by Cassie Black
"Mommy!" the little girl squealed happily and bounded across the room.
"Oh, my baby," Jen smiled happily. She introduced the tiny bundle of energy as Sophie, and Steph beamed when Jen thanked her and patted the bed invitingly. Julius smiled wryly at the sight, but he frowned slightly when he glanced at me.
"You look tired, Millie."
"I'm fine," I told him with a half-hearted smile, suddenly feeling exhausted.
"Hmm," he said, and looked back to where Jen sat cuddling Sophie on her lap and talking to Steph. Jen looked up at him, smiled shyly and said, "Thank you for saving me today. And for bringing me my baby."
Julius smiled back, his gaze intent. "Any time." Jen blushed as only redheads do. Oh boy, I thought.
Atticus and Andronicus walked in then. Atticus smiled at me while Andronicus opened his bag and removed a syringe and a needle, and proceeded to draw some fluid out of a glass vial. That done, he looked enquiringly at Atticus, who nodded.
"Vaccination time, sweetheart," he told me. "You need to give Andronicus permission."
I scowled at Dr Pervert for a few seconds, suddenly aware that everyone had stopped talking and were now all watching me.
"Do it, then," I said, rolling up the sleeve of my t-shirt. He smiled hesitantly, and stepped forward. I felt a slight sting as the needle penetrated my skin, and then it was over. "You should probably vaccinate Jen too."
Andronicus looked at Julius, who nodded. Jen looked at me enquiringly.
"It's to protect you from the venom in their teeth," I explained.
Her eyes widened slightly, but she nodded, and pulled her terrycloth gown down over one shoulder. I heard a sharp intake of breath from Julius' direction, and smiled grimly to myself. I could almost feel his torment from here.
"Bed time, Millie," Atticus said softly, and I smiled up at him and nodded. He lifted me up easily and cradled me in those strong arms. I rested my head against his shoulder and closed my eyes, suddenly too tired to resist the relentless tug of sleep.
XVIII
I woke up the next morning in a warm soft bed, pleased to note that I still wore a t-shirt and panties. I stretched my arms out and bumped into something. I turned and looked straight into Atticus' warm brown eyes. A smile curled his lips.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," he purred.
"I'm hungry," I told him as my stomach growled.
"Me too," he said and chuckled dirtily. I considered that for a moment, and remembered that incredibly skilled tongue. I felt a tugging in my lower belly and a tingling between my legs. I looked at him, at his beautiful and talented mouth. More tingling. I considered my options.
Oh, what the hell.
"Fine. Go ahead," I sighed. He knew exactly what I meant, too.
"Really?" He looked stunned.
"Pregnancy hormones, what can I say," I said.
He didn't need any more encouragement than that, and I found myself naked in no time at all, as his hot tongue practised its magic and my body responded joyfully. I groaned with ecstasy as I came, and lay for a few minutes afterwards absentmindedly stroking the blonde head that lay on my belly. My stomach growled again.
"OK, OK, I'll fetch breakfast," he chuckled, and stood up and pulled a pair of jeans on. "Any orders, my Lady?"
I lay back and enjoyed the way his eyes devoured my nakedness. Those pregnancy hormones had a lot to answer for.
"Bacon, eggs, toast, tea. Lots of it," I told him, closing my eyes in bliss as I imagined the food. He chuckled again, and when I opened my eyes he had disappeared.
He returned a few minutes later carrying a tray and deposited it with a flourish on the bed.
"Canadian breakfast. Julius heard that you're awake, and he's waiting impatiently just outside the door. He wants to talk to you."
"I need to get dressed," I said urgently and hopped off the bed. I hurriedly pulled on some clean clothes I had grabbed from my wardrobe, and made my way back to the bed. A pile of pancakes and bacon awaited me, all generously swamped in what smelled like maple syrup.
"You should leave now," I told Atticus. "I need to be alone with that delicious thing on my bed."
Atticus gave a loud bark of laughter, and went to open the door to admit Julius, who was pacing up and down outside.
"What's so funny?" he asked as he stepped inside.
