by Ginna Moran
Cortland materializes behind Bronx and yanks him back by the shirt. Thaxton manages to get his shit together and jerks his head back, head-butting Mikkalo from over my shoulder. I automatically release Thaxton, and he bolts to where Silas limps, trying to escape Everett’s wrath.
“Gwen, come with us,” Silas says, his voice hoarse. “Please. You’re family. We don’t want to hurt anyone, but you’re too important.”
Thaxton and Cortland charge Everett, forcing him to abandon Silas. Jameson materializes next to us, his arm limply hanging at his side.
“No, Silas. I made my decision. You call yourself my family, but you gave up that right the moment you let them transform you. You’re not my family. The Royales are. We’re creating a future together.” I touch my stomach. “One I’m going to make sure you’re never a part of.”
“Gwen,” Silas says. “Please.”
I shake my head and hold my arms out to Bronx to pick me up. “We have to end them. Right now. I want their blood.”
My guys position themselves, obeying my desire to finish this. Jameson charges first, his dagger aimed to kill.
The Barons turn and run.
They disappear into the tunnel that leads out of the town, and Mikkalo brings up the feeds to try to track their movement.
“The explosions must have taken the tower out. I can’t access the feeds,” Mikkalo says.
We rush through the pitch darkness of the tunnel. My heart pounds in my ears, my mind begging my body to keep up. To get it together so that we can finish it. The Barons and their so-called powerful bloodline must be drained.
The world slows as fresh air engulfs us.
“Shit, they’re gone,” Mikkalo says, linking his fingers on the back of his head.
Jameson’s chest rises and falls with his quick breaths. “We can track them. We still have a few hours until the sun rises.”
Bronx shifts to cradle me like a blushing bride. “It’s not enough time. They’ll probably call upon the others to regroup and strategize. We need to alert our cities.”
“Not to mention handle the destruction here,” Everett adds. “It’s our duty.”
I bob my head. “You’re right. They won’t go far. We’ll get another chance.”
Jameson closes the space and hugs me. “We can split up.”
“No,” I say. “I told you that. Never again.”
Bowing his head, he kisses my forehead. “Okay. Whatever you want.”
I rest my head on Bronx’s chest. “I don’t know what I want, but let’s start with our region. I wasn’t joking about wanting to protect our people.”
My guys surround me, engulfing me in a group hug. I savor their closeness, breathing in each of their scents, gathering their strength to carry with me.
“I hate to admit this, but I think the Barons were partially right. You’re going to change and create an amazing future,” Jameson says.
I smile. “No, we are.”
Bronx kisses my temple. “And no one will stop us.”
Chapter 24
So in Love
I SIT IN EVERETT’S BED with my back propped against fluffy pillows. A sheet covers me up to my neck as I listen to Everett speak with someone in the hallway. Jameson sleeps on the couch, his soft breathing the perfect background noise to keep my heart calm.
Bronx and Mikkalo have been in Mikkalo’s suite since we arrived back in Crimson Vista, working on strategizing against future attacks. With Thaxton’s stolen com device, we managed to put a halt on any more invasions from the Barons...at least for another night.
The door quietly cracks open, and Everett meets my gaze with a smile. “I have someone I’d like you to meet, Gwen. He was the top obstetrician and also the best neonatal specialist in the former Bellamy Region.”
I swallow. “I don’t know what that means.”
“He oversaw the birthing unit of his medical center and will assist us throughout your pregnancy.” Everett steps into the room and motions for a rugged, tawny vampire wearing a white coat and slacks into the room. “This is Rio Mercy from the Mercy Coven of Shadow Hill Pointe.”
Rio offers me a friendly smile without his fangs. Something soft shines in his dark eyes, and I stare at him, trying to assess him before he even speaks. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Royale.”
I bite my lip and turn my gaze to Jameson. Rubbing his eyes, he gets up from the couch and heads toward the new vampire, offering his hand out to him.
“Thanks for coming by, especially under these strange circumstances,” Jameson says, glancing at me.
A blip of fear clenches my chest. “How much does he know?”
