CHAPTER 12: Growing Family
I wake up warm. Really warm. And also like I can't move.
A moment of panic washes through me until I feel an exhale at the back of my head. Then I register the large arm wrapped around my waist.
I've slept over at Drew's again. The room is dark but that may just be from the heavy curtains blocking out the sun. I don't feel like I've spent the night. Maybe it's only been a few hours.
There's a way to find out.
I gently push Drew's arm off and inch toward the end of the bed. My feet are just about to touch the carpet when I'm pulled onto a firm chest.
"Where are you going?" Drew's deep voice is gravelly from sleep.
"Checking the time," I clear my throat. "I think I've been here too long."
"Stay longer," Drew tugs me until I'm laying back down. "This is the best sleep I've had in centuries. Stay in bed with me, and I'll make it worth your while."
My legs clench in anticipation, but I resist. "I-I don't know."
"Allow me to demonstrate."
Drew buries himself between my thighs and makes a meal out of me. I twist and moan until I yelp, coming into his mouth.
"How...How are you so good at that?"
Drew chuckles as he licks his glossy lips. "I've been preparing for you."
My eyes roll and then close, going back to sleep.
Drew is still with me when I wake up the second time. That didn't happen on my first night here. I had been alone in the bedroom with the chandelier and multiple layers of blankets. Now, Drew is coming out of the bathroom naked. Every muscle and hair on his body is on full display.
"Good morning, love," Drew pecks my temple. "Your turn."
I blush and scurry to the bathroom. The first thing I do is splash cold water on my warm cheeks. The second is to notice that the toothbrush provided for me yesterday is now in a decorative cup next to another toothbrush. Presumably, Drew's.
Are we living together now?
I do my business in a daze and a white bathrobe and leave the bathroom with a blank expression. The curtains have been pulled back, so sunlight is illuminating the room in bright light. Drew lays in bed with a blanket over his waist. He looks up from what he's reading when I come out and smiles. His arm extends, and I walk toward it to be wrapped once more.
"Where would you like to have breakfast?" Drew asks. "We can have the chefs cook us something here in the villa, or we can go somewhere that serves food you like."
"You wouldn't like the food I like," I warn.
"Oh? What do you like?"
"I like fast food. Cheeseburgers, fries, sodas, and the occasional milkshake."
"That makes sense."
"What do you mean?"
"Your blood doesn't taste healthy."
I smack his arm. He takes my palm and kisses it.
"What are you reading?" I nod to the book on his lap.
"It's a book about war tactics used in previous battles. I've seen many of these battles myself, but it interests me to see other people's perspectives on them."
"You like wars?"
"Before I became the king of vampires, I was a war general. I've won many battles with my intelligence. Now, I use that same intelligence to rule an empire."
My knees bend. I've had sex with Drew many times, and I still gush over him like a schoolgirl. I can't think straight when he's around me. There can be things that I'm forgetting and—"Wait! Is Bastien okay?"
Drew frowns and places his book on the bedside table. "He's been moved to one of my detention chambers. I'm currently interrogating him on what he knows."
"About what?"
"The things that make him want to hurt you, among other things. If his life is to be spared, it better be useful."
"Drew, he has a family waiting for him to come home. Not to mention—"
"I know he's your ex's brother. He'll return to society once he's done being of use to me. I'll also make sure he doesn't lay a hand on you again."
"Can I see him?"
"No," Drew is angry now. "If he hurts you—if anyone hurts you—they deal with me."
"I told you, I can protect myself."
"The fact that you know how to angers me. You shouldn't have been in that situation last night, May. You shouldn't be in situations like that at all. You should be safe."
"I am safe."
"Of course, you are, love, now that you're in my protection."
"For how long?"
"Forever."
"What are you saying?"
"What I'm saying is I want you to marry me."
"Woah, woah, woah," I stand. "What do you mean marry me?"
"Exactly that." Drew lets me take my hand back.
"But we just met, and all we've done is have sex! That's not enough to marry someone."
"It is if you consider it a strategic alliance. Did you not want me to be an investor in your foundation? Our marriage will get you exactly what you want and more. You won't have some of my money; you'll have all of it. You can educate your people, expand your foundation—whatever you want. With me, you can do anything."
