《In the shadows》 #1 The forest was almond-brown, enhanced by light of the full dawn. Smell of wet bark filled the air. Light and shadow danced across rough tree bark, forming a beautiful landscape. The only source of drinking water for the many wildlife species is a lake in the middle of the forest, surronded by wildflowers. In summer, it is the most beautiful refuge from the heat - all around steamy, and in the woods a fresh breeze, which seems to turn the air into a medicinal substance and thus recover anyone passing through. In the spring, nowhere better can one see the flourishing and joy of life than in the forest. Literally every day you notice changes, progress, the development of life in its most beautiful edition. And just the chirping of birds! It is not known whether their chirping encourages this flourishing of life, or the flourishing encourages them to an ever-happier song, but it is obvious that they complement and harmonize nicely. Still, autumn in the woods is the most beautiful! Such colors, which can be seen live there, no painter in the world has ever been able to paint. And the carpet - yes, the grass carpet is nice too, but it''s not as rustling as the carpet of leaves. When you are on it, it creates visual and acoustic pleasure. The squeaking winter carpet is also acoustic, but it is most adorned by the sheer beauty of whiteness. And the gorgeous white clothes they dress the whole forest in are irresistible. So many clothes, without a single stain!Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Every spring, the sleeping world of the forest gently wakes up from its winter sleep. But the spring deciduous forest hides special secrets¡­ Myths and legends If you¡¯re looking for peace and relaxation, there¡¯s still no place better than a retreat in the woods. But not every day you get to find a house there. The house is located deep in the woods, away from the crowded hiking trails, and its interiors are decorated with great love. It looks very simple and is very small, it is only 45 square meters. It is in the shape of the letter A, which resembles a tent, but of course it has a better structure and insulation. It looks quite modern although it has retained its original rustic charm. At first glance, the interior is very cozy and warm. The house is decorated with a very simple and beautifully decorated interior with walls, floors and ceilings lined with warm wood, the ideal material for a house in the woods. On the ground floor there is a small kitchen, dining room and living room, and on the first floor there is a bedroom and a bathroom. The house has everything you need for a pleasant holiday. The furniture is wooden and is in harmony with the wooden beams and all other details of the house.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Can you imagine drinking your morning coffee and enjoying the sounds of forest life? I can. It is immaculately restored and designed to relax you, and make you forget all the problems the moment you walk through the front door. The living room looks especially cozy: sloping ceilings, fireplace and soft textiles contribute to creating an atmosphere created for relaxation. Here you can enjoy by the fireplace and the crackling of wood, or relax with your favorite book. But who are the owners and what are they like, you may ask? Well, they are literary bloodsuckers. Out of the shadows Let me give you a hint: feeding on blood. Yes, you¡¯re correct. But this is not your classic Twilight romantic fantasy. This more of a ¡°what happens when the person who changes your life is a different species and the two of you create a tiny colony of hybrids¡±. I- I will just continue before this gets weird and you lose interest, sorry. That is a home of an unusual pair. One so lovable, with skin utterly white and smooth, other fierce and ruthless. The first young and lovely male was, weirdly enough, named Satan. With those beautiful, violet eyes, and pleasantly clean white hair he never failed to impress anyone. Running from his sharp fangs seemed pointless. He seemed to melt away into the shadows as soundlessly as he arrived. Then there is Alpha with long and silky fur, blinding like white snow storm, annoyed by everyone and everything. As if out of the shadows, a not-so-tall figure emerged. His skin and facial features were flawless. He walks over to Alpha, his soft feet barely touching the ground. ¡°I wonder if you know how special you are.¡± His voice was smoother than butter and made Alpha¡¯s heart stop momentarily. ¡°How can someone be this beautiful?¡± ¡°My heart was a desert until you came and watered it with your love. I don¡¯t want anyone else to have your heart, kiss your lips, be in your arms, be the one you love. I want to be with you forever.¡± Satan took a deep breath as he got down on one knee. ¡°Be mine!¡± ¡°Yes! I thought you¡¯d never ask.¡± Alpha smiled. Satan threw himself into Alpha¡¯s arms, hugging and pressing kisses against pretty much every part of his body he could reach. His jaw, his neck, his cheeks; very obviously avoiding his lips. With shaky hands from excitement, he put the ring on Alpha¡¯s left-hand ring finger. Simple, elegant, stunning. These are just a few adjectives that I choose to use to describe this ring. A .73 Ct diamond. The full bezel on the ring protects the diamond, but also gives the impression that the diamond is much larger than it truly is. ¡°I flipped through a handful of catalogs for the ring band.¡± Satan said, holing his hand and looking at the ring. ¡°I found a diamond to go with it. It is wonderful and it fits your hand very nicely.¡± ¡°Your generosity overwhelms me.¡± Alpha blushed. ¡°What would I do without you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been looking forward to the day that you get to show off a sparkling ring on your finger. How do we go about telling all of our friends?¡± ¡°Before you run straight to Insta to publicly show off your fianc¨¦ can we go to b-¡° ¡°You don¡¯t know how tempting it is to snap a pic and throw it up on Instagrammm¡± Satan excitedly looked in Alpha¡¯s eyes. ¡°Or how about we plan our wedding first?¡± ¡°¡­ With a priest and all that holy stuff?!¡± He continued to stare at him wild-eyed. ¡°It¡¯s like you forgot who I am.¡± ¡°Ah- right... Sorry.¡± Satan¡¯s stare made him uncomfortable. There was no life behind those eyes. ¡°But I¡¯m in for a private, intimate wedding, if you know what I mean.¡± Alpha flinched. ¡°Light a couple of candles, listen to music¡­¡± Satan winked and nudged his arm as he turned toward the bedroom, suppressing a giggle. ¡°Of course. That sexy bastard.¡± Satan turned his phone on silent as he didn''t want to be disturbed. He took his shirt off, tossed it over a lamp and lit some scented candles. They smelled like flowers on a summer day, pleasant and sweet. After everything was set, Alpha showed up at the door. Just seeing Satan shirtless and smelling the scent of candles made him feel tingles in places he''d never felt them. He was simultaneously overwhelmed and excited. In addition to that, fantasies were running wild through his head, and he felt more stress. He''s a bubbling cauldron of new feelings and emotions. "Why is this happening to me?" His genitals literally swelled with excitement of the thirst for that hottie. Satan strutted towards him and placed hands on his cheeks. He used his thumbs to gently stroke Alpha''s brows and placed gentle kisses on his lids, which made Alpha feel calm. Satan used this chance to leave a love bite on his neck. At this point Alpha felt even more embarrassed. "Marking your territory?" "Is it good?" "As good as a shark trying to bite off my neck." "And I thought I had a very low pain tolerance." "At least you wouldn''t notice yours in the mirror." Alpha giggled and closed his partner¡¯s eyes, taking his hands, and slowly guiding them to brush his face with his fingertips, down over his neck, shoulders, chest... He used them to show him exactly how he likes to be touched. Satan got on toes and playfully landed a soft kiss on his lips and pulled back. If nothing, Alpha had his lip-locking skills down pat. He puckered his lips and make a kissing gesture at him. ¡°I love you.