Authors: Melissa Schroeder
“What we are. He told you.” His mother nodded, slipping
through the door. “I have a feeling Nico did not explain it quite right.”
“That you are a family of vampires?”
Cordelia’s voice had grown smaller each time she spoke. He
didn’t like it. Not one bit. He would rather have her yelling at him.
His mother took the comment the wrong way.
Her smile widened as she stepped into the
room. “There. That is all settled.”
“Settled.” Now, Cordelia’s voice was barely audible. His
mother finally realized that there might be something wrong.
“Yes, dear. I can answer any of your questions.”
“Cordelia, you look ready to faint,” Nico said.
That snapped the glazed look out of her eyes, and her spine
straightened. “I am not about to faint. What do you take me for? I am not some
silly-brained woman who faints at the slightest of shocks.”
“But of course not, my love.”
She shot him a look that told him he was in more trouble
than he had expected.
“I think I need to have a moment alone,” she said, her voice
measured.
“Cordelia—”
“Why don’t you leave us alone, Nico? I am certain that I can
make sure your new bride does not run away.”
His mother’s tone told him she was not happy with him. He
didn’t care.
“I think Cordelia said she wanted to be alone.”
“Bloody hell, just go away, Nico.” This came from the loving
woman he had just been feeding fruit to in bed. Now she was treating him as if
he were unwanted. Nico looked at his mother, then back to Cordelia, and knew it
was better to retreat. But he would not leave until he made his point.
He stepped closer, slipped his hand around her waist, and
pulled her to him. She opened her mouth, but he didn’t give her a chance to
speak. He slammed his mouth down on hers, thrusting his tongue in. It was hot,
wet, and thoroughly arousing. By the time he stepped back, they were both
breathing heavily.
“Just remember where we left off.”
With that, he turned and marched off to his bedroom.
*
*
*
*
The silence that followed Nico's exit almost deafened
Cordelia.
"Well, I see that Nico is not that different than his
father."
Cordelia choked.
"Oh, there I am again with my plain speaking. It
embarrasses Nico quite often." She walked to Cordelia, took her by the
arm, and pulled her along to the bed. "Have a seat, dear. If you have any
questions, ask away."
Cordelia sighed and blinked against the tears burning the
back of her eyes. "I just don't know where to start."
“Well, I am sure you think we are odd.”
She felt a giggle tickle the back of her throat. Cordelia
tried to clear it, but it didn’t work. The laugh exploded from behind her lips.
Even she heard the hysterical edge to it.
"Odd is not the word I would choose."
She felt her mother-in-law's study. She turned her head to
look at her.
"Ask anything you want, dear. I told Nico he should
tell you before the marriage, but the Blackburn men are not patient. I've had
seven hundred years with Samuel, and he still has little to no patience."
"You are telling me you are seven hundred years
old?"
Adelaide rolled her eyes. "No. I wish I was. I am
approaching seven hundred and fifty at the moment."
"And you have had only one child in all that time?"
The smile that her mother-in-law had worn faded a bit.
"No. I had another son, Demetrius. He died along with his mate almost
thirty years ago."
"So you do not live forever?"
She shook her head. "No. There are those that choose to
go on, then there are those who are killed. A stake to the heart."
She said the last bit in a whisper, as if saying it would
make it happen.
"You are telling me I am a vampire?"
She laughed. "Oh no, dear. You are a Carrier, the only
ones of our bloodline who can birth vampires."
"Birth vampires? That sounds strange and slightly
archaic."
"I know that modern literature has us as slaves to
blood, that we are all Mades, and that we have no hearts. But we do. We are as
alive as you and your friends."
Cordelia sighed and closed her eyes, lifting her hand to rub
away the headache that brewed there. "I can hardly understand it
all."
"There is a lot to take in, dear, but you will
definitely be able to handle it."
She opened her eyes and could not help but ask, "How do
you know that?"
"How? Why dear, you enticed Nico. I have to say I never
thought that boy would mate."
"Boy?"
Her smile widened. "He is my youngest, the baby, and I
will always see him as a boy."
"How old is he?"
"Five hundred years old."
"And you think I can handle a man like that? Handle
this?"
The hysteria was back in her voice. A week ago she was
writing for a column, and her only concern was making enough money to survive.
Now she was married to a vampire and his mother was telling her he had been
alive for five hundred years.
"You can. As I said, something about you drew Nico to
you. He couldn't resist you."
"I think you might have our relationship confused.
There is no love."
"Oh, for us, love comes second many times. Especially
for the males. Borns fight mating because it is for life. Would you want to
pledge yourself to a woman who wasn't right for you?"
"I wouldn't want to be pledged to a man like
that."
She stared at her for a moment then threw back her head and
laughed. "Oh, I think we will get on well together."
"I now have to have blood?"
"No. You are a Carrier, a female who has the gene to
birth the Borns. There are Mades, but that can be dangerous. And, you must have
a very prominent birth father for you to pull at both Hurst and Nico the way
you did."
"Hurst?" Then his behavior hit her. "He's a
vampire."
"He was Made, which is why we almost lost him."
Her head started to spin with the unfamiliar words, the
strange world she was now a part of. Just what the bloody hell would she do
now?
"Why don't you get dressed? Nico can explain a lot of
this later. I do not want to confuse you. I am pretty sure Malik will be back
soon, too. We had an incident that I need to help with."
"An incident?"
"A young Carrier was attacked. She needs some motherly
care, and it seems her mother...well, I shouldn't use that word. Her family has
disowned her. I must make sure she survives now. I am a healer, my special
talent. And you will have yours."
Adelaide rose and walked to the door. "Wait. Mine? You
mean talent?"
