Page 274 of Claim Me
The old man wraps me in a strong embrace and keeps me pressed against his chest for a moment.
"Blue is my treasure," he whispers into my ear. "Protect him well."
"I’ll protect him like I would my own life, I promise," I answer quietly. "Being his bodyguard feels like my life’s mission now."
The old man straightens up, holds me at arm’s length, and says, "Good. Blue is a special person, the most extraordinary of my children, with a mind none of the rest of us possess. I believe he’ll bring something good into the world. I want to ask you to give him the chance to continue his work, because it would be a tremendous loss if he never had the chance to reach his full potential."
Hearing that makes me feel a little strange, because there’s an echo in it of what his father once told Blue when Blue was sixteen and admitted he wanted a family someday. His father wanted him focused on developing his intellect instead of dedicating himself to raising children, and maybe Patriarch Lowen still believes Blue should continue his scientific work without any changes, or with just a few?
The old man tilts his head slightly, studying my eyes. His own eyes are as pale blue as spring forget-me-nots. He’s very clearly waiting for my answer.
I choose my words carefully. "I never wanted to stand in the way of Blue’s career. I admire his passion and his intellect, and I think he should continue his work. But… I also know Bluedreamed about having a family, and I want to support him in that dream too. I love him, and his choices and wishes matter more to me than anything," I answer, almost surprised by the calm certainty in my own voice while facing the patriarch’s searching stare.
A subtle smile appears on the old man’s face and slowly widens before he pats my shoulder.
"Love… that’s the most important thing, boy. You can build everything on top of that." Then he suddenly changes the topic. "Have you picked a name yet?"
His words catch me slightly off guard, because we actually haven’t talked about it yet, although I know it’s a discussion we’ll need to have soon.
"Not yet. We still haven’t decided."
"In my family, traditional names dominate, Jacob, Victor, Sebastien. I encourage you to go in that direction."
"I’ll discuss it with Blue," I reply politely but assertively.
The old man pats my shoulder again and says, "I like you, boy. You’ve got your own opinions, and that’ll help when dealing with Blue, because he can be stubborn."
"Blue is perfect."
"I’m glad you think so!" the patriarch says with obvious satisfaction. "Blue is my jewel. The apple of my eye. My alpha sons are, generally speaking, boring, hardheaded businessmen, but he’s something entirely different. I knew it from the moment I first held him in my arms. He was so tiny, but he opened his eyes immediately and looked at me, and I could just feel there was something different about him. Then later, when he was two years old and reading fluently while already knowing the entire periodic table, I was only further convinced that even though his birth was an accident, it was still Fate who wanted him on this planet. So take good care of my treasure, that’s an order, boy."
Then he steps back and walks away, still wearing that little smirk.
Well, he’s definitely an unusual old man, and I can imagine the kind of pressure he must’ve put on his children while they were growing up, although it has to be said that Blue was clearly a special case. I think he may have exceeded even his own father’s expectations.
When Blue and I get inside the limousine later that day, I let my gaze drift across the Lowen mansion as Gerard turns around in the driveway. The house is surrounded by greenery and carries the atmosphere of a family home. Prompted by the sight, I finally decide to bring up something that’s been on my mind for a while.
"I know you rented that house on the coast as a part of your charity work, but honestly, raising a child in a penthouse at the top of a skyscraper, surrounded by all that electrical haze and big-city insanity, doesn’t really feel right to me. That mansion is out on the outskirts, so the commute wouldn’t even be bad, but it still offers a certain amount of seclusion, and I think it would be a much better environment for a child…"
Blue, who’s bent over his tablet, looks up at me.
Silence hangs between us for a moment before he speaks slowly.
"You’re right, Gabriel." He squints slightly. "I like the way you think, how you care about things like this." He glances out the window, the Lowen mansion fading into the distance. "You know… before, I didn’t want to live in such a large house because I was single, and I couldn’t really imagine being there alone, with all that space. But now that we’re going to have a child, and maybe one day an even bigger family, it doesn’t feel inappropriate anymore…"
I grin widely. "I like the part where you mention a bigger family…"
Blue winks at me. "We’ll see how everything unfolds, but while some people enjoy being an only child and the center of their parents’ attention, I actually liked growing up with brothers. The competition and interaction gave me additional developmental stimulation, which was very valuable. So I think at least three children would be my goal."
My grin grows even wider. "As far as I’m concerned, we could even have six. I already can’t wait… By the way, your father asked me about the baby’s name," I add, shooting him a meaningful look.
Blue sighs and sets the tablet aside.
He leans back slightly, and my gaze drifts down to his big stomach, now so clearly visible beneath his clothes.
"A name is such an important thing. In a way, it can become a prediction of the future, or highlight a certain trait…"
"We could always go with the classic ones your father suggested," I murmur, amusement slipping into my tone.
