“It was my pleasure. Do you guys need help with this big box?” Laura asks.
“We have two hunky men to manhandle it. No worries, Laura. I can’t wait to see what is in the box. Thank you so much,” I say.
“Nonsense. I want everyone to see Laura Zhang on that gorgeous body of yours. It’s my gift to the little one.”
I kiss her cheek as does everyone else. Manda hugs her tightly and whispers thank you in her ear. Of course we can hear her. We herd ourselves to the elevator and as soon as we are in and the door is shut I ask Aidan to put the box and wedding dress in my closet.
“Why in your closet?” Aidan asks, bemused.
“So you can’t peek. If I find out you have I will find a way to make you sing all the high notes you couldn’t reach before.” Aidan and Sebastian instinctively move their hands to protect themselves. Manda laughs.
Aidan sends the clothes and dress home and then we link hands and arrive in the dining room. The boys wanted to check in with Matteo and Alessandro. What we find is chaos and wreckage.
TWENTY-SEVEN / SEBASTIAN
I hear the girls gasp and Aidan curse as we look at what is left of our dining room and kitchen. An epic fight took place. The dining room table is in splinters, there are holes in the walls, the granite countertops are cracked with chunks missing. There is not a single appliance that doesn’t have a dent or door hanging by a thread. Blood splatters decorate the walls and floors. I hear a moaning sound and Aidan and I rush to its source.
“Matteo, mon Dieu, what happened? Are you okay?”
“Where’s Alessandro?” Aidan asks. Aidan and I exchange a look. Matteo groans again but manages to sit up.
“Alessandro was gone tracking Giulia and her vamps but they showed up here first. I tried to handle the situation. Her vamps aren’t trained in combat but there were seven of them with her,” Matteo says, holding his side. He is sure to have broken ribs. Why did Giulia not just kill him?
“Was she trying to kill you or just incapacitate you?” I ask.
“She said I was an example of what she would do to Lily. I have to warn Alessandro.” Matteo pulls out a phone and speaks to Alessandro. The gist being that Alessandro needs to come back immediately. While we busy ourselves getting Matteo to the one chair not destroyed, Alessandro comes flying in.
“Tell me everything,” Alessandro directs Matteo.
The story we hear is barbaric. The vampires we are dealing with have no conscience. I forget how most of the vampire population are crazed with their own desires. I’m terrified for Lily. I know Aidan is worried too. We both pull the girls close to us.
“Thank the Father you were gone,” Alessandro says. Matteo nods his agreement.
“On the other hand, we might have been able to take them. I’ve fought many battles and Aidan is able to vaporize vampires,” I say. Alessandro and Matteo look nervously at Aidan.
“Rest easy, my new friends, I have no plans on hurting you,” Aidan says trying to reassure them.
“What are we going to do now? Look at this place. I don’t want to go next door because they don’t need us to bring this danger to them,” Lily says. Her voice is trembling and her hands are shaking as she runs them through her hair.
“We need to neutralize the threat and do it as soon as possible,” Aidan says.
He waves his hand and everything is back to normal, including the blood stains. I sigh heavily and nod my thanks at him. He acknowledges it. Matteo and Alessandro gasp and regard him with awe. Normally Aidan would be eating it up but their admiration doesn’t even register with him. He has a malevolent look in his eyes.
“Aidan, thank you,” Lily mumbles. She seems to be in shock. She will need blood soon.
Aidan takes Lily’s face in his hands.
“Lilith, you know I would do anything for you. To protect you, your baby, and Manda is my top priority. I will vaporize each and every vampire, human, or beast that tries to take any of you away from us. Trust me, we will all be okay.”
Lily takes a big breath and shakes herself, trying to get a hold of her composure. I love her more in this minute than I ever had. I know we are again in a dangerous position but she is pulling herself together and not getting hysterical.
“Cherie, I agree with you. We have to stay here and from now on we need to stay together in the house. It’s the only chance we have of getting them. If they come back then it will take all of us to finish them.” I turn and look at Aidan. “Aidan, could you put a vampire-proof safe room in the house?”