My eyes narrow. "And what do you get out of it?"
"You."
My heart pounds, but I keep my composure. "If sex is all you want, then that could have been what you asked. But you're not asking for more sex; you're asking me to marry you. Those are two different things!"
"I'm not sure you've noticed yet, love, but I'm possessive of you. If I want you, I'll have you," Drew purrs, and I bite my lip. "I don't just want sex; I want your companionship—your loyalty. I don't want you in my bed one night and then another's the next. I want you, all of you. And in return, you can have me and all I can offer you."
I stare at the big window bringing sunlight into the room. "It sounds like a good idea, but…I don't know. I don't think I'm ready for that. We haven't even been on that date."
"How about this, love?" Drew pulls me back to him and embraces me. "When we marry, I want you to only consider the present, not forever. While we're married, you can enjoy all that my riches will do for you and see if you can desire me just the same. If things don't work out between us, then we'll divorce. No repercussions, just an end that satisfies both of us."
"I...I need a second opinion on this. I need to go home and speak with my brother."
Drew frowns. It's not the answer he wants, but he doesn't protest. "Alright, love, I'll drop you off at your mansion. But I want to have breakfast with you first."
"Why?"
"I want to spend time with my future wife."
"I didn't agree to marry you yet."
"Girlfriend, then."
"Okay, fine, I'll be your girlfriend," I try to pout but end up grinning. "Where do you want to eat?"
"I asked you first."
My fingers fumble with the bathrobe strap. "I'm already incredibly late for work. Can we get something from a drive-thru?"
"Fine by me," Drew returns my smile. "Thank you for giving me a chance, love. I promise you won't regret it."
~.~
At nine o'clock, Drew drops me off at my mansion. But not before keeping me in his bedroom for a quick hookup. We don't have sex but just make out under the covers, exploring each other's bodies like we can't get enough of each other.
Yes, we. As if, Drew isn't the only one craving for his future spouse.
Wait, no. Boyfriend. Just a boyfriend, for now. Fuck!
Still, the idea of me getting married at all is overwhelming. I think about it while driving back to my mansion, where Drew opens my door and leaves me one last kiss. The morning sun is barely visible through the fluffy clouds. Still, it shines just enough to highlight Drew's minty hair.
"Are we still having dinner this Saturday?" Drew asks.
"Yes."
"Good, I'll pick you up at seven o'clock for dinner. Our first date."
"Are we taking it slow?"
"If it makes you less apprehensive about marrying me, then yes."
"I'm surprised you don't want to marry me right away."
"I do want that. I want to claim you before another man does. But what you want matters too. I want you to be happy with me. So, if I have to wait a little while for you to share your future with me, then I'll be patient. You're worth waiting for."
Damn it, he can tell I'm anxious. I don't like showing weakness, but at least Drew doesn't seem burdened or annoyed by my feelings. He's considering them, and that makes me feel better.
And not scared like before. Still kind of terrified, but also getting okay with it.
I initiate our kiss this time. "Thank you, Drew. I'll be waiting for that date."
"Until then."
"Drive safely."
"Thank you, love, I will."
I'm about to tell Drew to turn up his heater–he's been keeping it low for my sake–but he's already driving away. I don't look away until the woods swallow him whole. A sense of emptiness pervades me when I pivot to the mansion.
Strange. It's home but doesn't feel like it. Maybe because it doesn't look like Drew's villa?
I shake off that guess and go inside. Max is standing in the foyer and traps me in a hug.
"May, where have you been?" His dress shirt and vest look crisp, so he must have been waiting for me instead of going ahead to work. "Can you finally tell me what the hell has been happening?"
"We have to go to work."
"Everyone can wait a few hours; I can't. I want an explanation now."
I glance at the servants on the sidelines waiting for me to command them. I give them a quick wave before nudging Max to the left staircase. "Fine, let's talk in my room."
My bedroom feels more familiar than the mansion does. The red walls and pictures of friends and family bring back warm memories. But when I look in the mirror to see the pretty blue dress Drew gave me this morning, the present brings me back like a splash of cold water.
