Chapter Nineteen
My conversations with Curry this week have eased my mind. Minimally. I remain consumed by my fear for Avery’s well-being and the safety of our child has been added to my list of concerns. But it’s a gift. Not a curse.
I managed to slip away from Avery one day earlier in the week. I scheduled a meeting with Jim Graff about the new construction of our private quarters–per Curry’s advice–so she wouldn’t suspect my true reason for needing to leave the compound.
Avery’s in the bathroom preparing for bed so I take the white leather box from the drawer where it’s been hidden. I’ve stolen glances at it the last few days at every opportunity but this would be the last. I’d be seeing it on my agápe’s finger from this night forward.
I return the platinum and diamond ring to the top drawer of the nightstand not a moment too soon as Avery is coming out of the bathroom. She’s dressed for bed in a champagne satin gown and I love the way the color brings out the flaxen highlights in her hair and flecks of gold in her light brown eyes.
She pulls back the covers and climbs into bed next to me. She reaches for the lamp on her nightstand. “Leave the light on.”
She smiles. “I didn’t think you needed light to see.”
My vision isn’t what it used to be before she came into my life but I’m far from needing the dim light of a single lightbulb to see. “I don’t but you do.”
She slides over and runs her hand down my stomach. “And just what is it you want me to see?” I take her hand to bring it to my lips for a kiss and it earns me a look of curiosity from her. “You’re up to something.”
I certainly am. “You were gone for sixteen days and I never stopped thinking of you for a second. Not once. It was a lot of time for me to consider our future and I came to a conclusion. We aren’t a mundane couple but we live in a human world. You and I aren’t bound by the practices of mortals but that doesn’t mean we can’t follow their traditions.” I take her hand and pull her to sit on the side of the bed before I open the drawer of the nightstand.
She’s surprised. This isn’t where she thought I was going when I asked her to leave the light on.
I drop to my knee before I open the ring box. “We’re bound for eternity by something far stronger than human vows but it doesn’t stop me from wanting you as my wife.” I take the ring from the box and hold it up for her. “The bond we share is something the world can’t see but this is an outward symbol of our love. I want every pair of eyes looking at you–both human and vampire–to see this so they’ll know you’re mine forever. I love you, Avery Violet Ferrand. Will you marry me?”
She’s beaming. “I love you Solomon Braham Alexander and I’d be very happy to marry you.” I slide the ring on her finger and it’s a perfect fit. “It’s beautiful–exactly what I would have chosen for myself.”
I rise from my knees and take her face in my hands before I kiss her. Hard. A moment later she pulls away to catch her breath. “When?”
I press my forehead to hers and hope she’s as eager as I am to make this happen as soon as possible. “I don’t want to wait.”
She’s grinning. “Well, I guess it’s the right thing to do since you’ve knocked me up.”
“Very funny.” I couldn’t think of one good reason to wait. I can’t imagine her wanting a big wedding since Jenn is her only remaining relative. And since her sister still remains MIA after the Vincent incident, we’re her only family now. “Would you do it next weekend?”
“I would do it this minute.”
I couldn’t envision us standing in a courthouse before a judge making vows to one another. “How do you feel about doing it here at the compound since this is where we became us?”
“I can’t think of a more perfect place.”
Our wedding was small. Jenn returned just in time to be present so only those we consider family were present as witnesses. It was perfect and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Dr. Knight encouraged us to honeymoon nearby so I rented a house on the beach about thirty miles from the compound. It’s not what I consider an ideal place to spend my wedding night but we aren’t left with much of a choice considering the short notice and limited travel. At least we have the entire place to ourselves.
The house is modern–which I appreciate–but the entire decor is beach and nautical themed. It’s not my cup of tea. Nor is it very romantic. I would have preferred a honeymoon that included us traveling the world for two or three weeks but I happily sacrifice that for the sake of Avery and her pregnancy. Maybe that can be an anniversary trip one day.
We enter the master bedroom and I scan it after flipping on the bedroom light. The bedding is off-white. The walls are beige and the ceramic tile floor is a blend of cream and khaki. The furniture resembles driftwood but it’s the decorative pictures of the beach that complete the bland seaside theme.
“It’s charming.” She attempts to hide the disappointment in her voice.
I laugh aloud, “No, it’s not.” It’s a typical beach house for vacationers. There’s nothing alluring or seductive about it at all. That means I’ll have to work hard to make her forget we’re not in a romantic honeymoon suite halfway around the world.
She walks over to the double french doors and swings them open before stepping onto the balcony overlooking the ocean. Her hair rustles from the breeze blowing off the water. “I love the sound of the waves rushing in. Especially at night.”
The beach is a new surrounding for me. None of my vampire days have been spent in the sand and sun but I walked the beach at Pascagoula one night while checking in on Curry. I was quite fond of the way the sand felt on my bare feet so hopefully that is something we could do while here.
I approach my bride to wrap my arms around her from behind and I place a kiss on the side of her neck. “Then we shall leave these open so you can listen all night if you wish.”
“I’d like that very much.”
