“I think-” an older man stood, turning to face Eden with a snarl. “-you are in the wrong place human.”
Eden snorted. Human he was no longer, though he could understand the confusion, the scent of the students he’d pushed through to get here had rubbed off on him, overpowering his own. “Not. Human.” He smiled broadly, baring his own fangs. The dangerous tension in the room dissipated leaving only one of confusion. Human or not, he was still a stranger encroaching on their territory.
“So, another new vampire,” the man sneered, stalking closer. “Where did you come from... and how did you learn of this place?” His eyes flashed golden, pupils looking more like that of a cat...or a wolf maybe. Eden flicked his gaze over the room, landing on two vaguely familiar faces, members of Alric’s coven who were choosing to sit quietly and not speak on his behalf. But then maybe for them this was a test, a way of hazing the newbie. “Did you sneak into our territory believing you could help yourself to our supplies? There are rules and protocols here in Silverdale.”
The two vampires Eden vaguely recognised, covered their mouths as they tried to stifle their laughter. Not that the man in front of him appeared to notice. Eden straightened up, refusing to cower as this man obviously wished him to. “And just whose laws are they, that I’m supposed to be obeying? Are they yours? Are you the one in charge of determining who is and isn’t welcome on the streets of Silverdale City?”
There was one vital piece of information Alric had remembered to tell Eden that he was now very grateful for. Alric wasn’t just the CEO of the Silverdale Corportion or the leader of his coven, but he also chaired the council that oversaw the whole supernatural community within the city. Of course, he hadn’t realised how extensive or varied that community was.
“I’m Weylen, head of the Silver Ridge Pack-” Eden guessed that meant wolves. “-and maybe I am the one decides that. So, who might you be?”
The two vampires were really struggling to hold back their laughter, and even Eden was barely containing his own amusement at the situation. Lips quirking as he tried to regain his calm before answering the wolfs question. Putting him in his place would embarrass the wolf enough, humiliating him further by openly laughing at him wouldn’t bode well.
“I’m Eden Haversham, or at least I was. I suppose I should introduce myself as Eden Drayton now. Sorry getting used to the new name as well as the teeth,” he rambled, but not missing the way Weylen shuffled back arms raised in surrender, before turning back to the two vampires from the coven and scowling at them. “And I just stopped in to grab a drink, studying is thirsty work and I don’t think Alric would be impressed if I supped on my fellow students instead.”
He walked over to the fridge and opened it, scowling at the smaller sized bottles inside. Eden wanted more. He eyed up the remaining bottles, briefly considering drinking them all before deciding that would be rude. But if he didn’t Eden wasn’t sure he’d make it to his next lecture. He blinked, confused by the sudden change in his hunger levels, not having felt like this since he’d turned twelve weeks ago.
Chapter Nineteen
Alric entered their apartment at the mansion and stopped, his usually tidy living area looked anything but. It wasn’t even the books stacked on the coffee table; the pens that lay scattered across the place, many already having rolled under the couch; nor the balled-up pages torn from the notebook Eden had been writing in that had failed to make into the rubbish bin that had him sighing with frustration. Ever since Eden had moved in this had become the norm and while it grated on Alric’s nerves at first, he’d grown used to it; loved the warmth that it brought to the apartment he’d hardly used before.
No, it was the collection of empty bottles lined up by the recycling bin, more than should’ve been drunk for the two hours since Eden’s last class finished. More than even the two of them needed to consume over an entire day. And considering the study materials that looked half-abandoned Alric grew concerned as to where Eden was.
“Eden?” he called out striding through the apartment. “Where are you?”
“In here,” Eden’s groggy reply came, ratcheting up Alric’s worry.
He hurried to their bedroom ignoring the clothes that lay scattered over the bed, the floor and the half open draws and stepped into the attached bathroom, grimacing at the smell of sour blood. A smell that he couldn’t get rid of as it clung to the air no matter how hard he tried to cover his nose.