¡± Satan leaned in for a quick smooch, but Alpha was in the mood for something more, and surprised him by turning his peck into a long, deep, sensual kiss. He got his message loud and clear. The sharp contrast of this new sensation invigorated him. He felt the fluttering sensation in his heart. Like he¡¯s been sent to the moon. With his arms around his neck, he saw stars. Alpha slowly moved his lips over to his partner¡¯s ear and gently nibbled his earlobe. While breathing through his nose he exhaled softly into his ear. The waft of warm air made Satan¡¯s whole body tingle. Once things were getting hot and heavy, Alpha moved his kisses to his partner¡¯s neck by gently sucking on one area. Satan did the same to him and nearly forgot how to breathe. ¡°Can¡¯t wait to get you naked.¡± Alpha whispered.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to have you inside me, ramming me so hard and making my legs shake.¡± Satan whispered back, nearly whining. ¡°I want you to be gasping for air while begging for more.¡± replied Alpha and spanked him. He took his tee shirt off and used it as a blindfold. He laid his partner down and took some time to explore his body by slowly running his fingers all over it. ¡°You look great¡­¡± ¡°I can''t believe I found someone like you¡­¡± Satan moaned a little, and was beginning to feel dizzy. There was nothing so sexy as seeing a solid young male with his legs spread. Alpha got on top of him. He¡¯d never done it before. He couldn¡¯t really believe it; he was doing this. Fear hooked Satan¡¯s stomach and he turned his head. ¡°You¡¯re not worried, are you?¡± Alpha asked. He pulled down Satan¡¯s and his own pants and underwear. Satan felt nauseous. The skin on his face and throat was hot. He thought he might faint or vomit, but he didn¡¯t. Now fuck me like a dog, he tells him. He grips the sheets in his fists. His skin is innocent and warm. Alpha puts it in. It got wild. Bed began creaking. Satan¡¯s breath became short. Alpha hooked his knees outside Satan¡¯s legs and pushed himself deeper. ¡°Aah~ I like that¡± he shivered as he ran nails down Alpha¡¯s back. Gradually he relaxed. His eyes were closed and his lips stretched in a smile. His toes curled; hips lifted. Alpha''s hands were gripping him forcefully by the hips. His hair was hanging forward, hiding his face. He lightly bit his shoulder. Satan was whining with pleasure. Alpha kept on, slowing himself. He pushed his knees up higher. He was almost there and so was Satan. "I''m going to c- ah-!" He shouted as he came. Then he was trying to say something else. He was telling him to stop, his fingers pulling back his hair. They disengaged, shaking. "Hush," Alpha said, "hush..." And he kissed his eyelids again, then his lips. Then, slowly, he pulled away. Satan groped for him, as though he was blind. "Alphi, please, please¡ª¡¯ His lips touched his. And he was kissing him again, and slipped blindfold off. "Shhh," Alpha whispered. "Shhh, it¡¯s all right, don¡¯t worry, just relax and listen to your body." No more pain. His eyelids fluttered. Alpha laid his head on his chest and stroked his hair. It smelled like fruit. His head turned slightly away. He looked like somebody having a dirty dream. Alpha switched on the bedside lamp. At some point Satan opened his eyes and saw Alpha watching him. "Would you like to take a shower?" "Feel free to use my shampoo, but go easy on it because that bottle cost me $20.", Satan mumbled sleepily and closed his eyes again. "I meant with you, silly." "You know how my hair always looks like it''s being hit with the beams from a thousand shining suns?", Satan continued, "That''s because my shampoo is top-notch and might have actual flecks of gold in it, so please mind your squeeze." ''How convenient.'' "... But if you don''t carry me under that hot stream of water right this instant, I might freeze to death because this room is the arctic tundra." Alpha giggled as he picked him up and carried him to the bathroom. As he stepped in the shower, he instantly pressed Satan''s back against the wall. "OH MY GOD, IT''S FREEZING!", he yelled and jumped back into his arms. "There''s no way I''m going to let my skin touch it for even a second!" "Aw, c''mon, this is the most ideal time for me to go down on you." "I''m not skipping any part of my regular shower routine just because you''re in here", Satan said just as he started washing his hair. "Oh, he''s already massaging his scalp with what looks to be an entire shampoo bottle... And why does he have nine different shampoos?" He also left conditioner in for a full five minutes. "This is how I stay soft and huggable." Meanwhile Alpha was rubbing rest of his body with soap. His skin felt heavenly. "I can finally feel like I''ve cleaned my whole body without having to dislocate my shoulder." After rinsing the soap off, Satan began shaving his legs. "Watch your step, sir. If you so much as brush against me I might accidentally punch you in the face." "I''m definitely hardcore judging your hygiene habits right now." Showering with his partner winded up being 10 seconds of admiring him naked ... and 10 minutes of awkwardly maneuvering around him in the shower. Showering together was always fun for them, but logistically, it was like going into a phone booth with your partner and taking off all your clothes: it just was not practical. Unless they have sex. In which case they''re going to take an extra minute ... or an extra minute and 30 seconds, if you know what I mean. After what seemed like three hours in the bathroom, they finally got out and threw clothes on over their still-wet bodies. Satan was wearing Alpha''s button-down shirt, while Alpha had on his hoodie as usually. It was the time they enjoy some spooky drinks. By that I mean cranberry juice and vodka, because who wants to go hunt humans for some fresh blood and flesh after sex and shower? Well, speaking of vodka, vampires as we know them (e.g. Dracula, - NOT Edward, please) shouldn''t be affected by alcohol, since they are dead and therefore don''t really have a working bloodstream to transport ethanol around their bodies to get them intoxicated. So I can''t imagine alcohol theoretically having much, if any, effect on Satan either. However, he is still fully affected by the effects of alcoholic drinks, just like he would be if he was mortal. So, maybe he is different in the sense that alcohol does have an effect on him. Could it be that such substances do not act physiologically, but rather magically? If so, I would assume that he gets intoxicated for a few minutes. On the other hand, werewolves can get drunk as anyone else, but they can drink more since they won''t get alcohol poisoning, and they won''t suffer long term damage like liver failure. Under the influence of alcohol, Alpha seemed even more attractive in Satan''s eyes. "Can III kissy-kissy you?" His words sounded slurred. Alpha replied, "Very well, you may kiss me." He held his left hand. They kissed, and it was in this moment that he felt his arms tense, and suddenly, in one move, Alpha had pulled and sat him on his lap. He was without any other desire but to please him. He loved Satan, and all his thoughts were on helping him have what he so dearly wanted and to make him love him all the more. Satan laughed. He began to kiss him, gently, then with increasing pressure, and with his tongue as he hadn¡¯t kissed him in so long. His mouth moved down. Alpha couldn¡¯t stop looking at the side of his face, his eyes closed, his thin pale lips. His hands were opening the button-down shirt to show his chest. His husband smiled at him. Sweat was dripping down his body. Alpha turned his head so his cheek was flat against Satan''s. They sat still. They stayed quiet, though. ¡°Are we going to make love today again?