Chapter 31 #2
“Well,” I begin, lowering my free hand to her calf, “based on what I’ve compiled, you’ll share in some of my gifts now. Increased strength, accelerated healing. Your aging should cease entirely once the bond has stabilized.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know all that.” She waves a hand dismissively. “Taylor told me.”
Of course she did.
“What else?” she asks, green eyes bright with anticipation.
I swipe a hand over my chin. “There are accounts of rarer abilities manifesting between bonded pairs. Telepathy. Telekinesis. Premonition. Heightened sensory perception. The information I’ve gathered is inconsistent, but–”
“Oh shit, that’s right!” Bex exclaims, sitting up so quickly that wine nearly sloshes over the rim of her glass. “Taylor and James can totally read each other’s minds now.” She blinks at me, and I can practically see the wheels in her head turning. “Will we be able to do that?”
“It remains to be seen.”
Her excitement abruptly dims. She sinks back against the cushions, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. “I’m not sure if that’s a good thing.”
“Why?”
“My brain’s a messy place.”
I’m tempted to tell her I’m well aware of that already, but I doubt she’d appreciate the observation.
“From what I’ve gathered, blood bonds appear to manifest differently depending on the pair,” I say, my thumb moving absently over the soft skin above her ankle. “We’ll document any changes as they occur.”
“Of course we will,” she mutters.
I glance down at her, arching a brow.
“Can’t we just, like, enjoy the magic for a little while before going back to the research?”
“I’m not certain we’ll have the luxury of time,” I grumble. “It’s highly unusual for vampires to form lasting attachments to humans. James’ attachment to Taylor has already drawn attention, and ours will likely do the same. Secrecy remains of the utmost importance.”
“No worries there.” She sighs, twirling the stem of the wine glass between her fingers. “I’m a champion secret-keeper.”
The elevator chimes, drawing my attention toward the foyer as the doors slide open and Albert steps into the penthouse.
He’s right on time.
Unfortunately, I’d completely forgotten about arranging for him to come by this evening.
Beatrix perks up at the sight of him, swinging her legs off my lap and sitting upright. “Hey, Albie!” she calls, positively beaming. “What are you doing here?”
The corner of his mouth twitches despite himself. “Came to draw your blood again,” he replies, advancing in our direction.
She whips her head toward me, understandably confused.
Now that we’ve sealed our bond, her blood has been permanently altered. Any new samples would only document the aftermath, rendering them useless as a control.
I lift my gaze to Albert. “I apologize, I’d forgotten we set an appointment. Drawing her blood won’t be necessary after all.”
He stops, one brow lifting.
I don’t owe him any further explanation, but leaving him without one will only invite questions.
“I’ve taken to drinking directly from the vein,” I say, reaching over to rest a hand on Beatrix’s thigh. “My source prefers it that way.”
Albert is usually adept at containing his reactions, but not this time. His mouth drops open, and I take a small amount of satisfaction in rendering him speechless. Beatrix appears even more delighted, swinging her gaze back to him with a wide grin.
“Oh, don’t look so surprised, Albie,” she teases. “You know I have a knack for getting my way.”
He blinks back at her, still at a loss for words.
“And since your daddy and I are officially a thing, you totally have to call me Mommy now,” she adds smugly.
Albert’s expression immediately hardens, his upper lip curling. “Absolutely not.”
She gasps, slapping a hand dramatically to her chest before whipping toward me. “Elliott, tell him!”
I scrub a hand over my face.
There are situations even a century of experience cannot adequately prepare a man for.
I glance at Albert, who looks horrified. If I gave the order, he’d follow it– and the realization is briefly tempting. Bex knows it, too, judging by the expectant look on her face.
I decide not to encourage her, giving him another directive instead.
“Now that Beatrix will be a permanent fixture in my life, I’ll be making some changes in staffing,” I say.
Upon waking tonight, the two of us discussed the practical changes necessitated by our bond, security being the chief concern.
After what happened at the tattoo shop, I’d prefer she never leave this building without an armed convoy, but she informed me– in considerably more colorful language– that wasn’t an option.
We eventually reached a compromise.
“She’ll require a dedicated driver and bodyguard for any outings I’m not present for,” I tell Albert.
“The bodyguard can be selected from our current security personnel. Conduct interviews, run high-tier clearance screenings, and select the three strongest candidates for me to choose from. As for the driver…”
I flick Bex a sideways glance, and she beams back at me.
This was her only request regarding the arrangement, and one I’m more than happy to accommodate.
“Beatrix has requested an employee from Bite’s current roster. A chauffeur named Matt. Get in touch with Francesca, acquire his contact information, and make him an offer. Double whatever the agency is paying him.”
“I’ll get it done,” Albert says.
I nod.
He knows me well enough to recognize the dismissal and turns toward the elevator.
“Don’t you wanna stay and hang out?” Beatrix calls.
He stops, glancing back over his shoulder.
She lifts her wine glass enticingly. “Eli opened the good stuff.”
I frown.
While I appreciate Albert, this bottle is not for him.
He looks at me, and I stare back.
Absolutely fucking not.
His mouth twitches, gaze sliding to Bex.
“Not tonight,” he tells her. “You two enjoy…” He gestures vaguely between us. “Whatever you have going on.”
Beatrix makes a face at him, and Albert rolls his eyes with a chuckle before continuing toward the elevator.
A moment later, he’s gone, and quiet settles over the penthouse once more. I take another sip of wine, enjoying both the taste and the silence.
“You scared him off,” Beatrix accuses.
I turn to look at her. “I did no such thing.”
“You gave him the look.”
“What look?”
She narrows her eyes at me.
I take another drink, neither admitting nor denying it.
Apparently deciding the argument isn’t worth pursuing, she drops back onto the sofa and stretches her legs across my lap again.
Much better.
I wrap one hand around her foot, pressing my thumb into the arch. She makes a pleased little sound and sinks lower into the cushions as she pulls out her phone.
A moment later, the portable speaker I bought her comes to life, filling the silence with aggressive percussion, synthesized bass, and a woman singing about something I can’t be bothered to decipher.
I dislike it immediately.
Beatrix starts moving her foot in my hand to the rhythm, so I endure it.
There was a time when I couldn’t have imagined this. Not simply a blood bond; not immortality or companionship, or even the biological marvel of finding the one human whose blood could satisfy my hunger.
This.