Jolie squeezed his hand.
“I need a shower,” he said, walking away from them to be alone.
When he was gone, Flynn glanced over at her. “Is he going to be okay?”
Jolie took his hand as she led him back to their quarters. “I think so. It’s hard on our males to know that they’ll never have the ability to pass on their blood lines to another generation. It was evolution’s way of controlling our ability to grow too powerful.”
That made sense to him, and in a way, he was grateful. The last few vamps they’d run into were pretty power hungry.
“If all males could sire children, then we’d be as populate as humans, and it would be an unfair advantage. More vampyres than humans would mean the possibility of your kind being hunted and used as food. Darwinism at its finest, I’m afraid.”
Flynn sat on the corner of their bed, deep in thought. Maybe this was the time to bring up the conversation they visited in Paris. Possibly, it was time to consider starting a family.
“Jolie, I think we should start looking for a surrogate mother for our family to grow. I know you’ve said that you may not be able to have children, and I’m okay with that, but this might be a good time to check out our options.”
He couldn’t read the look on her face.
“I think we need to start the process of finding the right vampyre.”
Jolie paused from unbuttoning the soiled shirt she was wearing. The idea of another woman carrying Flynn’s child made her sick to her stomach.
Then again, crushing his hopes of being a father did too.
Turning, she couldn’t face him. As the tears filled her eyes, Jolie couldn’t keep them held back.
What wouldn’t she endure for this man?
Their detective was willing to share his progeny with Jacques, so how could she explain to him that allowing him to impregnate another woman made her feel like a huge failure?
Jolie swore she could hear her heart breaking.
Finally, she answered him. “Okay.”
She could feel their need. It wasn’t only Flynn, but Jacques too. Jolie had seen the desire in their minds.
It looked like she had no choice.
Jolie was actually going to let her mate go to another vampyre’s bed.
She prayed that the conversation would end. Heading to her closet to escape, Jolie got dressed. Behind her, she could hear Jacques heading her way.
“Are you feeling a little better, Jacques?”
“Yes, my love. I’m perfect,” he offered, turning her to face him. While he was good, she wasn’t. He could see it in her eyes. There was a sheen of unshed tears.
“You look sad.”
Jolie laughed it off, pulling his mouth down to hers. “I’m good, Jacques. There’s just a lot on my mind.”
He smelled the lie.
“I’ll wait for you in our bedroom,” she offered, giving him privacy to dress.
That worried him. Here, they were alone, and Jolie wasn’t trying to climb up his body.
Yes, something was definitely wrong.
Jacques dressed quickly and joined his mates in their quarters. “What are we doing tonight?” he asked, sitting beside Jolie on the bed. While he was upset about not being able to give his mate a child, Jacques could see something else was stirring around them.
Flynn looked confused.
Jolie was silent and not touching them.
“I’d like to go over the files, and then head to Tommy’s place to see if maybe Zola left us a clue as to what she’s doing with him,” answered Flynn, stretching as he lounged on their bed.
“That’s fine,” said Jolie, as she stood. “While you both start going over the files, I need to speak to Chloe. I’ll meet you in the study as soon as I’m done.”
She hated lying to her mates, but she needed to speak to Vanth. If she said that, they’d be all over her.
“Works for me,” Flynn stated.
Jolie said nothing else. Instead, she headed out. It was best to do this fast, and before they suspected anything. Her mates were smart. She wouldn’t have much time.
If this was even possible.
Jacques didn't say a word. This whole thing was odd. He couldn’t help but wonder why she didn't just call Chloe to them.
It was like she didn't want them hearing the conversation. Something was going on. He could smell it.
“What’s wrong with, Jolie?” asked Jacques curiously. He’d obviously missed something while he was showering.
“I don’t know. We were just talking.”
“About?”
Flynn didn't want to hurt his mate, but he wouldn’t lie. “Children.”
There was a noticeable flinch.
“I see.”
Flynn felt the need to clarify. “I simply brought up the idea of using a surrogate again. I think it would be good for all of us if we could start the process of finding one.”
Jacques went cold and simply shrugged. What could he say? He couldn’t have children, and although he was happy his mate could, it still hurt and overwhelmed him at times.
“You brought up finding a surrogate?”
“Yeah. I thought we could find a female in the family to carry out a pregnancy for us.”
Jacques went silent.
Flynn knew he was missing something when Jacques’s face went cautiously blank.
“I know they won’t biologically be your children, but they’ll be ours. I want to share my children with you, Jacques.”
Still, the vampyre said nothing.
Flynn still didn’t understand why both he and Jolie looked so tense.
“How did Jolie take your suggestion?” he asked, wondering about her reaction. Part of him would love to have children, and he appreciated the sacrifice his mate was willing to make for him, but he wasn’t sure this would happen. He understood the process, and that meant...
Flynn wasn’t sure. “She said okay, and then escaped. I think that was her way of ending the discussion.”
He saw it in Jacques’s face.