¡± Satan pleaded. "This is making love, Satan,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m having a wonderful time, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, but you know what I mean." And just looking at Satan''s fine bare chest, damp with sweat and happiness, made his big thing all hard again. And soon Satan was grinding his bottom against it, and strands of his white hair came slipping down between their lips as they kissed. Alpha touched his chest and Satan bit lightly on his lip. He made something like a sigh. "Satan", he said. "Satan." He touched him on the forehead between his eyes and ran his finger down the line of his nose. ¡°I¡¯ll make love to you 100 times a day if you wish." He had those clear violet gloomy eyes and such sweet crease marks around them. "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep my word." Satan let him undress him and caress his body. He began to kiss him, to kiss his chest, to nuzzle his face. ¡°You sure?¡±, Alpha asked quietly. ¡°Mmm.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m crazy,¡± Satan said. Alpha goes right into him in one long, delicious move. They begin slowly. When he was close to coming, he pulled it out and let it cool. Then he started again. Satan began to roll his hips, to cry out. Finally, he took it out again. They began once more and this time did not stop until he cried out and he felt himself come, trembling. ¡°You''re the best,¡± Satan said finally. Gently, as the day neared its end, a wave of tiredness washed over them as they sealed their eyes shut... Sun rose yet again They found themselves in a large room handsomely decorated, at the end of which was a large bed furnished with cushions. Alpha poked Satan¡¯s nose and held him close, brushing a strand of white hair away from his face. It felt fine and soft, with a glossy sheen. He buried his face in his chest. Alpha¡¯s skin had a strong and bitter smell but in a pleasant way. "Let''s watch some action movie." Alpha stood up and put in the DVD player and joined Satan back in the bed. He eagerly wrapped his arms around his waist, once again burying his head in his chest. "I appreciate that you cleaned all that mess¡±, Satan whispered. At the middle of the movie, Alpha looked down and saw that Satan was half asleep. Under the rays of early morning sunshine his skin gave off a dewy glow. ¡®Awee how can someone look so cute while sleeping¡­¡¯ He could feel his firm torso and the heart that beats within. Running his hand through his hair, he couldn¡¯t quite believe something so amazing finally happened. He gently kissed Satan¡¯s head, his lips forming into a smile. ¡®Don¡¯t ever leave me.¡¯ Satan was in his sincere embrace for a couple more hours after the movie ended. Alpha¡¯s chin rested on top of his head. Every now and then he¡¯d look down at his pretty face with a smile. By then he was already awake. He looked up and returned his smile with one even wider. ¡°The sun has risen long ago and a new day has begun. Time to do something new and creative today.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a morning person¡±, Satan grumbled, ¡°even thought it¡¯s already noon. I¡¯d rather sit here in bed with a cup of coffee and stare blankly for 20 minutes.¡± ¡°Well then I¡¯m off to make you coffee.¡± Alpha went downstairs to the kitchen. It was badly proportioned and messy since they had no real reason to use it at all except for making coffee. Luckily, they had some fresh coffee beans. He poured the brewed coffee, added a bit of milk and stirred it some more. He could have easily purchased Starbucks and not make any more mess but he wanted to practice his coffee-making skills. Besides he was nearly 30 and didn¡¯t know how to cook, so making coffee was the least he could do. He brought it upstairs and gave it to Satan. He took a sip of the coffee and glanced down at the mug. ¡°You¡¯re getting better at this, soon I shall teach you how to cook, if you promise not to burn the whole house down.¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a bully.¡± Alpha tried not to show that he was hurting inside. What else could he do? ¡°Oh, you have no idea¡±, Satan grinned. It was already late, around 2 in the afternoon, and there was nothing else to do but put their clothes on and make breakfast. To be precise, there was nothing else for Satan to do. He was the one responsible for cooking if they felt too lazy to hunt. Today he decided to serve something healthy. He mixed together a cup of whole rolled oats and a cup of milk for Alpha, and chia & yogurt for himself. ¡°Here. To soothe your nerves after being bullied.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Thanks, I needed that.¡± They sat down at the dining table. Alpha sat down right opposite of Satan. He began stuffing his mouth. He totally forgot his manners in that moment. Satan kept staring at him hoarding food in his mouth. He let out a large belch at the end and Satan hadn''t even started his bowl of food. He sat properly and straight (lol) in his chair, watching him. He then proceeds to eat, still in kind of a shock. ¡®I don¡¯t even k- ¡® ¡°I uh. I guess I was hungry¡±, Alpha shrugged. * One pleasant weekend later they were reminiscing about all of the wonderful memories they¡¯d made. But it dawned on them that if they didn''t make some bold moves, their relationship might come to an end. They opened a bottle of fine wine in order to enhance the depth and wisdom of their conversation. Before long, they¡¯d switched from sweet nostalgia to dreaming about their potential future ¡ª with a child. The wine was an effective dream enhancer. They let their imaginations loose as they talked about how they could potentially live their lives with a third member of their family. The future took many shapes. Could they still live here? Would anyone even let them adopt a human? Or is there another way to do it? Honestly, it was overwhelming. Their lives three months ahead were like a blank slate. Everything seemed possible! Nothing was certain! Anything could happen! In order to conceptualize their thoughts and concerns, they decided to write down all of their dreams and goals on yellow sticky notes. This mother of all brainstorming sessions took them half an hour. They each wrote down what was important to them, stuff they¡¯d like to achieve, skills they¡¯d