you if it were an issue to him. He wants you by his side. It's an important day."

He scooped her up and placed her on the counter. Stepping between her thighs, he cupped her face gently in his hands as he feathered kisses across her forehead and the bridge of her nose. "Then why can't you be the one there today?"

Jaden shook her head as she pushed him away. "Nice try, but you know I gave that up a long time ago. You deal with the pigheadedness of men better anyway." She sent him a charming smile. "Besides, shouldn't it be our king's place to worry about all this and not yours?"

Ry blew out a sigh. "Perhaps…"

Her smile widened. "Then why is he still upstairs sleeping in our bed and you're down here baking?"

Ry shrugged. "Because I bake when I'm anxious?" He nodded toward a loaded tray to one side of the bar. "That one is for you guys."

Jaden turned slightly to look around the counter. She arched her brow. "And those?"

Ry pulled her into his arms and rested his chin on her shoulder. "I was making pancakes with berry faces for the kids…"

Jaden couldn't hold back a giggle. "You know the triplets outgrew that kind of thing years ago, right? And they'll only tease Gwen if she lets on like she likes them…"

He blew out a sigh. "I know… but still…" He placed a kiss on her neck. "I miss when they were little… Should we have more?"

Jaden pushed him away playfully as she laughed. "GODS NO! Four is more than enough!"

Russ stumbled into the room sleepily. "What's all the commotion in here? Isn't it too early for so much energy?" He had his shirt lifted rubbing his stomach.

Jaden giggled against Ry's nuzzlings. "Come quick, dear husband! Our lover is insisting on MORE children!"

Russ paused letting his shirt drop. He lifted his hand to his chin and stroked his own scruffy face. "Not a bad idea. I do like the way you look with your little pregnant belly. And Gwen and Shiori can't possibly be the only girls in the family with so many boys…"

"Right. That was just what I was saying." Ry said pulling Jaden closer as he nuzzled her neck more.

Jaden shoved him away and sprung from the counter. "You're both crazy!" She huffed as she snagged a plate of berry-faced pancakes from the counter and stomped over to Russ. She grabbed the front of his tee shirt and pulled him down into a kiss. "Good morning, sleeping beauty. I'm glad to see last night tired one of you out…" She sent Ry a faux glare, the corner of her lips unable to mask a grin as she snapped back around. "You boys need to hurry and eat then go get cleaned up. It'll be a busy day." She called out over her shoulder.

"Yes, ma'am!" Russ called back at her. He shook his head as he made his way toward the counter. "You really outdid yourself." He plucked a strawberry from the counter and popped it into his mouth. "Are you really that nervous about joining me today?"

Ry shrugged. "Are you really ok with the possibility of foreign dignitaries knowing about us… your own people barely stand me… us…"

Russ walked over and leaned against the counter. He pulled Ry in front of him. "If I weren't sure I wouldn't have asked." A mischievous smile spread across his lips. "Now, what do you say we save some time and clean up together?" He slid his hands under Ry's shirt and tugged him closer by his hips.

Ry grunted as he was being tugged against Russ's hard body. "I swear you and Jaden both only want me for my body…"

Russ pushed Ry's shirt up exposing his pierced nipples and leaned forward drawing one into his mouth. "Yeah, maybe… is that so bad?" He muttered as he nipped and teased the other.

Ry groaned as he braced himself on either side of the counter. "Fine… But I'm not shaving yet…"

Russ chuckled. "Fine by me… I don't mind your scruff… anymore anyways…"

Several hours later…

Russ and Ry finally exited the rear of the palace, both equally exhausted. Ry tugged loose the tie he was wearing and tossed it to the ground. "Never again…" Hurried, tiny footsteps caught his attention.

"Daddy, Pappa!"

Russ and Ry both dropped to one knee and waited for the tiny princess to meet them.

"What is it Precious?" Ry asked as she plowed into him.

Gwen squeezed Ry's neck tightly before finally leaning back and squishing his cheeks between her small hands. "Pappa, pappa! Can I keep it? Please! I really, really want it! Please! I promise to take care of it, and I've already named it! Its name is Fluffy, Pappa! You can't make me get rid of it if I've named it, right?" Her eager eyes moved to Russ. "Right Daddy?"