“Everything in regards to your health.” Everett remains expressionless. “It was a hard decision to make, but I don’t specialize in pregnancy or pediatrics. We weighed the pros and cons of revealing your heritage, and the risk of others discovering the truth is far less important than assuring you and our child get the best possible care.”
My heart flutters at Everett’s words, and I bob my head, feeling lighter at the love in his words. Everything about this situation feels like a dream.
Rio strolls behind Everett. “You have my word that your secret is safe with me. No one, not even my coven brothers, will know of this. As far as anyone is concerned, you are purely human as is the fetus.”
Jameson sits on the edge of the bed. “We call it the mini beast.”
I shake my head with a laugh and swat him on the leg. “Let’s hope that’s not the case. I’m pretty sure I’m nearly too wild for you to handle.”
Rio and Everett work together to bring in all sorts of medical equipment from the hallway and set up a makeshift exam area in the sitting area of the room. Jameson scoots closer and pulls me onto his lap so I can rest my back against him.
“Want to try to drink my blood again?” he murmurs, brushing my hair from my shoulder with his nose.
I shrug. “We can try.”
The second he bites his arm and holds it out to me, I scrunch my nose. My stomach twists at the small drop that touches my bottom lip. “Maybe later.”
“This really fucking sucks.” He groans and buries his face into my hair. “I hope you have a plan, brother, if Gwen doesn’t drink vampire blood soon.”
Rio stiffens slightly at Jameson’s words, but he composes himself quickly. Turning his attention to us, he says, “Aversion to certain foods is common during pregnancy. So is nausea, fatigue, among a whole list of things you can read over with Gwen. I wouldn’t worry as long as you keep her hydrated.”
“And if all else fails, we’ll catch a Baron. Silas will be the easiest target.” Bronx pokes his head into the open door and smiles at me.
Mikkalo follows behind him and comes straight to me to lean down and kiss me softly. “How are you feeling?”
I shrug. “I’ve been worse. The bite mark still hurts, but my back is pretty much better.”
Rio’s brows pinch together. “Bite mark? You’re not using her as a blood source, are you?”
Bronx puffs out his chest, his frame blocking me from meeting Rio’s gaze as he looks at me again. “We did before we knew.”
“And Gwen is quite different. She regenerates almost as quickly as a vampire. I think her blood regeneration is even greater. She’s producing more than a normal pregnant human does, which would explain her fainting spells.” Everett hands Rio a chart. “You can see the results of the tests I’ve recently run and also what Donor Life Corp had on file to see her previous history.”
“What about the bite? If what you say is true, it would be healed, or am I mistaken?” Rio asks.
Everett rubs his hands against his scruffy cheeks. “It was a venom bite. Those take longer to heal on Gwen just the same as us.”
Rio intakes a sharp breath. “We need to assess the fetus immediately. If Gwen’s transitioning while pregnant, her body might not be strong enough. Her life might be at risk.” Rushing to the equipment, he blurs around, getting the different machines to come to l
ife.
Everett blocks him for a second. “While I am a bit worried about the effect it could have on her pregnancy, I don’t think it’ll harm Gwen. She can’t transform. The only noticeable change has been the aversion to our blood. Even then, I think it might be temporary.”
“I would still like to start the exam immediately,” Rio says, looking at me. “Ms. Royale, please come take a seat on the exam cot.”
Jameson carries me in his arms across the room and sets me on the inclined cot. My guys surround me, barely giving Rio any space. They’re all just as anxious as I am, but no one says it. I do my best to suppress my nerves. The calmer I am, the calmer they will be.
Everett assists Rio, taking my vitals and measurements, along with a picture of me standing sideways to capture my growth visually. When I sit back on the cot, Rio pulls a strange machine over with what looks like a clear belt the size of my torso.
“This machine will provide a visual of your uterus so that I can determine how far along you are, Ms. Royale. I know some human rebel health keepers have obtained back-world medical equipment. If you’re familiar with the antique technology, this would be comparable to an ultrasound but far more superior.” Rio motions for me to sit up, and he places the clear, cold, almost jelly-like band around my torso under my shirt.