“Yes. That’s a great idea. Lilith should not fight and Manda is so new I would feel better with both of them in there. Then we wouldn’t be distracted either. I’ll set it to fingerprint recognition. Only Lily or Manda’s fingerprints will open it so they can’t use you to open it. Of course anyone can open it from inside.”
He begins pacing, thinking, rubbing his chin.
“I think I will make a room like my apartment. You won’t know it is an addition on the house. And if you don’t know where it is you won’t be able to find it. I’ll make the door in your room.”
“Thank you, Aidan. I want to help you get it set up with what Manda and I will need. Hannah and the babies can use it too,” Lily says. The two of them go back to the bedroom. I know she is safe with Aidan.
“What a mess. This is all my fault,” Manda says and sits down hard in a chair.
“Manda, dear, why would you say that? This is no one’s fault. Giulia is just a psychotic vampire. Crazy in every way,” I tell her.
“Well, my rescue set her off and gave her a target. I’m so sorry, Sebastian.”
“Chou chou, you are not to blame for any of this. They stole you and turned you. We would have done anything to get you back. Aidan tried to move mountains to find you. We are so thankful you are with us again.”
Manda gives me a tenuous smile. I give her a hug and she clings to me. Aidan walks in and I give him a look to let him know that she needs him. He immediately takes her in his arms.
“Manda, darling, what’s wrong?” Aidan asks as he is rubbing her back but she only cries. He gives me a panicked look.
“She blames herself for Giulia,” I say.
“Oh, love, it’s not your fault. If it’s anyone’s it’s mine. I’m the one who killed her mate. You’re an innocent victim here. Please believe me.”
Manda’s sobs start to quiet and she snuggles deeply into Aidan. I sigh in relief and look around for Lily.
“Where’s Lily?” Now I’m panicked.
“She’s in the safe room and wants us to try and break in. She promised me she would stay in it,” Aidan answers. I blur to our room.
Try as I might, I can’t find the door for the room. Finally I see the air shimmer in the corner of the room. I go in that direction and when I push on the air, my hand goes through and I come in contact with a fingerprint scanner and an intercom.
Lily’s voice comes out of the speaker.
“I can see you, Bast. Try and get in.”
I can’t even find the seam for the door. I spend about ten minutes trying to find a way to access her.
“Lily, I give up. There is no way in. Come out, please.”
An instant later a door materializes and Lily emerges from the room. I scoop her up. I have to admit not being able to get to her makes me nervous. My chest was tight until I had her in my arms again.
“Come inside, Bast. Let me show you around.”
I look around the room and I just can’t get over the magick at work. There are two oversized twin beds, a giant TV, a shelf of movies, and a refrigerator with bagged blood in it. At the back of the room is an ensuite bathroom, complete with Jacuzzi tub and separate shower. A couple of recliners and a closet full of clothes finish the space.
“This is amazing. I count myself lucky every day that Aidan is our friend.”
“I heard that,” Aidan says from behind me and smirks.
“Don’t let it go to your head,” I tell him. Manda grins at m
e. She seems to have recovered.
“This place rocks. Lily, I think we should come in here whenever they are being annoying and we want a girl’s night.”
“Ooh, what a good idea!” Lily exclaims, jumping up and down. I vow to have Aidan make this room disappear as soon as the threat is over.
“You two are incorrigible,” Aidan says grinning.
“Yep, and you love us that way,” Manda says and winks at him.
“Thank you, Aidan. Once again you have done us a great favor. I think we should think about changing the locks on the door to something that Giulia can’t get into. Let’s go talk to Matteo and Alessandro about it and see what we can all come up with,” I say.
TWENTY-EIGHT / LILITH
The next week flies by. Aidan fixes the doors so they can only be opened with a key card. I make him take me on a walk once a day out by the ocean. Funny, I didn’t specify which ocean, so of course we have visited all of them.
“I love this time we spend together every day, Lilith. I will cherish this time. I love seeing your beautiful body swell with your child. You are simply glowing,” Aidan says and sighs as we come to a stop and watch the sun set in the Mediterranean.
