Eternal Bond (Edanholme Book 2)

by Catherine Fitzpatrick

The deep amethyst of his eyes indicated where his thoughts lay.

  “Do you know how much I love you?” Her whisper held awe, respect and endless love.

  The shy smile of the diffident Bard staked its claim on her heart.

  Cupping the face of his very own angel in both hands, Teague’s seductive rasp wove

  delicious magic. “You can make a list, while we take a shower...”

  “I thought you were into fruit now…?” A very appreciative grin spread across the face

  of an enraptured vampire.

  “That too… Then into the shower, or the floor, or the bed…” Amethyst eyes glanced

  sideways. “Mayhap, not the bed…” Chagrin entered a seductive voice, Alex chuckling

  at his dilemma.

  “Have you glamourised her? If there’s even such a word…?” Gnawing at her lips, Alex

  knew he couldn’t lie, but may evade answering fully.

  “I have not. And, I know not if that is a correct description of the use of glamour…”

  A strong armed clasp on her body eased slightly, as Teague pondered on the need to

  ask such a question. It would be ignoble to place the child in a spell drugged sleep, for

  the sole intention of seducing his mate without interruption. A bonded mate followed

  every nuance of discomfort in a troubled mind.

  “See, that’s my point exactly… Parenthood brings with it responsibilities which can’t

  be ignored. I may have been teasing you when I threw obstacles in the altruistic path

  of adopting a delightful child, but the reasons for considering the pitfalls still hold true.”

  The burn of desire in canted eyes slowly faded to shades of misty lilac.

  “Let’s sit down and discuss this calmly. I’m getting a crick in my neck looking up all

  the time.” Sinking to the floor to sit cross legged on the carpet, a serious face invited

  him to follow her lead. Easing down, Teague laid full length on his side head propped

  up on one hand. “Vampires do not suffer from a crick in the neck…”

  His tone was derisive and long suffering, fingers resting on her thigh, a frustrated

  frown creased a flawless brow.

  “This one does… I could have done with a few extra inches along with the fangs.”

  Chuckling huskily at the consternation on his face, Alex locked her fingers around the

  ones on her leg.

  “We have to thrash this out before Leila wakes up. It would be unfair to promise her

  a home, and then retract it because a tiny presence is inconvenient. I’ve been there

  Teague. I wouldn’t wish that sort of disappointment on a dog, let alone a child.

  There is nothing more soul destroying than waking up one morning to find your bags are

  packed, and a new set of useless parents are waiting on the doorstep to whisk you off to

  another form of hell…” Shattered illusions, and sorrowful memories of being the forlorn

  child shunted from one so called home to another, dimmed the shine of crystal blue eyes.

  “Let’s take a candid review of the last couple of days, before I took an unexpected trip into

  the darker side of vampirism… You were insatiable, rampant, greedy, very inventive and

  sublimely wonderful. Basically, a sex maniac… Not that I’m complaining. Ok, I admit, I did

  a couple of times.” Reaching out to smooth the frown from his brow with loving fingers,

  Alex smiled a lovely radiant smile that warmed his heart.

  “Is that so wrong Aingeal? I love thee beyond words…” Teague inched closer to his mate

  to lay his head in her lap.

  “No, not wrong. But a child living with us in the flat, or at the cove, any idea of spontaneity

  is out the window. There will be no more mornings of languorous love making, no more

  foreplay over the breakfast bar, definitely no chasing me down a beach to rip my clothes

  off…” A long sigh of dreams departed left the lips of a crushed male.

  “When I’m at work, because I am going to continue working, you or Cat will be the adults

  assigned to looking after Leila. When the twins are born, I will return the favour. These

  are the types of arrangements that have to be planned in advance. Farming her out

  continuously, because your libido’s on over drive, is just not an option. Rather she goes

  to a family who are ready to accept the restrictions of becoming parents, or we both

  choose to enjoy the moments we will have together. Because, believe me, our whole

  world will be centred around an insecure babe.” Alex laid it on the line. It was all or

  nothing, rather like the Lord Teague.