A huge projection lights up the wall, and I automatically reach for Jameson and Mikkalo’s hands because they stand the closest at each of my sides. Bronx touches my knee, staring at me instead of the projection. I offer him a nervous smile, baring my bottom teeth. I can’t tell what the hell I’m looking at. The screen is a collection of weird shadows and nothing that even resembles a child.
Rio adjusts the belt on my waist and taps on his com device. A bright light illuminates from the belt turning it from clear to white, and then Everett drapes a dark blanket over me to cover the nearly blinding glow.
“Holy shit,” I mutter, tensing. The blurs on the screen clear in the weirdest image I have ever seen in my existence.
Rio chuckles. “Just a second, Ms. Royale. I need to magnify the scan.”
Rio draws his finger across his com device with the same image that projects on the wall. My guys remain utterly silent, and now even Bronx stares at the screen. A moment later, Rio draws a red line around what I can only describe as a freaky-ass creature.
“Fuck, it is a mini beast,” I whisper, tightening my fingers around Jameson.
Everett and Rio both laugh at the same time at my words. Nudging Jameson away, Everett leans down to me and cups my face with a smile. His eyes shine with a dozen indecipherable emotions before he kisses me softly.
“That’s not a beast,” he says, pulling away to smile. “That’s our baby in the embryonic stage.”
“You’re measuring at five weeks along, Ms. Royale,” Rio says, tapping away on his device. “And so far, everything looks like it would in a donor pregnancy.”
“So this is really happening?” Mikkalo asks, sounding like his question is more toward the universe than any of us.
I cover my eyes with my hand for a second. “I can’t believe it either.”
“When will we know who the father is?” Jameson asks, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. His eyes dart to mine. “Or will we not?”
“I guess we have a lot of things to discuss,” Bronx says, shifting on his feet.
I tug my fingers free from Jameson and Mikkalo’s death grips. Rio quietly excuses himself, and Bronx and Everett close in on me. I open my arms and attempt to hug them all at once. We don’t break apart for what feels like forever, but I don’t mind. I want nothing more than to remember this moment exactly how it is right now.
“But maybe that can all wait for a bit?” I ask, fidgeting with the blanket. “I’d much prefer to enjoy this. Maybe celebrate.”
“Hell yeah,” Mikkalo says, smiling widely. “We’re having a baby.”
“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m excited as hell,” Jameson says, brushing his lips to my forehead.
“Me too,” Everett says, kissing me next. “But also a little bit scared.”
“I’m terrified,” Bronx and I say in unison. We both laugh and then fake pout and hug each other.
Mikkalo embraces me last, shimmying down to press his ear to my belly. “I’m in love,” he says, kissing my stomach through the blanket.
“Same,” Jameson, Everett, and Bronx say at the same time.
I grin at them. “More than I ever knew was possible.”
***
I lie between Jameson and Everett on the bed. Bronx’s arm stretches over Everett’s head to hold my hand. Mikkalo breathes softly from the other side of Jameson, and I inch upright just a bit to smile at his sleeping face.
Jameson meets my gaze. “You hungry yet?”
“I don’t know. I feel fine, though. Not out of control or anything,” I whisper against his lips. “I just can’t sleep.”
“How about we watch a movie or something? I can try to feed you again.” His anticipation sharpens his features, and he looks like he’s silently begging me to agree.
So I do. “I’d like that. But let’s move to the sitting area. I don’t want to wake your brothers.”
Jameson helps me ease off the bed, and the two of us stroll hand-in-hand to the comfy recliners of Everett’s seating area. I pull a blanket off the back of the chair and wrap it around me while watching Jameson pull out a few things from the small refrigerator tucked away in the cabinet.
I get up to let Jameson plop into the recliner and then I sit sideways and balance a plate with a muffin, banana, and cup of fruit and yogurt on my lap. Jameson turns on a movie, keeping the volume down so it’s just a whisper of noise through the air. Neither of us watches it. I focus on eating while Jameson focuses on handfeeding me, just enjoying our moment of early morning quiet together.