“Hey,” Eden said softly from his spot on the floor, half slumped against the toilet. He looked exhausted, his complexion sallow and considering the amount of blood Eden had consumed he shouldn’t be. He should be bouncing off the walls like a human toddler hyped up on sugar. But instead Eden looked hungover... sick, and for vampire’s that wasn’t possible... “So, I’m not feeling so flash. I’m hungry, but I can’t keep anything down.”
...except for one reason.
Alric twerked his lips and it only grew broader until he stared at Eden with a bright smile that confused his lover. Honestly, he couldn’t be happier, though he could do without the strung-out partner who was looking awfully attached to the toilet. Almost a hundred percent certain he knew what was happening to Eden as he helped Eden off the floor and pulled him into a tight hug. There weren’t any words he could think of, not in any of the languages he’d spoke over his lifetime that could express the happiness surging through him.
Laughed as Eden’s head thudded against his shoulder as it dawned on him what the cause of his sickness was. “I’m pregnant, aren’t I?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure? Do I need to pee on stick or something... you know just to get some scientific proof behind your assertions,” Eden mumbled as he buried his head in the crook of Alric’s neck. His smile slipped at the strained tone of Eden’s voice suddenly fearing that Eden wasn’t as excited at the news as he was.
He grabbed Eden’s shoulders and pulled him away from his chest. Cupped Eden’s face, lifting it so he could see his lover’s eyes and Alric didn’t like what he saw in them. “You aren’t happy about this?”
“Timing could be better.”
“You don’t need to worry about your classes, I can get that sorted for you. It won’t be hard to do.”
“Money can achieve a lot of things, but I’d rather graduate on my own merits.” Eden huffed, shaking himself loose from Alric’s hold. He looked paler as his eyes darted to the toilet and Alric wondered if Eden was about to have another deep conversation with the piece of porcelain plumbing.
“I wasn’t planning on purchasing your graduate degree, Eden-” biting back the urge to snap at the insinuation he’d stoop so low. “-but I can speak with the department head and arrange for allowances to be made. It isn’t like classes can’t be recorded or streamed making it easier for you to take them at home... modern technology is marvellous like that.” He couldn’t hide the awe from his voice as he said it, when there had been centuries of living where the idea of a flushing toilet had yet to be dreamt of.
“How on earth can you do that?” Eden’s eyes bulged, hand flying to his mouth and his throat worked hard to swallow down whatever had decided Eden’s stomach wasn’t the place to be. “It’s not like you can say. “Hi, I’m Alric Drayton, elusive businessman and I need to you to make accommodations for my partner who is pregnant. No not my wife. My husband.” That will see you laughed off campus.
“That maybe if the head of your department were human...”
Eden through his hands up. “Of course, they aren’t. Why had that never occurred to me. Let me guess, there a vampire... no, a succubus.”
Alric pursed his lips tight trying to hold back his grin at Eden’s snark, a sure sign that he was feeling better. “They’re a wolf actually. Don’t need to worry about pesky things like daylight hours... and there are quite a few students and lecturers who aren’t human.” But it was obvious from Eden’s pensive look, he’d already discovered that for himself. “You’ve encountered some already?”
He laughed, easily imagining the reception Weylen gave Eden before realising who he was. The wolf liked to throw his weight around more than necessary often forgetting that he didn’t have as much power within Silverdale outside of his pack. “No, I can assure you that Weylen isn’t the head of your department. If I remember correctly he has something to do with the engineering department. No, it’s Professor Meile Fisher of the Fisher Pack. A whole lot nicer and less...snappish.”
“One of these days, Alric you really need to explain everything about this world I now walk in,” Eden said exasperated and Alric couldn’t really blame him. But being in the same room as Eden saw him become easily distracted.
“Trust me, you’ll probably learn more from the books in the library than what I could ever find time to tell you... more coherent too. Though maybe one day I could share some of my interesting exploits... some of them feel as though the happened yesterday-” guiding Eden to the bed and tucking beneath the covers. “-even though it’s more like several hundred.”