“I did something horribly wrong, didn’t I? Did I screw up some vampyre protocol?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure.”
Flynn didn't like that answer. In his life, it was black or white. The shades of gray freaked him right out. Until he figured out what he’d done, they needed to refocus.
“We should get to work,” he offered.
Jacques didn't disagree.
As they headed to the study, Flynn couldn’t help but feel like he’d done something bad. Jolie was off alone, and Jacques looked lost in thought.
Jacques obviously felt his confusion.
“If she didn’t say no, then we’ll start looking when we get back home,” Jacques offered, trying to give Flynn some peace. Even for him, there was that tiny glimmer of hope. Even though a child wouldn’t be from his body, any little one they had would be part of his heart.
“Flynn?”
The man stopped inside the study. “Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
When Jacques hugged him, he didn't know what to say. While Jacques was always more touchy-feely than him, he’d never done this.
He patted him on the back.
“You don’t have to thank me. We’re a couple. This is what you do when you love someone, or in our case--some ones.”
He laughed. “Yes, you’re right. How about we get down to work? Let’s find your friend.”
The detective was good with that.
He needed a distraction.
* * * H a r c o u r t e * * *
Jolie reached for Chloe and found her in her room, resting on her bed with a book. When she knocked on the door, she was immediately invited into the donor’s sanctuary.
“Mistress, can I help you with something?” she inquired, sitting up.
“Yes, Chloe, I need to speak to Vanth.”
Immediately, the woman’s human eyes began to change. The simple whisper of her name beckoned the demoness from the darkness.
“You called for me, Jolie?”
“Vanth, I need to ask you something, and I want an honest answer--no trickery,” she said, sitting beside the demoness.
“Agreed. What’s your question, my friend?”
“How powerful is our mistress? Is she strong enough to bring life into the world too?”
Vanth thought about it. “It depends. I’ve seen her do it before, but it’s never for free, Jolie. Why do you ask?”
“I wanted to ask her a favor.”
There was hesitation. “Jolie, please tell me you’re not thinking of bartering with Death. She’s a bitch.”
Jolie was well aware.
“If I asked for her help with getting pregnant, would she?” questioned Jolie.
If she could just achieve this one little thing, then they could start their family.
Jolie needed to give this to the men she loved.
Vanth shrugged. “That would depend on the person asking, and her mood. Not to mention, she would require a gift so monumental it might not be worth it in the end.”
Jolie weighed her options.
“What do I have that she’d want? I need you to prep me for this little meeting.”
Vanth stared deep into Jolie’s eyes for a second before touching the woman on the cheek. “She could ask for you to be her personal killer, or she could ask for your soul.”
She was confused.
“I don’t have a soul. I only have a third of Flynn’s.”
“No, you have a soul. When we were in Paris, dealing with Belladonna, you drank my blood.”
“Okay.”
“I was in the process of passing the human donor’s soul to Death. You got in the middle of it.”
She was horrified. “What?”
“You heard me, Jolie.”
This was news to her. “Okay, well, what can Death do with a soul?”
“She could own the person it belonged to, but since you’re one of her children, that doesn’t matter. She already owns you.”
Jolie didn't know what to say.
“Other than that, there’s really nothing you have that she’d want. Well, she is enthralled with your mates.”
“No.”
“Like I said, she’ll ask for something big.”
“If I give her this wayward soul, she can’t take Flynn’s portion that he shares, right?”
“No, she can only take what’s bartered, so as long as you make it clear that Flynn’s soul isn’t up for grabs, it’s hands off. Death is tricky, but she’s also honorable. The devil is in the details.”
Well, it was worth a try.
“Okay, I want to talk to Death.”
She hesitated.
“Please.”
“Jolie, you need to think carefully about this. You’ll give away a precious gift--one you’ve just received. What if you need this soul later as a bargaining chip?”
While Vanth had a point, Jolie knew what mattered most to her. She couldn’t bear to think about Flynn impregnating another vampyre. It made her sick. She pictured their earlier mating in the car, and when she pictured some other vampyre’s mouth all over his body, she wanted to kill.
“I have to do this.”
“Drinking from me multiple times can have side effects,” she offered.
Jolie ignored her. Instead, she kissed the demoness on the cheek. “I have to do this, Vanth. This is something I desperately want. Send me to her.”
Vanth began pacing erratically. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I want to see the mistress.”
With that, Vanth’s nails sharpened. Jolie would have backed away if she didn't trust the demoness. As Vanth sliced across her arm, the black murk bubbled.
Words were spoken in a language she didn't understand.
“Drink.”
Jolie tipped her head back, waiting for the blood to fall. The second it touched her tongue, fire ripped through her body. She screamed in pain as her world went black.
She was falling.
Deeper.
Deeper.
Deeper.
Then there was nothingness as she waited to bargain with someone so powerful.
Jolie had no choice.
Love made her do it.
In the den, both men froze.
“Something’s wrong,” stated Flynn.
Jacques was well aware as he reached for Jolie. “She’s gone.”
