Chapter 20 Sebastian
Sebastian
Iwoke up with Kayla resting against me, her hair splayed over my chest in wild ringlets and curls.
My heart was the fullest it had ever been as I eased slowly out from beside her, careful not to disturb her.
Her dark eyelashes fluttered against her perfect cheeks, and her red lips pouted in a way that almost begged to be kissed.
She might have had the heart of a vampire now, but she still had the face of an angel. And I was just so glad to see her lying beside me, her chest rising and falling regularly as she drew breaths.
I’d almost lost her. Even now, that thought wound a spiral of fear right through me. It had been so close. If I’d been any later, if she’d lost any more blood… I shuddered as I stood by the bed and cast another glance at her.
I’d do anything for her. Even before I turned her, I would have moved mountains. On some level I’d always known she was my mate. And at some stage she would let me taste her sweet blood again.
She’d accepted my blood, too. Next, we’d share a blood exchange as it was meant to be.
Sweet.
Loving.
Intimate.
It wouldn’t be an emergency situation, where I’d acted through sheer desperation.
But, for now at least, Kayla needed breakfast. I wanted to help her keep her strength up.
She’d shown strong magical abilities yesterday, surprising even herself, but fledgling vampires needed a lot of support to reach their true potential as simply vampires. I wasn’t sure how to handle one who used to be a witch.
Was still a witch, I corrected myself. Hell, she’d nearly set my bedroom on fire with the flicker of her fingers. Clearly, my mate was still a witch. Possibly a powerful one, if she nurtured her power the right way.
And maybe I had an idea how to help with that. But I had something to do first.
I headed out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen. Nic and Leia were already there.
“How’s she doing?” Leia looked up as I entered the room.
“She’s good.” I opened a cupboard and took down a mug. “Thank you for coming back from Baton Rouge for her turning.”
Nic clapped me on the shoulder. “We couldn’t let you sit that out alone. I know what it’s like to wait.”
I glanced at Leia.
“Thanks, man. Maybe when she’s better and we’ve got New Orleans back under control, I can take you up on the invitation to introduce her to Mother?”
He nodded, his lips suddenly a little tighter. “Yes, please. Anything to stop her dropping hints to me about grandchildren.”
Leia rolled her eyes, and I changed the subject to the thing I needed to ask Nic. It was just an idea, one I’d only come up with as I watched Kayla sleeping in my bed, and considered her abilities, but it felt right.
“How would you feel…” I started, and Nic’s eyebrows rose a fraction. “I mean…” Dammit. I wasn’t asking permission. I was talking about something in the city he was trusting me to run.
Nic stared at me, clearly waiting for me to say something else. His entire expression telegraphed spit it out.
I folded my arms, then unfolded them. Then, no. I could fold the hell out of my own arms in my own kitchen. It was a power pose. “I’m planning to buy Lettie’s old shop for Kayla. I think it will be good for her to be grounded here. It’s familiar and a strong part of her past.”
Nic still watched me, and I bumbled on, filling the silence.
“I mean, if it’s available to buy. Maybe secure was a better word. Either way it will be Kayla’s.” Some fucking power pose. I sounded like an uncertain child. I shoved my hands in my pockets.
“Sounds good.”
I glanced at Leia, surprised when she answered first, and she nodded. “I think that’s a very sweet thing to do.”
My cheeks heated as I shoved a baggie of Nic’s blood into the microwave and changed the subject again. If Leia agreed with me about the shop, it was unlikely Nic would disagree. I considered that deal done.
“Is Kayla okay to have another of these?” I pointed in the direction of the heating blood as I asked forgiveness more than permission.
He nodded. “Sure. We brought plenty of extras for her.”
“But haven’t you…?” Leia leaned forward and bared her fangs.
I shook my head. Even a month ago, this discussion between the three of us would have been unthinkable. “Not yet. She’s still getting used to the actual blood part.”
I didn’t really want to discuss Kayla’s and my personal life…and feeding was really pretty personal. I could see that now. And for fuck’s sake, my change of subject hadn’t meant to be to something even more personal.
The microwave dinged, saving me, and I grabbed the bag of blood. “I’ll take this up to her. See you guys soon. I’ll be back in time for our meeting at the club,” I promised Nic. I didn’t even wait for a response before I left the kitchen.
When I got back to Kayla, she was sitting up in bed—my bed—and she smiled as I entered the room.