"Millie's sudden lust for food."
"Yeah, Father said Mother went crazy for food and..." his voice trailed off and he grinned.
I looked at him with disgust, then went back to eating. Nothing had ever tasted so good.
"I wanted to thank you for helping Jen yesterday, Millie," Julius said. "I saw her this morning and she told me that you'd explained everything to her, and that she was quite prepared to give it a try. Thank you."
"No problem. I just wish someone had explained it all to me," I said pointedly between mouthfuls.
"You wouldn't have believed us," Atticus spoke, a frown creasing his brow.
"You could have tried," I said, looking down at my plate. There was an awkward silence.
"You're right," Julius said. "We should have tried to explain. It wouldn't have changed what happened, but maybe you would have seen the whole thing differently."
"You think?"
"Sorry, Millie," Atticus said softly. "For everything."
"That's OK," I smiled at him. "I understand now that you had to do it. And this is a very good breakfast. It's almost making up for it all." Lying through my teeth. Needs must, I guess.
"Almost?"
"I have a few things in mind that you could do later to make it all better," I grinned at him.
Julius' eyes widened. "Father wasn't lying. I'll leave you two alone now." He started backing out of the room with exaggerated nervousness. "By the way, I think Jen will be ovulating tomorrow evening by the smell of things."
I grimaced. "Do you know what TMI stands for?"
"Too much information, sure. But Jen said you promised to be there to hold her hand."
"Is she still insisting? I really don't want to."
"Please, Millie? She says it will make her feel safe. You can wear a blindfold if you want."
"Yes, but I'll need earplugs too." I shuddered and looked up at his pleading expression. "Fine, I'll be there."
"Thanks Millie. I'd kiss you on the cheek, but then I'd have to die a horrible death."
"Whatever," I grumbled, still annoyed with myself for that damn promise. I was not looking forward to tomorrow. Atticus came and sat next to me on the bed.
"I saw Father yesterday afternoon. He gave me something to give to you."
"Really?" I said as soon as I had swallowed the last mouthful.
He said nothing, but instead held out a small box. I took it form his hand and opened it. A stunningly beautiful bracelet lay nestled in the velvet lining. Onyx and gold were woven together as two intertwined snakes that wrapped around the main band. I picked it up, and marvelled at both its lightness and its solidity.
"It's beautiful," I breathed. "Please tell him thank you."
"I will. I'll put it on for you. The clasp is very tight, so don't panic if you can't get it off. Just ask me, and I'll do it for you." He took it from my fingers and placed it around my left wrist and closed it. There was an audible click as the clasp locked into place.
"Now, my Lady, you mentioned a few things I could do to make it all better," Atticus said, a very mischievous and rather hopeful glint in his eye.
"Yes," I said slowly, prolonging the tension. "I want to see my folks today and my cousin, and I need to do some shopping." I chuckled at his obvious disappointment.
He sighed dramatically. "Alright then. I will take you to visit your parents this morning, and I will drop you and Steph off at the mall later this afternoon for a couple of hours. She'll be only too happy to show you around." He sighed again. "You can go and visit your cousin tomorrow. I don't think you'll have time today."
"OK," I told him. "We should get going."
"Ri
ght." I watched as he dressed, strangely fascinated by the way his muscles moved under his skin. He caught me watching him and raised his eyebrows enquiringly.
"Maybe later," I said.
"You do sleep very heavily at the moment..."
I shrugged. "Don't you dare wake me up." He grinned with delight, and I laughed, shaking my head in mock despair at his persistence.
XIX
My parents spent pretty much the whole morning looking surprised. Firstly about the fact that I was back early from my alleged two week holiday. Then about the fact that I was allegedly married. And last, but not least, about my alleged pregnancy. I hadn't wanted them to know any of it, but Atticus had insisted on telling them. Maybe he thought it made it all more real. I wasn't so sure.
I had thought about trying to run from Atticus as soon as we left the house, but I had a pretty good idea of how strong and fast he was. No chance of that being successful, then. I also wondered about telling my parents the truth, and seeking their assistance, but I knew I would be endangering them, and for me that just wasn't an option. So I smiled and played along.
