Bound by the Vampire Queen (71 page)

He stroked her hair, thinking for long moments under the weight of her soft gaze. Truth, when this journey had started, he’d almost left her a couple times, not sure if he could handle a vampire’s ruthless nature, particularly one a thousand years old and dealing with all the politics she handled. But he couldn’t deny the truth of her words. It was in everything he’d seen, not only in himself but in those around him. Jessica, Dev, Vincent… even Gideon.

It was like they were part of a train, and once that connection was set, the lock was true, no matter how the train raced toward an unknown destiny.

Vampires and servants, there was a balance there. It needed to be the way it was. The wisdom that had driven the decisions over the century had proven it. Yet he was certain, with her hand at the helm, there would be more room for relationships like theirs to grow. And as Brian had said, that would ultimately save the vampire race, keep it from extinction.

Looking down at his son’s small skull, he laid his own hand over hers upon it. When she tilted her face to his, he gave her his answer in a kiss.

And in that heated, lingering connection, in the energy he felt between them, he was even more certain such relationships wouldn’t merely survive— they would thrive, for centuries to come.