by Ebony Olson
We arrived at the address at the time I'd arranged to meet the real estate agent. The apartment had been empty for months, and the previous owner was desperate for a quick sale. I waived my cooling off period with an agreed one week turnaround. Today, the apartment was mine.
We already had access to the car park, so we parked in the basement and walked up the stairs, Sophie complaining about not taking the elevator. When we got to the apartment, Zander knocked at the door. I was surprised when my father opened it.
"Dad?"
"Welcome home, Mora," he half smiled. He'd been very tentative towards me since the wedding, but when I'd informed him I was staying with Sophie rather than return to living with him after the tour finished yesterday, he'd been more cautious. That, and we hadn't spoken since I left six weeks ago.
He held open the door and I walked in. The door entered into the hall near the kitchen, opposite the guest room bedroom door. I walked into the kitchen and looked over the empty lounge and dining area.
Once everyone was inside, Marshall handed me a set of keys and held the other out for Zander. While it was evident he didn't like that Zander was moving in with me, he preferred it to the idea of me living by myself apparently.
"Your keys. The deeds are lodged with the bank. I've had your bed from my place brought over for you and placed in the master bedroom, your cello that Freida bought for you is also in there," Marshall explained. "I figured that if you wanted to stay here tonight, you could."
"Thank you." I frowned at my father, "Why are you here, Dad?"
Marshall swallowed. "The real estate agent you used is a friend of mine. I helped close the deal for you faster."
I looked at my father and took a staying breath. "Zander, could you go with Sophie to her place and get the rest of my things for me please?"
"Sure. We'll pick up pizza for dinner on the way back." Zander gave us a tight smile, and he and Sophie left.
"You took the debt, didn't you?" I asked. "That's why my loan got approved quickly; I wasn't dealing with a bank."
Marshall squared his shoulders. "I caused this, Mora. Yes, had you told Dare who your father was, it would never have happened., but Dare was not a member of the Fehu when you met and I was still recruiting him so, in essence, being my daughter cost you the man you loved. I can't repair that. You've found yourself a new job and you found a new home all without anyone’s help. I'm proud of you, but there is no way a bank was going to loan you the money for this place."
"So, I owe you the money?" I asked unhappily.
"No, you own it outright," Marshall informed. "You were entitled to fifty percent of my business when I died. You declined, and now Alex will take it over entirely. As such, your brother and I agreed he should buy you out of your half and the rest will stay in trust." Marshall looked around the apartment and smiled. "It's a nice first house, Mora. You should be happy here."
"Dad..." I didn't want to put the blame on him. He was right. Had I told Darius from the word go, it would never have happened. In truth, I was completely to blame. Even when Dad asked me outright about Darius and I; I'd denied everything. "Thank you."
I walked through to the lounge room, pulling out the picture of the ultrasound. "I need to tell you something. You aren't going to be happy, and you may even hate me a little because of it."
When I turned around, Marshall stood watching me, his arms folded over his chest. I couldn't help the tears that came to my eyes as I held out the scan. Marshall's brow furrowed. His arms dropped to his side and he took a step forward. He took the scan and looked at it.
"Mora?"
"I'm pregnant. Three months now," I sobbed.
"Three months..." Marshall looked at the scan, surprised, but then the blood drained from his face. "This is Dare's child?"
I nodded. "He doesn't know. I went to tell him the day I found out, but he wouldn't talk to me or see me. Instead, he gave me the signed annulment papers and told me to find someone else." I sucked in a shaking breath, "I couldn't tell him."
"God, Mora." Marshall shook his head. "You need to tell him."
I shook my head. "No, Dad. He told me to get out of his life. I'm not going to tell him, and neither are you."
"Does Zander know?"
"Yes. He found out the night I fell at aerial and was rushed to the hospital. He went and punched Darius in the face."
Marshall frowned hard. "I heard about that. Dare needed plastic surgery to fix the damage." He shook his head. "I have a duty to report this to the brotherhood, Mora."