like to acquire ¡ª in short, what they¡¯d like to do with their lives in the next few years. Next, they organized those dreams in terms of feasibility, urgency, and requirements. (To meet certain goals, they had to accomplish others first.) During this process, they tried to keep things fair. They both got the same number of sticky notes. All goals were open to debate, yet at the same time they tried to figure how to best help each other achieving them going forward! Their aim was to work together as a couple. Step three was to put up an A3 formatted white paper on the wall, draw a timeline ¨C yes, they were going to plan out the next five years of their life! ¨C and arrange their couple goals in a meaningful way to their life¡¯s ¡°game plan¡±. Their dreams included things like: move to a new home, earn some money (somehow), become parents. In a nutshell, nothing extraordinary ¡ª the things young people usually dream of. It was clear that some goals had to be achieved before others. They agreed that pursuing them in a specific order made sense. Then they arranged them accordingly on the timeline. Planning their future was an ecstatic activity. In fact, doing so was the defining evening for their relationship. They decided to chase their dreams together as a team. Satan has already reached his 30s; Alpha was 28. Little did they know that this shared activity would help them tremendously on the path to their dream life. They had become a dream team! About last night… "Are we ready for a baby?" Satan could feel the fear in his chest taking over, unsure of what Alpha¡¯s reaction will be. "Of course, we are. I can''t wait to see that super adorable face." "Aww!" Satan sank back into the couch, finally they could spend all day chatting, laughing and planning an adoption. The house was a mess and it didn''t matter, it could be tidied up after lunch. Together they sorted laundry, cleaned and prepared dinner. It was the release valve they both needed. "I can take care of changing, feedings and waking up in the middle of the night while you focus on cleaning the house etc." "Are you ready to give up sleep?" "I guess I''ll have to say goodbye to it", Alpha said, stopping to take a deep breath and showed him something on his phone. "Look what I found. A fertility doctor says that in theory, men could attempt to become pregnant thanks to advances in uterus transplant surgeries." "Could it really be done safely?" The excitement wired Satan¡¯s body. He felt like his brain was on fast-forward and there was no off switch. "I think it would be possible." Alpha shrugged. Satan tingled from his head to his toes and rubbed his hands together. "Sign me up." He rushed outside as quickly as his legs could carry him, quickening his pace to an all-out sprint. And Alpha followed behind him like the wind. The first large building they stumbled upon once they entered the town was the hospital they were looking for. They trudged along the pavement and walked inside. After a long walk down the hallway they paused in front of what seemed like a lab. He knocked on the door and a young man opened, inviting them in. "So, we heard about your research and..." ¡°I see no biological reason why the procedure wouldn''t work in the male body¡±, the man continued, approaching them. ¡°You could do it tomorrow. There would be additional challenges, but I don''t see any obvious problem that would preclude it.¡±Stolen novel; please report. ¡°But isn¡¯t this¡­ still highly experimental?¡± ¡°It is performed only as part of experimental trials. The additional research is still needed to understand the risks of the procedure and its effect on the fetus.¡± The man grabbed Satan¡¯s hand to take a pulse. In this exchange he neither made eye contact or spoke. He began to open his mouth to ask about the pulse but before he could Satan grinned and it made him wish he could take a step backward. ¡°My accelerated healing says otherwise. It might heal just in time with no complications.¡± In that gaping mouth were teeth of curious shapes. He stared. It was as if he could swallow something larger than his own head, like a snake. ¡°I- If you say so¡­¡± His voice was edged with fear. ¡°Then you are more than welcome to stay overnight and be our first patient.¡± He never knew, that''s what fear truly was. He was afraid it won¡¯t end nicely. He just wanted to end it then and there, because he was afraid of the outcome. It made him want to curl up into a ball and never come out. The pair said their goodbyes even though Alpha wanted to hold him and keep him by his side for a longer time. They waited impatiently for the outcome. * Satan felt confused and nauseated when he woke up. Local anesthetics and painkillers given to him during and just after the surgery initially masked the pain. Alpha arrived the exact second he woke up. "How are you feeling, love?" He held his soft hand while tapping his foot on the ground nervously, his gaze flitting around the room, never settling on an object for long¡­ "I went to sleep... and it took, I think that it took me a solid hour to fall asleep¡­ a solid hour¡­ because I was thinking about things, about that surgery, which I was worrying about. It was a really complicated procedure¡­ So ¡­" Satan''s voice sounded adenoidal, some of the sound seemed to come through his nose, as if he had difficulty breathing. "Shh... I know you feel lousy now, but this is part of the recovery process." Alpha proceeded to carefully massage his neck and shoulders. "I''m so glad that your surgery went well." "Surgery is an assault... don''t you agree? It''s an assault, opening a gut, it''s assaultive, it''s true. Surgery is hands that penetrate a body to remove something." Alpha did not know what to say to that so he laughed. ¡°It takes about two to three weeks to be able to move around comfortably.¡± The surgeon walked in. ¡°But in your case, your recovery will be quicker. Two days max.¡± * The conversation continued into the night. Long gone is the time when humans watched as darkness devoured the light. New-born Checklist Two days later they rushed back home, Alpha carrying Satan in his strong arms. His head rolled back between his shoulder blades as he staggered up the stairs with his weight. He could recover at home without medical care. Alpha took care of him making sure he got plenty of rest and stayed hydrated. Acetaminophen also helped him feel better. He needed to rest well as his body will do one of the most amazing ¡°things¡± ever: it will bring into the world a tiny not-so-human being! He still felt pain in his lower abdomen. Most of that pain was subdued, but it used to be sharper. From excitement and happiness in one moment, to a bad mood in another. It all confused the future father. But the future seemed fabulous. They would have fun with the kids, they would help each other out. Without all the current stress they¡¯ll be so much healthier in body, mind and soul. ¡°Today is the day.¡± Satan as vampire got apprehensive about change, but once he adapted to it so much, he couldn¡¯t imagine what life was like before. ¡°Am I ready to be horribly sleep-deprived?¡± ¡°I find that as awesome as you do.¡± ¡°The life we want to have when we are 40, ideally, has kids in it, doesn¡¯t it?¡± It was also such a stark decision. It was not like deciding to go to grad school and knowing that if you hate it you can drop out. Once you have a kid, you have him or her forever. ¡°If we have kids, will we regret it sometimes?¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t have kids, will we regret it sometimes?¡± And for Alpha, the answer to both questions was probably yes. There was not really a self-awareness quiz that would help them never to feel wistful about the whatever path they hadn¡¯t taken.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Satan spread his legs under the sheets. Alpha turned out the light and unzipped his jeans. He closed his eyes when he turned his face down. He felt Alpha¡¯s pants against his backside and the metallic cold of the belt buckle. ¡°Now all I can say is: I hope your wound won¡¯t hurt again after this¡± ¡­ Alpha¡¯s fingers burrowed inside him and he didn¡¯t say a thing, didn¡¯t even sigh. He was on his side, but he still had his head buried in the sheets. Alpha¡¯s index and middle finger probed his ass, massaged his prostate, and he opened his mouth without a sound. He pushed his fingers all the way in, Satan moaned and raised his hips. He moaned hoarsely. Alpha pulled his fingers out. Satan arched his body like a cat on a stretch. Alpha laid on top of him, biting him lightly. His chest was against his back. Since Satan always kept his head down, as a sign of obedience, he could not see exactly what was happening, but he noticed that Alpha was breathing hard, whilst he felt himself filling up with strength and energy. He had lost all shame now, and wasn¡¯t bothered about showing his pleasure; he started to moan, pleading with him to touch him. He was ready, he wanted to serve him, he was his slave, his creature, his object, and would do anything he ordered him to do. When he felt his dick sliding over his prostate, he lost all control. He had no idea how long they had been there, but suddenly he came and had an orgasm. Intense pain and fear mingled with total pleasure, pushing him beyond all previously known limits and he moaned. * And so, a brand-new hybrid being was made. Anyhow, what is it about babies that makes them so cute? Is it their large eyes, their kissable chubby cheeks, their tiny hands and feet or soft, elastic skin? Either way they¡¯re heartbreakingly beautiful. But can their cuteness save the world? Hybrid A hybrid should be deadlier than any werewolf or vampire. Nature would hardly stand for such an imbalance of power. It is essential for it to possess both the strengths and some of the weaknesses of its parent races, along with powerful attributes unique to itself alone due to its combined heritage, such as super strength or immunity to silver. Will it be able to control its transformations? Will heart extraction kill it? Actually, that remains unconfirmed, since no one has extracted a hybrid¡¯s heart yet. All I can say is - the way hybrids work in this universe is weird. Technically it would be an original, being the first of its kind. * A day of resting and not leaving the house seems quite pacifying until it does not. Under usual circumstances, while you¡¯d really wish to take some time off your strenuous routine and just stay in to reconnect with yourself, you would perhaps be flabbergasted now that you are presented with the opportunity. I¡¯ve been thinking, Satan may be finding it difficult not being exposed to the everyday chaos, which has been so embedded in his life, somewhere in the background like a dull ache. How would you get away from something that¡¯s been so familiar to you forever? But now that it¡¯s gone, don¡¯t you feel startled that you wished to be granted relief from its familiarity, in the first place? As Alpha walks out to the terrace, he is surrounded by a stinging quietness. If he happened to stand there for a bit too long, the thoughts inside his head would have grown louder and become almost deafening. To be honest, he felt that retrospection is entertaining, but only as long as there was some loud diversion, distracting him from time to time. Inside, Satan is stuck in bed. Watching his life slow down interminably made him realize things he wouldn¡¯t normally care to mull over. Father number two sits down on the floor, hurling out loads of old things that were crammed inside forgotten cupboards. Parenthood, it seems, was a golden opportunity to dismiss the ancient and make room for the new. And so, he found innumerable bills, paperwork, cards, photographs, mementos and a bunch of things ripe with the essence of his childhood and teenage years.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Satan scours through the things, and he comes across a bulky white envelope, wrapped in cellophane. It contained small paper cards and tokens on which Alpha had scribbled in his broken handwriting, which was yet to form fully. They were addressed to his parents¡ªbirthday messages, Christmas greetings, childish shenanigans, juvenile complaints, honest confessions and worldly representations of fatuous dreams. Alpha finds other tokens too, addressed to him from Satan. What surprised he was that his seventeen-year-old-self was exchanging letters with his crush while still living under his parents¡¯ roof. Satan then hands him a piece of paper with names scribbled on it from top to bottom. He explained that they were names his mother considered for him before he was born. He recognized her handwriting and saw his current name at the top of the list. Heart-deep as he is in this nostalgic whirlpool, Satan now sees Alpha stand up. And as if in a surreal vision, he was moving farther and farther away, carrying the box of his childhood memories with him. *** Truth be told, the pregnancy has provided them a long-awaited solace. So, each night Satan lays in his bed feeling pathetic about not having done anything productive. And he tried to convince himself that he can always cling to hope when everything else fails. Satan''s pregnancy has provided Alpha solace, too, but it''s become equally harder to concentrate on essential things. Satan tells himself that this is the time to channel his concentration into doing something useful. But he simply could not. His mind was disturbed with the pain, mood swings, etc. His worries about his own anxieties didn¡¯t matter at this point. The afternoon passes. Alpha stared at the sky long enough to see the sun disappear, as a frightening silence engulfed him again. These days, Satan utters a prayer to no one in particular, every night before going to sleep¡ªa prayer born out of helplessness and despair. He drifted off as he wished, each day, that they will wake up the next morning in a place far from where they were now with no one to harm their baby. Pregnancy Satan sits down and lets the large, monumental responsibility of parenting sink in. He swore to serve their child''s emotional and physical needs and protect it from anyone who would try to harm it. Alpha was responsible to provide the necessary food and clothing. After all, parenting is not easy. Good parenting is hard work. Satan chose to eat organic foods such as strawberries, spinach and kale. Alpha also cooked for him whenever he could. He mastered making potatoes with cheese and celery with parmesan. Satan was surprised to find himself so tired. His body was going through tremendous changes and was developing an entirely new life-providing system for their baby. As the baby was growing, he found himself beyond exhausted some days. Besides, he was going through monumental hormonal and emotional changes. So, he took naps. Frequently. He even set bedtimes. His body got a solid eight to nine hours of sleep each night. Each morning he exercised to help combat the frequent mood and hormonal changes and fatigue occurring in this first trimester. It also helped him prevent weight gain and battle insomnia. As the time was passing, he was getting more and more tired. It was up to his partner to help out more, picking up a few extra tasks around the house to ease his burden. The hardest thing for him was that he had to quit smoking and drinking too much caffeine. This was an especially tricky one because he was so very tired. But caffeine could affect his growing baby¡¯s heart rate. He just couldn¡¯t seem to stay away from the coffee pot. The list of dos and don¡¯ts, at first glance, seemed a bit intimidating. But it didn¡¯t scare him. He took care of himself. Alpha made sure he ate healthful foods, drank lots of water, and got enough sleep. ¡°I don¡¯t want to name our boy something that all other boys around their age are being named.