I'm back home, and Max is demanding answers.
"First of all, Max, you can't be a hypocrite," I lock the door behind us. "You take long, non-work-related trips all the time—much longer than I do—and you never tell me why. Now, you're going to ask me for an explanation like I owe you one?"
Max groans. "I already told you, May. I can't tell you."
"Why?"
"Because this secret doesn't just involve me; it involves other people too. You know how bad things can get if the wrong people learn the wrong secrets."
"Don't remind me. Max, there's something you need to know about Uncle…and Brendan."
"What is it?"
I tell Max what I've learned from Bastien and the events that happen after that. Color drains from Max's face as I sit beside him on the mattress.
"Bastien didn't hurt you?" Max looks me over for wounds.
"I can fight; you know that." He still doesn't know about my vampiric healing abilities and still won't. "The point is, Uncle may have killed Brendan because of me. But I can't just accuse him of that. I need proof."
"How can you get proof for something like that?"
"He's most likely keeping it in the archives next to his office. No one is allowed to go in there, though. That place is frequently patrolled by guards that only listen to him. I've tried to get in there several times to learn about our family history, but not even I, the princess, can get inside."
"But you can get in there if you become the queen, right?"
"Sure, but he'll probably take the evidence out before that becomes official."
"And you can't just ask him if he's involved?"
"Well, he's traveling abroad right now, first off, so no. And even if he isn't, straight up asking him will just let him know I'm on to him and tempt him to burn the evidence to cover his trail. No, Max, if I want to catch him for this, he can't see me coming."
"May," Max clutches his head, "this is bad. Really bad."
"It is." At least I'm not the only one dealing with it. "To think that our own king and family could resort to doing something this terrible."
"And he can do it again, can't he? He can hurt other people too?"
"Yeah, I mean, if he's doing this to me, his niece, then I'm sure he's doing it to other people too. He's the king. Who would stop him?"
"May, you don't understand," Max starts to pace across the wooden floors.
"Understand what, Max?" Why Max is upset by my theories is obvious, but this isn't just anger. There are also alarm and devastation on his face like he's confirming something in his mind. "Max."
"I didn't want it to be true, but she was right. She was right!"
"Who was right?" I grab his shoulders and turn him back to me. "Can you just tell me?"
Max slumps. "I'll tell you what I've been keeping, May. I have to now."
"Then tell me."
Max checks the room for what I'm assuming are bugs to make sure no one can see or hear us. Then he marches closer to me so he can whisper just loud enough to be heard. "Adeline didn't resign because she was tired. She was, but it's not just that. She's pregnant."
I reel back. "She is?"
"For five months. And before you ask, yeah, the child is mine."
"Max!" I pull him into a hug. "Max, oh my god! You're going to be a dad?"
"Yeah. Yeah, we're having a girl."
I thumb away tears when we separate. Adeline had been only Max's sword instructor until they secretly started dating. Adeline resigned a few months ago, claiming fatigue, and Max hasn't been the same since.
No wonder he's been out of the mansion a lot. He misses his girlfriend, and now they're going to have a child together.
"Max, I'm so happy for you," I coo. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Adeline doesn't want anyone to know. After Brendan died, Adeline suspected that the court assassinated him. Then your baby died, and she suspected that the court was somehow involved in that too."
My good feelings are suddenly gone.
"She didn't want the same thing to happen to her and our daughter, so she kept her pregnancy a secret from everyone, including me. The only other person who knew was her sister, who is also her doctor. But I always suspected something. She glowed every time I saw her, wore baggier and baggier clothes, and wouldn't let me touch her around the time I would've felt the baby bump. She only told me after I caught her throwing up, and I saw her stomach while helping her get back on her feet. She had planned to break up with me and run before the baby was born. She was going to raise that kid on her own and never tell me about it."
Anger flickers over Max's features before fatigue replaces it.
"I told her she didn't have to leave. She didn't have to worry about anything because she was wrong. The court didn't approve of commoners dating royalty, but they wouldn't kill anyone to prevent that. But if what you're saying is true, May—that someone in court killed Brendan and maybe even your child—then Adeline is right. She and the baby aren't safe. They do have to leave the kingdom; they do have to leave me; I'll lose my family all over again!"