My father looked shell shocked and confused. My mother, on the other hand, had decided straight away that she really liked Atticus, and had fussed around him offering tea and coffee and biscuits. I swear she would have offered him her blood if she had known what he was.
Atticus courteously refused everything on offer, and spent most of the two hours charming my mother so much it was almost embarrassing to watch. I sat next to Dad and patted his knee reassuringly.
"I didn't see this coming," he whispered to me eventually.
"Never mind, Dad. Astrology's not an exact science." It's not even a science, I thought to myself, but as we'd been over this ground before, I kept quiet.
"I'm usually so good with your predictions though, Millie," he said forlornly. What predictions, I thought to myself. Until now, my life had been blissfully uneventful. I patted his knee again. There was really nothing I could have told him that would have made him feel better, and quite a lot I could have said to make him feel a lot worse. So I left it at that.
"Have you heard from Maddie, Dad?" I asked him as I lay my head on his shoulder and yawned.
"She phoned us shortly after you left for your holiday, and told us she was going out of town for a few days. She was back yesterday, I believe. Your mother spoke to her."
"Please tell her I'm OK," I yawned again.
"Sure. Why wouldn't you be?" he sounded puzzled. I was simply too tired to explain, so I closed my eyes and drifted off.
I fell asleep on that couch with my head on my father's shoulder. I was only half aware of murmuring, and then being carried out to the car and driven home. I woke up in bed a few hours later, naked this time. Serves me right, I thought glumly, wondering what new liberties had been taken with my body as I slept.
I found my clothes lying scattered around the room, and pulled them on. The bedroom door opened revealing a smug looking Atticus.
"I thought I heard you moving around," he told me. Then he grinned evilly. "You really do sleep very soundly."
I wondered if punching a vampire would actually hurt. Absolutely, I thought darkly. It would hurt me.
"I'm hungry," I told him.
"I'm not," his grin widened.
Jesus, he was seriously asking for it. I launched myself in his direction, meaning to tumble him to the floor and assault him in any way I could, but he just stood there grinning and caught me in mid air. He didn't even flinch or step back. He held me with one hand under my butt, and another around my shoulders, pressing me against his body so my arms were trapped between us. I struggled briefly, but gave up as soon as I realised how unyielding those arms were. I looked up at his face, ready to scold him, but stopped when I saw his expression. He was gazing intently at me with a gentle smile curling his lips and something in his eyes that I didn't recognise. Then he bent his neck and kissed me on the mouth, his lips soft and tender. And God help me, I kissed him back.
"Ah Millie," he whispered into my neck eventually. I rested my forehead on his shoulder, suddenly afraid of the emotions that swamped me. We stayed like that for a few long minutes until my constantly voracious stomach growled. Atticus chuckled.
"Let's get you something to eat," he said, putting me down gently. "Steph has been waiting for you to wake up for the past hour."
I said nothing, just smiled up at him, while my mind swirled with speculation and fear and anger and a kind of reluctant joy. He took my hand and led me to the kitchen, where Steph lurked like a coiled spring. Atticus kissed the top of my head as I sat down at the table, and excused himself to go and speak to his father. Annie said nothing, but smiled enigmatically and put a plate of stir fry in front of me. I ate it all and, entirely predictably, asked for seconds. Steph sat next to me and twitched her leg impatiently as I ate, jumping up with relief when I finally finished eating.
"Let's go," I grinned at her.
"I'll get Atticus. He said he'd drop us off and fetch us. Usually I drive myself, but I don't think he trusts me with driving you around safely. I don't know why, it's not as if I meant to roll the car the last time," she said blithely as she almost skipped down the passage. I giggled softly as I walked behind her. She really was something else.
XX
Atticus was outside, leaning against a sleek looking car, and looking just like an advertisement for some fabulously expensive watch. Nice, I thought, taking in the way his shirt lay against his muscular abdomen. He looked at me speculatively from under his lashes and winked. I felt a tightening in my belly and a rush of wetness between my legs. Damn! I thought as I saw his slow grin. He knows.