I gulp an entire glass of water, the liquid helping to cool the burning in my stomach from the lack of vampire blood. If Jameson knew how hungry I still am, he’d start to panic. The last thing I need is for him to feel like something is wrong with him because I don’t really want his blood. It’s not that he tastes bad now, I just...it’s weird.
So before he can ask me, I swivel on his lap to straddle him and distract him with a kiss. He devours my affection, deepening our kiss, exploring my mouth with his tongue. The sweet taste of his lips awakens my desire, and I can’t stop myself from yanking his T-shirt over his head. Mine soon follows, and he trails his lips away from mine and down my neck, taking his time to glide his tongue in a way that sends goosebumps over my skin. He sucks my hard nipple into his mouth, rolling his tongue over it before showing attention to my other breast.
I tip my head back and close my eyes, my breath quickening. Jameson drags his finger down my body, tracing my curves until he reaches between my legs. He tugs my panties aside and touches me, feeling the slick warmth of my lust for him.
“Let me take care of you,” he whispers. “I’ve missed you. Everything has been so tense. I just—”
I cut off his words with a kiss. “I’ve been dying to feel your mouth all over me,” I say, sucking his lip hard between my teeth. “But I also want my mouth all over you too.”
He hums in his throat, his hard-on flexing under me. Without another word, he reclines the chair completely and eases me back until I lie between his legs with my feet resting at each side of his hips. Licking his lips, he watches my face as he undresses me completely and tosses my panties to the floor. He motions for me to turn around and tugs me by my legs as he lies flat.
A quiet moan escapes my mouth as he starts slow by kissing my thigh. I straddle his face while resting my cheek on his hip, just enjoying the pleasure he elicits from me. Playing with his boxers, I tug his erection out and lace my fingers around it. Jameson moans between my legs, the vibration of his voice sending a need through me to give him as much pleasure as he does me.
I twirl my tongue around his tip, just tasting the sweetness of his skin. Cupping hi
s balls, I rub my finger over the soft skin while I suck his erection into my mouth as far as I can. I tighten my lips just a bit, gliding him in and out of my mouth.
“You’re amazing, Gwen. Feels so good,” he murmurs, taking a minute to enjoy my mouth on him.
He continues tracing his tongue over my body, licking and sucking, creating different sensations that drag moan after moan out of me. I squirm, my body begging to hit my point of release a second before a rush of tingles explodes through me. I pull away from Jameson, my body tightening with an intense orgasm that has me sinking my teeth into Jameson’s thigh.
He grunts and clutches my hips, releasing his own moan as I suck on the bite, filling my mouth with his blood. “Fuck yeah. Don’t stop. Drink what you need.”
A dozen emotions roll through me, and I relax on top of Jameson, drinking his blood, letting it quench the need burning inside me. To my relief, my stomach behaves, my body going wild under the taste of him.
“Mmm,” I murmur, continuing to suck even though the stream of blood turns into a trickle.
He digs his fingers into my hips. “If you want more, let me wake up one of my brothers.”
“I need so much more,” I say, nipping his skin again. “Please. I’m starving.”
“Hell yeah. I’ll feed you, Gwen. I’m up,” Mikkalo says from the bed.
Jameson grazes his fangs against my ass cheek to get me to pull away from him. “Let me sit you up...on me.”
I lick his cock again and only stop when he sits upright and lets Mikkalo flip me off of him and onto my feet. Sliding his hands around me, Jameson turns me around to face Mikkalo and tugs me onto his lap.
Mikkalo smiles and kisses the moan from my mouth as I sink onto Jameson’s boner. I reach for Mikkalo’s pajama pants and grip the hem to pull them down enough to play with him while Jameson rocks me against him.
I pull Mikkalo closer until he stands between my legs. Licking my lips, I suck his cock into my mouth, teasing him with my tongue. I slide my hands around him and dig my fingers into his ass cheeks. Mikkalo moans, and I tilt my head back, resting it on Jameson to glance up at him.