A Mate for Lazarus

by Charlene Hartnady

  Chapter 19

  The next day…

  Lazarus felt bleary-eyed. His brain felt fuzzy. It was a mixture of lack of sleep and pushing himself in the gym. He pumped weights until the sweat dripped in his eyes, the burn of his muscles, pushing himself beyond the limits. It was the only thing that gave him a modicum of comfort.

  Something buzzed on Allison’s desk. “Brant will see you now.”

  He glanced her way and she gave him a pitying smile. Fuck that! He grunted his response and headed to his king’s office. Brant had sent him a meeting request this morning. He had cut his afternoon training session short to be here. What the hell did Brant want? Hopefully he and Zane weren’t going to try and talk him into taking Alexandra back for the sake of the child. He had thought about it and it wasn’t something he could do.

  No way. He would be there for his child in every conceivable way. Lazarus would raise the child himself if she decided she wanted out. His heart broke all over again just thinking about his son not knowing his mother. Lazarus sighed. He would support Alexandra any which way he could, but he could not be with someone that didn’t love him.

  A jarring thought came to him. What if she found someone else in the future? His muscles bunched beneath his leathers. Lazarus shook his head. He couldn’t think like that right now. One step at a time. One day at a time. Thinking too far into the future tore holes into him.

  He opened the door to Brant’s spacious office.

  His king gave him the once over. “You’re the most physically fit I think I’ve ever seen you, yet you’ve never looked so bad.”

  Lazarus snorted. “Thanks…I think.”

  “Take a seat.” Brant gave him the same look of pity that Allison had. “How are you holding up?”

  Lazarus did as Brant asked, hoping that this wasn’t going to take too long. “Why am I here?”

  “I need you to stay calm please.” Brant leaned back in his seat.

  “What is going on?” Lazarus couldn’t help the growl or the fact that it came out in a roar. He stood up so quickly that his chair fell back with a clatter.

  “Calm the fuck down.” Brant stood up as well.

  “What’s wrong? Is Alexandra okay? The baby, is something wrong?” He struggled to breathe, to even think. He couldn’t lose her. The last things he’d said to her were nasty and untrue. He’d said them out of fear and terrible pain. Right now he wished he could take them back. He should’ve explained that he needed some time, some space.

  “The human is fine and so is the baby. Calm the fuck down.”

  Lazarus sucked in a deep breath. “I’m fucking listening.”

  “She’s fine but she is no longer on vampire territory.” Brant put a hand up.

  Lazarus roared. When he managed to get air back into his lungs, he locked eyes with Brant. “Where is she? What happened?”

  “Pick up the chair and take a seat.”

  Lazarus jerked his head and folded his arm. “I’m fine.” He was anything but.

  Brant gave him a look that told him he was full of shit. “Suit yourself.” His king sat back down. “Miss Stone came and saw me this morning. She said that she didn’t want to stay on vampire territory. She had her bag with her and told me that she was leaving. That there was nothing I could do to stop her.”

  Lazarus clenched his jaw.

  “I tried to convince her otherwise. I explained about the fascist groups. Those that would wish to harm her or the child. Those that would want to kidnap him but she wouldn’t hear of it. She said that she couldn’t be here with how things were between the two of you.”

  Lazarus picked up the fallen chair and sat down for fear of his legs giving out. He shook his head. “I can’t believe you just let her go.”

  “I couldn’t hold her against her will. I…” He paused, his eyes narrowed. “I tried to pay her to stay. I tried to convince her to remain with us and then to hand over the child but she wouldn’t hear of it. I offered her millions. More money than she would see in three lifetimes.” His king looked puzzled. “I expected her to pounce on the opportunity. I mean, why else was she after the story if not for fame and fortune?” His gaze turned cold. “I expect that she will try and milk us for more once the child comes.”

  “There won’t be a child if she is harmed.” Lazarus jumped to his feet, already moving towards the door.

  “Where do you think you are going?” Brant asked.

