Content To Be Claimed (Beauty And The Beast #1)

Bonus Chapter

This chapter comes right after Chapter 41 and just before Chapter 42...

***

Kyle shook awake and lay listening intently. What had woken him?

Basic instinct had him mentally checking that his wife was safe and sound. He smiled softly at the sight of the beautiful redhead fast asleep in his arms, curled up against him. Even after 173 years, he was no closer to tiring of waking next to her.

A part of his mind was calmly cataloguing the sounds and general atmosphere of the house, trying to understand why he was up at - he glanced up - 2:17am.

Yes, there it was again - someone was moving in the kitchen. He tilted his head - none of his children would normally be foraging at this hour. Sighing, he gently extricated himself from Veronica and grabbed a pair of pyjama pants.

Minutes later, he hesitated in the doorway to the brightly lit kitchen, looking at a rare sight.

Warren was unguarded, putting together a sandwich with all the finesse of a charging bull. Even though his movements were precise, graceful even, the fury in each tiny motion had Kyle arching a brow. His son was rarely ever affected this much by anything. What could possibly have occurred?

"Everything alright?"

Warren froze, just slightly, and clutched the knife in his hand tightly. Then, sighing, he dropped his head and released the knife. He gripped the counter, ashamed at being caught unaware. "Father. I had no intention of waking you."

Kyle hid a smile and wandered into the kitchen. "Well, since I'm here, can I have one of those?"

Without looking up, Warren picked up the plate and offered it to his father.

Kyle took it, then leaned comfortably against the counter and ran assessing eyes over his son. Warren was tense and clearly looking for a couple of walls to punch. Repeatedly. Funny, there was a slight scent wafting from him that reminded Kyle of Annabelle...

Kyle bit off a bit of the sandwich to hide a wicked grin. He leaned back and prepared to thoroughly enjoy himself. "So, I eat, you talk."

Warren blushed and wondered if he should lie to his father. He hadn't tried that since he was six. "It's nothing to concern you, father."

"Oh, I know," Kyle responded cheerfully. "But it has you worked up, so I want to know. Call it curiosity."

"I believe it's time for bed."

"Let me guess. Girl problems?"

Warren's stiffened as his blush deepened, and Kyle nearly choked on his laughter. "You're enjoying this?"

"I've waited nearly 80 years for this moment," Kyle admitted unashamedly. "Come on. Share." When Warren turned away, he coaxed, "I'm sure I have a better handle on women that you right now."

"I read minds," Warren reminded drily. And yet, even as he said it, he realised that nothing he had read from women over the years had equipped him for what happened tonight. After all, none of the women he'd ever come across had been in a romantic entanglement with a creature such as himself.

"Well, I don't," Kyle deadpanned. "You'll have to tell me what's wrong."

Warren finally turned to his father, raising his eyes to Kyle for the first time tonight. "Not if you will merely find sport with my predicament."

Kyle saw it flash in his son's eyes - whatever had happened had been bad. He stopped teasing. "I won't. You have my word."

Warren weighed this for a moment, then turned and levered himself up, easily sitting on the countertop. He drew one leg up, balancing one booted heel on the edge as he leaned back, frowning from the memory of tonight.