by A C Warneke
Still, Feryn could have closed the bite marks before sending her off with Jiro, who still hated her. It had killed her to ask him to take care of her and she didn’t even want to think about the lusty groans that came from his throat when he did. But that was nothing compared to the terror she felt when he had abruptly pulled his head back and looked at her with wide, almost maniacal eyes.
“Jack’s a Breeder now?” he asked, licking a drop of her blood off his lower lip. “How?”
She shook her head, refusing to answer his question, afraid of what would happen if she told him. In that moment, she was afraid of him, of Aradians. She could only watch in horror as he closed his eyes and replayed her memories, a smile slowly curving his lips.
“Malorie,” he chided, looking down at her with that dark gleam in his silver-green eyes. “You’ve been keeping secrets from us again.”
“I haven’t….” she protested but it was no use.
“How long have you known your blood created Breeders?” he asked.
“It’s not like it was intentional,” she countered, taking a step away from him as her heart thudded painfully in her chest. “Besides, it might be a fluke.”
“It makes sense, though, doesn’t it?” he asked, matching her step for step and ignoring her comment. “And it would probably take far less blood than the amount Jack had consumed to create another Breeder.”
“You can’t do what you’re thinking of doing,” she hissed, her hand touching the base of her throat as if he was about to bite her. But he wasn’t going to be the one to bite her.
He smiled cruelly, “You have no idea what I’m thinking, Malorie.”
“I saw what you went through when you had to destroy your vampires, Jiro,” she said, trying to reason with him. “You can’t risk that.”
“I’d risk all of that and more for the chance to have a Breeder.”
She got back at him by throwing up all over his pants and shoes before shoving her hands into one of the plants to expel the rest of her Netherspace energy build up. It was getting stronger and if she wasn’t careful, she might end up destroying the world or being destroyed. Carrying an Aradian baby was doing very weird things to her body.
Flinging herself onto the bed, she stared up at the ceiling as she contemplated what it meant for the Aradians to be aware of the possibility that Breeders could be created, not born. What if Jack was just a fluke and Jiro went out and created vampires only to have his hopes dashed? It was one thing when he wanted to test her blood in the hope of finding a cure for vampirism, it was quite another knowing that he was going to make a vampire with only a slight chance of creating a Breeder. He would blame her for it if his experiment failed.
Resting her hand on her stomach, she let out a long breath and closed her eyes. Since she doubted Jiro would get into any trouble between now and then, she’d discuss it with Feryn before the celebration in a few days. But tonight was for Feryn and Varick.
Chapter 12
Several days later, Malorie stared in horror at the scrap of material that would barely cover her breasts and ass. Feryn had kept his distance from her for the better part of the week, barely speaking to her and never touching her. Then he had shown up and handed her the aforementioned dress, informing her that she was to accompany him to the party celebrating Varick’s return. After the explosive reunion in the Aradian caves, she had thought they had made peace of sorts but obviously she had been mistaken; Feryn was still furious about Hunter. Therefore she was no closer to broaching the subject of Jiro and vampires with her mate than she had been before.
“You can’t be serious!” she cried out, holding the scrap of material between two fingers as if it were toxic. “I’m not wearing a dress that reveals more than the skimpiest of bikinis.”
“At least you’ll be wearing something,” he ground out, still not looking at her directly, as if it hurt to look at her. Would he ever forgive her for doing what she knew was right? “Most of the guests prefer nudity.”
“Then I’m not going at all,” she growled, flinging the dress to the ground and wrapping her arms around her stomach in rebellion.
For a moment, his eyes heated as his gaze dropped to her breasts and her nipples tightened in anticipation. Just as quickly the fires were banked and he mirrored her image, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “Whether you like it or not you are my mate and you have to attend by my side.”
“Well, that’s unfortunate because I’m not going.” She didn’t want to be fighting with him but everything was so messed up right now. Between the lack of sleep and an unpredictable appetite followed by even more unpredictable morning sickness, Malorie looked like hell and she knew the dress would only emphasize how awful she looked. Her stomach only had a slight curve but her breasts had taken on a life of their own over the past couple of days, growing from a B cup to a generous C cup practically overnight. How did Feryn expect her to prance around in practically nothing?
He ground his teeth together and for a moment, his eyes held anger and, if she wasn’t mistaken, desperation. “My son refuses to go unless you’re there. Please, Malorie, do this for m… for Varick.”
Swallowing, she eyed the material lying on the ground and debated whether or not she could go out into public in practically nothing. She had promised Feryn she would attend the celebration but at the time she hadn’t known how little clothing was involved. Now she wasn’t sure she could be at a party where everyone would be naked, or nearly so, and all of the gorgeous, non-infuriating women would be panting after her Feryn. Instead of admitting her jealousy, she asked the question that had been plaguing her since they returned from the caves, “Why hasn’t Varick been by to see me?”
Feryn didn’t answer right away and she wanted to scream at him for ignoring her but she remained silent. When she arched an eyebrow, silently demanding an answer, he growled, “He’s barely speaking, Malorie. I don’t know what state of mind he is in and I don’t want to put you at risk if he proves to be dangerous.”