She links her fingers through mine and brings my hand up. She kisses the wedding band she placed on my finger only a few hours earlier. “I can’t believe we’re married with two babies on the way in a couple of months. I don’t think our lives could be happening any quicker if someone hit the fast forward button.”
Although I knew it was a possibility, I was still in shock about finding another baby on our second visit with Dr. Knight.
I slide my hands over Avery’s belly. “I hope Jim is able to finish the construction before these two get here.”
She places her hands on top of mine. “He will. He wants that bonus you promised for finishing the job in six weeks.”
Jim’s a good man. He’d work hard to complete the job early even if I hadn’t offered the extra money. “He did a fantastic job on the compound so I don’t expect less from him now.” Unless the weather didn’t hold and that would be no fault of his.
She turns and slides her hands up my arms until they’re resting over my shoulders. “We’ll do what we have to if we don’t have our own quarters when they get here.”
I plant a kiss on her mouth. “My wife, you are amazing.”
She lowers her hands to my hips and pulls me hard against her. “My husband, you haven’t seen amazing but you’re about to.”
Whoa. Someone is feeling a bit frisky. “Bring it.”
“Oh, I’m gonna bring it.” She sucks my bottom lip into her mouth before releasing it. “Give me a few minutes.”
“Don’t keep me waiting long.”
“Never.”
She disappears into the bathroom and I work quickly to light the candles throughout the room. I place my phone on the nightstand and choose the playlist I had created earlier in the week. A sweet, slow tempo song begins playing and I remember the rose petals Gia and Lairah sent with me. I scramble through the luggage and find them tucked away in the side pocket. I hope they haven’t dried out. Crunching sounds beneath us on the bed isn’t an appealing thought. I take a few out and they’re still soft and moist so I
toss them randomly across the bed.
Shit. I suck at this but it’s too late now because I hear her turn the door knob.
She opens the bathroom door and is wearing a white lace chemise. It’s sheer so I can see her body beneath, including her string bikini’s tiny triangle that barely covers anything.
She’s stunning. And all mine. “You look beautiful.”
I think she’s blushing. “I’m no virgin but it didn’t feel right to wear any other color on our wedding night.” It almost sounds like an apology.
“Come here.” I take her hands after she walks to me and I pull her to stand between my legs. I glide my hands under her chemise over her bottom. “I don’t want a frightened virginal bride tonight.”
“Good. Because you’re getting a wife with a case of raging pregnancy hormones.”
Hmm … Raging pregnancy hormones. That sounds like it could go either way. Really bad or really great. “I’m hopeful you mean that in a good way.” She propels herself at me and we tumble back on the bed.
Oh, yeah. She means it in the best possible way.
She straddles me and unbuttons my shirt. Her lips are everywhere at once. My mouth. My shoulder. My chest. She’s giving me some raging hormones as well.
I flip with her so I’m on top and shed my shirt before she brings her legs up and around my waist. I’m exploring my wife’s body with my mouth but I stop to kiss her belly and she runs her fingers through my hair. It’s early in the pregnancy but her body is already changing. I feel a slight protruding firmness that wasn’t there when we made love a few days ago. “I can tell they’ve grown.” I place one last kiss there before slipping my fingers under the strings on each of her hips and pulling downward.
She lifts her bottom to assist me and then sits up and pulls her chemise over her head. She tosses it to the floor and reaches for the button of my pants so she can help to rid me of them and my underwear.
This is it. I’ve made love to my agápe many times but now I’m going to make love to my wife.
I lower myself and claim her mouth again. Mmm … her kisses are sweeter than honey. And I feel like I’m able to enjoy Avery for the first time. I mean truly take pleasure in the joining of our bodies since I’m always inclined to fear someone in the house will overhear the sounds of our intimacy–intentional or not. “We’ve never been alone under the same roof. Ever.” Everyone questioned my control with Avery in the beginning and it was a while before anyone would even consider leaving us alone together.
“I remember the first time we were in the same room without anyone else around. We were in your office.” She didn’t have to remind me. I could recall the moment perfectly. “I was sitting in your chair and you were leaning over my shoulder as we searched through the vampire archives.”
“I couldn’t concentrate on those stupid records because I was imagining what your reaction would be if I kissed the bare skin on your shoulder.”
“I was so distracted by your warm breath next to my ear. I wanted to turn my head so my face could brush yours.” She mimics the motion. “I had almost built up the courage and then Curry showed up and freaked out.”
I wanted to take advantage of this alone time. I usually allowed our connection to speak for me since I always feared being heard but I wouldn’t be silent while we were here. I had a lot of things I wanted to say to my wife.
I glide my hand down and cup one of her breasts as I take the other into my mouth. I’m gentle because I suspect they’re tender from the pregnancy. I roll my tongue over her nipple and it instantly hardens. “I’ve never told you how perfectly beautiful these are or how much I love them.”
She pushes her fingers into my hair and arches her back from the bed. “And I’ve never told you how good it feels when you do that. I love it.”
I hear her breath increasing. “I love to hear the change in your breathing.”
“I do too. It means you’re doing something really right.”
