“Last time, with Delinda, I couldn’t…Remiel had to remove her from me,” I say with a pinched look. I don’t know how CK will react to that news.
“Had to remove her?” he asks, clearly confused, and then he blanches. “He clawed his way into you?” he bellows.
“He had to,” I say, defending my sire’s actions like a fool. It makes CK even more mad, his eyes flashing black before I grab his hand to placate him. “I couldn’t deliver naturally. My body isn’t designed for it as a Vampire,” I explain to him.
“Then you should have stayed not a Vampire,” CK says mutinously.
“At the expense of my general well-being?” I ask with an arched eyebrow. He knows how weak and pathetic I was before I made Remiel re-turn me.
He grunts in response and crosses his arms. “I won’t do that,” he says.
“You will have to,” I say to him. “A normal C-section won’t work on me.”
He goes even greener while Dr. Hathaway waits with bated breath to hear the outcome.
“I can’t do that to you,” CK says eventually. “What if I hurt our daughter?” His concern is evident on his face and it warms my heart.
“You won’t,” I reassure him. “But you will have to do this because you will have no choice. Unless you want me to ask Rem–”
“Finish that sentence at your peril,” he growls at me and I give him a big, cheesy grin. Worked like a charm.
“I will do as you ask,” he states stiffly.
“Good,” I say, patting his hand. “Are we done here? I want to go and see Delinda.”
“Yes,” Dr. Hathaway says. “I will be back in two days to see how you are getting on.”
“Okey dokey,” I say and leap off the table.
“Oh, I found some guests waiting for you on the lawn outside the gates, they are in the library,” CK says, absently waving his hand at me as he shows Dr. Hathaway out.
I smile to myself as I can already sense my new sire and my new charge, and I race happily through the Entrance Hall to see them.
“God, it’s good to see you,” Devon says as I fling myself into his arms.
“I’ve only been gone a few hours,” I say, looking for Delinda. She is with Remiel, sitting on his lap as she regales him with tales of the stars and the moon. He is gazing at her in adoration like he would give her the moon if she asked.
“It felt like a lifetime, especially being so close but not being able to get to you,” Devon continues, and I bring my attention back to him with a frown.
“Huh?” I ask.
“We were camped outside the gates all night,” Devon says. “Remiel wouldn’t break the wards until this morning.” He gives Remiel a hard glare.
“I told you, Aefre and Delinda needed time to be together,” Remiel says, never taking his eyes off her.
“And the rest,” Devon mutt
ers under his breath.
I give him a light slap on the shoulder and then go over to Delinda. I bend down to kiss her on her little blonde head. I hear Remiel breathe in deeply at my closeness. I turn my face towards him and give him a big smile. “All night?” I ask.
“Most of the night,” he replies, letting me take Delinda from him so I can give her a cuddle.
“You had a visitor,” Devon says in a low voice as he comes over to my side.
“Who?” I ask in normal tones and get shushed by both of them.
Intrigued, I lower my voice and ask, “Who?” again.