28. Well, I am a bloodsucker in every form of the word.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Well, I am a bloodsucker in every form of the word.
Somebody needed to teach the vampire race about the concept of moderation.
Every guest had brought us three gifts: one for me, one for Emerick, and one for us as a couple.
Thanks to my father’s careful planning, we weren’t inundated with toasters or useless appliances, although everything in our penthouse, except for my glowing kettle, had an upgrade waiting to be installed.
I had a second new glowing kettle, courtesy of Kennewick, so I could enjoy my warm beverages without worry.
The new stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher had been presented as photographs along with dairy-free chocolate bars for my enjoyment and fancy whole coffee beans for his.
The smaller appliances, including our new microwave, an air fryer, and some countertop gadget capable of doing numerous things were carted off by ship staff, who openly laughed at the ridiculousness of vampires at a wedding.
Edgar, who had been given the role of one of the cops questioning everyone regarding our brutal murders, took his job quite seriously, armed with a tablet, a stylus, and an app that let him jot notes about who might have done it.
Robert’s nieces joined him as assistants, adding to the mayhem.
Ben, when he wasn’t dropping more than a few hints he was so relieved he wouldn’t have to deal with a pair of tyrants anymore, sat with us and laughed.
On one such visit, when we had a lull between accepting gifts, I grinned at the man, who went out of his way to demonstrate just how much he enjoyed his freedom from our tyranny. “I think Edgar is the only one here who isn’t fully convinced of your willingness to kill us in front of an audience.”
He dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a pair of small cards, handing us each one. “I have actual gifts for you, but they’re at the penthouse. I figured if you know there are presents waiting at home, you might come back without putting up much of a fight.”
Snickering, I opened the envelope to discover a gift card for my favorite dairy-free chocolate shop.
“Another bribe to make certain I return home, I see. I also see you’re determined to make sure I have chocolate when my ability to consume lactose flees the building around the same time the babies show up.
” I eyed my father, who spoke with my mother and Clarke a few seats down.
He had made it clear I would be returning to a normal vampiric feeding schedule the instant I’d given birth.
“That was on my mind when I picked out the gift card, yes. I just wanted to remind you that expecting mommas can, at their leisure, nap whenever they want, wherever they want. If you get tired, find a comfy place and nap. You need to get changed in twenty minutes for the ceremony, which will be in an hour. The ceremony itself will take thirty minutes, after which you are free to do anything you want. So if you need a nap, now is the time to sneak one in.”
Time apparently did fly when having fun, as I hadn’t noticed it had already been several hours since the start of the festivities.
Then again, I’d eaten enough for six, including several lobsters, a steak I’d put serious thought into crying over, and numerous tidbits of sushi, many of which I’d liberated from my spouse.
I suspected the waitstaff was onto my voracious ways and kept my husband supplied so he wouldn’t starve.
I eyed the table, which had been cleaned of all food and covered with presents, many of which remained wrapped at the giver’s request to amuse us in the days to come.
“I am not in any need of a nap, but I question why there are so many wrapped presents. We were explicitly told to unwrap them together in private. If these are all adult toys, I’m going to seek out revenge.
I noted every giver of the secret gifts, and I will make them pay. ”
Emerick snickered. “I’m sure there are plenty of presents meant to add spice to our evenings, but most will be more heartfelt gifts, and the last thing anyone wants to do is make the bride cry, even from joy, before the ceremony itself.
I’m sure there are presents here that will make you cry from laughter.
I helped plan those, and I fully intend on enjoying the show. ”
“Do you know which presents those are?”
“I do, and I’ll wait for if you deal with morning sickness to give it to you so you’ll at least have a reason to laugh despite the babies doing their best to torture you.”
Morning sickness was a concern, and at the first hint of nausea, I was to take a specialty medication meant for vampires.
I could not, under any circumstance, afford to lose a single drop of precious blood from vomiting.
Thus far, I’d successfully dodged more than a cranky tummy.
“I’ll let you know when I have an upset stomach,” I promised. “So, how are you feeling about being forced on vacation where your sole job is to make certain we don’t get into trouble?”
