Chapter 28 – Arsyn
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Arsyn
I allow my mate to stew in her unfounded anger for the entirety of the trip home. I do believe she forgets that her thoughts, doubts, and concerns bleed through the bond just as much as her joy and happiness.
I'll never forget the cold dead pit that formed in my chest for those minutes when she was gone. None of us will ever experience that again; I don't care who I have to murder to ensure it happens.
It's a blessing Ember was in wolf form for the events of the evening. Her beast will block most of the gorier details, similar to when the wolf hunts wild game.
Emerson huffs. Her arms are crossed as Ryktus slowly lowers his altitude so we can enter the balcony attached to the suite. I refuse to call it Dread's bedroom. That fucker is going to have to learn how to share.
I need to get my hands on Emerson and verify how far along she is and see if I can pick up energy from the baby. I'm torn between terror and full-blown excitement.
Vampirism leads to a complete halting of cell growth and deterioration. None of us have any idea what that means for the tiny soul growing in her womb.
I suddenly wish we'd had more of an opportunity to demand answers from Meena and Aline.
“I'm going to circle and try to find Raisa,” Ryktus says, releasing Emerson with a pat on her ass. “I need to contact my flight and have them take to the air.”
“Okay, be safe,” Emerson whispers, pulling him down for a quick but tender kiss. His face softens as he gazes down at her.
“It doesn't matter who fertilized your egg,” Ryktus says, nuzzling his cheek to hers. “That child will belong to all of us, the same as Ember does.”
“Thank you,” Emerson says, clutching at his shoulders and letting out a ragged breath.
He takes off, and I guide my mate into the massive attached bathroom. I start the hot water and grab towels before turning to take care of Emerson.
She crosses her arms over her chest as she blinks up at me. My skin is still extremely tender from the gallons of holy water the wolves doused me with. I can’t complain. My human and our pup are alive. I’d suffer a much worse fate to keep them safe.
“What’s bothering you, sweet mate?” I ask, leaning down to nuzzle my cheek to hers.
“It’s kind of unreal thinking I might be pregnant,” she says, shaking her head.
“Does it bother you?” I ask, squatting down and helping her out of her heels. “Are you unhappy?”
I frown, because Meena is generally extremely accurate with this type of thing.
She shakes her head. “No, not at all. More than anything, I'm scared.”
“What Ryktus said is true. No matter what comes next, you'll have the four of us at your side.” I curl my claw as I brush my fingers over her cheek. “It will be nothing like you experienced with Ember.”
I need her to understand that we will never abandon her. We'd fight to the death to keep her and Ember safe.
“I know.” She sighs. “Do vampires carry babies? Is that what I am?”
She bites her lip, looking truly terrified. I tease my hands down her sides before pulling her dress up and off.
“I'm not sure,” I tell her truthfully. “You do have traits of vampirism, but I think even Meena and Aline were confused.
The original vampires were able to conceive and give birth.
Laithe's maker was an ancient, and that adds another layer of possibility to things, but I don't know enough to feel confident in any information I could give right now.
Let's not stress too much. Shower with me.
Things won't seem so dire once you're no longer caked in blood.”
“It's overwhelming not knowing what to expect,” she says, staring into my eyes as I help her out of her bra and panties.
My shirt dissolved at some point during the holy water incident, but I remove the rest of my clothing in quick succession and guide her into the shower. “We'll all be here to help you through whatever comes our way.”
The shower is tender and incredibly intimate. Emerson buries her face in my chest as my hands run up and down her back. I thoroughly shampoo and condition her hair until the water runs clear.
I've never had intimacy without sex. The way her soft form presses into mine as she looks to me for comfort has me desperate to sink inside her. Not only because I'm starving, but also because I'm aching to feel close to her.
That's not what she needs right now, and even though these interactions won't feed me...
I find I don't mind.
I don't push to satiate my hunger, because she's my mate. She needs care, so I will gladly provide it.
Emerson blows out a heavy breath, and I tilt her face to mine. Her mind is busy racing through the events of the night, but I hope to distract her from her melancholy.
“I've never fucked Aline,” I assure her. “Nor wished to.”
She frowns, blinking up at me for several long seconds before she pinches the hell out of my nipple.
“Hey,” I grunt, swatting her vicious little hand away.
