by I. T. Lucas
Which reminded him. “Bridget, are you going to give me painkillers to take with me upstairs?’ Andrew had no intention of suffering through his transition like Michael had insisted on doing.
The kid must be a bloody masochist.
The pain was no longer as excruciating as before, and his body no longer felt as if it had been smashed with a sledgehammer and put together again, but his throat and his gums still hurt like hell, and his muscles felt as if they were being stretched over a skeleton that was too big for them. Which was exactly what was happening.
Bridget handed him a plastic container. “The instructions are written on the label. Follow them exactly. If you need more, call me, don’t just take another dose.”
He saluted. “Yes, ma’am.”
Bridget blushed and looked away.
The response hadn’t gone unnoticed by Nathalie. She frowned, her lips pursing in a pout. He would have to tell her. There was no reason not to, but he wasn’t looking forward to it. Nathalie had a jealous streak the size of the Grand Canyon.
She pivoted on her heel. “I’m going to get my father. I’ll meet you upstairs.”
Yep, she was mad. “I’ll wait for you here and we’ll go up together,” he called after her.
“Fine.”
Now that Nathalie was gone, Andrew planned to ask Bridget a few questions in private.
He kissed his sister on the cheek. “Thank you for inviting us, and for inviting Nathalie’s old man as well.”
She waved a hand. “No thanks needed.”
“Well, needed or not, you have them. Listen, I have a couple of things I need to clarify with Bridget and there is no reason for you to wait for me. I know the way.”
“Yeah, I’d better go and let Okidu know he needs to prepare another room.” She pulled him in for a quick hug. “I’m so happy, Andrew, so relieved.”
He patted her back. “I know. Sorry for giving all of you such a scare.”
Syssi sniffled and wiped her eyes. “It’s over. That’s what important. I’ll see you in a bit?”
“You bet.”
Anandur was smart enough to get a clue and offered to escort Syssi to the elevators.
Bridget closed the door. “Ask away.”
He went straight down to business, asking the most important question first. “How soon can I initiate Nathalie?”
“As soon as your venom glands start producing venom.”
“And that would take how long?”
She shrugged. “Two months at the minimum, six at the max.”
Damn, he hated the idea of Nathalie being vulnerable for so long. Except, the only other option was to let someone else do the honors and he couldn’t bring himself to even consider it.
His next question was embarrassing as hell, but he needed to know. “What about the biting. Will I have the urge even without the venom?”
He was expecting Bridget to blush—as a true redhead she did it a lot——but not this time. Apparently, when in doctor’s mode she was able to control it. “Yes, but it will not be overwhelming. You’ll be able to control it and you should. Without the venom’s healing and euphoric properties, your bite will hurt and on a human it will leave bruises. Your saliva, however, will carry some healing properties in a matter of days. So if you do happen to bite, make sure to give the area a thorough licking.”
Bridget’s delivery was clinical and impersonal. She’d managed to do it without a hint of redness on her fair skin. Andrew, on the other hand, felt his ears catch fire.
Damn, Kian’s longish hairstyle would’ve saved him further embarrassment. Either that or a hat.
He offered her his hand. “Thank you, Doctor Bridget. You’re awesome.”
She lifted a brow at the formal address. “You’re not so bad yourself, Agent Spivak.” She shook it.
Chapter 52: Nathalie
Nathalie’s cheeks were hurting from being stretched in a perpetual smile. All throughout the afternoon, people had been coming and going in and out of Syssi and Kian’s penthouse. Everyone wanted to congratulate Andrew, and he had graciously suffered through it all. As had Syssi and Okidu who’d been running around with trays of drinks and food, catering to the guests as if this was a party.
Thank God Kian had put an end to it, telling the last remaining few to get moving because Andrew needed to rest.
The guy still intimidated the hell out of her, but Nathalie was starting to appreciate her future brother-in-law. Kian was the type who did what had to be done with little or no consideration for manners or people’s hurt feelings. She liked it about him.
The guy deserved her thanks, and not only for kicking everyone out.
She walked up to him. “Can I give you a hug?”
His response was almost comical. The tough, no nonsense leader looked confused, glancing at his wife for guidance. Only when Syssi smiled and nodded her encouragement, did he relax a little. “Sure.”
Leaning down, he brought his arms around Nathalie as if he was hugging breakable glass, barely touching her. When she hugged him back, he cleared his throat and stepped away as soon as she let go.
“Thank you, for everything,” she said.
His face softened. “You’re welcome. I’m just glad it’s behind us. Now it’s your turn.”
Nathalie laughed. “Not yet, Let me catch my breath first. I’m not ready for another trauma.”
Andrew rested his palm on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. Bridget says it will take between two to six months for my venom glands to start working.”
“Phew, that’s a relief.”
To say she wasn’t ready was the understatement of the year. Nathalie was exhausted, physically and mentally. Sleeping on a cot next to Andrew’s bed hadn’t been restful even when she’d managed to get a few hours of sleep.