  “I’m going to bring her back, kicking and screaming if I have to.”

  “That’s called kidnapping.”

  “So fucking be it.” He growled, continuing towards the door.

  “I have five guards assigned to her safety, at all times. They are with her wherever she goes. Do you think I’m an idiot?” Brant spat.

  “Don’t make me answer that question right now, my lord. I don’t care if you assign the entire elite team to her care. I’m going to get her back. She’s not safe out there. You are fooling yourself if you think that she is.” He ignored Brant’s calls and left, slamming the door behind him.

  “Lazarus,” Allison called after him. He ignored her too and kept moving. She called him again, only this time she was right behind him. He spun around and she almost crashed into him.

  She tugged a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, pulling herself back together. “Sorry. I take it that you heard the news?”

  He gave a nod of the head. “I can’t believe she did this. Alexandra is risking my son.”

  “She left because she couldn’t bear to be here. She thinks that you hate her. She can’t bear to see you and not be able to be with you. To live near you and not to be able to have you. Alex may have said something about seeing you with other females.”

  “He is my son too. She has no right to do this!” Lazarus roared.

  “I normally wouldn’t involve myself in something like this but you are being pigheaded.”

  He narrowed his eyes, taking a step back. “I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are. It’s hard to hear the truth, isn’t it? Go then. Run away. You’re not hearing her out. Giving her a chance and that what’s caused this upset.”

  “Fuck that,” Lazarus growled. “It was her lies that caused all this.”

  “Listen to yourself. You keep saying the same thing over and over. Stop it. So what if she lied to you? What she did was bad and it was wrong. It doesn’t mean that you should throw everything away over it.”

  “She doesn’t love me. This was all about the story. I can’t allow myself to get sucked in again. To believe again. It hurts too fucking badly.”

  “You are letting fear cloud your judgment. You are going to regret it. She wants to try and work on it. You should hear her out and give her a chance.”

  “Why? It would be for the sake of the child. I love her but she doesn’t feel the same. That is no basis for a relationship or for a family.”

  “I understand why you are struggling to believe her after what she did. You are emotionally attached. You can’t think straight or see the situation at a distance.”

  “What are you saying? I can see just fucking fine.” He growled.

  “No, you can’t but I can. I believe her. What she did was wrong but she does love you and she’s sorry she lied to you. It may have started out as a lie but it wasn’t a lie in the end, Lazarus.”

  He thought of their kiss. How she’d kissed him like she meant it and he had believed but only because he wanted it so badly. Could there have been more to it? He shook his head.

  “Did you know that she signed the contract, including the non-disclosure clause? She didn’t have to but she did. Brant had pills delivered to her room to try and get her to get rid of the baby.”

  Anger swept through him. “What?” He snarled.

  Allison nodded. “Brant thought that he was doing the right thing for all parties involved.”

  Lazarus growled.

  “She refused to take the medication. She was so angry. So upset that he would do such a thing. He
offered her a lot of money to take the pills and she still refused.”

  Lazarus grit his teeth. Could it be? Surely not. “Alexandra will make more money if she has this child.”

  Allison shook her head. “She has refused all offers of money. The scent of her disgust, of her anger was thick. She wasn’t lying. I believe her. The scent of her grief has been just as strong. You haven’t paid attention. It’s hard to notice the details when you are an emotional wreck yourself.”

  “For what it’s worth.” It was Brant, the male had stepped out into the hallway.

  Lazarus had to work hard not to lay into the male.

  “I think Allison might be right.” He was looking at the female. “Everything you just said makes sense.” He turned to face Lazarus. “You need to go and listen to what Miss Stone has to say. These human females confuse me.”

  “You are mated to one yourself.” Allison smiled.

  “Tanya confuses me but please don’t tell my mate or my life will become more difficult.” Brant actually looked guilty. “It’s no excuse but we haven’t been sleeping very well. Our son is very demanding. He wants to be cuddled and breastfed every two hours.”