“And yet you’re making him go to this party where there will be tons of people?”
“It’s a celebration.”
“It’s an orgy,” she countered sharply, frustrated with his cool demeanor. If he would only unbend a little, she could explain that her changing body felt awkward and unwieldy and she didn’t want to be around a bunch of skinny girls. Finally, she settled on a portion of the truth, “I don’t think I’m comfortable attending.”
“Varick refuses to go unless you go,” Feryn ground out again, oblivious to her distress. “And it’s in his honor.”
“I’m sure he won’t be missed once the festivities get underway.”
“Perhaps,” he reluctantly conceded.
“Then let him hang out here while you do what you have to do.” She could imagine all of the beautiful girls that were going to be there, all of them ripe for the plucking and all of them trying to entice Feryn into plucking them. The thought made her sick.
“I’m not sleeping with anyone other than you,” he told her, as if reading her thoughts. Reaching out, he almost caressed her cheek but then he let his hand drop at the last moment and she found she desperately missed his touch. He had been strictly hands off since the caves and she was sure he was punishing her. Or maybe it was all part of his game plan so she’d learn to be more obedient. Like that was ever going to happen. “I’ll never sleep with anyone else.”
“Like there’d be much sleep involved in what you do,” she snorted, lashing out at him so she wouldn’t hurt so much. At his fierce scowl, she begged, “Just let Varick hang out with me here, Feryn. I don’t want to go to an orgy.”
“Fuck, Malorie!” he roared, throwing his hands up in the air at her stubbornness. “Can you not do anything I ask of you?”
Mutinously, she started at him, “Not when it involves naked women and a naked you. And I definitely don’t want to be there if it means a naked me.”
He closed his eyes as he pressed his lips together in a tight line, “Fine,
then wear whatever the hell you want to wear.”
“What are you going to wear?” When he remained silent, her lips parted in shock, “Please tell me you’ll be wearing something.”
After a moment, he sighed and told her, “If you wish, I’ll put something on.”
“I don’t want women staring at what is mine.”
“Well, I want everyone to see what belongs to me,” he said softly, earnestly, reaching up and lightly drawing his finger along her cheek, the tender touch a balm to her parched soul. As if reminding himself that he was mad at her, he stepped back and a cold, impenetrable mask settled over his features once again. “You know what? Do whatever you want. I’ll find another way to get Varick to attend his own damn party.”
With that, he spun on his heel and stormed out of the bedroom, leaving Malorie to stare after him. For being so old and powerful, he really knew how to throw a temper tantrum while piling on the guilt. Letting her arms fall to the side, she bent down and picked up the flimsy dress. With shaking hands, she laid it out on the bed and took off her clothes, calling herself a fool for being hopelessly in love with such a proud man.
Going to the party would give her a chance to talk with Varick to see how he was doing. It didn’t make any sense that he wouldn’t want to see her, not after all of the trouble he went through to reach her through her dreams. Except for the fact that she had been the only one he could connect with. Maybe he cared for her as much as Jiro did and she was no more than a means to an end. Either way, he might have some insight into Feryn’s thought process because memories were not enough, especially when they caused more stress than comfort.
When she put the outfit on, she found that the dress was actually a lot more concealing than she had thought it would be. It draped across her breasts, wrapped around her hips, and the hem fell a few inches below her bottom. As long as there wasn’t a strong wind, she probably wouldn’t flash anyone but she had on a pair of silky, pale panties just in case. The dress also framed her mark, which glowed against her sun-kissed skin in equal parts beauty and magic. Studying her reflection in the mirror, she realized she didn’t look as awful as she had thought she would look.
She wondered if Feryn would notice.
Grabbing her phone, she checked to see if maybe her father had finally called but, of course, he hadn’t. Calling her ex… calling Jack, she stared at her reflection while waiting for him to answer. For the first time in her life she had some color, thanks to the tropical sun and having nothing to do but lay on the beach. Since Toby loved swimming in the warm water and playing on the sand, it really wasn’t a hardship. Jack often joined them and they had developed a weird, new friendship.
It was no longer strange being around Jack. At times they would fall into the comfortable bantering that had always come easy to them and sometimes they would sit in companionable silence. She had learned just the teeniest bit about his life as a vampire but she knew it made him uneasy so she never pushed to learn more. In return, she shared a few stories about trying to have a normal life and how difficult it had been. They also spent time in the secret grove so Jack could practice in private, even though Jiro knew about Jack.
The only one missing had been Ginny but then Malorie hadn’t seen her around for several days. Malorie wasn’t sure what had happened to the vivacious redhead but in the back of her mind she figured Jiro must have sent Ginny home after she asked to be released from the bond. If she asked.
Heaving a sigh, she almost forgot she was calling someone when Jack picked up, “Malorie. What can I do for you?”
“I’m just checking in on Toby,” she said, wincing at her words because she knew Toby was doing well. Clearing her throat, she added, “Actually, I just want to make sure you’re okay not going to this… thing tonight.”
His warm chuckle reminded her of when they were young and talked about everything and nothing while everyone else was sleeping. He had been such an important part of her life… “I’m sure, Malorie. I’ve had more than my fair share of vampire gatherings.”
