Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 126570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Does she even now carry my child?
It’s been decades since I’ve heard of a vampire couple conceiving a child. Although that’s the normal amount of time between them, I suppose. But I would give anything to be the father of the next pure born.
Rubbing my hand tenderly across her stomach in small swirls, I want nothing more than to get her pregnant with my children.
We would raise them like the children I have sired. It would be a true blessing of the gods to have the chance.
Sighing loudly, I slowly still my body of all movements and close my eyes. My hearing filters out everything but her body lying on the bed.
I can hear the blood moving through her body, flowing through her veins and arteries at its own pace. No heartbeats to aid it along. This is another mystery surrounding vampires. Our hearts stop beating the moment of our death, but blood continues to circulate, lungs can still breathe, and our healing is rapid enough to rarely leave us wounded.
The sound of the blood slowly changing her body, cell by cell, reassures me that she’s physically going through the metamorphosis.
The warm tug on the bond we created the moment she tasted my blood confirms spiritually she is changing.
But the ache in me is waiting for it all to complete.
How long will this take?
How long must I suffer for her to come out of the turning?
Staying by her side, I keep my hand on her stomach. I know deep inside my own mind that sheer willpower alone will not quicken the transformation, nor will it aid her in conceiving my child, but that doesn’t stop me from trying.
My mind begins to drift along with the blood transforming her mortal coil. Following each vein it flows down, each artery it pumps through. I visit every avenue of her body, the slow rhythm lulling me into a trance.
In this state, my thoughts plan.
My coven doesn’t have much of a foothold in this city right now, and even less of a claim if we are to bring it before the Council. Having Dav’s pack here to help us will be crucial for our chances of taking the city as ours from Nikolaos. It will also give us legitimacy. If all my children were present, it would be much easier to accomplish our goals, but that will require time and patience.
Time and patience.
Something I don’t think I have much supply of right now.
Chloe’s presence though makes me feel much more grounded. With her under my protection, I don’t have that simmering rage from being disconnected from our reality together.
I feel a deep longing though. The deep-seated longing to have my children here with me to celebrate her rebirth. I miss them all now more than ever. How is that possible? Do all fathers miss their children when they go out into the world? If so, how could Ambrose’s father destroy Ambrose’s soulmarked?
To shatter a mind so fully… Would that have been my fate? Or would it have been like Ambrose said?
Either is too terrifying to comprehend.
I don’t let myself follow that path too deeply. It will do no good to dwell on the pure evil behind that action.
Taking someone’s fated, it’s an impossible thought to comprehend. To possibly doom one of my kind to never know the other half of his soul for eternity…
A delicate voice slips into my consciousness. “Peace, sire.”
Blinking my eyes slowly, I look around me. The light of day is peeking around the blackout curtains next to the bed.
“How long?” I ask, seeing Ambrose’s hand resting on my shoulder.
“You’ve been here for nearly twelve hours,” he says quietly.
My eyes widen as I look from him back to Chloe.
She’s still turning, I can feel it in her body. I can feel her soul wrapping around our bond...
But she hasn’t awakened.
“It can take time, Ash.” Andrei comes into the room with Raphael, Caden, and Maddox following behind him.
Closing my eyes, I seek out Matthias. He’s in the basement with the hunter.
“We did not wish to disturb you, but when the dancing fop here barged in…” Caden says with a grin and hooks his thumb at Ambrose.
Nodding my head, I stare at almost half my children that are currently in the country. There’s more out there that need to be rounded up, but the ones here with me now help alleviate some of the pain.
“Maddox, Caden.” I motion to my mate. “Forgive her if she doesn’t get up, but this is your mother, Chloe.”
There’s groans all around at my terrible joke, except for Maddox. He winks at me before nudging Caden hard in the ribs.
Looking back at Maddox, Caden groans. “We brought food and… something to cover your body with.”
That’s right, I’m still not wearing a shirt.
“How is it, sire, every time anything happens, you always lose your shirt in the process?” Caden asks with a smirk.