  “The little one will not be a burden on our loving for very long, you have seen how fast

  Ameia grows…” Maybe the wrong word to use in the present atmosphere of loss and

  abandonment. The Bard sent his mate a silent apology for an inappropriate term for a

  a golden haired urchin, weighing up the choice he was offered. To take on a waif, sinfully

  discarded to her own limited resources to eke out a miserable life on the streets, meant

  he would have to live with constraints. Eons of celibacy in the Sovereign Court had taught

  self-control in a debauched society. One night in Aingeal’s bed had given him a taste of all

  he had missed. He had been behaving no better than a starving male at a banquet, taking

  all to offset the famine of a past life.

  “The babe will attend schooling, will she not?” The dip of a glossy black haired head

  gave him a small glimmer of hope. “Weapons practise and physical exercise with my

  brothers will occupy a measure of her time too…” A calculating look in violet eyes, added

  up the hours he could enjoy with his female.

  Stifling a giggle Alex stroked the silvery head planted firmly in her lap.

  “Weapons practise…?” She stuttered hoarsely, the suggestion was shameful.

  “Aye… Tis never too young to learn the art of self-defence…” She really couldn’t argue

  with that.

  “Would it be importune to have one of the enforcers watch over her as she sleeps?

  Whilst we enjoy an occasional evening to ourselves.” Teague was thinking of a repeat

  performance of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

  “Not importune, as long as it’s not every night.” Alex caught the drift of his thoughts.

  Dr Frank N Furter had really gotten his hooks into the Bard.

  “Then I see no reason why an addition to the High Fell Clan would go amiss.”

  Taking hold of the hand stroking his hair, Teague brought it to his mouth placing

  a soft kiss on a tender palm.

  “I truly wish for Leila to become our daughter…” Levering to his knees, a warrior

  willing to subsume his cravings for the body of his mate to embrace fatherhood,

  gazed into sapphire eyes with complete commitment.

  “Thank you, My Lord Teague.” Laying a gentle finger on his lips, Alex stilled a denial

  of gratitude. “It’s the only chance we will ever have of a becoming a family…”

  A dark shadow of sadness blurred glorious blue. It would have been wonderful to

  give her mate a young one with violet eyes, but there’s no use crying over what will

  never be. Reaching out to comfort a precious angel, a strangled whimper from the

  bed brought the Bard swiftly to his feet Aingeal in tow.

  “She’s hungry…” A shiver of remembered terror ran over Alex’s skin, as a multitude

  of blood lusting babes had eaten her alive.

  “I felt it too… I will bring food for the child.” Grabbing at his arm to still a hasty flight,

  or
a sudden translocation, a newly born vampire shook her head.

  “Leila’s rogue… Food won’t nourish her.” Sending out a thought to Cat, the answer

  came back swiftly with overtones of annoyance.

  I know angel… I’ve got twenty-odd of the little buggers on my hands. Phillipe is on

  his way with Armand and Louis to lend me aid. You will just have to deal with your

  own brat as best you can . That was it, short, sharp and somewhat less than sweet.

  “I’m going to have to feed her Teague. If you are uncomfortable with it, then please

  leave. Go play with Turi for a while…” Falling to her knees at the side of the bed,

  the Bard hovered closely at her back.

  “Nay Aingeal… I watched as you fed from me. I am not so craven as to leave you to

  cope alone. Have you considered that in offering thy essence to the babe, a true

  blood bond will be forged. Each to the other… I have tasted thy life force, your veins

  sing with mine. The little one, in one small act never needing to be repeated, will

  convert to a re-directed thirst due to our bond. Tis similar to conception…

  Mayhap not a mirror image of loving parents, but a daughter truly tied to us by blood.”

  Alex hadn’t considered the ramifications of stemming a violent blood thirst. The Bard

  had an uncanny the knack of turning a sorely trying situation to a promise of fulfilment.