“I think I might become quite ill,” Ben confessed. “I resent how well you planned for those who aren’t going to attend to the brood’s matters, your efficiency at securing and vetting temps, and your utter ability to close every possible route of escape for me to keep an eye on the estate.”
I smiled. “Well, I am a bloodsucker in every form of the word. If you hadn’t wanted the brood to be taken over, you shouldn’t have opened the door and invited me in.
You’ll just have to suffer. But, if you miss working that much, you can talk with Breanna.
She’s handling all important brood affairs and coming to us only when it’s something she can’t handle.
I warn you, however, you best be prepared to fight for your right to help her with her work. She will not go down easily.”
Ben narrowed his eyes, rose from his chair, and excused himself. “I think I shall go track that woman down and make certain she is not doing unbecoming amounts of work while on the cruise.”
I waited for him to depart before snickering.
“You’re throwing gasoline on open fire,” Emerick warned.
“I know! Breanna is going to eat him for dinner, and if we’re lucky, she’ll drag him off, remove him from the singles market, and everybody lives happily ever after.
I’m just glad the madams were willing to release Ben from their hunting plans; she adores him, and I think he just needs a few pushes to figure out she’s perfect for him. ”
“She is everything his first wife was not,” Emerick conceded. “It doesn’t hurt she finds him to be attractive.”
“Let’s be real, Emerick. If you didn’t make a point of trying to convince me I’m the most beautiful woman on Earth daily, I’d be forlornly wandering the penthouse wailing Jolene because I have no chance of competing with her.”
Emerick raised a brow. “Can you humor me and do this anyway? That sounds immensely entertaining.”
“Sure. The next time my self-esteem decides to flake out and faint at the sight of a beautiful woman, I will wander around while wailing Jolene just so you can be immensely entertained.”
“You are truly the best wife a man could even dream of.”
“Honestly, in your shoes, I’d be more worried about having to deal with three of me at the same time.”
“I’ll admit, I’m a little worried about if I’m man enough to handle that, but I figure I’ll just sit back and enjoy the ride. One of you is a marvel. Three of you? Well, just try to leave the world mostly intact.”
“I’ll try, but no promises.”
When I had agreed to marry Emerick, making use of lax preternatural laws to legally make him mine, part of me had assumed the ceremony would fail to manifest. In the early days, I’d been uncertain, but with each passing week into our marriage, we’d both settled into our new lives together, claiming happiness at every opportunity.
Even before understanding the truth about my childhood, we’d made the choice to defy circumstance and create our happily ever after together.
Change had come, sweeping in its scope, and unraveled the illusions of my youth all so I could chase after dreams I’d once believed far out of reach.
Rather than the sleek evening dress I’d worn to lay siege on my father’s ivory tower, I’d gotten a ridiculously elaborate wedding gown, one with a train requiring several people to manage lest I fall on my face.
The mistresses of five brides broods handled the work, and they’d also claimed spots as my handmaidens for the ceremony alongside Breanna and Salania. I’d accepted it, understanding the why of their determination to play such a role in the ceremony.
Because of our actions, because of my very life, they had hope for the future. The news of our twin girls had only elevated me in their eyes.
Our unborn represented far more than our family growing.
They were a promise of better days for vampires.
Our women would still struggle to have children, and there would be nothing accidental about having them, but much of the darkness and uncertainty would be held at bay.
Difficult decisions would still need to be made, but they would be made with the knowledge babies who rose into their second life could grow and have childhoods filled with wonder, love, and light—even sunlight.
With luck, our little girls would grow as humans predisposed for vampirism, choosing to become vampires. And if they were born vampires, we would do what was necessary in the kindest ways possible.
While we waited for the music to play so we could make the journey across the ship’s largest ballroom, the space best able to hold the number of bodies crammed into it, my father patted my hand.
“Remember, unlike human wedding ceremonies, Clarke will be handing him off to you the same way I am handing you off to him. The hissing and posturing is our pleasure, so try to mask your annoyance over it. It is expected.”