I start to get cold and pull my shawl tighter around me. Aidan notices and puts his arms around me from behind and rubs my belly. I lay my head back against his chest. I am completely content with my best friend in the world. There’s no more awkwardness between us. No unresolved issues. We know where we stand. We are both with our partners, who mean the world to us but we also know we will always have each other. I couldn’t imagine a better outcome for our unique history.
“That was amazing, Aidan. I think we should head back now so that I can get ready for Dr. Hildebrand.”
“Of course, love.” He pops us into the delivery room we have set up. “Until tomorrow,” he says and kisses my forehead and leaves.
Sebastian comes in and scoops me up, planting an oh so smoking hot kiss on my lips.
“Mmm… what was that for?” I ask.
“I just missed you. I’m glad for Aidan’s ability to get you out into the fresh air, but…”
“But…?”
“I can’t help but wish it was me with you. I know how much you cherish your time with him. I’m just jealous. I want all your minutes.” Sebastian shrugs. I stand on tiptoe so I can kiss him soundly making sure he has no doubts about where my heart lives.
Sebastian rubs my belly. My bump is getting bigger. I can hardly wait for the baby to start moving. Having that little life in me makes me feel complete in a way I never knew existed. Bast smiles down at my belly and bends to kiss it. I rest my hands on his shoulders as he turns his head so he can hear the heartbeat. This is his way of sharing our experience and I love that he is able to.
I already can’t wear any of my jeans. I’ve been using Laura’s gifts extensively. Hannah and Helena have also been ordering online, I just don’t know what. Manda and I have been on the phones and have had our noses buried in bride magazines. We are almost set for Sunday’s wedding. Aidan will take us all to Fort Valley, Georgia. Manda and Aidan will be wed in Peach County during the peak of the peach blossoms.
In the early twenties they held a huge peach festival and the little town would get as many as forty thousand visitors. They quit having it in 1926 because it was too successful. Now they hold a smaller festival during harvest time. Manda grew up in Byron which is just next to Fort Valley. She wants to have the ceremony outside, so no church wedding for her. We will be having the mayor officiating, though, and then the reception will be in the same place as the wedding, in a local orchard among the peach blossoms. I am going to have Aidan make them perpetually fall among the guests. There won’t be many. Just us family and a few associates of Manda’s. We’ll serve champagne and little individual cakes for everyone. That way they won’t have the embarrassing feed-each-other-cake moment. They have a temporary platform and bandstand that they are putting up so that we can set chairs out for the wedding and then remove them for dancing. Along with miles of white silk bunting and we will have bushels of peach blossoms and roses. It should smell fantastic.
Every last detail has been taken care of. We had sent personal invitations to the other models and designers she was close to and they all RSVP’d. We visited the bakery that would be making the cakes. We ordered gallons of champagne. We are ready.
We have two days to go and I hope that they will be quiet days. I plan on Aidan taking us with Matteo or Alessandro and Sebastian to a spa for an overnight stay. I want to pamper Manda. We are going to get the works done. Diel and Hannah are not able to come because the babies are causing a holy terror to the house and it takes everything they have to keep up with them.
Aidan meets us in the dining room with his bag in hand. The rest of our bags are in a pile and Aidan waves at them, sending them to our destination. We all gather hands. Alessandro is going with us. I blink and feel the warm desert winds embrace me before we pop back into time and reality outside a resort spa.
Manda claps her hands and lets out a little squeal.
“I’ve always wanted to do this,” she says before taking up my hand and tugging me inside. I laugh as she drags me up the stairs and looks back at Aidan who is grinning. He mouths ‘Thank you’ before Manda propels me through the front frosted glass doors.
We check in and everyone is handed a menu of activities and amenities. We decide to unpack and then meet back downstairs to make our plans. When we get to Bast’s and my room he picks me up so he can kiss me properly. The relentless tension of the last week melts from his face.
“You seem relaxed.”
