40

AUTHOR'S NOTE: A big high-five to my editor, 'The One That Shall Not Be Named.' But it's Scooter.

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CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Before I realized it, Frannie had me against the wall and slapped me across the face so hard my head jerked away sharply.

"Get a hold of yourself!" she told me harshly. "There's no need for you to speak like that." Her voice softened. "I don't understand how it happened either. But it explains why you have the faint heart beat and your need for excess blood. Apparently the baby is a Cutter. That's why you have the scar tissue."

I tried to stop a yawn but couldn't. "I'm going to bed," I announced, walking to the door.

"I'll bring you something to eat before you sleep," Frannie said, but I hardly paid attention to her.

A few minutes later I was sitting on the bed, rocking back and forth, holding my stomach, and thinking: I met Hiliad Fildri eight months earlier. We had protected sex the night He punished me two months later. Daniel kicked me a month after that, but we hadn't had sex between those two events. The first time Hiliad took me was with Susie, and that was almost two months earlier. I was too far along to be pregnant with Thomas Milton's baby. That only left one thing.

"Hiliad lied to me."

"What, honey?" Frannie asked as she came in with a coffee cup that she handed to me. "It's from my blood bank so it's fresh." I didn't take it. She sat down beside me. "You do know it's Hiliad's baby, don't you?"

I looked at her baffled. "How do you know that?" I had already figured it out but wanted to know how she came to that conclusion.

"When I drained you, I could taste not only yours and Hiliad's blood types, but three, a match between you two. I worried you were pregnant then, but didn't want to say anything until I was sure. I thought you would have questioned it earlier."

"Mom, three months after I met Hiliad, when Daniel kicked me out, I went to Naluchra and accidentally got drunk because I was so confused about Daniel's intention. Hiliad made me think we had sex that night, then later told me we didn't, but, but, we must have."

"Drink, Connee. You need it for the baby. It is healthy, given it's a Bintaur and vampire."

I chortled, shaking my head. "That sounds so absurd! I don't understand how I can carry it."

"I have never heard of a human being impregnated by a vampire, but I've got to keep it secret. It's already making its powers known, and with that knowledge out there, it will be dangerous for it, and for our enemies. There are more tests I want to run because there are a few things I'm worried about with you."

"Mom, whoah, hold on," I said as I stood. "I can't handle all of this now."

Frannie grabbed my wrist and pulled me back down. "Connee, drink. We can talk later tonight."

I took a sip then swallowed, which gave me time to think some more. "Oh, no, Mom! Don't ... vampires drink ... children's blood? No, no, Hiliad would. He has!"

"Now, honey, don't worry about that. "Finish that up. I guess I'll have to find a human for you while you're here."

"No, no, you don't get it. I can't have this ..." I yawned long and hard. "... I can't have this baby." I don't know how I got that sentence out because I could no longer keep my eyes open.

Frannie took the glass from my numb hand and set it down. "Lie down. You need a lot of rest after the flight and this news."

"I can't sleep! What am I going to do?"

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"Submissive! Don't you dare!" I chastise Hiliad Fildri as he attempts to touch his hard, erect, swollen, and I'm sure painful cock. "I said keep your damned hands above your head! And wipe that smug grin off your lips!"

My blindfolded sub hasn't been very cooperative tonight, and we only started five minutes ago. He can't seem to listen to a word I tell him. The twin bed he is lying on makes it perfect to move around him, and the carpet helps to hide the sound of my feet enough to surprise him when I attack his body. I am slowly losing my patience ...

... "Mistress, feed from me," he moans.

I throw my head back, look over his face and see his fangs protruding from his mouth. "Hiliad, wha' ..."

Two sharp pricks press into my bottom lip. Reaching up, I feel my own fangs with my fingertips. I grow nauseous. "Hiliad, I don't understand," I mumble.

"We are vampire, Connee."

"That orgasm of yours must have made you delirious. But why do you insist—"

"You are no Mistress, Connee Byers," he says, his voice then menacing and threatening. "You are nothing."

A baby cries from the hallway.

"And I'll have that as well." He breaks free from the handcuffs and throws me on my back, his body keeping me immobile.

"I won't hurt him. He'll just go to sleep." He bares his teeth and comes towards my face.

"No, no! You won't have my baby!"

Whispering into my ear, he says, "I can have anything I want, little one!"

