Her Wicked Secret {Sequel to His Mortal Bride}

♱ Chapter 5 ♱

Piper

"There's my favorite nephew," I cooed, reaching out to take Stephen from Raven's arms. I held his little body on my hip. I yawned and shook my head.

"Are you sure you're up to watch him today? You look tired," Alec examined. I shook my head.

"I'm fine. Just had a poor night's sleep," I replied honestly. I had been up almost all night thinking about the Warlock in the forest and the things he said.

"Thank you so much for watching him," Raven thanked me once again. I always take care of Stephen, but she still made sure to give her gratitude every time.

"It's not a problem. I've got a fun day planned for us," I smiled at the little boy who looked just like Raven. He had her face and dark hair. Although, he had Alec's nose and lips.

"We'll be back around dinner time," Alec informed me. Raven gave Stephen a quick kiss on the forehead before leaving along with my brother.

"Are you excited for your day with Auntie Pip? Yeah?" I cooed, bouncing the little boy on my hip. He giggled and nodded his head enthusiastically, his dark hair bouncing as he did so.

Stephen was only two years old, and he looked it. Vampire toddlers mostly looked their age. I was glad though. At this age, he was fun and ready to play. He was the perfect little boy.

Soon we were out of the castle and into the courtyard. It was another perfect August day; not too hot, not too cold. When I let Stephen down, he began to toddle around, chasing after birds and palming at the plants that caught his eye. He hadn't perfected the art of running yet, but it was amusing to watch him run to the best of his young ability.

With Alec taking on more and more responsibilities as heir to the throne, his schedule was getting busier. This meant I was babysitting Stephen more often. I knew what he liked and didn't like, and I knew that playing outside was his favorite.

"Frog, frog!" Stephen exclaimed. He bent down and went to poke the toad that was sitting in the grass in front of him.

"Oh no, don't touch the toad," I told him, just as he was about to prod the big toad with his chubby little finger. I picked him up.

Walking around the perimeter, we stopped so I could show him different plants, bugs, and animals. He giggled when I tickled him with a leaf, and squealed when a bumblebee buzzed off of a flower.

At the moment, I had completely forgotten about the previous night's encounter and the accusations Evander made. I was content and oblivious to the things that kept me up the night prior.

Only did the guards coming out of the forest remind me of the Warlock hiding behind his wards. They went on their rounds of the surrounding area every day, but this time it made me anxious to see them coming out of the woods.

I shook my head, knowing that I was worried about a stranger.

"Auntie," Stephen spoke up, catching my attention. I shifted my focus back to him and off of Evander.

"Yes?"

"I'm thirsty," Stephen told me. He was looking at one of the mortals who was gardening near us. His eyes were gleaming red and I could see him fixating on her.

"We can go get you something," I smiled softly and left with him still on my hip.

When we got inside, I found him his sippy cup and filled it with blood. I gave him the filled cup and he took it. Quite a nice invention, the sippy cup. I remember being his age and making a mess every time I drank.