by Ginna Moran
I gaze at the paintings of gardens as I stroll to where Viorica takes a seat in the sitting area. She motions for me to sit across from her. Everett slides onto the last chair, leaving Mikkalo, Bronx, and Jameson to stand. I don’t think Jameson could sit if he wanted to. He fidgets with his suit jacket and sways his weight from foot to foot. Mikkalo crosses his arms over his broad chest, his frown clearly showing his annoyance. Like me, he probably would have just rather heard the results in the lobby. As for Bronx, he gives nothing away. If anything, he looks relieved that I was disqualified, which helps with my own nerves. It might not be a big deal after all. Maybe it was the universe’s way of giving me the chance to retake the tests properly so that I don’t end up with Corona.
Viorica hands Everett her com device, and he sets it on the table. I lean forward and read my stats. I’m five pounds heavier now than last time, probably from all of the food Jameson likes to stuff me with or maybe the added muscle I’ve gained from strength training with Bronx and Mikkalo.
“What are we looking at?” Viorica asks, beating me to it. “Is it a virus? Do I need to prepare my city for quarantine or is it something else? How long until we can settle your inheritance?” She doesn’t pause between questions to let Everett answer. “I will notify the rest of the board immediately.”
Everett taps on the screen and brings up my results from my blood test. “Your city is safe. I wasn’t lying about properly caring for Gwen. She isn’t sick.”
“Huh?” I ask, unable to understand what the names and numbers of the tests mean.
“So what is it? How long will the disqualification show on her application?” Viorica hunches forward, looking annoyed as all get-out that Everett doesn’t just tell her.
“I’m not sure,” he says, keeping his voice even. “Depends when Gwen’s last menstrual cycle was. I don’t recall her telling me, and she has not had one under our care. I thought perhaps it was due to the stress she was under upon her arrival.”
Viorica looks to me. “Ms. Royale? Please tell your health keeper what he needs to know.”
Everyone turns to me, and heat flushes my cheeks. “I don’t know. Before I Blood Matched...”
“You don’t know?” Viorica asks. Something strange crosses her face, and she jerks her attention to Everett. “Wait, Mr. Royale. Why do you need to know that? Are you suggesting that Gwen is...?” She doesn’t finish her thought.
Everett nods.
Viorica intakes a breath.
“What the fuck are you implying?” Jameson asks. “You just need to say it. I’m not following.”
Everett leans across the table and takes my hand. My whole body tingles as my own thoughts consume me. I don’t know a lot about the human body or medical stuff, but I do know that there might be only one reason Everett wants to know when my last period was. And it’s completely bat shit crazy.
“Gwen, you’re pregnant,” Everett says, meeting my gaze. His blue eyes flash silver. “That’s why you were disqualified. You cannot be a Blood Match and sustain a vampire.”
“What the actual fuck?” Jameson’s voice rises through the room. “That’s impossible. How the hell can she be pregnant?”
I stare at him, the same thoughts crossing my mind.
“It seems Gwen and possibly one of your staff members have some explaining to do,” Viorica says, smirking at me.
“I—” I snap my mouth closed without denying such an accusation. I’d never sleep with a staff member. I’ve never been truly alone.
Viorica gets to her feet. “Due to the nature of this situation, I’m going to leave Gwen’s contract unclaimed during the duration of her pregnancy. I’d advise you to interrogate your staff if Gwen doesn’t give you the information you desire.”
I swallow the burning in my throat. “And after?”
Viorica meets my gaze. “That will be up to your official Blood Match to decide. I’m sure if your match chooses to do so, and with the proper fees paid, I’m sure the board will agree to grant your heir exemption. I can’t imagine your future match wanting to deal with...that.” She points at my stomach.
Ah, hell. I still can’t believe it. There has to have been a mix up. I’m not pregnant. Vampires don’t procreate like that. They transfer vampirism through venom.
