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A special thrall, he meant.
The prickly lump expanded until it was pressing against my heart. “Right. That’s what I thought.”
“Eden…”
“Please.” I lifted my hand, palm out. “I just want to go. It’s late. I’m tired.”
He eyed me for another beat, then expelled a breath. “Okay.”
We drove back in silence. Talon stopped in front of the carriage house garage. As we waited for the doors to slide open, his fingers opened and closed on the steering wheel.
“I want to be a good father,” he said. “You’ll have to help me on that. I didn’t have the best example, growing up.”
It took a second for that to sink in. Then my breath hitched at the hint of vulnerability. He was such an alpha that it had never occurred to me that he might worry about what kind of father he’d make.
“Both of us will be learning on the job, right? Poor kid.” I made a face, still hurt but trying to lighten the mood.
“You might be learning,” he said, “but that kid is lucky to have you as a mom.”
“You think so?”
The garage doors had opened, but he made no move to pull inside. “I do, yeah. You’re going to be great. Look how you are with Rio—the kid worships you. And you have parents that acted like parents.”
“What d’you mean?”
“I mean they’re actually parents.” He stared out the windshield, giving me his profile. “They took care of you growing up instead of the other way around. Don’t get me wrong, my mom loves me. I think even Esposito loves me in his own way. They were just too young, you know? I didn’t know it when I was a kid, but I was an accident.”
My heart dropped to the sole of my hiking boots. “Oh,” I said in a barely audible voice. “Like our baby.”
“Yeah, but I want him. I did from the start.” He turned to face me. “He’s not an obligation. Neither of you are. I wanted you to accept my blood bond. I need you, Eden. But love…” He fingered the shark tattoo on the side of his neck. “I’m a vampire, you know? Love is so…human.”
Jesus, the more he tried to explain, the worse he made me feel. “It’s okay. Really.”
He worked his jaw from side to side, then, with a tight nod, drove the SUV into the garage. “You’ve been back a month now,” he said, shutting off the engine. “Go ahead and set up a visit with your parents for Saturday. I’ll have Brien’s PA arrange a ride for you.”
Maybe he was feeling guilty, but whatever. I’d take it. I was feeling bruised inside and I really, really wanted to see my family.
“Thank you, I will.”
“Don’t thank me.” He unbuckled his belt, then leaned over the console to brush his lips over mine. “You’ve earned it.”
I’d earned it? My heart folded in on itself. Way to put me in my place.
He must’ve felt my recoil because he touched his forehead to mine. “I want you to be happy. Can you do that?”
I dragged in a breath. “I’m trying,” I said.
24
Talon
I walked Eden back to the garden suite. On the surface, she acted like everything was all right, but the joy from earlier—the sparkle, the flirting—was absent. In trying to be honest with Eden, I’d only made things worse. Her effort to pretend otherwise—to make me feel better—was like a spike of guilt to the gut.
It reminded me of my mom when Esposito was getting restless, clearly preparing to leave again, how she’d lose the light in her eyes. I didn’t want to be that guy, but I wasn’t sure how not to be.
We were blood-bonded. I’d given Eden safety and security. Made guarantees regarding our spawn that no other vampire I knew would’ve agreed to.
And it still wasn’t enough.