“I’d like that. I can easily imagine you and Albie got into a lot of trouble-” Eden reached out to stop him moving away. “-maybe you could start now?”
“Maybe later-” leaning down and kissing Eden’s forehead. “There is something I need to do now... a few enquiries to make about something that might make this difficult stage of the pregnancy more pleasant.”
“Ginger. My mum always swore by ginger for nausea.”
Alric screwed up his nose at the thought. While some vampires couldn’t stand the pungent smell of garlic, for him it was ginger. He couldn’t stand to be anywhere near it or anyone who’d recently consumed it. “Not if you wish for me to remain here. I can’t stand the stuff.”
Chapter Twenty
Eden was glad his close friendship with the toilet had ended; hating the overwhelming hunger that assaulted him before the equally strong wave of nausea that had him contemplating the viability of white porcelain in a vampire’s bathroom. He couldn’t do anything but go with the flow of his body’s mood as it acclimatised to the changes occurring to it – the new life growing inside him. But watching Alric fluff about trying to find a way to alleviate his nausea had been amusing, except the only viable option suggested to Alric by other vampire’s who’d had children in the centuries past, was the one he’d already vetoed: ginger.
But at least now he could concentrate on his classes even if Eden couldn’t attend them in person, not with his very noticeable pregnant bump. Eden ran a hand over it still scarcely believing it was real. Twelve months ago, he’d been human and believed vampires, werewolves and other supernatural creatures were a thing of myths and legend. Would have laughed at anyone who dared to suggest otherwise – had done exactly that when he first met Alric – an would have laughed even harder at the suggestion he’d become a part of that world... yet here was a dhampyre staring down eternity. And the idea of being pregnant?
Eden shook his head, as fantastical as it all seemed, he wouldn’t change it for the world. Well, maybe he’d change the timing of everything, but there was no point moping over something that couldn’t be changed when he had assignments that needed finishing. They wouldn’t even wait for him to be less tired either.
He threw the blankets off and awkwardly hauled himself out of bed, glad Alric wasn’t here to witness his ungraceful movements and waddled into the bathroom for a quick shower. And it would be quick too with Alric at work and not due back till later this evening - possibly not until hours after Eden had finished his classes as the meeting with the Jiangxue coven couldn’t be rescheduled as easily as Alric’s other business meetings – leaving him to shower in peace. Ever since his bump had developed, Alric’s hands were never far from it; caressing it as he talked to their unborn child.
It was one of many ill-conceived notions Eden had to discard since his turning, never expecting vampires to be so affectionate until he experienced it first-hand. If anything, the truth of what vampires were, was scarier than that written in the books of fiction – he’d long since stopped referring to his course books as non-fiction – and purposely so. Alric and the other vampire covens scattered through the world had worked hard to keep the truth from being learned at how seamless they all moved in the human world. Manipulating it to suit their needs...
And it was something Eden too would work hard to protect. This was now his world as much as it was Alric’s.
As enjoyable as the peace was, Eden needed to move faster if he was to reach the library beneath the library to catch the live stream of his lecture. He could just easily watch it while lounging on the couch, or a recording of it later. And he would if and when he needed to, but for now Eden found it easier to concentrate if he was somewhere far from distractions – not that a room full of books was any better – and by watching it as a live stream he could message questions to his lecturer regarding the subject matter just as those sitting in the lecture theatre could.
But what he was glad of being tucked away in the library was that it didn’t require him to wear anything too stylish. Comfort mattered most as he tugged on a pair of sweats, letting them hang below his baby bump; slipped on a comfy sweatshirt and shoved his feet into a pair of sheepskin boots.