Offering her hand out to Bronx, Viorica says, “If you’ll excuse me, Mr. Royale. I do have plans for the rest of my night. Please keep me updated about your situation, and I’ll see you at the next board meeting.”
Bronx shakes her hand. “Thank you, Viorica.”
“Again, welcome to Donor Life Corp. You can show yourselves out.” Viorica disappears from her office, leaving the five of us alone.
The second the door clicks closed, Jameson practically pounces on me. He kneels in front of me and gets between my legs, pulling me close to press his ear to my stomach. I comb my fingers through his hair, tugging him away. The gesture surprises the hell out of me, considering he looked ready to blow up a minute ago.
“Gigi, I’m freaked the fuck out,” he says, snuggling me again. “How did this happen? I wanted to attack Viorica for even suggesting you’d sneak around with the staff. You’d never do that. You can’t eat them.”
I release a cross between a laugh and a whimper. “There has to have been a mistake.” Turning to Everett, I say, “You have to test me again.”
He bobs his head. “We’ll get this figured out.”
Mikkalo releases a soft growl, drawing my attention to him. “What if it happened at Corona’s? I’m going to murder him. If one of his staff—”
I stretch my arms up to him, getting him to move closer. “Nothing happened there. I was left alone and starved.”
“You can’t be certain. If he used mind manipulation—” Mikkalo picks up the vase from the table and thrusts it at the wall, shattering it.
I gasp at his thought.
Bronx grabs Mikkalo by the shoulders. “No, I don’t think so. His staff all checked out. His coven wouldn’t cover something like that up. The guy would’ve been slaughtered.” His words make me feel a teensy bit better.
Combing my fingers through my hair, I push it from my face. “I don’t want to think about Corona’s anymore. I want to go home.”
Jameson scoops me up and adjusts my legs around him. “Me too. Why don’t we check on your brother and then get out of here?”
I frown. “Shit.”
Jameson nuzzles his nose to mine. “Don’t feel bad about forgetting about him. You’re under a lot of stress, which we need to cut out immediately. I also need to look into your new dietary needs.”
I pout my lip. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. This is a mistake.”
“It has to be.” Bronx meets my gaze from over Jameson’s shoulder.
“Not necessarily.” Everett rubs his hand on my back. “We don’t know much about the dhampir mutation. Maybe she’s compatible. We don’t impregnate female vampires because of our regenerative nature and our bodies fight against foreign cells. We don’t impregnate humans because we’re incompatible and technically two different species. But Gwen is half. Her mutation might allow it.”
“Her brother did mention the Barons desire to use her to procreate,” Mikkalo says, speaking for the first time.
“You’re not suggesting they actually wanted to procreate with me,” I say, tilting my lips down in a frown.
Bronx’s expression mirrors mine. “Their coven is responsible for your family’s dhampir line. Maybe they knew.”
Jameson shifts me in his arms. “Maybe your brother might be able to help us now.”
I hug him tighter. “Fucking hell. Then let’s get him.”
***
I almost fear that we’ll discover Ashton missing from our room when we enter the hallway that leads to our suite. Jameson refuses to let me walk, and I can’t help thinking about what the hell is in store for me, if my results were right.
“Stop stressing. He’s in there,” Jameson says like he can read my mind.
“You think that’s what she’s stressing about?” Mikkalo asks, nudging Jameson with his knuckles.
“One of the things,” he responds, kneading his fingers into my back.
I lean away from him so that I can cup his cheeks in my hands. “Jamie, can you please stop reminding me? We don’t even know for certain.”
He caresses his lips to mine. “Doesn’t matter. I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
Everett whacks him on the back. “Knock it off. You’re going to be the one to stress her out. Or smother her. As her health keeper, I insist you keep your thoughts to yourself and treat her as you normally do.”
“I am,” he murmurs.
I nod. “He’s right. He rarely lets me down.”
That gets a chuckle out of Jameson. Resting my head on his shoulder, I let him carry me the rest of the way into the room. To my relief, I find Ashton standing in the kitchen, making breakfast. I’d usually eat dinner a little later, but the familiar scent of his cooking has me wiggling in Jameson’s arms.