“Do I smell breakfast?” She smiled even wider and my fangs itched in my gums.
She was my true mate and I wanted to taste her.
But instead, I handed her the cup and the baggie.
She frowned a little as she looked at her breakfast. “I have kind of a dumb question.”
“What’s that?” I sat in the chair next to her and tried to focus away from the exact spot on her neck where I’d like to sink my fangs, where I knew her pulse fluttered beneath the skin.
“Will I ever be able to eat normal food again?” The sad little voice she used forced a chuckle from me.
I nodded. “Someday, sure. Not right away—your system has a lot to contend with making this transition, but over time, you can train it to accept human food and drink again. Just small amounts at first, though, but gradually enough to pass as whatever you want to be seen as on any given day.” I shrugged.
“I eat. It seems to put humans at ease.” Then I grinned, my fangs deliberately on full display.
She laughed before speaking again. “Will I enjoy it?” She lifted her eyebrows, and I hesitated.
“You’ll appreciate it. And you’ll know if it tastes good, but it won’t be the same as it was before because it won’t be sustenance anymore.” That was the closest I could get because my memories from when I was truly alive were so foggy now.
She nodded, and I patted the top of her leg.
“I need to go see Nic. We’re going to the club to check everything and see if we can find anything else that’s useful.” I didn’t want to leave her, but I wanted to find the man who’d tried to kill her…and I couldn’t do that last one from my bedroom.
She set her finished mug of blood to one side and began to move, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. “I’m coming too,” she said but as soon as she stood, her knees buckled and she crumpled to the floor. “Dammit,” she shouted.
I hurried to her side as Nic and Leia burst through the door.
“Is everything okay? We heard Kayla shout.” Leia looked around like there might be an assassin hiding in the corner of the room.
I helped Kayla to her feet and back into the bed. “She can’t stand.” Worry seized me, and my next words showcased my panic. “Why can’t she stand? Has something gone wrong?”
Nic shook his head. “Initial weakness is perfectly normal in some turnings. But I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to come to the club. You should stay here with your mate.”
“But you need people to help.” Kayla spoke from the bed, her arms folded across her chest, a slight pout to her mouth.
Maybe she’d just used a lot of energy when she practiced her magic yesterday. I’d be more careful with her going forward.
“I’ll take Kyle and Jason with me,” Nic said. “Temple is already meeting us there.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Nic.”
He chuckled. “No problem. I think you’d probably be useless to me today, anyway. You won’t be thinking about anything else but Kayla and her recovery.” He looked at Leia, the light in his eyes softening. “I’ve been there, done that.”
Leia reached out and took his hand before pressing his fingers to her lips.
“And look at us now,” she murmured. Then she looked at Kayla.
“This will be you and Sebastian soon. It’s like nothing you’ve ever known.
But right now, your whole body is changing in ways you won’t even have anticipated. ” She shrugged. “It’s a process.”
Kayla laughed. “That’s one way to put it, I suppose.”
Leia laughed too, her eyes sparkling as she nodded, but she didn’t add any further words of wisdom or reassurance.
“Okay. I’ll get to the club and talk with the guys, see what I can find out. You coming, Leia?” Nic addressed his wife and his fingers tightened around hers like she maybe didn’t have a choice but to be at his side.
She did have a choice, though. She always had. Leia was strong and vocal, and she’d been so active in her turning, she’d sought it out.
Guilt was slippery and cold inside me as I glanced at Kayla. I hadn’t given her a choice. I’d taken the choice from her completely. What if she no longer wanted this? What if she hadn’t wanted this in the first place?
But she reached for me. “What’s going on in that head of yours?” Her brow furrowed. “The feelings I’m getting from you are strange.”
Nic and Leia turned to leave, each of them casting a knowing glance at me as they did. “We’ll see you guys later,” Nic said as they left the room. “Take it easy, Kayla.”
“Try not to worry, Sebastian,” Leia added. “Everything will be fine. She’s done the hard part.”
The door clicked closed behind them and I looked at my mate. I wanted to ask her if she was happy, but I didn’t dare. I reached for where I usually found her emotions now, but they were scattered.
“Would you like to take a bath?” I asked the random question instead of querying anything riskier in case she told me something I really didn’t want to know.
She nodded. “Yes, please.” She started to push off the bed again, but I placed my hand on her shoulder.