Flynn glanced over in fear. “Gone? Like out of the house?” he asked, his voice full of dread.
Before they could even stand, they heard her scream.
And then nothingness.
“No, she’s gone--as in dead.”
∞ Chapter Five∞
As the darkness receded from her body, Jolie once again found herself standing in a room. Only this time, instead of a dining room, it was what appeared to be a bedroom.
The red silk on the walls reminded her of blood. It was very apropos, considering where she was.
Of course her mistress would want to be surrounded by it.
“Jolie, enter my chamber and be welcomed,” called Death’s silky voice. It was almost a seductive purr, and it caressed her flesh, pulling goose bumps across her body.
“Thank you,” she replied, pulling back the sheer curtain that led into the inner sanctum.
Once inside, Jolie stopped when she saw they weren’t alone. “If I’m interrupting, I can come back later,” she offered.
Death laughed as she ran a hand down the bodies of two well-endowed men. “Don’t be silly. I’m about to dine. Would you care for something to eat?”
That horrified her. “Uh, no. I have two men of my own. They might get a little angry if I snack on take-out.”
Death laughed. “Very well, my little harbinger.”
Jolie watched in sick fascination as Death moved to the first man, sinking her fangs deep into his flesh. The look on his face had gone from misery to pure rapture.
Then it changed again as it progressed.
The skin on the handsome man went ashen, and then started to flake away as if he was turning to dust before everyone’s eyes.
When his eyes went glassy and dead, it was only then that Death pulled her fangs from his limp, fragile body.
She immediately glanced over at Jolie. “I hope you weren’t disappointed, Jolie.”
She said nothing.
“Oh, little harbinger, don’t fret. Tomorrow, he’ll be back to normal. I promise.”
“That sucks for him.”
Death laughed. “This was his choice. He bargained with me. He wanted to see his dead mate one last time.”
Jolie didn't look away from her mistress’s beautiful face. “What was the catch?”
Death was amused. “You’re too wise. There was one, as there always is. He saw her that one time, and now he serves me.”
“For how long?”
“Eternity. You see, he was human. Now, he’s food.”
Jolie wanted to be sick, but she kept her face neutral and her mind blank. “I see.”
“What of him?” asked Jolie, pointing at the second man.
“He’s my dessert. Care for a taste?”
“I’ll pass, but thank you for your offer.”
“Jolie, my love, you’re quite the polite diplomat,” stated Death, moving to the second man. His fate was exactly the same as the first one’s.
“What did he ask for?”
Death laughed. “Immortal life.”
“Yeah, he got screwed. He’s someone’s chew toy for eternity.”
“Yes, he did. You’d think that my children would know that I’m not easy to pull one over on.”
Jolie swallowed, knowing she was royally screwed.
Death snapped her manicured fingers, and the bodies disappeared. Fluffing her black and red hair, she slid off the bed to join her company.
“Now, let’s talk about what you want from me.”
Jolie couldn’t help but flinch. It was quite possible that Vanth had bee
n right. She was in over her head. What was she thinking?
“You probably are in trouble.”
Crap.
Death was in her head.
“Yes, and your body. You’re my child. I own you, and your thoughts, Jolie. Now, let’s get down to business.”
In a testament of her control, Jolie didn't flinch when Death touched her. When her forked tongue flickered out, licking at Jolie’s throat, she still managed to stay still. As her mistress ran her fingers over her flesh, they felt like scales. It was shocking since her fingers were very human-like.
Death laughed. “This is how you choose to see me. Trust me…you wouldn’t like the real visual.”
Jolie swallowed. How hard could this be? After all, she’d survived Goethe.
“Oh, he was nothing.”
Snapping her fingers, Jolie could hear his screams of pain from somewhere outside Death’s bedroom.
“Speaking of that bastard, I can assure you, my little killer, he’s suffering. He was a bad little vampyre. After you killed him, he tried to barter with me. Goethe the Grim wanted you back in the worst way.”
This time she did flinch.
Death touched her cheek. “Don’t worry. I gave him what he wanted. Right now, he’s living the same part of his vile life over and over again. You’re staking him. Every day, you kill him.”
That gave her some peace.
“I knew you’d like that. Now, what do you want, Jolie?”
Well, it was now or never.
“I know you’re a bitch to barter with. I know that I’m going to screw myself somehow, but I need your help.”
“Okay, ask.”
“Can I get pregnant?”
“On your own?”
“Yes.”
“No. You’re barren, little one. That boat sailed long ago.”
Jolie’s hopes dropped. “Is it because I’m old?”
She laughed. “No, it’s because Goethe damaged you--while my children heal if hurt, after one hundred and fifty years, he ruined you. The damage was too much for even your kind to recover from.”
Jolie closed her eyes. “I figured as much.”
“You want a baby?”
Here’s where it got tricky.
“I want a successful pregnancy, in which I deliver a healthy vampyre child, that is conceived from my mates.”
Dangerous Retaliation (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 4) Page 8