by Honor James
“Your family was threatened. He took our secret and plastered it all over for the world to see.” She took the next turn before continuing. “You reacted as any father and husband would, Andries. There is nothing to apologize for.” There was a moment of silence before saying, “I experienced a moment where even I wanted to gut him, Andries. With the inability to hold to doctor-patient confidentiality, he has thrust our children into a place where I never want them to be.” She paused. “In harm’s way.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Stopping before they moved another step, he backed her to the wall and, uncaring of who was around, he kissed her hard and fast. Nipping at her full lower lip, he made a rumbling sound. “I love you, my lady wife,” he told her softly, her words letting his mind settle better than anything else could have.
“And I you, my lord husband, I need you, Andries, here and now. I need you so badly that I’m ready to strip you bare. That can’t be normal, is it?” Her body trembled as she held him close, her hands running over his body as if seeking a way inside of his uniform.
“You are a pregnant female Vampire, my love. You are always going to feel needy at such a time,” he said to her softly. “If you don’t wish to continue your meal, we should return to our room so that you don’t have the urge to strip yourself bare before everyone.”
“We need to finish our meal. I’m hungry for you, yes. I will never deny that. I need to have more than just that though, more than just your blood alone, as well. We have babies cooking inside of me, and they need the essential building blocks that only can come from food, darling.”
“Then I recommend you stop mentioning stripping off your clothing,” he told her softly, looking at her so she’d see the effect those words had on him. Moving back slightly, he took her hand in his again and led her the rest of the way to the dining hall.
“As soon as our meal is over,” she agreed. “As soon as it’s over we will move to our bedroom as quickly as possible, and then I want you to take me against the wall again. Or we could take our meal in our quarters?”
“We will eat here, and then I will take you wherever you wish, my lady.” His words held a proper tone to them, quiet and discreet, but the look Andries raked over her held hot promise. Guiding her past the officers, he settled her into her chair before taking his once again. “Eat, love. You will need it,” he told her with a slight smile.
She was about to say something when she noted three of the men locking down the doors and then his second standing to approach them. Her mouth went dry and stomach felt ill as he inclined his head to them both.
“The crew knows everything, my lord.” He spoke with respect to Andries. “It has been discussed quietly and I am here to tell you something.” He dropped to a knee before Xandra and bowed his head. “You are our lord’s wife, and for that you deserve our respect.” There was complete silence in the dining hall as he continued. “However, your actions, the woman you are, and your acceptance of us all gives you more than our respect, my lady. You are our family.” His lips turned at the corners. “I believe that is what you told us when you told us you were pregnant. That we were family now.”
She could only nod as she listened to the words from the man that Andries trusted most on the ship.
“And we protect our family.” He rose and looked to Andries. “Word of the blessings that your lady is giving you will never leave this ship, my lord. They are ours to protect, all three of them. Lady Xandra and the twins she carries.” He paused a moment before saying, “Because what you said to the doctor is correct. They would drain her to try to force an army of Vampires.”
Andries nodded before looking to his wife and smiled faintly at the slightly stunned look on her face. But it was the glint of a tear in her eye that had him frowning and leaning closer. “Xandra, are you all right?” he asked gently, taking her hand in his to give it a light squeeze.
Xan could only nod dumbly as she watched the men all watching her intently. Tears fell which she brushed away with her hand. “We are family,” she acknowledged. She had a large family now. She had one finally when she came to Andries, but now, now she had one that was immense. “I am happy,” she whispered to her husband, “I can’t tell you how happy I really am.”
And yet she is crying, he thought as he sighed internally. Women…can’t live without them and can’t ever figure out how their minds work. Leaning in, he brushed a light kiss over her cheek, catching a tear with his tongue. “I am glad that this is about how happy you are and not because you are upset. There are too many crew members for even me,” he murmured in her ear in a tease.
She laughed and shook her head. “You are too funny.” She pulled back and looked at the men. “Thank you all. You all are my family. You are our family.” She laid her hand over Andries’s hand. “Our children will have the best of places to come to when they come here to the ship. They will always know love, and for that I can’t thank you all enough.”
The men all bowed their heads in respect and then went about their business as Andries shot them all looks to get lost. When the last had filtered out, he looked to his wife. “You have a devout following, my love,” he said softly and knew that he’d always be leading the way.
She had to smile at him and nodded. “We have a family.” She touched his cheek and nodded. “We have a family, and family will do anything for each other.” She moved from her seat and into his lap. “Now then, did you arrange for them all to leave?”
Shaking his head, he smiled for her. “No, love, but they got the point when I aimed a very pointed and nasty glare their way. They know me well and know I’m on the edge right now, ready to tumble either way,” he said softly as he stroked his hand down her arm lightly.
“Because of what happened with the doctor and the ambassador?” She leaned in and brushed her lips over his. “Tell me how I can help you feel better, Andries. I hate that you are so on edge and want to help you, love. Tell me how.”