  “In the words of Tom Gawthorpe… Nice one…”

  With a bow of acknowledgement, content that his mate may not be quite so overwhelmed

  by sadness at the loss of motherhood, a gentle male sat at the head of the bed to take a fretful

  child in his arms.

  “I will soothe her, and make certain the little one cannot harm herself or thee…”

  Singing a soft refrain in the old language, a lethal enforcer of the Queen’s might, served

  his love in quietening a Rogue Vampire. An anomaly wrought from the love of an angel,

  a contradiction of the menacing resolve in all the warriors to rid the earth of a plague.

  “The only being in any dimension with the capability of hurting me, sits there, calming

  a creature of darkness. I think I’m safe…” A radiant smile on generous lips, she bent to

  kiss her mate and adopted daughter on the cheek. “OK, let’s do this…”

  Holding the brow and chin of a delicate little urchin in gentle hands, the Bard watched

  with fascinated eyes as Aingeal offered her wrist to a babe. The frantic whimpering of

  a bundle of skinny limbs pulled at the heartstrings, bringing tears to violet eyes.

  Sharp little fangs sank into tender flesh with greedy need. Pathetic wailing ceased, a

  little body shuddered as a hint of colour blossomed on hollowed cheeks.

  “You are well Aingeal…?” A husky whisper brushing over her head, Alex relaxed. That was

  all the answer and anxious male needed to allay his fears. There was no pain, only a small

  sting of pressure on her wrist. A wispy sigh from pink rosebud lips, signalled the babe

  was replete. Licking at her skin to seal the evidence of tiny puncture wounds, surprise

  in crystal blue eyes, her gaze shot to Teague’ face. His smile held satisfaction and a

  smidgeon of smug triumph. The changes in Leila were rapid, he had witnessed the same

  renewal of vital energy in Aingeal’s life force.

  Drawing a finger over the soft arm of a slumbering child, a little innocent curling into a

  tight ball in the Bard’s lap, Alex could only stare in awe at the trail of pale green running

  under pale gold skin to follow the path of her touch.

  “Tis a sign of dominant earth element, with a lesser one of fire…” Teague explained

  away the changing hue of translucent skin. “The little one recovers Aingeal…”

  Rocking back on her haunches to get a wider view of a miracle in the making, a loud

  snore erupted from a tiny body, making Alex jump. “She’s out cold…”

  Tucking Leila beneath the duvet, settling her comfortably, a more contented male

  eased to his feet pulling Alex along with him.

  “T’would appear so… The grace in thy blood sedated the cadre for many hours.” Holding

  out her arm to inspect peach tinted skin, he searched his mate’s wrist for a single sign of

  damage. There was none, the rapid healing of vampire nature exceeded Sidhe renewal.

  Sleep was not a prerequisite of cell regeneration for his love.

  “Bloody hell… Tamed by a Fate and Zonked by an angel, poor little thing…” A relieved

  male kissed a fragile wrist, before pulling the same angel into his arms.

  “I have been tamed by a Fate and zonked by an Angel… Leila receives sympathy, what

  might thy mate hope to have?” Two sentences delivered in a wretched little whimper,

  begged for her attention. A dazzling smile on an angelic face sporting gleaming white

  fangs, held a wealth of promise.

  “A whole lot more of me…” Leaning back in her lover’s arms, Alex watched canted

  eyes widen, amethyst whirls darkening the gentility of pale lilac mists.

  “You are serious…?” Teague whispered on a choked breath.

  “Why waste a golden opportunity. Go for the fruit…” A tiger needed no further hint

  or prompt to be unleashed. He was gone before the shimmer of translocation had time

  to register on Alex’s retinas. Hand over her mouth she suppressed the laugh pulling at

  her throat to count her heartbeats. One, two, three… Nearly four…

  The Bard materialised by the table still strewn with the empty plates of an earlier meal,

  sealed plastic container in hand. Dessert came already prepared, in the shape of a Sidhe

  noble with delicious intentions in mind.