¡± Satan said. ¡°I was asked by a woman from the pack what names we were considering. I named a few: Liam, Noah, William¡­ Then she responded with, ¡®Ew, no, you really should consider...,¡¯ and then proceeded to tell all the names SHE loved.¡± Alpha let out an exaggerated sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t tell a soul his name until after he is born. I tested Michael out on an acquaintance I wasn¡¯t super close with, and the face she made on a video call made me doubt everything.¡± Satan crossed his arms. ¡°At least one person tries to convince me otherwise or tell me why they don¡¯t like the name. It¡¯s just rude.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°It doesn''t matter how many people I tell I just can¡¯t find the one.¡± Alpha was tapping his foot. ¡°If you keep asking for suggestion don¡¯t tell me I was wrong once they keep complaining.¡± Satan answered in a sharpening tone. ¡°I wish I¡¯d known that I would feel so much pressure in choosing a name. Pressure to get it right!¡± Alpha threw his hands up. ¡°Pressure to make sure our child will love it when he will be older! Pressure that with one little name I am already starting to shape who he will be.¡± ¡°We may run out of names we like.¡± Satan rubbed the brow as if to ward off a headache. ¡°It is okay to pick a different name when we see our child. We have completely different names picked out and once he is born, it might not fit.¡± Alpha stared downward, avoiding the eye contact. ¡°I wish I¡¯d known that just because I love a name doesn¡¯t mean my significant other will¡­ AND just because a name isn¡¯t currently popular doesn¡¯t mean it won¡¯t become popular, but whatever.¡± Satan partly closed his eyes. Alpha shook his head side-to-side and blurred out the first name that came to his mind. ¡°Elio.¡± Satan pursed his lips before answering. ¡°¡­ Now, I can''t think of a more beautiful name. Anyway, I guess I wish I knew how much I could love a name I didn¡¯t even choose myself.¡± ¡°Hmm. I really like it.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s non-traditional. I¡¯d be happy with calling him ¡®Eli¡¯ for short.¡± Satan¡¯s heart leaped up for joy. * Birth is the most stressful event in a baby''s life. Coming to the big world from the safety and warmth can be a great trauma for such a small being. It is no wonder that babies come into the world crying. When the baby was finally outside, he had to perform another very difficult task: to inhale the air with his little lungs for the first time. That first breath was accompanied by the first cry. After so much work, it¡¯s no wonder he didn¡¯t look like in the commercials but like a little red wrinkle. But not for long. Before they knew it, their little one was finally here, physically in their arms. Satan held and snuggled with his healthy newborn. A healthy, happy baby made it all worthwhile. Cute eyes, soft pads on the arms and legs, toothless smile - a small ball of joy. The first thing the new parents saw was the wrinkled slimy skin of the little baby. It was red and covered in Satan¡¯s blood. As soon as he lowered Elio into the crib, he would immediately lift hands and reach out to Satan. He constantly sat in his lap and was holding on to his clothes. He could only fall asleep if he sat next to the crib and held his hand. It is wrongly thought that he will never separate from Satan. He¡¯s just very cautious and doesn¡¯t like change. When he grows up it can be useful, but it doesn¡¯t have to be. Baby Raising Elio is relatively easy because he readily adapts to different parental handling. But he tended to cry a lot. He cried hard, loudly and he was hard to soothe. He was also a cranky baby. It was hard to get him to fall asleep and stay asleep. When he woke up in the middle of the night, he had trouble going back to sleep. As time passed, he was learning to adapt to new situations if he was allowed to do that at his own pace. However, if pressured to do so, he fell back to his natural tendency to withdraw. When he cried incessantly, Satan had the urge to shout at him to stop. And when his difficult child yelled at him, it was natural that he wanted to yell back. Tough love parenting. But you could have often heard people who boast being raised by tough parents and turning out fine. By remaining calm, responsive and sensitive, it took a long time to get through to their child and the process was painstaking, but the reward of being good parents was tremendous. Satan probably had more sleep than Alpha. And he envied that. He had more work cut out for himself. Caring for Elio was exhausting and worrisome. But he was thrilled. His child actually had a better chance to succeed, only if Satan did his part in providing good parenting. But unlike Alpha, he showed a low level of emotional and autonomy support. It came as no surprise. ¡°I remember my dear mentor who gave birth to four children telling me that pregnancy was a blissful state for her and that, if she could, she would always be pregnant,¡± Alpha explained, as his husband looked at him with a stern expression on his face. ¡°Just so there isn¡¯t one small problem: taking care of all those babies. Somehow, I was more worried about pregnancy and childbirth than the fact that you are taking care of a small creature,¡± Satan replied. ¡°Really, a very small creature - even for me who am *a meter and a wild strawberry tall. A being for whom you are completely responsible and who is completely dependent on you.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Ha, how hard that can be!¡± ¡°You''re home all day after all, it''s not that bad.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always watched moms with that little bundle in the stroller, gleefully watching their baby as it sleeps¡±, responded Alpha. ¡°Everything looked so idyllic,¡± stated Satan. ¡°Is parenting really that idyllic?¡± ¡°Can something prepare us for parenthood?¡± ¡°Are advice of other parents useful?¡± asked Alpha. ¡°One of the worse tips I got before I gave birth was, "get a good night''s sleep now, because you''ll need it for later",¡± mumbled Satan. ¡°It would be great if we could store sleep, such as fat, and spend it in the days of scarcity.¡± ¡°But we can''t.¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve heard of that phrase ¡°sleep like a baby,¡± then keep in mind that if someone sleeps like a baby, it means they wake up very often.