“Just what you are doing, love,” he told her softly as he stared at her. “Being close and touching me helps me to ground me in you and our love. That will help, my sweet. Even if we do nothing more than sit close and touch, that will help.”
“And here I am in your lap, holding you close and tight.” She nuzzled against his neck and breathed him in. “I love you, Andries.” She closed her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder. “I will be here for you forever, Andries. You will never have to look far without seeing me.”
Pressing his nose to her neck, he closed his eyes to drown in her scent and just hold her. He stayed silent as he let her presence soothe him as nothing else could have. He’d been so angry, something he hadn’t truly felt in a great many years, that it had been startling. “I know,” he whispered softly to her last admission. “I will never be far from you either, love.”
With that, both their bodies seemed to simply relax into the other and, holding on to the other, found respite from all the stresses and demands of their day.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“We’re almost home,” he told her quietly, his whole body tense, much like the crew was. No one was sure of the reception they would be receiving with their return. He’d sent a message home to his staff and had the guards increase their rounds. They would be leaving the ship on a shuttle directly to his country home. He wanted to be on familiar lands where he could control everything…hopefully.
Xandra nodded and looked around at the men surrounding them. The crew that was his personal guard all but surrounded them and were heavily armed and wore full combat gear. Once more, she nervously swallowed and watched the looks on everyone’s faces. “Andries.” Her hand moved into his as he stood there looking more intense than she could ever recall him being. She offered him comfort with the touch of her hand into his, offered him a piece of herself in that small touch.
Lacing his fingers through hers, he stroked his thumb lightly over her skin. He didn’t change his expression. He just let her know that he wasn�
��t all gone. “I know, love,” he murmured softly to her. The major walked up to them and nodded. “They know we’re back,” Andries said softly.
“And they are ordering you to bring her to the Alliance chambers immediately,” he was told quietly. “I told them that you were already off the ship and that if they wished to consult with you in any manner, sir, they should contact you at your country home.”
Nodding, Andries looked to her. “Come, Xandra, we need to leave before they send men up to search the ship. We’ll see you later, Major,” he told the other man as he passed him his silent thanks and led her off the command deck with several of his men in tow.
She pulled up the hood of her cloak and wobbled more than walked. She was ten weeks along but looked more like she was two weeks overdue. Her belly was massive and her balance was completely gone. Most times she had to walk with someone because of the weight of the babes. “I just want to be home, Andries. I want to be home so that our babies can rest safely.” Their daughter as of late had become more active than in the beginning of the pregnancy, and their son, well, he was always there and protecting his sibling.
Taking her hand, he put the other at her back to hold her upright, which was good given she was having trouble with her balance, especially now that both twins were moving nearly constantly. “We’ll be there soon,” he promised as he led her into the lift and then put his body between hers and the other men. Moving his hand around, he rubbed over her belly.
She nodded and let him lead her, knowing that without his help she would fall over because of the level of activity. As soon as they stepped onto the shuttle, however, that changed. Both babies seemed to completely stop moving and she felt it as their son, who was larger, wrapped and curled around his sister. “Something’s wrong, Andries.” She didn’t like the way it felt, as if everything was about to change for them.
Stopping, he looked to her and then looked around the shuttle, motioning to one of his men to remove the pilot and copilot. He had men with him that could easily fly it, just as he could, but he wasn’t going to trust anyone but those he knew had pledged to Xandra. “I know, love.” He felt something as well, and it was eating at him that he couldn’t figure it out. Guiding her to a seat, he helped her lower herself into it and then sat at her side as the men adjusted on the fly and two slid up front. “Low and fast, get us below radar range as quickly as you can,” he ordered, that feeling at the back of his neck making him tense.
Their children moved only marginally as she whispered, “Our son’s curled around his sister again.” That had only happened one other time since they learned of her being pregnant with twins and that was when she took a fall off of the exercise pad. It was as if he was protecting the girl child, who was less than half his size.
Wrapping his arm around her, he drew her as close to him as he could, stroking his fingers lightly over her arm as he pressed his lips to her ear. “We’ll be fine, love. No one is going to hurt you or our children.” The words were a vow from a warrior to his woman and those under his protection. He would kill any that got too close to her. Gods help the bastard that laid a hand on his female.
She nodded and felt herself relaxing into his arms and closing her eyes. “I believe in you,” she whispered softly and sighed as she melted against him.
When the first jostle of the ship came, she clenched her hands on his. “Please tell me that we are just in rough space?”
“Atmosphere,” Andries ensured her softly, his eyes on the display at the front of the cabin. So far they were avoiding detection coming in as fast and steep as they were. “Hold on, love. This is going to be very rough,” he told her in a low tone.
And she did just that. She held onto his hand in a death grip that made his hands turn white. “Did I ever mention that I don’t like to fly?” It wasn’t the flying. She loved being on board his ship. It was the going to and from the planets that got her every single time.