"Has Jeremy told them?"
"Jeremy knows?"
"He figured it out when Cassandra came to tell you she was pregnant. It's why he offered me the job, to get me out of town so no one would find out," I confessed.
I watched my father look at the scan and struggle with what he went through finding out about me years later. "He deserves to know, Mora."
I nodded, "I know, but not yet."
"I'll call him, ask to meet with him. I'll show him the picture and tell him," Dad decided.
I snatched the picture back. "You do that, and he will want the same arrangement with me that you had with Alex's mom, and, since I'm not married, that puts me right back in the same situation our marriage did. I've made up my mind. He can't know."
Marshall stood rigid. "I'm going to tell him, Mora. He has a right."
"No, he doesn't," I argued. "He threw away that right when he lied on the annulment papers about us consummating the marriage." I pointed to my stomach. "This baby was conceived immediately after the ceremony, Dad. He took me to another room and made me his wife in every way and put his child inside me. Then you turned up and destroyed it all."
I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Marshall looked ready to go and kill Darius.
"I don't want to argue with you, Dad. This is your grandchild, and I want you to be a part of its life, but if you tell Darius about this child, if you cause me even more pain, I will cut you out of my life." I lowered my voice and lifted my eyes to Dad’s. "He chose money over me. He didn't even fight for me, Dad. I don't want him in my life in any way."
My dad's face fell. He put his arm out for the scan again and I handed it to him. He looked at the picture and gave a sad nod. "Okay, Mora, we will do this your way, but Dare will be listed as the father on the birth certificate and the child will carry his name. You will always let the child know who its real father is, and the moment the child wants to meet him, you will arrange for it to happen. They are my requirements to let this happen."
I nodded. "I would never prevent my child from knowing its father, Dad. I'm not Eliza. I just can't do this with him right now," I swallowed.
Marshall pulled me into his arms and hugged me. "I'm so sorry, Mora." He held me tight. "I'll support you in this however I can."
I nodded and let him hold me a little longer. "I'm sorry too, Dad," I sobbed. "I'm sorry for disobeying you six years ago."
Marshall held me tighter. "I've said it before, Mora. You are too like me for your own good."
I nodded. "I want you with me when I tell Alex. He's going to try and kill Dare."
Marshall nodded. "Yes, he is."
Chapter Three
I opened the door and smiled.
"What took you so long to call?" Jasper raised an eyebrow at me.
I stepped back, letting Jasper in. "I needed time to get my shit together," I admitted.
Jasper looked around the living area of my apartment and nodded appreciatively. "Alex told me you found a new job and place. I'm impressed."
I smiled and led the way across the atrium to my bedroom. Jasper was taking everything in.
"How many bedrooms is this place?" Jasper frowned, looking in the spare room I'd set up as my music room before following me into my bedroom.
"Four."
"That's a lot of bedrooms for a single girl," Jasper raised an eyebrow.
I sat on my bed. "Zander is living with me. He has the guest room down by the kitchen wit
h his own bathroom, and I needed a music room," I pointed back towards my bathroom which was between the two rooms. "And the nursery." I pointed to the room next door.
"Nursery?" Jasper asked unhappily as his eyes went to where I'd started rubbing my tiny belly. "You are fucking me?"
I smirked, "Not yet, but I'm hoping to." I stood up as Jasper stepped towards me, his hands reaching out to touch my belly.
"How far?"
"Nearly four months, and I'm horny as batshit," I pleaded.
Jasper frowned. "This is his?" Jasper asked, looking up to meet my eyes.
I shook my head. "No, it is mine. He doesn't know, and he's not going to know."
Jasper's face changed from anger to empathy. "Jesus, Mora. I am guessing you found out you were pregnant after he dumped you?"
I sucked in a deep breath to hold my emotions. It had been four months, and I was getting better at not crying when I talked about it. "It was two weeks later. I fell pregnant at the wedding."