¡± Alpha scrunched up his face and sneezed. ¡°Very often¡­,¡± whispered Satan. ¡°Eli eats at night - regularly, not like us.¡± ¡°He doesn''t really know the difference between day and night, and over time I don''t even notice it anymore.¡± Alpha glanced at them and chuckled. ¡°I can''t tell you to prepare for not sleeping because there is no way for a person to prepare for it, but I can only say that it will pass.¡± ¡°He hopefully will learn the difference between day and night.¡± giggled Satan as he playfully ran his fingers through Alpha¡¯s hair. ¡°And then you will be able to finally get some rest.¡± Elio opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on them. Even though he was tired, he was able to smell Satan''s chest, crawl up to them and grab his nipple. He raised his head to look at him. ¡°What if I don''t love him right away?¡± joked Satan. ¡°It may be due to exhausting childbirth, stress or fatigue, but all these feelings and fears are only temporary,¡± smiled Alpha. The Mental Characteristics Their baby arrives, crying and flailing, and is placed gently into Satan¡¯s arms. He looks down at his newborn, tears of joy streaming down his face as he is overcome with a love like no other. That is the scene he expected to unfold for him. After what felt like an eternity, his son was finally placed onto his chest, a slimy, writhing alien-looking thing. And all he wanted was for someone to take Elio back. He watched, numb, as his husband cut his cord and as he checked him over. He felt relief that his cries meant he was OK. He felt glad the birth was over. He felt completely out of it. What he didn''t feel was an overwhelming rush of love and joy upon meeting his newborn. Alpha¡¯s friends came to visit, their happy coos filling the sterile room as they held his son and took photos, grinning and rejoicing in a way he hadn''t. Some even shed tears. He could only watch, an outsider to their happiness, confined to his bed, in pain and exhausted. When his friends had their babies, they had posted smiling photos of them on Instagram and Facebook, just hours after birth. "So in love!", "My whole world!", "Heart exploding!" But he just didn''t feel it. ¡°Am I the only new dad who isn¡¯t in love with our new baby?¡± ¡°No,¡± Alpha answered shortly. ¡°You need time to process what you¡¯ve been through before you can give your love and attention to the baby.¡± It took months for Satan to fall in love with his son and he worried if it would ever happen. He didn¡¯t even consider the possibility that he may not fall in love with their new baby right away. "A bond develops over time¡± Alpha smiled. ¡°It is helped by a rush of love when the baby arrives, but that doesn''t have to be present to create a positive, warm, loving connection which is what love is."Stolen novel; please report. For Satan, even weeks later, those warm feelings didn''t arrive. He was confined to the sofa, in what seemed an endless cycle of feeding, dirty nappies and rocking to sleep. Exhausted but awake, he would scroll through Facebook and Instagram ¡ª and it didn''t help. He felt more isolated than ever. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying fatherhood, proof evident in a never-ending stream of smiles, selfies, and sweet, spotless outfits. He felt like he was barely surviving each hour. "I would advise you to take the pressure off yourself,¡± Alpha offered him a hug. ¡°It is normal to feel sad.¡± ¡°I hate it,¡± Satan was not comfortable with physical contact, as if he has been through some kind of trauma. One day six months in, unable to get his baby to nap yet again, meaning no break for him, and after another fitful night, he rang a friend in tears. "I hate it," he blurted out. "I hate being a dad." It seemed an abhorrent thing to admit. As he sobbed, she told him that it gets better, that it gets easier, to hang in there. But the most reassuring thing she said was that she had felt exactly the same way. "And if those negative feelings aren''t going away, ask for help." And that''s eventually what he did. He found a great psychologist who diagnosed him with depression and stress disorder. With Alpha, they began to rebuild. Finally, he could feel the love. Tears stung his eyes and his heart felt like it was going to burst when he did fall in love with his son. One morning just after dawn, nine months after his son entered the world, he was stirring from the first sleep he¡¯d had which involved more than four consecutive hours. He rolled over in bed and glanced into the cot. Their eyes met and he smiled, a huge grin that scrunched up his eyes, delighted simply by the sight of him. Tears stung his eyes and his heart felt like it was going to burst. "Hello, baby," he whispered and sat up. It took many months, but finally, he could look at his son and feel love. Walking for the First Time Elio starts pulling himself up to stand. Let''s be real for a minute: he spent a whole lot of time doing absolutely nothing. He needed Alpha and Satan for everything, so it was pretty damn normal for his parents took delight in even the tiniest accomplishment. Holding his head up on his own, rolling over, smiling; all worth of celebration. However, among the most exciting and memorable of milestones was baby''s first steps. It''s easy to see that it''s often one small step for baby, one giant leap for parentkind. Their son actually took his first steps the day he turned 8 months old. Honestly, it was almost creepy to see a child that little walking. But it was so cool. He had been trying to walk for a month and had taken the odd step here and there. To see him do it and to see his face while he did it was pretty amazing. Satan went away for five days and when he got home, Elio walked across the room to get to him. Best welcome home gift. He loved the sight of this bald, toothless creature finding his sea legs and laughing at himself with that gummy smile. His son just giggled, fell down, giggled some more and got back up. Alpha cried; he was so relieved. After that Elio never fell and never stopped walking. It was joyous and terrifying at the same time. He looked like an overripe peach...but at least he was pleased with himself. It was also a sheer amazement, pride and terror all in one. They were so excited to be able to see it. Elio walked back and forth between them and was just as excited as they were.