“No, I do not believe that you did,” he said quietly, looking to their joined hands. “But I am getting that distinct impression,” he murmured with a small smile, lifting her hands to kiss the white knuckles gently. “We’re having to go in fast, my wife. Do not worry so. We’ll be on the ground very soon, and then we will be safe within our home where no one will harm you or our children.”
“It’s not the being in a big ship so much as the little ships going to and from the big ones.” Another jolt had her feeling like she was going to throw up. “I think I’m going to be sick,” she whispered.
“We’re just coming in for the landing, love,” he told her quietly. “We’ll be on the grounds within a minute. Just hold on and then you will be on solid ground again.” Pulling her closer to him, he stroked back her hair lightly. “Just hold on,” he murmured softly and then they felt the small bump of the landing. “We’re down.”
She gulped for air and still didn’t feel better. “Move.” She was fast. They would have to give her that. The door no more than slid open six inches than she was squeezing out and running for cover to throw up.
“Damn,” he muttered softly. Crouching at her side, Andries stroked back her hair and held it in his hand so it was out of her face. Passing her a water canteen, he helped hold it to her lips so she could rinse and spit to cleanse her mouth.
Once her stomach was emptied, she leaned back against him as he pulled her up to his chest. “Oh this really sucks,” she said with a smile and shook her head. “I thought that I wouldn’t have morning sickness, but that ride plus how icky my belly felt anyway just really was too much for me.”
Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her toward the house. “I know, my sweet. But now we are on the ground and you don’t need to take another ride for a very long time. We will settle you in bed and you can just relax for a while and let your stomach catch up with you.”
She nuzzled against him for only a moment before she said, “I need to be put down, Andries. I don’t want our new family to see me being carried in. I don’t want them to think that I’m an invalid.” Even if she was ungainly and looked as if she could roll away with a gentle shove.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Rolling his eyes at that, he waited until they were right at the door before he put her on her feet. Opening the door for her, he kept his hand on her back and helped her inside to ensure she didn’t fall and hurt herself. “Welcome home, my lady wife,” he told her softly as they stepped into the foyer.
She looked around the open and spacious room and one word said it all. “Wow.” It wasn’t like her familial home, a dark and dank castle. No, this place was a castle, but it was more of a home. It was light and airy and perfect.
As she entered, she could smell the beeswax on the woodwork and smiled. “I love it, Andries.” Turning too quickly, she began to lose her balance and reached out for him even as he grabbed her, making her laugh. “Right, note to self, we aren’t all that balance friendly.”
“One would think you’d have realized that already, my love,” he told her as he pulled her close to him. Once she had her balance back, he loosened his hold a little. “Are you all right, my sweet?” he asked her gently.
“Right as rain.” Looking around, Xandra frowned. “Where is the staff, Andries? I had thought I would get to meet them when we came in. I know that at my father’s…” She swallowed. “Well, he would have had them all killed and be searching for new ones,” she told him honestly.
“They are likely attending to their jobs, but I am sure that we can find a few to introduce you to, my love,” he told her with a smile. “Why don’t we go through the house, and if we come across any, we will meet them, and later, when you are feeling more yourself, we can meet the rest.”
“That sounds like a good idea.” She felt the pain in her back and hated it. “I would like to find a way to take a nap before dinner, if you don’t mind,” she said with a smile. “My back hurts,” she admitted. She knew it was nowhere near close to time for their children to be born, so that wasn�
��t her concern. “I just need a nap I think.” And their children craved blood, their father’s blood.
“Then let us head up for a nap my love,” he told her quietly. Stroking his hand over her cheek, he turned her gently toward the stairs. “Come along, my love,” he suggested, his hand settling at her back and the other took one of hers to keep her balanced.
She moved with him toward the stairs and yawned. “I think the little run that I did from the shuttle to throw up in the bushes pulled something in my back. Can I get you to rub it for me?”
“You know you only have to ask,” he told her as he helped her to climb the stairs. “Nice and slow, my love,” he said gently as he took the brunt of her weight. “Your balance is not good at all, is it, love?” he asked in concern, knowing he’d have to make sure to be with her at all times while they were at home or have one of his men close at hand just in case.
“Nope, balance is shot like nothing else.” Once they reached the top of the stairs, she grinned. “I think it’s because there is so much of them and not enough of me to balance it all out.”
“You are rather petite,” Andries commented as he led her down the long hall and then pushed open the doors to their master rooms. “Here you are, my lady. I hope that you approve of the decor. If not, feel free to do as you wish,” he said quietly. But he didn’t lead her toward the bed. He took her toward an adjoining door and, with a half smile full of secrets, he opened the door to the nursery he’d had put in just for her.
When he opened the door to the nursery, she was about to say something, but as soon as that door was opened and she saw the twin cribs, she felt like falling, and not because of balance either. “Andries?” She walked forward, a hand touching first one crib, then the other. “They are connected.” She grinned, “How clever are you?” The cribs looked separate, but in reality were one large crib. “You know he won’t sleep without her close, don’t you? He’s watching over her now and he likely will for the rest of their lives.” Oh, that was going to be fun times. She could almost see it now.