I move lower, back to her stomach. “I love your body and the changes I’m seeing happen right before my eyes.” I kiss her belly again. “You have no idea how much I love knowing there’s a part of me growing inside you.”
“Don’t forget there’s two little parts of you in there.” Like Chansey, Avery doesn’t acknowledge the fylgia possibility. To do so would be admitting we would lose a child and that isn’t a consideration in Avery’s book.
Her agápe scent is overpowering my control and I climb her body. “I need to be inside you. Now.”
“That’s exactly where I want you.” She lifts her hips and matches my thrust as I enter her. It’s different because we’re letting go for the first time–giving in to what comes naturally instead of exercising restraint.
“Aah,” I hiss through my teeth. “You feel so good.”
“Mmm,” she moans while meeting me thrust for thrust. “Don’t hold back.”
It isn’t easy to let go of my self-restraint. “I don’t want to hurt you or the babies.”
She grabs my face. “I won’t break and the babies are tucked safely in their little cocoons.”
She wants more so I don’t hold back. I’m persistent until her internal body contracts around me. “Aah. Aah. Right there. Don’t stop.” She’s squeezing me almost painfully as I tense and empty my body inside of hers.
She goes limp beneath me and I roll to lie beside her. I reach for her hand and lace our fingers before bringing it to my lips for a kiss. “I love you, my wife. My agápe. And mother of my children.”
She in turn kisses my hand. “And I love you, husband. My vampire. And father of my children.”
Chapter Twenty
It’s only a few days until Avery’s pregnancy hits the three month mark. She’s already been pregnant two weeks longer than Chansey. She’s disappointed we don’t have babies yet but no one knows the expected gestation for agápe-vampire babies so it’s a waiting game. However, we’ve figured out the standard for misery. And the bar is high.
It isn’t easy for her–it’s actually terrible–but she doesn’t complain. I try everything I can think of to make her more comfortable but there’s little I can do.
The ultrasound she had three days ago predicts each baby is around seven pounds so she has two full term infants pressing her internal organs in multiple directions. There’s only one cure for what ails her and I have no control over it. I feel helpless.
“Want me to rub your feet, baby doll?”
“No, baby. They’re too swollen. It feels like pins and needles poking when you touch them.” That means anything including a massage is out of the question. “But I’d love for you to read to me. Your voice is soothing.”
She loves hearing me read. She always chooses a classic because she says I become so lost in the words that my speech takes on a different voice–one from a different era. I hear some of the vocalization she refers to and I agree. I sound the way I did when I was a human living in the seventeen hundreds. “Of course I will. I’d stand on my head if it made you feel better.”
Our reading time ritual began before I knew Avery was my agápe but it’s something we continued to do because we enjoy the peaceful time together. We once snuck behind closed doors to do it and the vast majority of those stolen moments were spent with her lying next to me as I read from her favorite classic books.
I already know which one she wants me to read from without asking. The Scarlet Letter. “Which chapter would you like to hear?”
She knows it well and loves it dearly because we were once so similar to Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne in how we hid our love from the others out of shame, fear, and ridicule. “Chapter six. I want to hear about Pearl and what a beauty she is.” Pearl–the beautiful child that came at the highest price costing Hester Prynne everything she had. And in turn, she became her mother’s only treasure.
Avery turns onto her side and wedges a pillow beneath her swollen pregnant abdomen for support so we can assume the position we always use for reading time. I
scoot close to her back until our bodies are molded into one and open the original unrestored first edition I purchased for her as a wedding gift.
I begin reading Nathaniel Hawthorne’s words about Pearl–a lovely and immortal flower without a single physical defect. I couldn’t guess how many times I had repeated these lines about how the child is perfect and worthy of being brought forth in Eden.
I speak softly, much like I would if telling a child her bedtime story. I feel Avery’s body relax and she falls asleep within a matter of minutes. I’m glad because the exhaustion she’s experiencing from insomnia isn’t good for her and restful sleep doesn’t find her near enough these days.
I place the book on the bed and drape my arm over her waist to place my hand on her swollen abdomen. There’s a lot of vigorous activity happening between these two tonight. I have no idea how she’s sleeping with the karate showdown happening inside her right now. Hopefully they’re trying to fight their way out.
I eventually fall asleep next to Avery but I wake when I hear moaning and heavy breathing. “Ohhh.” I lift my head to peek over her shoulder because I can’t tell if she’s groaning in her sleep or is awake and in pain. She rolls toward me when she feels the bed shift. “I’m hurting–but in a good kind of way. I think I’m going into labor.”
I shoot up from where I’m lying. “Is this the first pain?”
“No. They were irregular when they started but now they’re every four or five minutes.”
How long has this been going on if they’re that often? “When did they start?”
She rubs her belly. “A couple of hours ago.”
Shit. “Why didn’t you wake me?”
“Because you’re exhausted too. You were sleeping like the dead so I thought you needed your rest.”
She’s being considerate but I wish she had woken me. “I can’t believe you’ve been lying here having contractions for two hours while I slept.”
Blood Doll (The Vampire Agape Series Book #3) (The Vampire Agape Series #3) Page 14