  “Sounds like he takes after his fathers.” Allison raised her brows, her eyes twinkled with mischief.

  Brant pinched the bridge of his nose. “Takes after Zane,” he growled.

  Allison looked at him pointedly and Brant growled again, a half-smile appearing.

  Lazarus had, had just about enough of the banter. He was pissed with Brant. He needed to get to Alexandra before something, potentially went wrong. He snarled his frustration.

  Allison grabbed his arm in an attempt to calm him down. “There’s more. You didn’t tell him about the pregnancy, my lord.”

  Brant shook his head. “He didn’t give me a chance.”

  Allison squeezed, bringing his attention back to her. “There is a chance that Alexandra is pregnant with twins.”

  “What? How can you be so sure?”

  Allison shook her head. “We’re not sure but it is normally twins when a female starts to crave blood so soon after her heat. Two days is really early.”

  Twins.

  “You’re gaping.” The twinkle was back in Allison’s eyes.

  He snapped his mouth shut. “How do we find out for sure? Twins?”

  “Everything will be more pronounced including her craving for blood. She will need blood at least once a day, maybe even more. Her belly will swell bigger. We also suspect that her senses will be stronger than even an enhanced human’s. Maybe even as much as a vampire’s.”

  “I have to go.” Lazarus turned and left, not looking back. If he didn’t he would probably end up hitting his king, despite Brant admitting to being wrong…again. There were certain aspects of The Program that Zane needed to handle because Brant was doing such a shit job of it. Human and vampire relations was one of them. Alexandra might be pregnant with twins, he stumbled, righting himself at the last moment.

  Twins.

  Chapter 20

  Alex tried to ignore the guy standing in her living room. She tried to ignore the fact that there were two at the front entrance to her apartment as well. One outside the elevator and another at the top of the stairs on her floor.

  She shuddered to think what shopping was going to be like. Would all of them surround her? Would they want to run errands for her? It was nuts. It would end up drawing attention to her. There was only one reason she had agreed to this in the first place. It turned her stomach but her body refused to listen. Blood. She needed to drink whether she wanted to or not. Alexandra sniffed the air. The guy in her living room had a nice enough scent. She didn’t want to drink from him though. She didn’t particularly want to drink from anyone but if she had to, she would pick Lazarus.

  She chewed her lip, trying not to cry. Barely pregnant and her emotions were a mess. If she was craving blood then she was probably also hormonal.

  “Are you thirsty?” The vampire asked her. He was the same guy she had met before, Titan. He was second-in-command of all the guards. Her babysitter for the foreseeable future.

  She shook her head even though her fangs throbbed. Her stomach clenched. “I just need a glass of water.” So damned thirsty.

  “Water won’t help, you know?” Titan was nice enough. Also a bigger guy, he kept his distance and hadn’t spoken much until now.

  “I’m good.” She tried to smile. How long would that last? An hour, two? The clock was ticking. Blood. Alex practically drooled at the thought. She pursed her lips.

  “Let me know if you change your mind. I’ll stay right outside your—”

  The door burst open, almost tearing off its hinges. “You can get the fuck out.” Lazarus growled, his finger pointed at Titan. “Now.” He snarled when the guy didn’t move.

  Titan put up his hands in defense. “I’ll be right outside the door just in case you need me.” His gaze was firmly on her.

  “She won’t fucking need you.” His voice was low and rough.

  “I think the female can decide that.” Titan raised his brows. He glanced from her to Lazarus and back again.

  “Alexandra is my female. Mine!” He roared for a second time. “Get out!”

  “And I have been assigned to her protection. Don’t make me call the others in here. You would not stand a chance against five.”

  “Call the others…” Lazarus muttered. “Fucking pussy.” His chest heaved. “Can’t fight your own battles.”

  Alex stepped forward. “There is no need for fighting. Titan…”

  Lazarus growled as she said the other guy’s name and if she didn’t know better she would say that he was jealous. She cleared her throat. “Can you please give us a minute? I will be fine.”

