“Away,” he says gruffly and pushes the door further open to her bedroom. “Is Drake here?”
“No, he is conducting business,” his sister says and then drags him to her for a hug. “You left without a trace. I was worried.”
He sighs, knowing that she must have been concerned after the last time he went missing. “I apologize. I was safe, I just needed to get away from here and from….”
“I understand,” Maurelle says quietly and absently strokes her large baby bump.
Vito watches the trace of her fingers and she catches it and pulls her hand away quickly.
Vito sighs again and sits heavily on the sofa. “You know,” he states flatly.
“I do,” she says and sits next to him, taking his hand.
“How long for?” he asks.
“I had my suspicions, but ever since I saw your devastation when you came with the news, I just knew. You never could hide your feelings from me,” she says. “How can you be so certain the baby was yours?” she adds carefully.
“I knew the second I touched her and felt the current run through her and into me. The baby responded to me, the magick at least, as she was still so small…I…I….” He trails off, unable to carry on without shedding tears for his loss.
“Oh, Vito,” Maurelle says, wrapping her arms around him. “I am so sorry.”
“Not enough, though,” Vito says, pulling away from her and standing up to move to the other side of the room. “You knew the child was mine and you still let Drake destroy it.”
“I had no choice,” Maurelle says quietly, lowering her eyes and folding her hands in her lap. “He is my husband, my King.”
“And I am your brother. That child was your blood! It was a miracle, my only chance!” he lashes out viciously and she flinches.
“I know,” she whispers. “It breaks my heart.”
“Does Drake know?” he asks, pushing down his own pain.
“No, as far as he is concerned no one knows,” Maurelle answers.
Vito turns from her and stares out of the window, down into the grounds below.
“How did you know it was Drake?” Maurelle asks after a moment.
Vito doesn’t answer her for a time. He is still so angry and heartbroken about the situation. He is still so in love with Aefre even though her feelings for him have changed. This was his one and only chance to not only have her, but also to have the life he should have had had he not been turned. It was his only chance to be a father. It will never happen again for him. He didn’t even want it until it was taken away from him, and for that he feels more guilt than he can bear.
“I overheard you talking to him,” he says eventually. “Vampire senses.” He shrugs it off.
“Oh,” she says. “Have you told anyone else?”
He hears the desperation in her voice, and it irritates him. She shouldn’t be defending him. “No, I have been in isolation for the last few weeks trying to come to terms with it all. But,” he says and turns back to face her, “I am going to find Aefre now and tell her. She deserves to know who the father was and what happened to our child.”
“No!” Maurelle says, standing up quickly. “You cannot tell her.”
“She needs to know!” Vito roars at her.
“It’s not that,” Maurelle says, holding her hands up. “She has made her choice, Vito. While you were away, she chose Kalen. She is with her rightful husband now. You cannot interfere.”
Vito feels like he has been punched in the chest. “I…I don’t understand,” he says with a frown. What is Maurelle saying? Aefre wouldn’t have chosen Kalen; she was going to choose Constantine. He knows that. She will always choose him no matter what. Something bad must have happened for her to change her mind. But what? Something. It strikes him suddenly and he pales. He can think of only one reason why Aefre would turn her back on her ex-sire.
“He’s spelling her,” Vito states.
Maurelle avoids his gaze and it is all the confirmation he needs. “You need to stay out of it,” she says.
“How can you be so callous?” Vito demands. “I know how much you resent her, but, Maurelle. What if this was your own daughter?” He indicates her swollen belly.