Nathalie needed a long and relaxing vacation. But as that was not on the horizon for her, she would settle for a long relaxing soak in a nice bathtub. The one that came with the guest room Andrew and she were staying in was perfect.
“I need to get back to work,” Kian excused himself and headed down the corridor to his home office.
Nathalie glanced around, checking out the mess. The butler was doing an admirable job of cleaning up, but it wasn’t fair to leave him to do it alone.
“Let me help you.” She grabbed a couple of plates, almost dropping them hastily when he gave her a look that was part offense and part outrage.
“Madam will do no such thing. Madam will take the master to the bedroom and make sure that he rests.”
Andrew chuckled. “You heard the man, Nathalie. Your job is to take me to the bedroom.”
Syssi shooed them away. “Go, before Okidu has a conniption. He is already mad at me for trying to help.”
It seemed she had no choice. Good, she had no energy left. But there was one last thing she needed to do before ducking into the bedroom with Andrew and not getting out until tomorrow morning.
“You go ahead, Andrew. I’ll just check on my father real quick.”
When she entered the bedroom Okidu had prepared for Papi, Nathalie felt like giving the butler a hug as well. The BarcaLounger her father was sitting in and watching his show hadn’t been in this guest room before. The color didn’t match the perfectly put together theme of the room. Okidu must’ve dragged it from God knew where especially for her father.
Papi had his feet up, a cup of tea in the cup holder, and an expression of bliss on his face.
“Are you having fun, Papi?”
“Oh, yes,” he answered without turning his head away from the screen. “I don’t know how you can afford a five-star hotel, but thank you for the wonderful vacation, my sweet Nathalie.”
Stifling a chuckle, she kissed his cheek. “You’re welcome. Andrew and I are going to sleep. But if you need us we are two doors down from you.”
He waved her away. “Yes, yes. I know. You told me. But if I need anything I’m going to call room service. They bring me whatever I ask for. Really, even ne
w slippers.” He wiggled his feet showing her the slippers she’d gotten him last year.
The room service must’ve been Okidu. She really was going to hug the guy. “Goodnight, Papi. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
“Goodnight.”
Closing the door behind her, Nathalie let out a relieved sigh. Fernando’s mind creating a plausible scenario for the unexpected changes in his routine was a blessing.
Andrew wasn’t in their room when she opened the door, and she was about to go looking for him when he cracked open the bathroom door. “I’m in here.”
“How did you know I was looking for you?” she said without thinking. “Never mind. I know. Your superhuman hearing.”
“Yep.”
She walked over to the tub and cranked both knobs all the way to the end. “I’ve been dreaming about this tub the entire afternoon. I couldn’t wait for everyone to leave.”
“Yeah, me too. I’m still tired.”
Translation. I’m in pain.
“Did you take the pills Bridget gave you?”
He lifted the small container off the counter and shook it. “I’m following her instructions to the letter.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask Andrew if there had ever been anything between him and Bridget. But this was not the time. He needed his rest and so did she.
“Do you want to join me in the tub?”
The grin that split his face was all Andrew. Her lascivious, always ready for action fiancée. “Yes, I do.” He was out of his clothes in seconds, dipping his toes to check the water.
“A little too hot.” He adjusted the water temperature until he got it right.
In the meantime, Nathalie dropped her last clean outfit on the floor. Tomorrow, she would get up early and find the laundry room before the butler was up. She had a feeling that he would try to stop her from laundering her own clothes.
Andrew got inside the tub and made room for her, spreading his legs. She got in, leaned her back against his chest, and closed her eyes. “I missed this. Feeling your skin against mine.”
He smoothed his palms over her arms, then moved her braid over her shoulder, exposing her neck.
Nathalie tensed. But instead of teeth, it was the gentle brush of his lips that feathered the delicate skin of her neck.
“What’s wrong?” Andrew asked, his voice laced with concern.
Should she tell him?
Admit her fears?
Of course she should. It was hard, but she wasn’t a chicken. Problem was, once she opened her mouth, things just tumbled out, one after the other, and she couldn’t stop herself until she was done. “I’m scared of the fangs. I don’t find it sexy, maybe other women do, but I don’t. I watched the fight and it was okay until Kian opened his mouth and these monstrously long fangs protruded over his lower lip, dripping venom.” She turned her head so Andrew could see her peeling her lips away from her gums and demonstrating with her fingers how long these fangs were.
“He looked like a monster, and I thought that if I didn’t know he was a good guy, I would’ve run away screaming as fast and as far as I could. And then I thought that you were going to become just like him and it terrified me. Because you’ll want it, need it, the biting will become part of sex for you. What if I can’t stand it? What will happened to our relationship? It’s like one partner not liking sex while the other does. It can’t work. I will do all I can to learn to like it. But I’m terrified of failing.”
She had gotten herself so worked up that tears were running in rivulets down her cheeks and splashing into the bath water.
“Oh, sweetheart.” Andrew tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “It can’t be too bad if the immortal females crave it so much. The venom is supposed to act as an aphrodisiac and a euphoric.”
“I know all that. I just can’t get past the biting part. The pain must be horrible, like two little knives stabbing into your flesh at once.”
