Chosen by Sin (31 page)

“No! I swear it, Dex. That had nothing to do with accomplishing what I
wanted. I was drawn to you. I slept with you because I couldn’t resist my
attraction to you.”

“Damn it, I want to believe you.”

“Then do. Please.” She took his hands in hers. “I know about your gold
charm but I could have gotten it away from you. Then I could’ve simply used
persuasion on you. Hell, I could’ve
made you
forgive your grandfather. But I didn’t. I wouldn’t. Please believe
me.”

It took a few seconds before his fingers curled around hers. When they
did, she wanted to weep with relief.

“If my grandfather helped you,” he said slowly, “he didn’t do it out of
compassion or kindness. He had his own agenda, which was to use you as a
bartering tool with the Draci.”

“That’s not true. He thought of it later, because he knew he couldn’t
bring me to live with his pack.”

“And why couldn’t he do that, Jes? He’s the pack ruler. He couldn’t do
it because it went against his rules. His beliefs. He hates all races but his
own. Thinks of himself as a superior power. It’s why he sent me away and it’s
the same reason he rejected you. That’s why he brought you here.”

“But Dex, that can’t be. Over the years, he’s done much to promote
peace with Otherborn. Not just with the Draci but—

He released her hands and turned his back on her. “Damn it, don’t keep
defending him to me. He’s a bigot and a murderer and I’ll never forget what he
did to me or my mother. He’s got you fooled and everyone else, too. If the only
reason you’re with me is to convince me to forgive him then—”

She wrapped her arms around him from behind, not letting go even when
he tried to pull away. “No! Dex, that’s not it at all. I promise. I love you. I
want you. I want to raise this baby with you. I’m sorry. I won’t talk about him
anymore. It was only because he helped me and I wanted to tell you and—”

Slowly, he relaxed, turned, and put his arms around her. “Shhh,” he
soothed. “Calm down. It’s okay.”

When she stopped shaking, he raised her face to look at him. “Did you
mean that? That you love me and want to raise the baby with me?”

“Yes. I want that more than anything.”

“That’s what I want, too. But you won’t sway me on this. I understand
why you’d be grateful to him. But I don’t want you to ever mention that
bastard’s name again. Certainly not to defend him. I mean it, Jes.”

“Okay, Dex,” she said, but she knew her expression remained worried.
Sad.

He kissed her lips. She could tell he regretted talking to her so
harshly. She knew he wanted to give her what she wanted. What she needed. But
he couldn’t. He’d never think of Bodin of Hammersham with anything but utter
hatred.

“At least my grandfather did one damn thing in his life that was good.
He saved you,” he whispered before kissing her and sweeping her up into his
arms again.

She curled into him. She may not have told him everything, but
hopefully she’d told him enough. She couldn’t lose him. Not now. Not ever.

Vanessa Morrison stared at Zeph as if he was insane. He hadn’t thought
it was possible for the beautiful woman to look as ugly as her insides, but
he’d been wrong. She looked positively hideous.

“You’ve been in contact with your brother and you expect me to believe
this isn’t a trap? You forget, I’m intimately acquainted with the procedure
that enables vampires to lie.”

No shit, Zeph thought. The Quorum had been the one to apply that little
“procedure” to him and he still had nightmares about it sometimes. Vampire
biology was designed to prevent them from lying and reversing such age-old
instincts had taken a whole lot of blood, sweat, and tears, all on his part. As
soon as she saw the expression on Zeph’s face, she instinctively cringed. She’d
probably be doing more than cringing if it weren’t for the vamp stun guns her
bodyguards constantly had locked on him, whether they were talking or fucking.
Just once he’d love to see her cowering in terror, knowledge of her imminent death
in her eyes. “Knox came to me, not the other way around,” he said softly. “I’m
merely delivering a message. One I think you should listen to if you want
humanity to survive the coming Armageddon.”

“Again, why should I believe anything you let alone your brother says?”

It was the same thing he’d asked Knox when his brother had arranged for
them to meet at their preplanned spot. Knox had delivered Mahone’s message
clearly but with obvious reluctance. He knew Knox’s hesitation was about not
wanting to endanger Zeph just as much as it was about not wanting to go to the
enemy for help. The fact that Knox had done what Mahone asked despite his
misgivings told Zeph how critical the situation was.