  Eyebrows raised, hands on hips a disconcerted female shook her head. She loved his

  thoughtfulness, although a Tupper-ware container wasn’t meant as a foray into plain

  old domesticity. Teague had learnt a new trick, and had planned a further adventure

  into the heady realms of foreplay in advance.

  Her eyes flew wider as he stripped off leather jerkin, pulling it over his head a long plait

  came free as chest and abs rippled enticingly. Once relieved of soft leather, a curtain of

  silver strands hid a very nice view from sight. A seductive male with a shy smile, held out

  one hand in supplication. How could she refuse juicy fruit, and an even juicier body?

  Walking slowly into the circle of his arms, anticipation racking up a notch to heat her skin

  from the inside out, Alex placed her palms on a smooth chest, mesmerised by the pattern

  of white air element flowing under satin skin. Looking up again, an imp, angel, vampire,

  fluttered long sooty lashes, a coy pout on lush lips.

  “Why remove the shirt? Are you planning a shower first?”

  Cupping both hands around her face Teague leant in close, the taste of cinnamon and

  cloves emanated from his skin, the unmistakable perfume of scent marking.

  “Tis but a precaution, if the fruit spills, thy task will be to lick the syrup from my skin…”

  Knees buckling, Alex gripped at his waist just to stay on her feet. God, he had thought

  of everything, and then some… “Good plan…” she whispered hoarsely lips inches from

  his mouth, heart beat skipping all over the place.

  “It pays to be prepared…” A ripple of husky laughter set her belly ablaze with aching

  desire. A nibble of melon nipped between thumb and forefinger, hovered a breath from

  her waiting mouth. For fleeting seconds, cool sweetness brushed the curvi
ng outline of

  full lips before landing on her tongue. Teague’s tongue followed a sticky trail, warm,

  moist and sensuously searching.

  “Mmmm…” Shivering in a tight embrace, Alex fell headlong into a deeply devouring kiss.

  “Orgasm…?” A raspy tiger murmured into her ear, as nimble fingers relieved her of the

  useless impediment of a t-shirt.

  “Close…” Curling her fingers around his wrists, she put a halt to further disrobing.

  “I’m feeling a bit inhibited.” Glancing towards the bed and a comatose child, she hit the

  first of many hurdles belonging to the glory of motherhood.

  “That leaves us with only the shower Aingeal…” Teague chuckled at a hesitant witch,

  one unable to succumb to his charms with her more usual wanton abandon.

  “What if she wakes…?” Nibbling at her lip, the taste of Christmas lingering on her tongue,

  lust driven urges to be taken on a wild trip to Teague-Ville were in abeyance.

  Lifting a hand the Bard encased the bed in a sparkling envelope of air and ice.

  “Twill serve as a warning device. None can penetrate it but the babe, and I will sense

  any movement in time to forestall any embarrassment you may feel.” It was a prosaic

  speech, far removed from the tiger’s knicker-twisting rasp.

  “Good thinking Riff-Raff…” Grinning cheekily, Alex ran her tongue over one stupendous

  pectoral muscle, to lay a kiss of promise on the mate mark above a softly throbbing pulse.

  “Aye… I thought so…” Growling deeply, a caged tiger wrapped his mate in secure arms.

  The first line of the Time Warp made her grin. Teague had a happy tune he held onto.

  A sleeping child would have been entranced by the mini tornadoes rocketing across the

  bedroom to bounce off a glittering cocoon.

  The End…. For now…

  Sneak peak of book 3…

  SOUL DESIRE

  What do you do when your sister is unhappy? You console her…

  That’s exactly what Ameia was doing when she drove into a trap intended for the Angel of Edanholme,

  her sister in spirit and one of the Fates. Abducted off the face of the Earth, consigned to a prison term in hell for a year and a day, she lost contact with her family with no hope of rescue. Faced with a rampaging demon and a dimension holding more secrets than she could ever have expected, a hybrid