Chapter 34
SHARA
Iapproved Gina’s list of candidates, extending consiliari offers from House Isador to both Julie and a woman named Althea Robinson, who’d done some work at a smaller house in the UK that had been dissolved. Leonie accepted Emma Nowak, who’d gotten her start for a House Devana sibling in Moldova.
Julie accepted immediately and made plans to come to us in Arkansas while I was still eating dinner.
Which was probably a good thing, in case Gwen might be sensitive to working with someone formerly associated with Elaine.
I’d have to ask her later this week when she came.
Althea would go to New York and start working with Kevin.
Emma needed to give notice to her queen in Moldova so it would be at least a couple of weeks before she flew in.
Even vampire employees had to give two-week notices to terminate their employment.
It made me chuckle and shake my head, though it made sense.
She had to fulfill her contract before she could accept a new one, even a temporary trial agreement.
I wouldn’t want her running off to House Ceresa with details about my house in her head.
“What did you find in New Orleans?” I asked Leonie.
“The good news is that all my contact information was still there. The bad news is that most of the actual people are gone. Either they died, moved, or changed phones. Regina is trying to track down some of them. I did talk to one of my oldest contacts and her daughter. They’re going to do some legwork for us to see if they can find anyone capable of the spell we saw. ”
“Um, spell?” Regina asked, wide eyed.
“Remember your contract agreement,” Gina reminded her in a cool tone. “You’re asking for privileged information, which we don’t have a problem sharing, as long as you prove yourself trustworthy.”
“I remember.” Regina gave me a glance, her face serious. Not scared, which I appreciated, but her eyes burned with curiosity to the point of obsession. “Your Majesty, I promise to hold your secrets forever.”
Again, I appreciated curiosity. My team needed the brightest and best that humanity had to offer. As long as we could trust her… and she didn’t get hurt by that knowledge.
I gave a subtle nod in the bond to Leonie, and she explained the goule attack and what we were looking for.
“Oh, shit,” Regina said. “That’s why you came to get me from the hotel, and everyone was so serious. You thought I might be the person who’d created the zombies.”
“Goules,” Leonie clarified. “Zombies are something else entirely.”
I tried to keep my focus on the conversation, but my attention was fading fast. Though I’d barely touched the steak. It was silly, really, but it was so much work to cut it up.
I started to reach for the fork and knife, but Rik dropped down beside me and picked up the cutlery. On his knees, my alpha cut my steak into small, easy to chew bites and fed me himself. Tears burned my eyes, both gratitude and weakness. I hated feeling so tired and out of it.
“Thank you,” I whispered, fighting the urge to sniffle like a baby.
He rumbled deep and low. “It’s my greatest pleasure to serve you in any way possible, my queen.”
Regina looked a little scared, her eyes wide as she cast side glances in my direction.
“Being on my period sucks,” I said as a way of explanation.
Her shoulders relaxed and she nodded. “It really does. I have endometriosis. Sometimes the cramps are so bad I just can’t even get out of bed.
Well, I think I have it. I’ve been to several doctors in Texas but I haven’t been able to get a diagnosis yet.
They don’t seem to listen or care, to be honest.”
Before I could ask, Gina said, “Let’s get Dr. Borcht to talk to you the next time she’s here.”
“She’s been trying to help me with my periods. Hopefully she can help you too.”
“That’d be great. Thank you.”
“You said something earlier about not being contagious,” Leonie said. “Too bad it’s not something I can catch too. I know you’re feeling miserable, but I’d give anything…”
Her words trailed off into pained silence. I reached over and squeezed her hand.
“When I was in high school, we used to joke that our periods were contagious,” Regina said. “By the end of the season, the entire cheerleading squad would always be on our period at the same time. Our cycles synced up when we were around each other every day.”
She continued talking with Gina about football Fridays, whatever that was. But her words made something ping inside my head. A resonance I associated with signs from the goddess. As long as I was listening.
Could just being around Leonie for a few days—while I was on my period—help hers to start? Or was there something more to it?
:Especially if she tastes your blood,: Rik whispered, his touch light in my mind in case Leonie was listening, though I’d tamped the Blood bonds back down. :It’s very potent, my queen.:
:You wouldn’t mind?:
:It’s your blood. It’s your magic. It’s your body. Do as you will, my queen.:
I wouldn’t want just any queen licking my pussy. The thought made me smirk and cringe at the same time. Marne Ceresa…? I shuddered.
