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Yeah, the baby would ensure Eden stayed for the next eighteen years, but after that, there’d be nothing to hold her on the island…unless she accepted my blood bond. Then she’d be mine for the rest of her life.
Gradually, her breath slowed as she drifted into a deep sleep. I left the room, keeping the door ajar so I could monitor her.
The suite had two bedrooms and a large living room with more black lacquer furniture. I stretched out on the velvet couch, my head against the arm, and took out my phone to report to Brien.
He answered on the first ring. “Talon.”
“It was Eden, all right,” I replied.
“You have her?”
“Yeah. But there’s been a change of plans. We’re not flying back tonight. We checked into the Hotel Garnet.”
“Why? What happened?”
My fingers tightened on the black case. “She’s carrying my spawn. Five or so months along. I asked the Krals to arrange for a gynecologist to look her over. She passed out when she found me in her apartment. The doctor said she’s okay, though.”
He whistled. “You sure it’s yours?”
Anger heated my chest. But it was a legitimate question. Eden had proved she wasn’t trustworthy.
“I’m sure. You know we were exclusive this past year. I would’ve known if she’d been with another man.”
If nothing else, I would’ve smelled him on her. You can’t hide who you’re fucking from a vampire.
When the silence stretched, I added, “And yes, I asked her straight out. She confirmed it.”
A heavy exhale. “Well, bring her back and we’ll decide what to do with both of them.”
My hackles lifted at that “we’ll decide what to do with both of them.” Brien might be my best friend, along with Cain, his other lieutenant, but he was also my primus. He could order me to slit Eden’s throat and I’d have to obey.
No. Fucking. Way.
Eden was mine. And so was her baby.
I’d vowed never to have a child with a human. In a syndicate, vampire blood, and how much of it you carried, was everything.
But now all I could think was that this was my woman…my spawn. And I was damned if I’d let anyone take either of them away from me.
That germ of an idea sprouted, grew roots.
And then, for the first time ever, I lied to Brien. “I offered her my blood bond, and she accepted.”
“Did you?” His tone was neutral.
“Yeah.” I sat upright on the couch. If I were still human, I’d be sweating.
This was the tricky part. If Eden accepted, I’d basically own her—her body, her blood. Just as important, her punishment would be left to me; a primus almost never got between a vampire and a blood-bonded thrall. Eden, however, was a special case. She’d disrespected Brien and the syndicate, and as his lieutenant, I should be backing him up, not taking her under my protection.
“I know she fucked up,” I said, “and I’ll address that. But she’s carrying my spawn, Brien. I want to handle it.”
“I see.”
A beat passed. Two. Three. I forced myself to wait him out.
I hadn’t come to New York planning to blood-bond Eden. Hell, it had been the farthest thing from my mind. Still, now that it had occurred to me, I liked the idea.
Actually, I fucking loved it.