“Your eating habits are starting to make a lot more sense now,” Jameson murmurs, finally setting me down.
I play-smack his chest. “Oh, shut up. My eating habits have nothing to do with...” I stop talking, feeling Ashton’s gaze on my back. I swivel on my feet and smile at him. “Hey, Ash. I’m glad to see you up. Are you okay?”
He waves his spatula. “Strangely, yes. Want some pancakes?”
I stroll to the small kitchen and take a seat on a barstool. “I almost forgot you were as good a cook as Porter.”
Ashton offers me a sad smile. “I was the one to teach him, you know.”
He sets down a stack of pancakes in front of me. I pick one up with my fingers, waving it around to cool it off before I take a bite, not even using a fork or waiting for the syrup Jameson grabs from the cupboard, knowing I like things super sweet.
“I didn’t. He claimed he taught himself,” I say.
“Of course that dickhead would.”
I can’t stop myself from smiling. Something feels incredibly normal, sitting here and talking to my brother. My guys stay close, but none of them say anything or join the conversation. They may be waiting for me to acknowledge them.
“We might have a lead on him. Right, Mikkalo?” I ask, swiveling to look at him.
Mikkalo nods. “As long as Corona doesn’t do something stupid.”
I frown. “Fuck.”
Ashton turns from the stove and sets down another plate on his side, choosing to stand to eat. “Are you planning on punishing him? I remember that the Barons had mentioned he knew about Gwen.”
Everyone greets him with silence.
“Surely you will, right?” he asks, glancing at me. “I know Gwen well enough to know she’d want that, especially from whichever one of you she matched with.”
I clear my throat. “I didn’t match.”
He frowns.
“I was disqualified.”
“I don’t understand. You qualified before. You should have again.” Ashton looks at my guys. “Right? It’s not like she suddenly aged out.”
I groan and thunk my head on the counter. I know we were going to ask Ashton about the possibility of me getting pregnant by a vampire, but I really—and I mean fucking really—don’t want to tell him. He was always worried that my fate would end up with me as a baby factory or some shit. He even said so before he allowed Bronx to see if he could unlock anything the Barons might’ve wanted to hide from us.
“Just say it, Gigi,” Jameson says.
Ashton rests his hand on mine. “You can tell me anything, Gwen. I love you unconditionally. You’re my baby sister. It’s what Dad would want from us. He’d be furious to find out about Grayson and Silas’s betrayal.”
Tilting my head up, I pout my lip at him. “Looks like you don’t have to worry about the Barons caging me and forcing me to become a baby maker.”
“You’re sterile?” he asks, keeping his voice calm.
I bare my bottom teeth to him. “No, pregnant.” Waving my hand at my guys, I add, “By one of them.”
I expect a look of total confusion or shock. I expect Ashton to laugh maniacally and to tell me he doesn’t believe me—that the possibility is utterly and completely bullshit. I hold my breath, praying to the universe that he’d react in the way I hope. That he knows it’s impossible for me to get impregnated by a vampire.
He doesn’t do any of that. All he does is scrub his hands down his face and turn away from me to stare at the dirty skillet on the stovetop.
“It’s ridiculous, right?” I ask, my voice low as to not break. “Everett’s going to test me again when we get back to Crimson Vista. We can’t exactly trust a health keeper that could barely find my vein to draw blood. It’s most likely a clerical error.”
Ashton heaves a breath. “You’ve been having sex with all of them, Gwen.”
“I told you I’m in love with them,” I say, like it could make it better. There’s no way I’m mentioning that I succumbed—or more like completely embraced—to my blood lust even before I had some major feelings
“Unprotected sex,” he says.
Jameson makes a strange noise from his throat. “There is no other kind of sex in our territory. The last time a condom was made was...decades ago.”
Ashton turns around and glowers. “You could’ve pulled out.”