“I don’t expect you to believe Knox,” he said. “I didn’t simply take my
brother’s word on this, either. I talked to my own contacts. And I’m
encouraging you to talk to yours. I’m sure I’m not the only Otherborn you’ve
managed to turn against his own kind. If you have shape-shifters on your
payroll or otherwise under your thumb, talk to them. Have them confirm what
Knox has said. If they don’t, we’ll know Knox has uncovered the means to
vampire falsity himself. Otherwise, I’d advise you to take his request
seriously.”

She still looked suspicious. “That assumes I’d trust a shape-shifter
any more than I’d trust you. Which I don’t.”

“Fine. Then deal with the consequences.” Despite the urgency driving
him, Zeph pretended to examine his nails in a “you can die for all I care” way.
If it was just her, of course, that would be true, but how could they risk a
demon takeover of the world? “I’m not too keen on seeing what a world run by
hell demons will look like, but I am immortal.” He raised his gaze and pierced
her with a look. He wished he could simply persuade her, but she was never
without the gold that blocked vampire powers. In any event, Mahone had been
quite clear about giving Vanessa the leeway she needed to hang herself. “I have
no doubt I will live to see it.”

He turned and walked out of the room. He was already to the front door,
vamp stunners trained on him the whole way, when she stopped him.

“Wait,” she said. “What has your brother offered in exchange for my
help in this matter?”

“Nothing. He believes you’ll help because you want humanity to
survive.”

“Then your brother isn’t as smart as he’s rumored to be.”

Zeph rolled his eyes. “Believe me, he’s smarter. I’m the only chance
you’ve had of defeating him, and now…well, let’s just say I’m willing to suffer
Otherborn integration into human society a little while longer if it means
keeping demons out of the mix.”

“Stop,” she commanded.

“Look,” he said in an irritated voice. “I delivered the message. If
you’re not going to do what Knox has asked, then I’d just as soon get the hell
out of here and enjoy what time I have left in the world as I know it.”

“I’ll do what you’ve suggested.”

He couldn’t help it. He whirled around in surprise.

She smiled tightly. “I’ll get in touch with my contacts. And if I have
reason to believe what your brother has told you, I’ll consider helping. But
only under one condition.”

“I told you. Knox isn’t going to negotiate with you. Not about this.”

“Maybe not. But perhaps you will.”

“I’m already on your payroll, Vanessa. You don’t have to bribe me.” And
please don’t let her be talking about sex because he wasn’t sure he could
stomach sleeping with her right now, even to seal this deal. Hearing Knox’s
voice had reminded him of all he’d lost in recent months. His torture had been
twice as intense because he’d wanted to ask about Felicia. He hadn’t, of
course. His longing for his brother’s wife was so bad he was sure Knox would
have heard it in his voice.

“Just the same, I want to make my offer,” the First Lady insisted. “You
support the Quorum’s goal to divide humans from Otherborn, but you harbor love
for your family and clan. You want them to survive. I believe you’d be willing
to give me something special to help them.”

“What do you want?”

“I want you to turn me into a vampire.”

Several days had passed since Jes had told Dex about her connection
with his grandfather. Since then, she hadn’t said another word about Bodin, and
even though Dex had been tempted to question her about it—how well she
knew his grandfather, how long she’d stayed with him before he brought her to
the Draci, if his grandfather had ever mentioned Dex or his mother—he
managed not to do so. Their closeness was still new and fragile, their future
uncertain. He didn’t want to cause more strife between them. As each day passed
without them discussing the elephant in the room, he found it easier and easier
to put it out of his mind.

Her belly was round now. At two-and-a-half weeks, the baby was moving.
“It’s amazing,” Jes had breathed at one point. “It’s growing so fast. I don’t
think it will take the full month.” She’d hugged Dex tight. “It might decide to
be born this week!”

She’d laughed, the sound trembling with joy, and Dex had felt the same
joy course through him. One week and he’d be a father? It was so fast, but he’d
fallen in love with Jes in virtually the same amount of time.