“I'd forgotten about that. Thank you for reminding me.” Her eyebrows rise. “You could've told me anywhere on the ride home, you dick.”
“I could have,” I admit. “I thought it better for you to focus on your anger until we were somewhere I could comfort you. You've been through a lot tonight.”
She chuckles, shaking her head. “Thanks, I guess. I definitely wasn't focusing on how much my life changed in the blink of an eye.”
Laithe appears in the doorway of the shower. His nude frame enters through the cutout in the glass.
“Where's Ember?” I ask, suddenly quite panicked. It doesn't feel smart to have her out of our line of sight until her piece of shit sperm donor is dealt with.
“Meena asked to be brought to the house with us,” he says, sliding up behind Emerson and pulling her hair to one shoulder. “She's with the pup while we clean up.”
“Is she okay?” Emerson asks, turning to face him.
“She's fine,” Laithe assures her. He gives her a soft smile that's weird as fuck to see on his face. “Her wolf hasn't given back control yet, but that's fairly normal for a high-stress situation.”
Now that she's considerably less bloody and focused on Laithe, I slide a hand around her middle and focus on trying to read the aura and energy of the spawn Emerson is carrying.
“Your mate needs a top up.” Laithe smirks playfully. “Are you going to kiss him, or am I?”
Emerson twists, looking at me over her shoulder. She bites that thick lower lip of hers, and my cock pulses involuntarily against her ass.
“We both can,” she says, stretching her arm back and pulling my face to hers.
Laithe dips his head down, sliding his tongue around ours, and I try my damndest to only pull energy from him. The bond immediately attempts to draw energy from Emerson. It's hard to fight that connection, but I won't risk draining her when she's had an unbelievably fucked-up day.
The silvery bluish-pink smoke that spills from them fills me enough that I feel confident I'll be able to read the baby's energy.
I give Laithe a nod of thanks. I don't think he's necessarily opposed to men, but I know his preference is women, and I appreciate him understanding that I'm running on empty.
My hand begins to glow over Emerson's soft lower stomach, but I'm baffled. Laithe quirks an eyebrow at me. I can feel energy, but not enough to tell specifics.
“You're pregnant with our baby,” I confirm, spinning her until she's facing me. “I can't differentiate gender or species. I'm not sure why. It's possible it's too early to tell...”
“Holy fuck,” Emerson whispers. Her hand comes to rest over mine. “You think the baby is okay with everything that happened today?”
“Meena saw a future where it survives,” Laithe explains. “She's accurate more often than not. Are you angry with me for turning you?” He brushes his lips over her shoulder. “The wound was too severe to simply heal you with my blood.”
“No, I’m not upset,” she assures him. “I’m thankful to be alive in whatever capacity this is. I need to be okay to care for Ember. Without me surviving, the baby wouldn't have any chance. Does that sound terrible? I don't mean it to...”
“We completely understand,” I assure her. “Let's get cleaned up and see if Meena can give us any further insight.”
“Okay,” she agrees, blinking up at me from behind her lashes.
She's so damn beautiful that I can't help myself.
I dip down, pulling her mouth to mine for a tender kiss.
It's all because I need to kiss her and zero because she's my sole food source.
I pour every bit of reverent emotion I can into the slow kiss. I'm not an expert with declarations of love or deep sentiment, but I hope she can feel my sincere appreciation that she's okay and my gratefulness that she's alive.
Emerson gasps as we pull back, and I decide I was right—this emotion is absolutely love.
The pup sleeps with her snout buried in Emerson's neck. She sniffed her mother thoroughly and decided she wasn't afraid. The fact she's used to Laithe's scent likely eased the process, since she doesn't fear him.
Laithe lounges on the couch next to Emerson's side.
Meena sits in the club chair, drinking a mug of tea.
She's already assured us she has no idea what Emerson is and has no further insight into the baby.
She funneled magic into it to keep it alive, considering Em was technically dead, but the rest she can't help us with.
“Why did you allow yourself to be taken in the first place?” Laithe asks, running his hand through Emerson's hair.
“Could I have fought?” Meena shrugs. “Yes. Would it have changed anything? Possibly for the worst. I came tonight knowing Carson would make his move. I also knew that, as long as I didn't make waves, Ember and I would arrive alive at The Den.”
“How exactly did you get there?” Emerson asks, running her hand over Ember's back.