He wandered out to the living area and snatched up his satchel, putting his notebook and grabbing the pens he could reach on the table into it. It meant he had a green and a red one, rather than his preferred black pen, but seeing as it was lying on the floor under the coffee table, Eden wasn’t even going to attempt bending down to get it. Yet, he really needed more than the two pens he had, fearing not being able to jot down notes because the ink had run out. He sighed heavily and headed for Alric’s study knowing that there would be pens in his desk drawer. Finally satisfied he had everything, Eden stepped out of the apartment.
Eden walked down the dimly lit hallway toward the entrance to the tunnel that would take him to the vampire library beneath the university’s, pleasantly surprised to find it empty of well-meaning vampires. He couldn’t blame them for all being nosy, when despite the number of couples and the ease at which they could get pregnant, there hadn’t been a child born to the coven for a couple of hundred years. It also meant there was no one to see him pause, lean heavily against the wall as a sharp pain radiated up his side. Eden grimaced, rubbed at the spot until the pain disappeared and continued, trying not to think to seriously about it.
Opening the door and stepping into the tunnel, Eden squawked loudly as a voice echoed through the dimly lit tunnel. “You took your time getting here, Eden. And you might have been late for class if it weren’t for this-” a loud clang as a foot hit metal drew Eden’s focus toward Albie who was leaning against a golf cart. He didn’t even want to think how they’d managed to get it into the tunnel. Wasn’t even going to ask whose idea it was, over-protective buffoon; the library was only a hundred metres away.
“I can walk-” he folded his arms across his chest and glared at Albie while ignoring the sharp pain that had returned. “-it’s not that far.”
“Don’t be an idiot. You’ll be exhausted by the time you reach the library... just as you have been for the past few days-” Eden’s eyes narrowed further, not liking that a certain dhampyre had been telling tales. Didn’t matter that they were true. “-just for once stop being so damned stubborn.”
Another sharp stab of pain streaked down Eden’s side and this time he couldn’t hide it. Doubled over, he clutched at the wall, hissing out a pained breath.
“Eden... are you okay?” Albie raced to his side, panic etching his voice as though it had been the first time he’d seen a vampire in pain.
Eden closed his eyes, sucked in a slow breath, and then another, straightening up as the pain subsided. “I’m fine, Albie, so you can put that blasted phone away. There is no need to notify Alr
ic every time I get a little twinge – and that’s all it is – and besides he doesn’t need the distraction today while he’s meeting with the Jiangxue coven.” He chuckled at the scowl forming on Albie’s face at the mention of the neighbouring coven. For whatever reason the vampire did not like them; complained bitterly every time he needed to liaise with the dragons in charge of the Jiangxue’s security. And if it hadn’t of been for the unfamiliar vampire – or dhampyre, there was no way to tell without asking – Eden had seen leaving Albie’s apartments on several occasions, he’d have thought there was some unresolved sexual tension there. “But that is why you’re here today and not Skylhr.”
“That maybe, but unlike Skylhr I’m not so easily brushed off, and I’m not sure that you are fine. You look paler than normal... maybe we should head for the medical centre and talk to a doctor.”
Eden wanted to point out that he was pregnant, not an invalid and didn’t need to go running to the doctor with his every niggle. Sometimes he wondered how vampires had survived on the earth for thousands of years; getting pregnant and giving birth before the days of modern medicine. He’d asked once, curious to know why Alric and Albie had looked at a complete loss trying to figure how to answer. Turned out that the last pregnancy in the coven had occurred several hundred years ago, just as Alric was taking over the coven and a lot had changed since them.
“No, I don’t want to go to the cli-” his words interrupted by another sharp pain that Eden couldn’t pass off as a twinge. It was like his insides were being squeezed in a vice, he supposed they were in a way, but it was enough to make him pause and wonder if these twinges were something more. Another wave had him gritting his teeth as he tried not to cry out. Gasping for breath as panic dug its claws in realising he had no idea how he was supposed to deliver this baby. Eden thought he still had a couple of months to figure it out.
Finding His Eden Page 9
