Tall, Dark & Lonely

Page 71

“No, of course not!” He frowned. “Well, I just assumed he would change you at some point, but I swear he didn’t tell me or I would have talked to you, I swear. Madison, you know how much I care about you. He told me afterwards when he asked me to help take care of you and feed you blood while he went after-“
“You fed me blood?” she shrieked.
“Er, yes?” Chris licked his lips nervously.
“Oh my god, this just keeps getting worse and worse!”
“That’s what you eat now. I assumed you knew that,” Chris said.
She threw socks at the boy.
“Chris, perhaps now isn’t the time to help,” Ephraim said.
“Well, I don’t know why she’s mad at me! You’re the one who did this to her!” he snapped.
“I hate you, Ephraim!” she screamed.
“Yeah, I got that.” He sat on the edge of the bed and dropped his head into his hands.
“You should have asked me!”
“Why didn’t you ask her? I mean I knew you had to change her, but I think it would have gone easier for everyone concerned if you’d asked,” Eric pointed out.
“I panicked. I wasn’t thinking straight when I did it. I was so scared…I…I…just couldn’t think past making sure she and the baby were okay.”
“Whoa, what do you mean you knew he had to change me? Why did you assume that?”
Eric ran a hand over his hair and sat down in the chair by the door. “You’re pregnant with his child.”
“So?”
“So, if it’s a Pyte in your womb, which I am guessing it is because he didn’t try dragging you off for an abortion, you no longer have a choice. The baby is set in your womb and protected. You can’t have an abortion now.”
“I don’t want an abortion! This is my baby and I wouldn’t hurt it!”
“Ours,” Ephraim said evenly. “The baby isn’t going to be human. Are you going to reject it?” he asked with a casual tone when inside he felt his heart twist with dread.
“Of course I’ll love my baby. I don’t care what it is.”
“You would have if it had turned out to be a natural vampire. Then you wouldn’t have a choice. I’d have a hundred Sentinels here to hold you down while we took it out of you,” Eric said matter-of-factly.
Madison’s hand went to her stomach. “You’d take my baby? Ephraim wouldn’t let you.”
“Yes, I would. If it had been a monster I would have done it myself. A natural vampire doesn’t have the same protection a Pyte has.” He looked up at her. “Don’t worry our son is a Pyte. They’ll leave him.”
“Okay,” she said slowly. “The baby is a Pyte, everyone is happy so why did you do this to me?”
“Besides the fact that Caroline and every vampire she could get her hands on is currently organizing to attack you and take you?”
She swallowed hard.
“You will never survive the birth. I had to change you to save you.”
“If you knew…” Her eyes darted to Chris and Eric as she blushed. “Why did you, you know," she stressed her meaning with those two words, "if there was a chance of getting me pregnant?”
He folded his hands in front of him. “Because I love you and I wanted a reason to keep you forever.”
“No, you wanted a child. You used me.”
“Baby, if that’s what I wanted I wouldn’t have to change you. I would just wait for the birth and be done with you.”
“Wow, that’s putting it coldly,” Chris commented.
“But it’s the truth,” Ephraim said through gritted teeth.
“I want you out of here. I never want to see you again!”
He stood up and walked over to her. “Baby, just listen-”
She punched him, and not one of those girlie sloppy punches, but one that would make any professional boxer envious. Ephraim shot across the room, slamming into the wall.
“Holy shit!” Chris yelped.
Ephraim struggled to stand up. He dropped back to the floor and spit a mouthful of blood out. “I guess I had that coming.”
“That and more I promise you if you don’t leave right now.” She folded her arms over her chest. She had to stop herself from doing a little victory dance or running over to him to make sure he was okay. She still loved him so much, but what he did hurt so badly. This was a betrayal, plain and simple.
“I’ll sleep in the office for now, but I’m not going anywhere.” Ephraim pulled himself to his feet with Eric’s help.
“Fine, then I’ll leave. I have more than enough money to rent an apartment.”
He shook his head trying to stop the ringing in his ears. “No, you’re staying here. You’re protected here.”
“I thought you did this to protect me. I knew you were full of shit!”
“They can’t kill you now, Madison, but they can still hurt you. You can defend yourself well now, but once that baby in your womb starts showing you’ll have a harder time fighting back,” Eric explained. “If you’re hurt badly your body will destroy the baby to save itself.”
“Oh, then can’t I move to a Sentinel house and be protected there until the baby comes?”
Eric watched as Ephraim’s entire body started to tremble from rage. His eyes turned a cold red as his teeth dropped. There wasn’t a Sentinel on earth who would willingly come between a male Pyte and his pregnant mate. “No, no one will protect you better than the father of your baby. You have to trust me on this.” Eric took a step towards the door. “If you need me give me a call,” he said to Chris.
“No problem.”
“I’m glad to hear that Ephraim is training you. I was worried that you were defenseless. Now I know better.” With that Eric took his leave.
“Dad, she fed an hour ago and there’s still blood in the fridge so I’m going to the training room and work with the knives before dinner.”
“That’s fine just make sure you set the table. Your grandmother’s on a war path.” Ephraim managed to say through his rage.
“No problem.” Chris looked at Madison who looked just as angry and ready for a fight. “I’m really sorry you’re upset, Madison, but I’m glad you’re going to be okay now. I was really worried about you.” She nodded stiffly to him before he left.
Two angry Pytes stared at each other. No one moved. No one spoke. They were both too furious to do anything other than let the other one know they were pissed.
Finally Ephraim spoke. “You can still eat food you know. The baby will need both human food and blood. It should solve any nausea you’ve been experiencing as well as help balance your hormones.”
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Really? I thought you couldn’t break food down.”
“I can’t. You can while you’re pregnant. Then our son will need both until he makes his change or he’ll be trapped in weak body until the transformation.”
She nodded accepting what he told her. “You know I hate you still.”
He turned to walk out. “I know. Believe me I know.”