My cheeks burn with so much embarrassment. I’m nearly certain I’m going to explode into flames and die with any kind of response that Jameson comes up with. Or any of my guys for that matter.
Mikkalo grabs Jameson by the shirt and drags him from the room, stopping him from what I can sense might be a string of shouts that the entire Vaduva Region might be able to hear. Bronx inches closer to me and laces his fingers between mine, quietly supporting me while I try not to break down.
Everett leans his elbows on the counter on the other side and meets Ashton’s gaze straight on. “Pulling out is not a guaranteed way of preventing pregnancy. But that doesn’t really matter now. None of us knew that we were compatible to procreate with Gwen. Had we known, I assure you we would’ve taken better precaution.”
Ashton only nods, his anger fizzling out with Everett’s words.
“So, it is what it is,” he continues. “What I want to know is how you knew of the possibility.”
Furrowing his brows, Ashton rubs his scruffy jaw, mulling over Everett’s question. He turns his attention to me, giving me a long look, training his gaze to my stomach like he can possibly see what’s going on inside of me.
“I—I just remembered. The Barons told me. It’s why they want Gwen. It’s weird. Like I have two different memories of the same situation.” Ashton strolls from the kitchen and plops onto the barstool next to me. “I think Bronx’s mind manipulation worked, but I’m still a little confused.”
I let go of Bronx’s hand to take my brother’s. “Things will be weird for a while, but if you say the Barons told you I could get knocked the hell up by a vampire, that’s the memory I’d believe.”
“It’s why they want you, Gwen. Apparently, whatever thing is inside of you will be as powerful as hell.”
“Did he just call one of our future kids a thing?” Jameson asks, his voice echoing through the door.
I can’t stop myself from laughing in exasperation. Not only because I’m damn sure Jameson’s already currently all in for whatever comes of this unexpected situation but also because the Barons had the nerve to think that I’d just let them impregnate me and “bear the power” or whatever they said, which now makes a whole lot of sense.
“So powerful that it could change the balance of the world,” Ashton says. “And like I told you, I wanted nothing to do with the future they want with you. I couldn’t just accept the deal that they made with Grayson and Silas.”
I purse my lips. “What deal exactly?”
“They were going to bring them into the Baron Coven. All of our brothers who agree. Silas was transformed to set the de
al in motion. If they get ahold of you, Grayson will be next. The rest of us were to follow after—” He reaches out and rests his hand on my belly. “This happened.”
“Fuck,” I say. “They’re a bunch of psychos.”
Ashton squeezes my hand. “You can’t tell anyone else, Gwen. If the Barons find out...I’m afraid for you.”
“We won’t let anything happen,” Everett says, his voice sounding more certain than I think I could ever feel.
“Damn straight,” Jameson says, opening the door to come back into the room.
A chime rings through the air, but only Mikkalo pulls out his com device to look at the screen. He stiffens, darting his gaze to Bronx.
“We have to go,” Mikkalo says. “There’s been another attack on our region.”
Ashton swears. “The Barons?”
Mikkalo surprises me by nodding to let him know his thought is right.
He gets to his feet. “I’m coming with you.”
“I’m sorry, Ashton. You can’t. You belong to the Vaduva Region,” Bronx says.
“I don’t care. I have to go with you. I can’t just leave Gwen now. Things are different. Clearer,” he says. Ashton grabs my hand, proving he’s serious. “And if the Baron’s attacked your region, they know about Gwen. They have to.”
“You can’t do anything to help us,” Mikkalo says.
He scowls. “I can do more than you can.”
“How?” Jameson asks, flashing his fangs.
Ashton straightens his shoulders. “I can tell them that I’ve changed my mind. I’ll tell them I want to join them. And when they allow it, I’ll kill every last one of them.”
“You can’t do that alone,” I say, frowning.
He offers me a smirk, like I’m dumb for even believing that he thought he could. “I’m not doing it alone. Your coven will help me.”