He was quiet for a few seconds. “I’m not going to lie to you. When Kian bit me it hurt, but the venom chased the pain away in less than a second, and then I was hit with such powerful euphoria that I was practically paralyzed. Somewhere in the back of my mind it scared me, the inability to move or say anything, but it was hard to care about anything.” He chuckled. “At least when they kill their opponents this way, it’s a merciful death.”
Nathalie shivered. “I don’t like talking about war and death. Especially since it is no longer them. It’s us, for you that is.”
“Us.” Andrew let out a puff of air. “I’m still adjusting to the idea that I’m no longer what I used to be.”
And that was the problem. How much of the old Andrew remained and how much had changed, and was enough of the man she’d fallen in love with still there? “I’m scared, Andrew. I don’t want to lose what we had. It was perfect.”
“I understand that you fear the unknown, it’s natural. Perhaps you need to talk to Amanda, ask her how it feels to be bitten.”
Nathalie harrumphed. “She is an immortal, her body doesn’t react the same as a human’s. And she heals faster.”
Andrew sighed. “So talk to Syssi. She was still a human when Kian and she got together.”
The way he’d phrased it made it obvious that Andrew hated talking about his sister’s sex life. But he was doing it for Nathalie, to ease her fears. Besides, it was a good idea. Syssi had experienced the entire gamut of sensations, being bitten as a human and as an immortal female. She could also tell Nathalie what she remembered from her transition.
“I’ll do that. If anyone can assuage my fears it is her.”
“I can do that too.” Andrew sounded a little offended. “I can promise you that we will take it slow. I can control the urge to bite, at least until the venom glands start working, and I could probably refrain even then. I’m not sure I’m buying this crap about uncontrollable urges. I can stop myself from ejaculating almost until the last moment. I don’t see how biting would be much different.”
He sounded so sincere, so willing to sacrifice his own needs for her. On the inside, Andrew hadn’t changed. He was still the same amazing guy who always put her needs before his own without even giving it a second thought. To him, that was the way it should always be.
He deserved nothing less from her.
Nathalie turned in Andrew’s arms and cupped his cheeks. “I love you, Andrew Spivak. You are a sweet, wonderful man—as a human and as an immortal. And if to be with you I’ll need to learn to love love-bites, then by God I will.”
“I love you so much, my courageous Nathalie.” Andrew crushed her to him, squeezing the air out of her lungs, then immediately easing off. “I’m so sorry. I’m still adjusting to this new body.”
Nathalie rested her cheek on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his big heart. Everything was going to work out, for the simple reason that it had to.
“Love conquers all,” she murmured.
Andrew smoothed his hand over her back, caressing it in slow gentle strokes. “You bet it does. All these obstacles that fate throws in our path will only help us come out even stronger on the other side. We are meant to be, Nathalie, you are my destiny.”
The end… For now…
TURN THE PAGE FOR AN EXCERPT
Book 10 in The Children of the Gods Series
Dark Warrior’s Legacy
Is available on Amazon
Dark Warrior’s Legacy
Book 4 in Nathalie & Andrew’s Story
Andrew's acclimation to his post-transition body isn't easy. His senses are sharper, he's bigger, stronger, and hungrier. Nathalie fears that the changes in the man she loves are more than physical. Measuring up to this new version of him is going to be a challenge.
Carol and Robert are disillusioned with each other. They are not destined mates, and love is not on the horizon. When Robert's three months are up, he might be left with nothing to show for his sacrifice.
Lana contacts Anandur with disturbing
news; the yacht and its human cargo are in Mexico. Kian must find a way to apprehend Alex and rescue the women onboard without causing an international incident.
EXCERPT
“Where are you going?” Andrew murmured when Nathalie kissed his cheek, checking once more that he was indeed sleeping and not unconscious. Ever since his transition had started with him lying unconscious in bed, she’d been having mini panic attacks every time she opened her eyes to see his closed.
Relieved, she kissed him again. “Go back to sleep. I’ll be right back.”
Hoping to do her laundry while avoiding the butler, Nathalie had crawled out of bed at five in the morning. Funny. For years, she’d been waking up when it was still dark outside, and this would’ve been considered late for her. Getting used to good things was easy, and not having to wake up before the sun came up was definitely at the top of her list of good.
A bundle of dirty clothes under her arm, she tiptoed to the kitchen in search of the laundry room. Opening each one of its three doors, she discovered that one led to a secondary elevator, another to the dining room, and the third one to a large pantry.
“Figures,” Nathalie muttered. Kian and Syssi probably used a service, and there was no laundry facility in the penthouse.
Unless one of the doors off the main hallway was hiding what she was looking for. On the remote chance that it did, Nathalie tried the one directly across from the guest suite.
Damn, it was the butler’s, and he wasn’t sleeping. He was sitting in a BarcaLounger, not much different from the one he’d brought for her father, and watching some British show on the tube. His bed looked like it hadn’t been slept in at all, but that was probably because he’d made it as soon as he’d woken up. Perfectly, like a display in a department store.