Ry and Russ exchanged questioning glances before turning their attention back to Gwen. "Sweetie, what are you talking about? What are you wanting to keep?" Russ asked.

"Fluffy Daddy! Ales and Ben told me if I wanted to keep it I had to ask you, Pappa, that you were the pushover and that, Daddy, you'd probably tell me no, but I really wanna keep him! Please!"

"Wait! Slow down and take a breath." Russ chuckled as he sent Ry a glance, knowing he must be equal parts irritated and amused at being called a pushover. "What is fluffy?"

Gwen got quiet and her cheeks reddened. "Well, you see Daddy… Pappa…" She began fiddling with her fingers. "Well…"

Ry lifted a brow as he lifted her into his arms and stood. He brought her closer to his face and gave her the 'dad' stare. "Well, Gwendolin?"

Gwen swallowed hard and began spouting off everything that had happened. "Well, you see Pappa, even though Cam and Shiori told them it was a bad idea… Ravi and Avi wanted to see what a bunny, cat, and pladdy... and maybe some other things... would look like… and it's really super cute! And it's really friendly, Pappa! I swear it! AND I named it fluffy because it's super fluffy and cute!"

Russ furrowed his brows. "A bunny, cat, pladdy… wait… Ravi and Avi made it?" He exchanged glances with Ry again before realization dawned. "Where are they, Gwen? Where is fluffy right now?"

Gwen frowned. "If I tell you can I keep him?"

Ry and Russ exchanged meaningful glances once again. "Maybe, we have to see Fluffy first though."

Gwen bit her lip. "The caves down at the beach."

Both men sprinted across the back lawn and toward the path leading down to the caves. Russ pressed his phone to his ear before his feet stopped on the sand outside the entrance. "Get here…" He panted as he hung up on Rin.

Rin blocked the evening sun from his eyes as he zapped onto the beach. "What's up?"

Russ panted as he clasped his knees outside the cave. He pointed inside. "Our kids… created something… Fluffy…"

Rin arched a brow. "Well, doesn't that sound absolutely... terrifying..."

Ry shifted Gwen onto his hip as he cleared his throat and yelled out the kids' names starting with their own sons. "Alesandro, Benjemin, Lucas! Cameron, Ravi, Avi! Shiori! Get your butts out here and bring Fluffy with you!"

Ravi and Avi were the first out. They quickly presented a weird fluffy mutant of a creature to the adults present. "Sorry uncles…" They said in unison. Their breath caught and their heads dropped. "Sorry Father…"

Rin shook his head. "What in the world is that thing."

Ravi began listing off animals. "Well... bunny, snow leopard, and minx because they're cute..."

Avi's eyes lit with excitement. "And a platypus, honey badger, and Tasmanian devil because they're super badass!"

"Avi lanuaguge!" Rin bit out.

Cam and Shiori emerged next with Ales, Ben, and Luca following close behind. "We told them not to do it… but they wouldn't listen, father." Cam explained as he squeezed Shiori's hand. "We even tried to stop them… but you know how they get…"

Shiori bowed her head. "I'm sorry… this is all my fault… If not for me they wouldn't be able…"

"Stop there…" Russ walked over and knelt in front of her. He clasped her shoulders. "Look at me. I spent way too long listening to your mother blame herself for other people's wrongdoings. I'll not stand by and listen to you do the same. Those meatheads abused your friendship and your power. That is all there is to it. You understand. They will be punished. Not you."

Shiori nodded. "Understood, uncle."

Russ smiled at her. "Very good. Now…" He turned his focus back on the creature. "What do we do with it?"

Cam shrugged. "It really is harmless… so far…"

"Even so it can't stay here," Rin replied as he studied it.

"But you said I could keep it, Pappa!" Gwen cried.

"This thing breaks the laws of nature, sweetie… It can't be allowed to… um…" Rin struggled for the right words.

"Dad wants to kill it." Avi teased.

