The Naughty Angel and Her Three Very Wise Men: A Christmas Ménage by Trinity Blacio

I'm totally confused.”
    “Every Tendon-born child ages according to his or her mates. Your mates are vampires and your body knew this. So at the age of puberty, you really stopped aging. As to how you didn't notice the years, we do have magic, dear, and when you're so young, you're not going to notice. If you recall, we home-schooled you two most of the time. For a few years we allowed you to participate in regular school, but we had to be careful.”
    Annabelle glanced at Sandy, who turned to her mom. “And me?” Sandy squeaked. Beth laughed. “One hundred and thirty-two.” “Okay, now I just feel downright old. Damn!” She crossed her arms over her chest and they all burst out laughing. “Why did Dad let Dave marry me?” Annabelle asked, stopping her laughing. Lily sighed. “From what I was told, he claimed to be your mate. We can't interfere if he is your true mate. That is the only reason your father let him marry you. When we found out otherwise, he warned Dave to stay away. That's why when Nicholas called and claimed his sons were your mates, your father was not going to make the same mistake twice. He sent the boys here with something one of the councilmen gave him, that would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are your true mates. But you were converted before they had a chance to use it.” Annabelle frowned. “ Are they my mates? One can convert to become a drinker.” Beth and Lily laughed. “Oh, sweetie, they are your mates. There is no doubt in anyone's mind. When a drinker finds his mate, it's like their whole world centers around that person. Nothing else matters. There are signs, of course. In males, their balls will heat, and a blooddrop-type mark will appear on the inside of their upper arm, just like you have the mark of a Trendon. Females well, um, start creating a hormone to draw our mate. We also carry the mark.” “Did Dave know I was a Trendon? Do you think that's why he wanted me?” Lily slammed her fist down on the table. “I don't know why he wanted you, but yes, he figured it out. I'm afraid those men are going to have to guard you well. Now that the demons know who you are, we don't know what will happen. They know better than to attack one of us, but lately it seems they just don't care that it's an automatic death sentence if they do. That's another reason for the death sentence on Trish, I'm afraid.” All four women jumped as the room lit with a bright light. Furniture creaked and dishes rattled as one by one the council appeared in the room. They kneeled before the council as they frowned at them. A man with gray skin, black hair, and bright red eyes stepped forward. “Why have you called us here? You do know the penalty for this?” His voice shook the whole room.
    They started to rise, when once again he spoke. “You can stay there and speak.”
    Annabelle itched to slap his highness off his high horse, but her mother held her back as Sandy's mother spoke. “We show you no disrespect. We have served right along with our husbands for the past six hundred years, saying nothing, doing as we were told.” She stood and glared at the man. “But now we will be heard. If it wasn't for us, you would have no men to protect the humans. We bear their children, and keep the family together even though we are hidden from others. You force us to turn our backs on our daughters, and because of this, the situation at hand has started.” She paused as the men banged on the door to be let in. The council glanced at the door and the furniture disappeared. The doors opened, allowing the men to enter the room. They slowly moved behind the women and nodded to the council. Sandy's father stepped forward, but the leader waved him away. “I will finish hearing your wife. Go on,” he said to Beth. “Don't stop because they are in the room.” Annabelle trembled. She could feel the anger from her mates surround her, and she knew there would be hell to pay if she survived this. “For