  Titan held her gaze for a few beats before nodding. He left her apartment, closing the door behind him.

  Suddenly they were alone and Alex wasn’t sure what to do, or say. They both started talking at once.

  Lazarus shoved his hands in his pockets and she sucked back her words.

  “You first.” His dark eyes locked with hers. They were still clouded with hurt and with pain but they didn’t seem as bad as before.

  “Don’t try and talk me into coming back with you. I can’t.” She shook her head, trying hard not to cry.

  “I’m here to talk. I’m ready to hear you out. It was overwhelming before. I was too hurt, too angry to listen.” He shifted his weight. “I’m all ears now.”

  Shit! He was giving her a chance. What the hell should she say to him? How did she make him understand?

  “Let’s sit down.” He pointed to the couch in the living room.

  Alexandra took a seat at one end and Lazarus sat down at the other. He was dressed in his leather pants and vest. His weapons were still strapped to his body. His scent hit her square in the nose. It was unmistakable, alpha male. Raw aggression with a healthy dose of spice. It made her mouth water.

  Lazarus gave a half smile which quickly disappeared. His eyes turned serious. “Do you need to drink?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t want to.”

  “I told you not to lie to me again. If you do, I’m leaving. There will be no second chances.”

  He was implying that he might just forgive her. Why? What had changed? Realization hit and it hurt.

  “You should drink, Alexandra. Just a few mouthfuls and then we can talk.”

  Just hearing him say the word, mouthfuls, made her want to attack him with her fangs and never let go. She hated this craving. “I wasn’t lying. I don’t want to drink, I have to. This is new to me. It scares me. I’m not sure I like it.”

  Lazarus nodded. “I understand.” His nostrils flared as he moved towards the center of the couch. “I’m glad that you didn’t drink from someone else.”

  Definite jealousy. What was she missing? He unstrapped a few weapons, placing them on the coffee table, then he peeled off his vest exposing all of his layers of roped muscle. It made her mouth water
even more. Made her lose her train of thought.

  He opened his arms. “Get on my lap,” a rough growl. When she hesitated, a tick appeared in his jaw. “I won’t lose control like yesterday, I promise.”

  Alex nodded and climbed onto his lap. He gripped her waist and moved his head to the side. A clear invitation.

  Alexandra put her hands against his chest and focused on the thud at the base of his neck. Her fangs felt sharp and achy. Her mouth felt dry.

  “It’s fine. Take your time. If you look carefully you will see my pulse. You will hear it. That is the spot to bite. You won’t hurt me.”

  “Will you…” Oh god. There was no way she could ask him that.

  “Ask me.”

  “No, it’s…”

  “Ask me.” A command. His voice was deep and rich.

  She huffed out a breath. “It’s stupid…” She mumbled, feeling him tense beneath her. “Will you become aroused? You don’t have to answer. It’s stupid.”

  “It’s not stupid. Yes, I will. Very fucking aroused. I will deal with it. Now drink so that we can talk.”

  “Fine. Hold still.” She focused on his pulse. On the rapidly increasing rate of his pulse. It was becoming both faster and stronger. Lazarus’ chest moved beneath her hands with each breath he took. She bit down, hearing his lust-filled groan echo around her apartment.

  She couldn’t dwell because his taste filled her mouth. It was the best thing she had ever savored. Better than handmade, Belgian chocolates, better than champagne, better than anything that had passed her lips, better than anything that ever would pass her lips again. He tasted like they belonged together. She was going to tell him everything. Hopefully it would help him understand.

  All too soon. He pulled away from her. His chest rumbled as he growled low. The sound was laced with frustration. “That’s enough…for now.”

  When she caught his gaze it was filled with desire. His irises glowed softly. He was so beautiful that for a second there she couldn’t speak. Her throat felt clogged, her heart raced. His taste was still on her lips.

  She realized that she was still in his lap. Her hands were still planted against his chest. “I need some water.” She mumbled while scrambling off of him. “Can I get you anything?”