“I am. I know you’re safe here. I want you to be just as pampered as Manda so make sure you get everything she does. I want you to relax too, ma petite mamman,” he says before kissing me again.
He sets me gently down on the floor and then starts to nuzzle my neck while he cups my overly sensitive breasts. It’s too much for me and I moan his name.
“Mmm, I love hearing my name on your lips. Especially when you moan. I love you and your body and your spirit,” he whispers in my ear. It’s my undoing and I hold his face with both my hands so I can kiss him with abandon. I love the taste of Bast.
He moves his hands to the bottom of my dress and pulls it up so he can grab my leg and then my butt before moving his hand to my zipper. He slowly pulls it down and lets it fall off. I’m wearing the briefest see-through lace lingerie. He groans and then kisses me again.
“You are so beautiful. The most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Especially this,” he says as he drops to his knees and kisses my belly. He rests his head against my baby bump and listens while I run my hands through his hair.
“It’s really happening, Lily, our happily ever after. I love you so much.” His voice cracks on the last word.
His words hit me like a freight train. It is our happily ever after. I send a silent prayer up to the heavens for this reality. I pull at him to make him stand. When he is in front of me I kiss him hard letting him know how I feel in that one kiss. All our past happy and sad moments come pouring out and I still kiss him to tell him I only want this life, this man.
I slowly unbutton his shirt and we let it fall to the floor with my dress. Then he unsnaps my bra and when he sees my enlarged, aroused breasts he inhales sharply. He greedily starts to lavish them with his mouth. I tilt my head back and try to absorb all the sensations going through my body. Gripping his hair I pull hard and he answers by grazing his fangs across my nipple. It’s all I can take and I shatter.
Sebastian swings me up in his arms before I can even comprehend what he is doing. I’m still gasping and trembling. He lays me gently on the bed. He crawls up between my legs and slowly pulls down my panties. His eyes stay on me the whole way. Before I can stop him, he plunges his tongue into my wetness and laves that sensitive swollen bundle. I writhe in the bed calling out his name as I feel the fire burning deep inside of me. I am only able to concentrate on th
at small area of my body that he is worshipping so well. Heat flows through my limbs as I find my release again.
Panting, I look down at him. His eyes are possessive, heated and focused entirely on me. It makes my heart skip a beat. It doesn’t beat much to begin with.
“Lily, I need you,” Bast says hoarsely.
“I need you too, Bast.”
He climbs up my body, stopping to kiss my belly and starts to kiss me like it’s our last chance to be together. His desperation bleeds through his passion. I give him all of myself in the kiss, reassuring him that I need him as much as he needs me.
He slowly enters me. We both moan at the contact. I close my eyes, savoring him.
“No,” he whispers. “I want to see your eyes, stay with me.”
“Always.”
We stare into each other’s eyes while we find our rhythm. Sliding our bodies across each other like a love poem. I need this vampire so much. He is everything to me.
“Lily,” Sebastian whispers like a prayer, finding his release with me.
I moan his name and pull him down to me, holding on with everything in me.
“Cherie, did I hurt you?” Sebastian’s alarm rocks me back to reality.
“No, sweetheart. I’m just so in love with you that sometimes I’m overwhelmed.”
He looks at me with his soft brown eyes and kisses me slowly until the tears stop, wiping away my tears. I snuggle into his arms, resting my head on his magnificently carved abdomen.
“We need to meet up with Aidan and Manda. They are probably wondering where we are,” he chuckles. “It’s my fault. I simply couldn’t resist you. I love the way your body is swelling, everywhere.”
The wicked glint in his eyes is enough to make any woman’s panties combust. It really is hard to deny him anything. I sigh and pull away from him. We don’t even have time for a shower. Ugh… but it was so worth it. I can’t help the smile on my swollen lips. I touch them, remembering, and swear they still tingle.
Sebastian puts our suitcase on the bed and pulls out a new pair of jeans and a sweater. We are in Colorado in the mountains and it is still chilly this high up. I pull out an empire waist dress that is beaded at the waist. It accentuates my bump. Another Zhang piece.
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