"NO!" I screamed out, bolting upright in bed, looking around confused. The door opened, and I looked up, expecting to see Hiliad.

Frannie rushed towards me and sat down beside me. "You're having a nightmare, honey. It's okay." She lovingly brushed my damp hair away from my temples and forehead.

"No, it's not! He'll kill the baby! I don't wan' ..." I broke into tears as Frannie cradled me in her arms.

It seemed I did have some tears left after crying for hours the night before.

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Hiliad's POV:

"Shit!" The furniture brochure went flying half-way across my office. When I threw it, loose pages scattered everywhere. I'd been looking at the damned thing for an hour, ever since I arrived at work at eight. Thankfully it was November, so I kept earlier working nights.

I didn't want to do it, I really didn't. How hard could it be to pick out living and dining room furniture? I had little choice. I knew she'd be at work, but I didn't give a crap that I'd be bothering her.

Dialing her number by memory, she answered brusquely, "Hiliad, tonight isn't the best time—"

"It never is. Wilma, I need a favor from you."

"I'm working every night through the weekend."

"Look, what I'm about to say you must never mention—"

"I know, I know. You've threatened me before. What is it?"

"Connee is away and I wanted to ... surprise her." She didn't say a word, but I still heard music and glasses clinking in the background. "You there?"

"Your surprises are a little scary, you have to admit."

I explained to her I wanted to furnish the house I bought for Connee and me. She burst out laughing. "Stop that!"

"I'm sorry. You really bought a house? To live in? With Connee? I think the end of the world—"

"Shut up!" I screamed at her, but that was exactly the reaction I thought I'd get from the woman. Before I realized what I was saying I told her, "No, I bought it for you and me. I thought we'd keep Connee in the basement to play with when the mood strikes me." It was sarcastic, of course and completely absurd.

"Where's Liza? Why can't she do it?"

"Have you seen her house? Oh, of course not. Look, if you do this for me and I'll have a greenhouse built for you."

I could almost hear her thinking about it, "Well, Hugh is gone for a couple of days. Meet me at my house at one. I should be home by then."

"I knew you wouldn't let me down." Yes, I did think she would let me down.

"Hiliad, what's wrong with Connee? Do you know? I've talked with her only once in the past few weeks and suddenly you two are roomies? What's going on?"

"Her explanation has to come from her. You can call her tonight. You have her cell phone number?"

"Yes," she snapped. "You're a jerk."

"I know. See you at one." I took a deep breath. "And thank you."

"Goodbye, Hiliad."

Swallowing my pride, I immediately called Connee, seeing it was almost ten where she was. When she answered, I didn't like the way she sounded. "Con?"

"Hi."

There was silence. Her nose sounded congested even with that one word. "Have you been crying?"

"No."

"Don't lie to me," I snapped.

"I just ... had a nightmare earlier. I'm getting ready to feed."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

This isn't right, I thought. "What did her Majesty find?" She was quiet for way too long. "Damn it! Talk to me!"

"She said there's scar tissue in my abdomen. She thinks it's because I'm eating the raw meat. It has nowhere else to go."

I didn't believe a word of it. And for the life of me, I couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Hiliad, do you really love me?" she asked me.

"You know I do. I've told you—"

"Then why did you lie to me?" Her voice was so soft, distant, so lost.

"I've told you everything, Connee."

She sighed heavily. "When did you fall in love with me?"

I knew exactly when I did. "The night we danced—the first night we met. When I smelled your scent as I held you, the way you looked at me as I twirled you around. I fell hard for you at that moment."

"Then why did you lie to me, twice!" Then her voice was accusing, and it angered me.

"What the hell is this, Connee?"

"I just thought if you loved someone, you wouldn't lie to them."

I shook my head frustrated. "Tell me exactly what have I lied about, Ms. Byers."

Her voice cracked as she explained, "The night Daniel kicked me out ... I was drunk. You told me you didn't touch me, but you did. I know you did." Then there was hatred in her voice.

Yes, I lied, twice. I told her we had sex because she was hurting and just wanted to be loved. By telling her we had sex, I'd hoped it was enough to convince her that she did love me. When I thought I'd lost her because of my carelessness, I told her we hadn't because I didn't want to lose her again. How could any man, or vampire, admit to that?