But I wouldn’t mind sharing with Leonie—if she didn’t mind. My brain had caught up to my Blood wanting to taste it, but another woman, a queen… I wasn’t sure. Plus Rik was always with me when I bled. I didn’t want that to change.
:We can make it work,: he replied. :She’s respectful of the boundaries you set. I don’t have to be inside you while you share.:
Still holding Leonie’s hand, I turned my head enough to look at her. Her gaze shimmered right back at me, her eyes intent. :I have an idea.:
:Yes,: she replied immediately. :I wouldn’t dare ask outright, but if you’re willing, absolutely.:
:Are you sure?: My nose scrunched up, still a little squicked out myself at the thought. :My periods are heavy. It’s… messy.:
She turned her hand over in mine and squeezed tightly. :I can’t fucking wait.:
:I won’t ask Rik to leave me for a single moment. It’d be too hard on him.:
:I understand. Trust me, touching him will be the absolute last thing on my mind.:
LEONIE
Still holding my hand—even though Rik carried her upstairs—Shara allowed me back into her bed. Her private, sacred space, made even more sacred by the steady flow of blood from her uterus, the giver of life.
There was so much magic in menstruation blood, even for humans.
I knew countless spells made more powerful by even a single drop of such sacred blood.
Never in a million years did I dream I’d be allowed to drink from a fertile queen.
Even if my own cycle didn’t start, the magical power in each drop would elevate all my natural gifts.
Forever.
After everything she’d already done for me.
Her alpha handled her like the priceless gift she was, his care and tenderness made even more impressive because of his enormous size.
I hesitated beside the bed, not willing to interrupt whatever routines they normally did together.
I also didn’t want to accidentally antagonize him.
Alphas could be extremely volatile during their queen’s cycles, or so I’d been taught.
So much of what I knew about breeding queens was only hearsay.
Legends passed down from the previous generation of queens who themselves may never have come into their cycle despite living for hundreds or even thousands of years.
Rik kept his own clothing on but carefully removed the soft pants and hoodie she’d worn downstairs. I was surprised there wasn’t any blood on her clothing. From the way she smelled…
I had to swallow again or embarrass myself.
“How do you want to receive it?” Shara asked, drawing my gaze up to her wan face.
I wasn’t sure what she meant. “I’m sorry?”
“I’m using a bit of magic to capture the flow inside me like a tampon or cup so I don’t ruin my pants. It’ll be quite a lot at first since it’s gathered so much, but the stream will slow once I’m lying down again.”
Goddess. I swallowed again, fighting the urge to lick my lips and bury my face in her lap. A whole cup. Of her blood. For me?
Stunned, I dragged my gaze up to her alpha. “I’m surprised you’re allowing so much to be shared.”
Cradling her against his chest, he climbed into bed and leaned against the headboard. I thought at first the bed frame groaned beneath his immense weight, but then I realized he had made that grumbling sound. “Then you don’t know me—or her—very well.”
“I may be breeding, as you call it, but I have no intention of carrying an heir right now. Rik gets whatever he wants, especially the first few days, but all my Blood are allowed to drink their fill. We won’t waste a drop.”
Which explained why everyone had been so full of magic and energy the last few days. But goddess above, all of them? There were nearly twenty Isador Blood. If she was bleeding so much… No wonder she was so wiped out.
Her eyes fluttered shut, her lashes dark against her pale face. After eating dinner, she naturally wanted to rest. Or perhaps she was simply so weak she could barely keep her eyes open. “You said you have a doctor helping with your cycle. Does she know how weak it makes you?”
She nodded, sighing. “We’ve tried iron injections and human medications meant to slow periods, but they don’t have much effect on me. I’m trying to just embrace the days of rest and let nature take its course, but it’s frustrating to be so exhausted a full week once a month.”
“It was worse when your reserves were thin,” Rik added. “But this one has been one of the… hardest cycles.”
I had a feeling he’d started to say bloodiest. I moved closer to the bed and dropped down to my knees beside the mattress, waiting for the invitation to join her.
“More power,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “More sacrifice.”