"At the wedding?" Jasper frowned, "But Alex said he annulled it?"
I nodded, turning away from him. "He did. He lied," I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Well, he tried."
"Tried?" Jasper turned me to face him, watching me closely.
"We are still married," I told Jasper the truth. "They gave me the papers to sign and lodge. I burned them. I wasn't going to perjure myself, and I especially wasn't going to have my child born illegitimate when I was married conceiving it."
Jasper actually chuckled. "And when Darius goes to remarry and finds himself still married?"
I shrugged. "I'll divorce him and take him for child support." I looked at Jasper pleadingly. "Please don't tell anyone. Alex and Dad flipped their lids when I told them I was pregnant. If they found out I burned the annulment papers, they'd go ape shit."
Jasper shook his head, chuckling at my words. My references always made him laugh. He stepped into me and took my face in his hands. "So, since everyone already knows who the father is, you aren't hoping I'll marry you and raise the child with you?"
"No, Jasper." I met his eyes, "I'm hoping you'll screw my brains out for the rest of my pregnancy, but I don't want or need a husband."
Jasper stroked my cheek, a small smile playing across his mouth. "What if I want to keep sleeping with you after the child is born?"
I let the smile reach my eyes. "I can't see why that would be an issue if we are both single."
Jasper laughed. "Mora, you're a married a woman. The moment I kiss you, you will be cheating on your husband."
"Oh please!" I rolled my eyes at him. "Darius had probably screwed half a brothel before he even signed the annulment papers."
Jasper grinned and kissed me heatedly, helping me out of my summer dress. I pulled his shirt over his head and relieved him of his pants as we fell to my bed.
"Please tell me you brought your kit?" I asked as he kissed over my collarbones.
Jasper raised his head before looking down my body at the bump which fitted perfectly in his hand. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Mora."
"Please, Jasper?" I begged, placing my hand over his on my abdomen. "It's been too long, and I need to bleed out the pain he caused me. Please?" I pleaded.
Jasper stood up and collected his bag from the floor. He retrieved his kit from inside and carried it back to the bed with him. "Towel?" he asked. I pointed to the bathroom. Jasper came back out with a towel and placed it next to the bed. "How bad?"
"As long as you think it is safe," I informed him.
Jasper nodded and laid the towel out next to me. "Lie on the towel," he directed. I scooched over while he took what he needed from the kit. "There is a place I go to relieve my kink, Mora, but they charge a small fortune for blood play, so I'm needing this as much as you are," Jasper admitted. "It's been eleven months since we did this last. That's a long time for both of us. I'm going to start with the cut, fuck while you bleed on me, and hopefully by the time we are both cumming, we'll have sated this need enough that you won't need it again until your child is born."
I licked my lips, watching as Jasper took out the sterile scalpel.
He circled an alcohol wipe over my skin at the base of my breast. "I'm assuming that you were tested when you found out you were pregnant?" Jasper asked.
"I'm clean still. Dare gets tested regularly, so I know he was clean," I admitted.
Jasper nodded and placed the blade to my skin. I sucked in a breath in expectation. Jasper paused and met my eyes. "If you feel woozy or light-headed, you tell me instantly."
"I promise," I assured. "I'm not going to hurt my baby. That's why I waited for you to do this, Jasper. I didn't want to risk doing it myself."
Jasper took my hand and wrapped it around his already throbbing cock. I smiled that he reacted like this to me letting him cut me, to me trusting him so implicitly. He pressed on the scalpel, and I hissed at the burning kiss of the blade.
Jasper put the blade aside and took a deep breath to control himself. I rubbed the precum across the head of his cock and used it to create a wet path down to the base of his erection. Jasper leaned down and licked the blood dribbling across my ribs. I closed my eyes at the draining feeling pulling at my tears to join in this much-needed release.
Jasper's hand found mine, and he pushed a wrapper into my hand as he continued to take my pain. That's what it felt like. He released the pain from me and took it into himself. When I found out what Jasper was into, that had been the mental image I'd gotten of him. The pain eater.