"Yes, I lied to you." I told her what I'd just been thinking. Well, it seemed I could admit to that. "I couldn't stand to lose you again, Con," I repeated.

"Do you truly love me, or is that a fucking lie, too?"

"Where the shit is this coming from?" Click. "Connee? Connee!"

My cell phone flew across the room, exploded against the far wall, resting in pieces beside the scattered pages of the furniture brochure.

In Loudon County, Virginia ...

Connee's cell phone flew across the room and shattered, resting in pieces.

In Middleborogh, just after one a.m...

"Liza, I'm leaving for the night."

"Where are you going?" she asked as I ran past her.

"That's none of your concern."

She followed me closely to the back of Naluchra and placed her hand firmly on my shoulder. I turned around sharply. "Master, you are my concern."

I took a few steps back, running my fingers through my hair.

"Never fall in love, Liza."

Then I flew off to meet up with Wilma.

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"Hiliad, seriously, I think you are worrying too much about this," Wilma told me as we looked through several furniture catalogs. "She loved what you did to her apartment."

"I didn't decorate it. I just told ... That doesn't matter."

"Hiliad, you've changed," she stated.

"Knock off the psycho analyzing crap, Wilma," I spat as I got up to get some blood. After I nuked it, I turned around and saw the expression on her face. I wanted to smack the smugness right off of her. "Yeah, so I have."

"Will you answer me one question?"

"Maybe." I knew what she was going to ask.

"When you and Connee were in Virginia, did something happen that made you change her?"

Okay, so that wasn't what I thought she was going to ask. I sat down defeated. "You are a sharp one."

"You're just figuring it out now?" she asked with a smirk. "She sounded different when we talked only a few days after you two got back. She didn't want to get together. I just thought she was avoiding me."

I told Wilma what happened as briefly as I could. She didn't say a word, but stood, poured a glass of wine and sat back down.

After taking a sip, she said, "Hiliad, give me a day to go through these books. I think I know her tastes."

I was instantly relieved. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"I knew you loved her," she said under her breath.

"Okay, we're done here."

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While I flew to my day lair, I wanted to call Connee then remembered I'd broken the damned thing. I'd have to make a side trip to Liza's. She could live without it for a few hours.

When I walked into her house I immediately heard a female's loud moan and knew what that meant. I dreaded having to go into the living room—okay, I wanted to see what she was moaning about. I wasn't impressed at what I saw, though. But thankfully they didn't even notice me when I grabbed Liza's phone and went outside.

When I dialed Connee's number I got her voice mail. It was too early yet for her to be asleep for the day. I called Francesca's number and was promptly shot down by a curt and rude queen.

What the hell is going on? I fumed.

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"Hiliad, you should go to her," Liza told me for the hundredth time the past three weeks. I just gave her the standard dirty look and went back to pretending I was doing paperwork at Connee's desk.

I had replaced my cell phone the day after I broke it when Connee hung up on me. I called Connee every night when I woke up since then, but still got her damned voice mail. I never left a message. What could I have said, anyway?

Yet again, when I called the queen she wouldn't allow me talk to Connee. She only told me that when she was ready to talk to me, she would call. I didn't like that answer, but I'd have to accept it.

She never called.

And to top it off, Wilma found out two weeks ago that Hugh had returned to his Maker. The idiot. If I didn't have Connee—shit, did I still have Connee?

My phone rang, taking me from my thoughts. "Connee?," I answered, but it was just Wilma. I could feel her heart breaking. I knew what she was going through. My own heart was already broken.

"Can I come over tonight? I want to show you what I found for your house. I'm sorry it took so long with, um, Hugh and all. But the stuff should be ordered right away for when Connee comes back."

When Connee comes back? It's more like, if Connee comes back.

"Are you alright, Hiliad?"

"No." I hadn't realized I'd said it out loud. "See you around midnight."

Most of my life I've always made rational decisions, never anything stupid and rash because I wanted it so badly but didn't think of the consequences. My one big mistake was when I tricked Wilma into drink my blood. We'd shared the blood bond, though we never acted on it.

Now that I didn't have Connee—or did I?—how the hell was I going to deal with Wilma?

While I waited for Wilma I took every single thing I had ever said or done to Connee to make her shut me out. And honestly, there was a lot. But I'd made amends for them, or thought I had. I protected her. I gave her what she needed—the apartment, a job, love.