"Yes. Now that you have mated, whatever skill you have
will grow stronger. I would take no longer than half an hour, dear. Nico might
come up here and tear the door down. Nico is not going to want to be separated
from you for long so close to your first mating."
With that, she slipped out the door. Cordelia kept staring
at it, her brain almost numb. She was married to a vampire, and now she would
birth them.
Bloody hell, why did she always find herself in situations
like this?
*
*
*
*
Nico watched his mother talk about his bride then glanced at
her rabid audience. It included his father—who was enjoying the story a bit too
much—Malik and Gray. They all seemed to take a particular interest in the way
his bride handled the information.
At the moment, he didn’t truly care about what they thought
of him. He tried to fight the urge to run up the stairs. He knew it was
instinctual, primal, but he hated being away from Cordelia. It would not do for
her to think he could not handle their separation, but at the same time, he
almost did not care.
"I think she will be fine, Nico. You should have
explained things before the wedding," his mother said.
"Then she would have run away. You and I both know
that. Her reputation would be in tatters. I could not let that happen."
His mother looked at him for a few moments and opened her
mouth, but he was saved by Cordelia.
"I see that you brought in troops."
He glanced at her, and his body responded immediately. He
could not help it, nor did he care to. All he wanted to do was to strip off the
day dress she was wearing and feel her flesh, then feed off her again. The need
he had for her was madness. It grew stronger each time he saw her.
"I like a girl with a little fight," his father
said with a chuckle. "I hope you are not going to hold it against all of
us that you were not told."
"What good would that do? I would still be married to a
vampire."
Malik chuckled. Nico frowned at him, but Malik just grinned.
It was bad enough this was playing out in front of his family, but having both
he and Gray here was making it worse.
"Mother said she explained it all to you."
Cordelia looked at him, but he couldn't read her feelings.
He really didn't have to. She was definitely not happy about it.
"I think I will have more questions about us later, but
the main one I have is about Hurst."
The air stilled around them, and he found himself wanting to
flee. He didn't want to scare her even more than she already was.
"What would you like to know?" he finally asked.
"He is Made."
Of course she didn't need an explanation on that. She was
not a stupid woman. She was lush, beautiful, and he knew just how she moaned
his name. His body reacted to the thought, his blood traveling quickly to his
groin.
Dammit.
He shook his head, trying to bring himself back into the
conversation.
"I sense there is something else you are not telling
me."
He hesitated, and of course no one came to his aid. They
left him dangling there, flailing in the wind.
"Cordelia—"
"Nico, please do not treat me like a simpleton. I have
not run away screaming in the street so please, tell me what you can of this
Made business. I understand from your mother that Hurst is Made, and he almost
died."
"It isn't a pleasant tale."
She glanced around at the room then looked at him. "I
have had many an unpleasant tale in my lifetime. One more will not make a
difference."
"Cordelia, have a seat, and I will tell you," he
said, keeping his distance. He already captured the faint scent of her, and his
body was humming. He needed her more than he expected, but he could control it.
It was normal...or at least he hoped it was. He also prayed that once they
settled down, he would be released from this insane need he had for her
constantly.
He sat in the chair opposite of hers and explained the last
few weeks. The room was quiet, and no one interrupted him throughout the entire
telling. Even his bride. He was surprised she did not, but he could watch her
taking in all the information.
"So, he had to be taken care of. He is somewhat
recovered, and Malik will help him through the next few months."
She glanced at Malik. "You are Made?"
He nodded.
"From Egypt?"
Malik's eyebrows shot up, and he gave Nico a warning look.
He was right. Cordelia was extremely intelligent. He had not told her
everything, but she would find it out if they were not careful.
"Yes, Malik is from Egypt," Nico said.
She barely spared him a glance then turned to Gray.
"All the Dukes of Queensbury have been vampires?"
Gray gave her a smile. "We prefer the word Borns."
His voice was solicitous enough to irritate Nico. In fact,
his teeth started to descend, but not because of lust. Anger and possessiveness
wound through him, heating his blood. He was an inch away from attacking Gray
when his father said, "Settle, Nico. Gray is not after your bride."
Cordelia turned her head, and her eyes widened then
narrowed. "Really, Nico. I am not in the mood to have one vampire in my
life let alone a second, and a titled one at that. I really do not have time
for such foolishness."
His father chuckled, but Nico ignored him. He did pull his
possessive instincts into check.
"Is there anything else you need answered?" he
asked.
"Is this normal? The making of vampires?"
"Why do you ask?"
She didn't like his question. He knew she was smart enough
to understand he had not answered hers.
"I think if there had been a group of Made vampires
running the London streets, I would know. I have never heard anything of the
like. Add to the fact there is a sense of urgency whenever you talk to Malik,
and I assumed there were problems."
"I told you she was smart," his mother announced
with a wide, satisfied smile.
"There are some problems, but they are not truly
anything you need to worry about."
In that moment, he felt her shift away from him. "But
of course. Now that I know all of this, what am I expected to do?"
"Expected to do?"
"There must be some kind of duty I have."
"What your wife is asking you is if you have any duties
for her," his mother said.
He had something he wanted from her, but he didn't think he
should mention that in front of the others. Cordelia must have sensed which way
his thoughts went because she blushed.
"What I am asking is what kind of social duties do I
have?"
"None."
She rolled her eyes. "I know that normally you live in
the country, but here in town, we will need to make the rounds. And I can help
with the investigation."
"Absolutely not."
He said it so adamantly, he knew the others caught on to
him. He could not have her investigating his past, the things he had done. She
would be appalled at the assassinations he had carried out in the last few
months. Cordelia was a strong woman, but knowing her husband was a murderer
might be a bit much to handle.