I removed the condom and rolled it over his rigid length. As soon as I had it in place, Jasper rose up and moved between my welcoming thighs.
"No one else, Mora," Jasper murmured. "From now until the child is born. Mine only. Understand?"
"Yes," I breathed. He rubbed across my labia and found my entrance. I was ready for him. Desperate for him.
Jasper put his mouth to mine and thrust his tongue into my mouth, the coppery sweetness of my blood coating my taste buds as he pushed into me. I moaned loudly. Jasper smiled lasciviously at me and then started pounding into me. I clung to him and prayed to God for how wonderful it felt.
I was in my house, and there was no one here. For the first time since Jasper and I stopped sleeping together, I truly felt able to vocalize how much I was enjoying what was happening to my body so, of course, that's the day Zander decided to come home early to check on me.
"Mora, is everything okay?" Zander asked, walking into my room quickly. He stopped still, wide-eyed when he saw Jasper pounding into me.
Jasper didn't slow down for the audience, if anything, he was spurred on by it.
"A little busy right now, Zander," I moaned.
"Is that blood?" Zander stared wide-eyed with concern.
"Oh, God, Zander!" I cried as my back arched and I came closer to orgasm. "Get out!"
Jasper laughed and pressed down on my hip so he could thrust deeper. "Scream my name for me, Mora. Cum for me, baby."
Jasper pinched my nipple hard and I cried out again, my fingers gripping the bed beside me with one hand, his shoulder with the other. I cried out, and then my voice was stolen from me as I came. He rode my orgasm out and then withdrew. He cleaned the cut and closed it while I lay catching my breath, eyes closed and smiling brilliantly.
"You planning on watching the whole show, Zander? Or are you going to be a gentleman and close the door on your way out?" Jasper asked.
My eyes shot open and I looked up to find Zander still standing there, shocked. Jasper kept his eyes on Zander as he watched Jasper lower his mouth to my stomach and lick my blood from me again. Jasper lifted up, catching my head and kissing me deeply. I sighed into his mouth and stopped caring if Zander watched. Jasper pulled away and knelt back to look at Zander.
"You want to taste her?" Jasper offered.
"Jasper," I warned.
"Shh." Jasper put a finger to my mouth then dragged it down to my dripping sex. "You know the rules, Mora. This is mine right now."
Zander blinked at him. "Are you serious?"
Jasper nodded, watching Zander step forward tentatively. "Be sure, Zander. If you find you like it, you'll have a hard time finding someone to sate blood lust for you."
"She lives with me," Zander challenged.
"She belongs to me again," Jasper smiled wickedly and slapped my clit. I moaned, opening my thighs wider for him.
"She's pregnant. You can't be playing rough with her like this." Zander was torn between anger and intrigue.
Jasper's hand covered my womb. "She knows she's safe with me, Zander. I've never once hurt her beyond her liking." He slapped my clit again and I cried out. "We've had years of getting to know what each other can take, so I am the perfect man to be taking care of her needs while she's in this delicate state."
"No, you're just the substitute," Zander growled angrily.
Jasper raised an eyebrow. "I didn't cause this, Zander. Your anger is misplaced if you think it's my fault Mora needed to subjugate herself to me to find release from her heartache."
Zander looked between us for a moment and then stormed out, shutting the door behind him.
Jasper looked at me. "Where were we?" Jasper directed me to roll over.
"Why did you stir him up?" I asked, rolling onto my hands and knees for him.
"Because he hated me for being in your bed," Jasper explained. "Despite knowing we have history, he still thinks you belong to your husband. I needed to remind him why it's me in this bed, or he would have taken a swing at me."
I looked over my shoulder at Jasper, surprised. "You think he would have hit you for sleeping with me?"
"I know he would have." Jasper slapped my butt hard, and I bit my lip to prevent from crying out. "He's still angry for you," Jasper explained before he slapped my ass again.