Oh, there's that, too. I loved her like no other. I loved her warmth, loved her gentleness, loved her mind, loved everything about her. Apparently it wasn't enough. And why did I think of 'love' in the past tense?

Then I thought of her stomach when I bathed her the night she left for Virginia. Her stomach looked bloated. Since when did vampires gain weight? And since when did vampires require meat? I hardly believed it was the Bintaur in her. And the queen demanded that Connee stay off her feet. She was bleeding internally. She had stomach pains. I was no doctor. What good did that do me?

"Hiliad?"

I looked up to see Wilma standing in the doorway. "How did you get here so quickly?"

"I was already on my way here. Didn't you have anything better to do?"

She came in and sat down across the desk. She looked horrible, so I forgave her for that cruel comment. Her eyes were bloodshot, which had no spark like she usually had, her nose red from blowing her nose, and she looked deflated. But her cleavage sure didn't; it was practically hanging out of her halter dress. Why the hell did she wear something like that in front of me?

Throwing books on the desk in front of me, she remarked, "I've picked two different styles that I think Connee will like for the living room, dining room and bedroom. Those are the yellow stickies. Lamps and whatnots are circled and marked with blue stickies."

"Thanks."

"Sure." She hesitated a moment. "Have you talked to Connee?"

"No. Wilma, you're a woman, right?"

She shook her head but didn't laugh. "The last time I checked, yes."

My eyebrow rose at the implication. Don't start, ass, I blasted myself. "What would you think if a woman gains weight only in the stomach ..." I listed off what I'd thought earlier and finished with, "Moody as hell?"

Her eyes flew open. "Whhhhyyy?"

"Connee's been ... weird with me. I've only talked to her once the morning she arrived in Virginia. We had a little ... misunderstanding."

Her face paled. "No way. I don't believe this." She stood up and paced the office. "Hiliad, it sounds like Connee is pregnant."

I laughed hysterically. "No, no. She can't be. She's vampire."

She finally sat down. "Have you ever heard of a vampire making a human, or another vampire for that matter, pregnant?"

"No, never. Could it have anything to do with her being Bintaur?" I questioned, more so to help me think it through.

"I have no idea."

Leaning forward, I told her, "Have you heard from Hugh?"

She shook her head, stood and started pacing again. "What makes us so damned bad they can just ignore us? Like we were never with them?"

Wilma actually wanted a heart to heart conversation with me? The one vampire she hated more than Hugh? It was a good distraction from my own troubles. "You do understand Hugh had no choice?"

"No! I don't understand! He said he loved me, Hiliad! How can he, he, just ... do this to me?"

Right, I was thinking the same thing. But Wilma should have seen it coming. Well, maybe she didn't. I sure as shit didn't.

I got up and stopped her from pacing. She was shaking. A part of my heart went out to her, a miniscule part—the same part that had died from Connee's words. I took Wilma into my arms, more for my own comfort than for hers. She fought me at first but was easy to control. Rambling and crying into my chest, I pulled her to the desk and leaned against it.

"When a Maker calls, the child must go to them."

She only sobbed. "Why? Why did ... He must not have even ... loved me."

Okay, she was getting a little too close to home for me. Pushing her back I said—before I thought about it, "Wilma, you are too pure not to have anyone fall in love with you."

She pulled her head back and peered up at me. "Have you?"

Like I said, I didn't think about what I'd said. "I did, but—"

I was silenced when she pressed her lips hard against mine. They were just as soft as I knew they'd be. And she tasted unbelieveable...

"NO!" I pushed Wilma away hard, a little too hard. She lost her footing and fell into the chair, but she wasn't hurt.

I stared down at her, at the moment knowing exactly what I had to do. "Sorry, Wilma."

I was filled with a fury that surprised me; had no idea where it came from. Approaching her I bent down, gripped the arm rests hard and looked at her determined. Her expression softened, but she still seemed guarded.

"You love Hugh. Find out where his Maker is keeping him. Get him back."

Walking to the door, I heard Wilma ask, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to get my love back."

CHAPTER FORTY

Getting around Queen Francesca's property was easier than I thought. You'd think she'd be smart enough to have guards, but I saw none. From our conversation the night after Connee arrived in Virginia she said there was a beautiful view from the bedroom window. That could only mean the back of the house facing the forest, where the stream lay hidden.