by C. L. Quinn
Starla launched at him, rolling him into the sand, soaking his clothes and hair.
“I love you, I love you, I love you,” she murmured as she kissed his eyes and cheeks. She settled in to kiss him deeply afterward to make him understand what this meant to her.
Jacob stood beside Starla as she made the call. It seemed like forever before she heard Ahmose’s deep voice.
“Ahmose,” Starla said, relieved he answered.
He was quiet for a moment. When he spoke, it was carefully.
“I didn’t think I would ever hear from you again. I didn’t think you would forgive me for my part in Jacob’s abduction.”
“We both forgive you. You brought him home. In the end, you did the right thing. Everyone makes mistakes. That’s yours, my friend. You did have an impossible choice that drove you there. I hate that it happened, but it’s over now. Anyway. Ahmose, can you get on a flight here right away? How soon could you be here?”
He was quiet again.
“Probably by tomorrow night.”
“Well, hurry. The moon will still be full and we have a baby to make.”
Ahmose’s blood ran cold. He was afraid to imagine what that meant. What? They had a baby to make?
“Hello, did you hear me?”
“I heard you.”
“Well, get your ass on a plane. As soon as you get here, you’re giving us your baby makers and Koen’s daughter is going to inseminate me. I’m going to have our son, Ahmose.”
Dead silence. He had no words. Finally he said, “I will rent a plane and be there first thing tomorrow night.”
“Good. Bring Chione.”
She rang off and looked at Jacob.
“It’s done.”
“Then I’d better make love to my wife while I can without a baby inside.”
Starla pushed him down on the bed and sat on top of him.
“I love you so much for this. I’m not getting off of you until he gets here. Better go get something to eat to keep up your strength.”
Jacob used vampire hyper speed to get to second meal buffet, loaded two trays, and had them back in their bedroom in moments. Starla looked up as he came through the doorway grinning.
“Let’s waste no time.”
So, in a frenzy of good food and incredible sex, no time was wasted at all until they fell asleep four hours later.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Covered with a sheet, Starla waited on a metal table as Park, with two of her assistants, finished the procedure.
“Please lay still,” Park advised.
A short time later, she brushed Starla’s hair back off her moist brow.
“It’s done. We just have to wait to see if it worked.”
When Starla came out of the lab, Ahmose sat waiting in a corner with big eyes. Chione was two seats away with her soft smile that Starla had missed. Eillia showed up without Caedmon, who must be with his father.
Right outside the lab door, Jacob waited. He stood immediately.
“Everything go okay?” he asked immediately. Right now, all he cared about was that she was all right.
“Very well, baby,” Starla assured him.
Cherise had flown in, waiting with David and Jacob. She moved over next to Starla.
“May I?”
Starla nodded. “You can’t know anything yet, right? It’s too soon.”
Cherise moved her hands across Starla’s belly with closed eyes.
Jacob came up behind her and gave her a “what the hell” look. Starla shrugged her shoulders. Ahmose stayed in the corner like a punished child, but his sharp eyes were on Cherise.
A big sigh followed a wide smile as Cherise stepped back to address everyone in the room who waited for her assessment.
“He is begun. The boy is anxious to come into this world. Ahmose, Jacob, Starla, you have a baby boy who will be here in about six months. I will come back in two weeks so you will be able to meet him for the first time. Congratulations.”
She walked out with David, leaving a stunned room full of faces behind.
Eillia laughed.
“Here, let me explain. A first blood child is not a normal baby. He will be conscious and able to communicate by two weeks. Not in words, but in feelings. It’s a magical connection that Cherise will guide for you. There will never be another experience in your life like it.”
She paused.
“I believe what Cherise said a while ago about this being a special time in our history. That there is something happening right now. That it is a time of birth and rebirth for the born vampires. Not just these children, suddenly so common,” she looked at Ahmose, “but that the clans have discovered each other. I think this next one-hundred years is going to be very special.”
Starla remembered the moment she realized that her vampire genes were a gift that would let her live through history. Now, she realized, all along, she was meant to be here. Destiny had cast a much greater, grander net than any of them could possibly have known.
Her hands went to her belly as she had seen Eillia do so many times. She looked from Ahmose to Jacob.
“We’re having a son,” she whispered.
Two weeks later, after Cherise had come and gone, it was just before dusk on a warm early autumn day, and Starla lay awake. Her mate slept beside her after the day of rest, and she would awaken him now.
The child had spoken to Starla in a way she could not define. She knew he was grateful he would be born and beloved by his parents. He knew Jacob was one of them.
Jacob still slept, but she woke him with a kiss.
“Hi, baby,” he said, as he did most nights.
“Hi, baby,” she responded. “Jacob, someone wants to speak with you.”
He got up on his elbow.
“Who?” He looked around concerned, wondering who had contacted her before he woke for the night.
She said nothing, just guided his hand to her belly, and laid back.
Curved against the slight mound, his hand pressed softly. Then his eyes moistened. A few moments later, he pulled his hand away, and nestled his head against her.
“He’s going to be nothing like a normal child, is he?”
“No, he’s not.”
“He let me know we are family forever. He made it clear I am father, too.”
Both just lay there with their arms around each other.
“What if we’d never decided to do this? He would never have existed. I can’t imagine that now.”
“Oh, I don’t think that was going to happen. He was meant to be. Exactly the way it happened. And exactly now.”
They fell silent again.
Then Jacob whispered, “I’m going to be a father.”
Starla knew then it would all be right. The boy would have two incredible fathers. She closed her eyes and thanked the universe for bringing her here, making her vampire, and giving her the life she’d always wanted. She’d made her choices, and asked the universe to be kind.
Destiny and fate complied.
Fini, but…
On the fourth floor…
Exhausted from all the events lately, deep in REM sleep, the chirping of his cell phone pissed Koen off.
“What?” he barked into the offensive piece of plastic.
“Sir, it’s Johnson. I think we’ve found her. Check out your email. I sent a photo.”
Koen sat up, wiping his eyes to focus better, and put his feet on the floor. He pulled back, perused the phone, and logged in.
There she was, the face that had haunted him for three months. Finally. He could believe in miracles again.
“Johnson, that’s her. Where?”
“USA. Chicago. She’s a reporter at a small but well respected newspaper. Her column is actually pretty popular.”
“Send me all you have. Johnson, thank you for your tenacity. You and your guys take a week off with pay.”
“Thank you, sir. Let me know if you need anything else.”
Koen rang off and stared at the pu
blicity photo of his obsession.
Alisa Ison, voice of the people, it said.
Her eyes blew into his soul, even from that two dimensional image. He hadn’t forgotten even one detail of her face, but he couldn’t stop staring at the photo.
Luckily, his fingers knew the keyboard of his phone very well.
After dialing a preset number, a voice answered on the other side.
“Prepare the jet for a trip across the sea. We’re going to Chicago. Tonight.”
One more journey completed in the story of first blood vampires who’ve watched the whole of human drama unfold through history…and yet they’re slaves to the same passions and foibles. Because they’re still human, and love never changes through the passage of time.
Thank you again for coming along. Next, see where the love affair that began in this book goes as Koen travels halfway around the world for that elusive one night stand that may be his one true love.
When eyes meet for the first time, you never know where that moment will take you.
Koen and Alisa, next in the series, available soon on Amazon.com.
Go to clquinn.com or check out C.L.Quinn Writer Facebook page for all new release information. Or visit at tcbutts.com to check out Charlie Quinn’s own story.