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Blair flipped him the bird.
Chapter Twenty-One
Kane’ssilenceslowlybecamemore and more unnerving. The vampire observed him unobtrusively, sipping on a wine glass filled with blood. Five minutes ago, Kaien had given in and taken to pacing, wearing a hole in the carpet as he fought not to go back into the conference room and ensure Blair was unharmed.
All the while, Kane remained mute.
Clenching his teeth, Kaien stalled and pinned him with a hard stare. “You wanted to speak. So speak.”
Kane’s expression softened, a note of amusement touching his features. “I figured you’d talk when you wanted to. You’re agitated, and I didn’t want to intrude.”
“Your methods of observation have never been more astute.” Huffing out a sigh, he sank into the leather armchair opposite Kane and pressed his thumb into his temple.
“You are mating with her, are you not?”
“She won’t have me.”
Sick of repeating himself, Kaien grimaced, intentionally not making eye contact with the vampire across from him but seeing his reaction, nonetheless.
There was no surprise on Kane’s face when he nodded and set the wine glass off to one side, then he leaned forward to rest his chin on tented hands. “Blair is not the only one who fights it.”
“I have never wanted to be mated, Kane. You know this.”
“Everyone wants to be mated, Kaien.” Nothing in Kane’s voice suggested otherwise. “And denying the deep-rooted need to bond with another living being will only hurt you.”
Anger flashed in Kaien’s eyes. “I cannot coerce her into a bond that she doesn’t want, nor will I ever.”
The vampire shook his head, a placating move. “She will come to you with time, Kaien. I merely ask thatyoudon’t fight it. I walked away from Nova once upon a time, and all I felt was grief and loneliness. Blair suits you. You suit Blair. Give it time.”
Pacified for the moment, hope sparked in Kaien’s gut. Perhaps, with time, Blair would allow him past the fortress of ice she’d erected around her heart. With the thought, hope bloomed in his soul—for a future where Blair loved him.
Or, at the very least, tolerated his presence.
Shaking his head to dissuade himself from yearning for a dream that might never come to fruition, he sighed thoughtfully. “Nova is still wary of me.”
At the mention of his mate, Kane’s face brightened. “Sometimes, I think the same thing of myself, Kaien. It’s in her nature to be wary—it’s the same way with Blair. Strong, independent women don’t take kindly to being dominated. And sometimes, they fight tooth and nail against it when we ask them otherwise.
“When I mated with Nova, we became partners,” he explained. “We’re equals. Neither of us arbitrarily bow to the other and we would never require it. Blair won’t accept any less than that, Kaien.”
“That’s not in my nature,” came Kaien’s quick reply.
“Nor in mine, old friend, but mating changes us at the core of who we are. Mating is a partnership. A union. It’s a gentle give and take.”
Kaien raised an eyebrow. “Neither of us are gentle, Kane.”
Smirking, the other man dropped his gaze to the floor as thoughts played behind his sapphire eyes. “A lioness who prowls the savanna inspires terror and awe in all who look upon her, even among the pride lions, but she still nuzzles her cubs to sleep.”
Kaien chuckled, the resistance leaking out of him. “I am happy you found your mate in Nova.”
“As am I.” Kane’s smile turned thoughtful. “After what happened with Sillah, I thought I’d never find joy again.”
Nodding stoically at the mention of Kane’s late daughter, Kaien pursed his lips and held his tongue for a bit longer than conversation called for.
“Would you desire children again, if given the chance?”
A resigned smile from the vampire. “A thousand times over. Nova would be a wonderful mother, but I think she’s accepted the fact that we’ll never bear children together. We both know that the chance of conceiving is close to nil. Not only are the werewolves exceptionally infertile in the best of times, but you and I both know that vampires simply aren’t able to have young.”
Kaien stayed quiet for a moment, unsure of whether or not to broach the subject further—and unsure of whether or not to allude to his inherent gift. There was one way for a vampire to procreate, and Kaien alone held that gift.