“Aradians,” she corrected automatically.
“I know,” he said. “After what happened at the beach, I prefer to keep my distance from all blood suckers. Now that I’m like you and Toby there is even more reason to steer clear of them.”
“I am sorry about that,” she said again, as if she hadn’t apologized a hundred times already. Turning to the side, she admired the way the swirls of color glimmered. What were the others going to think about her marks?
What were the Aradians going to think about Feryn’s mark? As far as she knew no other Aradian had been marked. Ever. Or maybe it was a moot point if he had decided to remove her mark from his body then no one would see anything.
“It’s fine,” Jack chuckled since he had assured her for a hundred times that it was alright and he didn’t blame her for any of it. Clearing his throat, he said, “Toby and I are planning on having a boys’ night. You know, boobs, brews, and football.”
“What?” she shrieked.
His laughter made her realize he was just teasing her. “I’m kidding, Mal. In fact, we’ll play a few video games and maybe watch a movie. He says he hasn’t seen any superhero movies so I’m looking forward to introducing my son to the world of awesomeness.”
“Sounds like a plan,” she chuckled. This was what Toby had missed out on and she hadn’t even realized how much her son was missing. Not that grown men running around in tights was life changing but it was a bonding experience with his father. “Give him my love.”
“Will do.” Jack didn’t hang up and Malorie waited to hear what he wanted to say, which was more tolerable than going to the celebration just yet. “Um, you know that if this thing between you and your Aradian doesn’t work out, the three of us could leave this place and maybe start over as a, um, as a family.”
“Jack.”
“Toby’s told me that the two of you are barely talking and that’s not healthy,” Jack continued in a rush. “I’ll be a good father, Malorie, to Toby and the baby. We could make it work.”
“I’m sure we could and I appreciate the offer but it’s not going to happen,” she said on a sigh, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “Feryn and I will work through this, er, disagreement. And Jack?”
“What?”
“You are a good father,” she told him, which was nothing less than the truth. “And a good friend.”
“I love you, you know,” he murmured, his voice resigned.
“I know and I love you, too,” she returned, smoothing her hand over the slight curve of her belly, knowing that everything would be easier with Jack. But she belonged with Feryn, for better or worse, at least until the baby was born. Unless he participated in the night’s activities with anyone but her. Then she might have to castrate him. “I’ve got to go.”
“Malorie,” he started and she waited for him to continue. Instead, he heaved a sigh and murmured, “Have a good time tonight.”
“Yeah, right,” she snorted before she could think better of it. With a wry smile that Jack couldn’t see, she said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Clicking the phone off, she tried to figure out a way to keep it close at hand but there was really no place to put it. Reluctantly, she left it on the night stand, hoping her father would freaking call because he needed to know about his son, even if they would never have the chance to meet. What if Gus had more children out there? A whole slew of children that could be captured by Aradians who were far less honorable than Feryn.
Smoothing her hands over her bare ribs and down her hips, she put thoughts of her father, her brother, her son and Jack to the back of her head. All she had to do was put in an appearance, find Varick, and then she could spend the rest of the night hiding out in a corner with her lover’s son, who happened to be her father’s half-brother.
Jesus, that was seriously fucked up. But though she shared blood with Varick, there was no genetic link between her and Feryn. His son and her father had the sa
me mother but her grandfather was a Breeder and Feryn’s father was… an alien.
Fuck.
Maybe she should take Jack up on his offer to run away, except she wouldn’t be able to go back to being his wife again. Too much history was between them, from her relationship with Feryn to his time as a vampire. From the haunted look in his eyes that she saw when he thought no one was looking, she was certain it had been the stuff of nightmares. He hadn’t escaped unscathed and he needed time to heal, even if he was a Breeder now, the complete opposite of a vampire.
Licking her lips, she walked through the apartments and out the door, locking up behind her. The festivities were taking place throughout the compound but the main events were being held in the commons, the central area of the Aradian compound. It was a large, vast park that had duck ponds and walking paths and all of the amenities a girl could want. When Ginny had told her that being amongst the Aradians was like going to college, she hadn’t been lying. Except all of the Aradians lived in lavish apartments and the humans lived in either the communal dorms or with their Aradian.
Slowly, self-consciously, she made her way over the grounds with her shoulders back and her head held high. No matter how awkward she felt, no one would know how uncomfortable she was. It wasn’t just her own lack of clothes, it was everyone else’s state of undress. Feryn had been very generous in his choice of outfits, considering her breasts and butt were fully covered. Most of the women were bare-breasted and the men… well, most of the men had very nice asses, though none were as nice as Feryn’s.
She really hoped he wore a loincloth that covered his very nice privates.
Even though the night was still young, there were already couples finding dark spaces to have private celebrations. She knew that by the time she reached the commons, her face and her chest were going to be bright red.
“Hello, lovely,” a drunken voice slurred as warm hands grabbed her hips. She stiffened in outrage, turning her head in time to see the man’s eyes widen in horror as his gaze dropped to the glimmering mark that was shining brighter than normal. Holding his hands up in the air before she could say or do anything, he stepped away from her, “Please tell him I meant no offense.”