Ravi shook his head. "Poor Fluffy…"

Rin slapped each boy upside the head lightly. "Stop teasing her. That's not what I said."

"But that's what you meant." Avi muttered under his breath.

Gwen's eyes widened and began overflowing with tears. "Fluffy NOOOOOO!"

Rin sent him a glare as he popped him on the head again. "We'll figure out something…"

"Jeez…" Russ stood and gave Cam and Shiori's shoulders a squeeze. "Can I trust the two of you to get the other back to the palace while we figure this out? Shiori, I'll call your dad to come get you alright."

Her eyes widened. "Oh no please don't not yet! If Dad finds out he'll ground me again!"

Ry rolled his eyes. "Your dad isn't going to ground you over this…"

"Yes he will! He did the last time the boys zapped a zoo into the house! I wasn't allowed to see Came for a week!" Shiori pouted.

"I think that was more because of house repairs than because of being grounded, don't you?" Ry replied.

"What about the frog incident?! And the snakes!"

"Ok, Ok! We'll hold off on calling Jos and Arei. Just get back to the palace ok?" Russ said running his hand through his hair. "What a mess… How about Raven? She's done shit like this?"

The triplets began giggling. "Dad said shit…"

Russ narrowed his eyes. "And now you have! Do you want grounded?"

All three straighten. "No, Sir!"

"The get your butts back to the palace too! Help keep an eye on your sister! And no more trouble! That goes for all of you!" He shouted after them as they ran as fast as they could toward the palace. He shook his head as he walked over and rested his head against Ry's shoulder. "Are we really not going to tell Jos and Arei about this?" His gaze moved over to the weird animal Rin was studying.

Ry shrugged. "I don't know… We'd want to know if it happened at their house… right?"

Russ wrapped his arms around Ry's waist. "So, call them?"

2 hours later

Drake looked around the somber palace dining room. "Did we catch you guys at a bad time? We can come back…"

Jaden shook her head, her arms still crossed just under her supple breasts. "No, we were just giving the kids a talking-to about misusing their powers and putting Shiori in positions where she doesn't feel comfortable."

Drake and April both shot their oldest son Zealand a glance before shoving him toward the table with the other kids. "Well, go ahead and count ours in too in that case."

April looked around the table. "So, what was it this time? Frogs in the tub? Snakes in the attic?"

Gwen hopped down from her chair and ran to April. She threw herself against her legs. "They have to kill Fluffy!" Tears streamed down the child's cheeks from her swollen, red-rimmed eyes.

"My word?! What happened?" Her curious gaze moved to Jaden.

Jaden pointed to the mutant animal in a cage in the center of the table. "That thing is Fluffy… The boys thought it would be funny to 'make' a new animal…"

April clasped a hand to her mouth. "Oh… Oh my…"

Drake chuckled. "And here I thought we would be the ones with the biggest news tonight…" He shrugged. "We just closed on a house on the island, and April is pregnant."

Everyone burst out in excitement, but all was quiet when Rin stood. He crossed his arms as he advanced on his youngest boys. The other children in the room hunkered in their chairs. Shiori squeezed Cam's hand tighter. "I didn't want to do this, but you've proven too irresponsible with these powers. Hold out your hands."

"Rin wait, it's just a smallish… creature… are you sure about this?" Jos's worried eyes moved from the caged animal to the boys.

Shelly placed a hand over hers. "It has to be done. We've already discussed this as a possibility… but after today…"

Jos frowned as she nodded. "It's your call, after all… I'm just… I'm sorry…"

The boys bit their lips and fought back tears as they sat on their hands.

"Now boys." Rin instructed. "Unless you'd like me to force you, here in front of everyone." The boys reluctantly held out their hands. With a snap of Rin's finger tattoo-like bands materialized around their wrists. Rin's disappointed gaze pierced them. "Your powers are now tethered and bound. You'll only be able to access a fraction of your powers for now."

The twins began complaining in unison. "This isn't fair! Why us?! Why not Cam too!"

Rin's gaze moved between Cam and Shiori. "Because… It wouldn't work on him… The bonds would be broken almost as soon as it was placed…"

THE END?