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. They put Elio in front of a mirror, and apparently walking toward himself was just the motivation he needed, because he walked up to his reflection and gave himself a huge smooch. To this day, they are so grateful for every single step he took, even when he made a huge mess or stormed away from them in a 5-year-old huff. They will never forget the moment when their son took his first steps. They had been practicing letting him stand on his own. They would lift him up, help him gain his balance and then would encourage him to walk. Up until that day he would sometimes sway and eventually fall down, but on this very special evening he excitedly took those wobbly steps toward them. They looked at each other in shock and disbelief and then they all hugged as their eyes filled with tears of joy. They were overflowing with pride and they were so grateful to experience it together as a family. It was one of their happiest memories. From the first smiles, gurgles, and coos to learning to say "dada," Elio loved to communicate with his own form of baby talk. Satan smiled, talked, sang, and read to his baby. He was patient as he tried to decode his infant''s baby talk and nonverbal communication, like facial expressions, gurgling, or babbling sounds. He made time to give his baby lots of loving attention, so he could "speak" to him with his baby talk, even when he was busy with other tasks. Long before Elio could speak clearly, he understood the general meaning of what Alpha was saying not only to him but to Satan too. He also absorbed his emotional tone. He had back-and-forth conversations in baby talk. He imitated his "ba-ba" or "goo-goo" vocalizations. They smiled often at their baby, especially when he was cooing, or gurgling. They looked at their baby as he babbled and laughed, rather than looking away, interrupting, or talking with one another. They did their best to respond, even when they didn¡¯t understand what their baby was trying to say. Babys First Words Nothing matches the exhilaration of hearing your baby¡¯s first words. The language development months can be a lot of fun ¡ª especially when you¡¯ve been impatiently waiting for the first ¡°mama¡± or ¡°dada¡±. There are a few firsts Satan absolutely didn¡¯t want to miss in his baby¡¯s life. The first gummy smile, the beautiful sound of Elio¡¯s first twinkly giggle, first steps to independence¡­ and, of course, the moment he uttered his first word. He has probably been longing for his baby to talk ever since that first night, when he cried but couldn¡¯t tell him what was wrong. As he frantically tried to feed him, rock him and change his nappy simultaneously, he probably wished he could just talk and tell him what was wrong. ¡°How fast he grows,¡± It was a sentence that Alpha kept repeating, but he also said it very often since he was a dad. ¡°Just yesterday, Eli was a little baby staring at me with his big yellow eyes.¡± ¡°Today, he is a small, active, headstrong boy who crawls, walks by furniture and slowly moves towards his first birthday. Sometimes I would just want to stop time and enjoy this wonderful period.¡± ¡°That is why I try to record every important moment in his life.¡± In today¡¯s digital age, photos are more accessible than ever, most have smartphones with which we take photos of our little ones on a daily basis and share them with family and friends. Satan is unlikely to miss anything. But unfortunately, he did not develop these photos and they remained simply on mobile phones and computers, which was a real shame. Think in 5 or 10 years how many of these photos will he have available?Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Alpha has been very up to date with photography and has really a lot of childhood photo albums at home. And that was wonderful to him. To him, photos were not just keepers of memories; they were a document of time. See how people lived, what toys were like, what they drank and ate, how they dressed. Without photos it would be forgotten. He also had a video camera so some footage was transferred to a laptop as well. They made Eli an album, a photo book for the first 6 months and so they plan for the next 6. Inside were all the important events, from the first photo to hanging out with family and friends, the first trips and vacations. They loved these sites where they could make their own photo book. From the cover to every detail, they chose for themselves. Most can now insert code with video content as well. Also a wonderful memory. Satan developed his favorite photos, of course, and framed them in his home. He always kind of loved those family photos, they gave warmth to the home. Nice and handy were the frames and posters with information about the baby''s birth - date of birth, weight, height, baby''s first photo. He flipped through Facebook and Instagram a bit; he saw a lot of creatives who turned these ideas into real small businesses. ¡°My next idea is a box of memories.¡± Alpha wanted to preserve some specific things he associated with his baby. For example, the baby''s first clothes, a blanket, a favorite wolf toy, shoes, a pacifier. He stored it all in a decorative box and created a real little time machine. They also organized a box of memories into some files by months, so they wrote current events from each month and attached photos related to that month. Satan also kept memories for months on his e-mail account. One mom told him she had opened an email account for her baby and sent him emails regularly. Also, a convenient way to store memories and current events, the child receives very honest and current messages. Some form of digital diary. There is also a palm print model. There were sets to buy in a lot of stores. When Elio got a little older and started drawing, they certainly saved some of the baby¡¯s artwork. Toddler They were stuck inside for days ¡ªeven weeks ¡ª due to the world still being a dangerous place for Elio to explore alone. Keeping their little one entertained presented them with a new and unique challenge. Their patience was waning and they were fresh out of ideas to beat that cabin fever. Sadly, not everything in life was fascinating, absorbing or gripping. Now and then, something that they watched, read or in some other way experienced was, well¡­ boring. It was just another dreary day in the house, with same grey skies. They longed to escape their humdrum existence. Satan would rather watch paint dry than sit inside for another day. He made a promise to create something fun in the garage. And he did. A box road. No, it wasn¡¯t anything fancy, but that was the best part. He cut open a box and laid it down flat. He made a simple road with a marker, and grabbed block bin and car bin. Oh, and Eli grabbed his box of small animals because, Eli was just being Eli. That was it and Eli was off to the races for almost an hour, then back inside to have lunch, then whenever he (6) came home from school he¡¯d he off to play and that''s how things went for the next week. This saved so many days for Satan, it didn''t cost a thing (well, aside from whatever was in those boxes before¡­), and it really was something special. Eli loved zooming cars around and it gave Satan a breather from his favorite clingy monster.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Meanwhile Alpha snagged a handful of the thousands of tiny animal figurines that have been laying around. He gave ¡®em a good cleaning, and set them in jello when it was still liquid. He let it set overnight, then surprised Elio with the lava rescue after lunch. He got a solid half hour of quiet side-by-side play wherein he did not have to remind Eli to share. In his mind, that was a major success! + If he was a better planner, he¡¯d have green jello for a St. Patrick¡¯s Day activity, and maybe even hide plastic coins in there. Blue jello would have also made a really fun ocean themed rescue! + This was an incredibly easy activity to throw together, and Eli got to practice his spoon skills with digging for ¡°treasure.¡± Surprisingly, he did not eat more than a bite or two! When all else failed, they stared at the fan. Have you ever met a toddler who wasn¡¯t completely fascinated by ceiling fans? Before reaching the final line, however, Elio had already understood that he would never leave that place, for it was foreseen that the forest would be wiped out by the wind and exiled from the memory, because races condemned to one hundred years of solitude did not have a second opportunity on earth.