"You smell delicious," he murmured huskily in my ear as he opened the front passenger door for me, confirming my suspicions. Vampires and their phenomenal sense of smell. How annoying.
Atticus dropped us off at a large modern-looking shopping centre, all glass and steel and shiny marble floors. It looked very expensive, and it suddenly occurred to me that I had no way of actually buying anything. I mentioned this to Steph apologetically, feeling like a complete idiot for dragging her out here for no good reason at all. She giggled and handed me a shiny black credit card.
"I'm such an idiot! Atticus gave me that to give to you, and I forgot completely. There's no limit," she added conspiratorially. "The family is extremely wealthy. Long term investments, see."
I held the card between my fingers as if it were a squashed bug I'd found in my tea. "I can't use this," I told her bluntly.
"Why not? It's in your name." She looked puzzled.
I looked at the name printed in gold letters along the bottom of the card. Milla Blake, I read.
"That's not my name," I said, holding out the card to her.
"Yes it is. That's Atticus' surname, and since you married Atticus, it's yours too." Yeah, self evident, right? I looked at the card, and wondered if it would be appropriate for me to have a minor tantrum right here and now. Probably not. Steph would look hurt, and I would look like a complete idiot. Instead I smiled at her, and tucked the card in my back pocket. I decided that I would use it to make a few small purchases, and that would be it. I knew exactly what I wanted.
Steph had other plans. I tried desperately to dissuade her, but she was remarkably stubborn. So I let her drag me through various hideously expensive boutiques and stood patiently while she held clothes up against me, and even relented and tried a few on. I have never been a very keen shopper, but her enthusiasm was infectious, and I started to enjoy myself. Eventually she decided it was time to have a break, so we found a small restaurant, and I started paging through the menu. It was fairly late in the afternoon, so the place was empty apart from a grumpy looking waitress who kept disappearing through a door behind the counter. Stephanie excused herself to go to the bathroom, while I tried to decide which of the items on the menu would have the biggest portions. I sensed a presence at the table and looked up, expecting to see the waitress. Instead,
a very tall man stood towering over me, his otherwise good-looking face marred by an unpleasant sneer. He slid into the seat opposite me with one fluid movement, and reached out and gripped my right wrist painfully. Another tall man walked into the restaurant, and stood behind him, looking down at me expressionlessly.
"Let me go," I told him nervously. The hand that held me was stronger than it should have been, and I was starting to worry.
"Don't you smell lovely," he said in a low and menacing voice. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nose. "Yummy!"
"Don't touch her," a voice said from behind me. I recognised Steph, and sighed with relief. This guy was super creepy.
"Listen, little bitch, not only am I going to touch her, I'm going to lick her and suck her. I may even bite her a little." He licked his teeth suggestively, and I saw the tips of his fangs protruding below his upper lip. "And then I am going to fuck her 'till she bleeds. And if she's still alive after that, I'll let my brothers have a go." He turned his attention back to me, and leered. "I have a really big dick."
"You are a really big dick," I told him coldly, furious and terrified at the same time. The grip on my arm tightened painfully.
"Not here, Marcus. We can take her another time," the man behind him said flatly.
"Show him your wrist, Millie," said Steph urgently. I let the menu fall on the table and held out my left arm, wrist upwards. The bracelet slid down my arm slightly, revealing the tattoo. The expressionless man paled when he saw it, and lifted his hands, palms out.
"We apologise, my Lady," he said. "We did not know. Marcus! Let her go now," he said urgently.
Marcus tore his gaze away from my face and glanced at my wrist. He dropped my other hand as if it were a venomous snake and jumped backwards, knocking the chair over.
"Fuck!" he swore loudly, finally attracting the attention of the waitress, who appeared as if by magic behind the counter. She watched open mouthed as the two of them beat a hasty retreat, knocking over another two chairs in their rush to get out of there. I held up a hand to summon the waitress, while Steph righted the chair that the creepy guy had occupied. The waitress came and stood by the table.