Dex’s cell phone rang but he ignored it, just the way he’d been
ignoring it for the past few days. He didn’t want to talk to Mahone. He didn’t
want to talk to any of the Para-Ops team, even Lucy. Instead, he wanted to hold
reality at bay for just a little longer. He knew it was a dereliction of his
duties. That he’d sworn to protect and serve the citizens of the U.S.,
Otherborn and human alike. But he was so damn tired of acting solely out of
duty. If things were critical enough, Knox could damn well teleport to France
and find him. Until then, he’d concentrated on binding Jes to him more and
more. He lavished her with love and affection in a way he’d never allowed
himself before, and he lavished that attention on their baby as well.

“Where is the baby going to sleep?” he asked as they lay in bed
together, their bodies still warm from their recent lovemaking. He plumped her
breast in his hand. As always, he was fascinated by the resilient, smooth flesh
but now he was even more fascinated by the way it and its companion had swelled
in size. Like her ever-expanding abdomen, the pregnancy was making itself more
apparent with almost every hour that passed. He placed a gentle kiss on both
her nipples, then covered her stomach with his hand.

He often tried picturing the babe, but despite the knowledge that the
baby would inherit Jes’s vampire traits, he’d never actually seen a newborn
vampire. Would it have silver hair? Would its eyes be black or that hazy blue
that human babies often had before their true eye color emerged? A part of him
had even begun to contemplate names, and he wondered what Jes would think of
the name Elliott…

“It’ll sleep with us. Here. In a bassinette.”

She stroked his hair and he closed his eyes to savor her touch. Now
that he’d let her in, Dex had been the happy recipient of Jes’s affectionate
nature. She loved touching him almost as much as she loved being touched by
him, he realized, grinning to himself.

“I’ve set up a meeting between you and the shape-shifters,” Jes said.

Involuntarily, he stiffened and sat up.

“I’ve asked Cy to accompany you, and he’s agreed,” she continued and
began to fiddle with her own hair. The dark dye had faded enough that hints of
her natural silver color peeked through. She’d commented that she needed to dye
it again, but he’d begged her to wait just a little longer.

Begged her, he realized.

Her words and his realization combined to leave him with a feeling of
unease. Who was he? Had he transformed into his true self or merely a shell of
who he’d once been?

Wincing, he rubbed at the sudden pinch in his chest, and even that was
enough to alarm him. He’d run miles with an open wound and felt far more pain
every time he shifted. Yet now he was rubbing at the smallest of twinges?

He abruptly stood, stalked to his clothes, and jerked them on.

“Dex? Did you hear what I said about Cy?”

He glanced at her. She was sitting up now, still naked, her knees bent
and her arms wrapped around them. He could see the ample sides of her breasts
and the tease of pink flesh peeking out here and there. He was tempted to climb
back into bed with her before he remembered her question.

“I heard what you said,” Dex mumbled. “And of course Cy agreed to go
with me. Cy will do any damn thing you ask him to.” Not that Dex had seen much
of the dragon-shifter lately. Why was that? Did Cy simply want to avoid seeing
Dex and Jesmina together? Avoid seeing Jes as she plumped up, ripening right
along with the baby inside her?

“Dex, let’s not make this about Cy and me.”

“Why not? After all, you sent him for me. You seem to know each other
pretty well. Very well,” he amended. He knew he sounded like an ass, but it
still bothered him that Cy knew more about Jes than he did. He was slowly
getting to know more about her, but he had to face the ugly truth—over
the past few days, he hadn’t just refrained from asking her about Bodin, he’d
avoided asking her much of anything at all.

He knew her favorite color was pink, that she adored gelato, and that
even though she couldn’t derive nutrition from his blood, sinking her fangs
into his inner thigh was enough to make her orgasm right along with him. But
they didn’t discuss deeper, more treacherous things. Like how far she was
willing to go to find the secret to prolonging life. Like whether she’d ask
their child to undergo the same kind of blood tests she’d asked of Ella—

Stop, he commanded himself. Don’t go there. Like Jes told you, Ella’s
considered an adult among the Draci. Jes wouldn’t ask that of an ordinary
child, certainly not her own…