“If you're uncomfortable with him here, I'll send him away.”
“No, it's not that,” she explained, turning to meet his eyes. “I just feel bad for how I hurt him. For how we hurt him. Both of us wronged Zander, but in different ways. Through my own confusion in my feelings for you, I led him on. I might not have meant to but I did, and I hate that he got hurt. Zander is a good person. He didn't deserve it.”
Kosmas sighed. “I agree,” he confessed heavily, much to her amazement. “I let my jealousy cloud my thinking, but I don't apologize for that, Keely. I'll never apologize for anything that I've done to win you. Having you as my mate is worth everything I did and more.”
He stopped to stare in Zander's direction, a frown on his face. “But I could have won you without sending him away. I've never had cause to doubt Zander's loyalty, and over the years he's proved his worth repeatedly with his work. I'd like to reward him for that.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“I'm going to place Zander as acting leader over the Seiyadians, if he'll accept the role. He will have to live in Diabolos, but that shouldn't be too big of a deal. I need someone I can trust, and the sooner the better. The Seiyadians need a strong, honest vampire to lead them, and I fully believe that Zander will be well suited to the role. I've suspected for awhile now that Zander is growing bored with his position, and I don't want to lose him. If all goes well, he will find this to be a positive change.”
It was an excellent idea. Kosmas leaned forward to press a kiss right above the spot where her neckline ended, sending erotic chills throughout her body. “Are you going to tell him tonight?”
He shook his head. “Not tonight but soon. Maybe tomorrow. It's going to be hard enough for me to get through this market without ravishing you.”
Keely made a small sound in the back of her throat that was half-gasp, half-moan. It was the same way for her. They made love often, but the heat between them was constantly simmering, always on the edge of igniting. “Do you think it will always be this way for us?” she asked him, rotating in his lap so she could wind her arms around his neck as she stared at him.
“Always,” he reassured her firmly, his expression serious and intent. “I've lived several lifetimes, and I've done everything I ever could have possibly wanted to do, but none of them were half as enjoyable as having you in my life. You're not just my mate, Keely. You're a part of me. And now that I've experienced what loving you really means, I wouldn't be able to exist without it.”
He barely got the last word out before she kissed him, her eyes watering with happiness. Emotion welled up inside of her, too strong for her to contain. “Once upon a time, there was this girl,” she told him, her voice soft. “And this girl had not only given up on life, but she'd also given up on love. She really didn't have a future, and she knew it. There was no escape from the life she was living... and all she could do was try to make it through each day. Deep inside, though, she knew one day it would all end, and she'd never get the chance to experience love, much less have a family.”
Kosmas listened while she talked, his eyes never leaving her face. And in those dark eyes, she saw the sheen of tears. It broke her. Keely sobbed once before continuing, “Then, through this series of fantastical events, she meets this astonishingly gorgeous vampire, and he refuses to take no for an answer. There wasn't anything that he wouldn't do to win her, and in the end he does... and he makes every dream she ever had a reality.”
Keely disengaged one arm from his neck before grabbing his hand to slide it over her stomach. “Every dream, Kosmas,” she whispered, her face wet with tears. She was crying so hard she could barely see him.
His eyes widened just an instant before he jumped up, holding Keely and even Brownie in his muscular arms. His face was alight with his joy when he asked, “A baby? You're going to have my child?”
Keely nodded as Kosmas rained kisses all over her face. The crowd quieted, the spectators intrigued by the events on the podium. It was enough to make them temporarily forget all about the upcoming market, as they watched and waited to see what the commotion was all about.
“I'm going to be a father,” Kosmas yelled, his voice loud enough for everyone at the amphitheater to hear. There was a slight pause just before the Neiyadians erupted in cheers. Kosmas ignored them to take possession of her lips. By the time he broke away, they were both breathless.
“Thank God you finally said yes, though,” he remarked, as he reluctantly pulled away.
“Why?” Keely managed to ask, her voice raspy from the emotional moment. “Would you have finally stopped asking?”
“No,” Kosmas replied solemnly. “Never. I would have never stopped trying to win you... and I never will.”
He hugged her to him as they turned to survey the vampires. No longer was she a stranger in their world. Now, she was a part of them... and in her womb was their hopes for the future. She was a vampire.
A Note From Desiree Broussard:
Writing Taken: The Vampire's Concubine has been a wild and amazing ride. Thank you so much for undertaking it with me.
But it's not over yet. In fact, it's only beginning!
There will be one more release in season one. I have a special Christmas novelette planned for Keely and Kosmas. This will not only wrap up season one, but it will be the kick-off for season two. Season two will be Zander's story. You will still get some updates on Keely and Kosmas, but the main focus of this series will shift over to Zander, and his pursuit of his own mate.
But there is more.
I've also got a series planned for this universe, but it will not be on Legionnaire. You see, there's another planet close by, and not unlike the vampires, they are facing their own extinction. This world is home to a whole other set of paranormal creatures... and they play by their own set of rules.
There will be a whole lot going on with my books over the next several months. To get an update, please sign up to follow my blog (by email is the best way) at: http://authordesireebroussard.wordpress.com/
Thank you so much for loving my characters as much as I do.
Desiree Broussard
Taken: The Vampire's Concubine: Part Five Page 7