Grief hits me like a train, but it and something else hit Max: fear, unbridled fear. Max trembles where he stands. His glasses even fog up because he's crying.
When I give him a hug to comfort him, I remember the night we lost our parents. We held each other because our parents no longer could. The greatest loss we've ever felt, and it's coming to us again.
"No, Max," I vow. "You are not going to lose your family again."
"What can we do, May? If our enemy is the most powerful person in the kingdom, then how do we stand a chance?"
"We…we get someone more powerful to help us. Namely, the most powerful man in the world."
"Who are you talking about?"
"Remember the Vampire King, King Andrew? The guy I keep hooking up with and who also cared for me after Bastien's attack? Well, he asked me to marry him. If we're going to make sure that what happened to Brendan doesn't happen to Adeline and your daughter, we'll need Drew's help to keep them safe."
"Wait," Max clutches his head, "he didn't reject your investor proposal the first time because you didn't want to marry him, did he?"
"No, no, of course not! This is way after we started seeing each other."
"But he did offer to invest in Allistar if you marry him?"
"He offered everything, Max. He can even help us with Uncle and Adeline."
"No. No! We can't get King Andrew involved!" Max staggers back. "Don't you remember all the evidence I showed you? Uncle is human and stoppable. King Andrew isn't. He can slaughter us—slaughter you—and there's nothing we can do to stop it."
"Drew won't hurt us. If he will, he would've done it a long time ago."
"You probably haven't pissed him off yet. People tend to die or disappear when they do that. What if that ends up happening to you, May? Aren't you scared of what will happen if you two don't get along?"
I would say he doesn't know what he's talking about because I've angered Drew to the point where he has whipped me with his belt, and Drew still hasn't harmed me in a way I don't like. But then I remember Bastien and how angry Drew had been when he saw what Bastien did to me. Drew has promised that Bastien is still alive. He doesn't seem like a liar, so he won't lie to me, would he?
Either way, Max has a point. If Drew does lie to me, what consequence will he face? I may be a vampire too now, but no vampire can best the king.
Especially since this vampire has caught feelings for him.
Damn it.
"It's the risk I'll have to take. It's not like we have a lot of options," I dismiss. "I can spend the rest of my life figuring out who killed Brendan, but your daughter will be born in four months. Who will protect her and Adeline when that happens? You can't guarantee their safety, especially when the public associates that child with you."
"But almost no one knows I'm dating Adeline! Before you, only Adeline's sister knew about it."
"I thought the same with Brendan, but look what happened."
Max panics again. He shields his eyes and even starts hyperventilating. I have to shake him until he breathes normally so he doesn't pass out. I can't blame him for feeling this way. I've lost both my partner and my child. Now the same can happen to Max.
"I have to do it, Max," I tell him. "Not just for me, but for you and your family."
"You're my family too, May," Max claws his hair. "I won't let you marry a monster for me. There has to be another way to fix this."
"If you come up with a better answer, then let me know before this Saturday night. I'll be having dinner with Drew, and I told him I'll give him an answer to that marriage proposal after I consult with you."
"You want my opinion?"
"You're the only family I have left. I can't ask Mom and Dad for their blessing. I at least want yours."
Max crosses his arms. "If Adeline and my daughter aren't in danger, would you marry King Andrew anyway?"
"That's another reason why I'm postponing my answer: I don't know if I want to marry him either. But if I have to marry him to protect Adeline and your child, then I'll do it anyway."
"I said I'll come up with another way! And you should too. We can't give up, May. Not after everything we've been through."
I watch the sun rise through my window, watching the day reach its halfway point. Max and I have been through a lot. One would think we have all the knowledge in the world from our experiences; but if anything, I'm more unsure than ever.
But I'll marry Drew if it means Max can have the family he's always wanted. If I die along the way, then that will be okay. At least it would have been to help the only loved one I have left. It's too late for me to get a happy ending, but it's not too late for my brother.
He'll have the happiness he deserves. One of us has to.
