11

Outside of New Orleans, four years earlier

John stood at the door to the guard room and watched his men, a dozen well-trained and heavily-armed vampires, march past him after receiving their orders for the night. As leader of the king’s guard, he was responsible for them, and for the safety of his king and queen, and their three hybrid children.

The triplets, David, Zack, and Monique were celebrating their sixteenth birthday, and tonight’s celebration meant that a large number of guests were expected at the royal estate north of New Orleans. Which meant extra security was needed tonight. It also meant that he was required to remain here all night and most likely the entire morning, rather than return to his home in the Garden District, a home he and his blood-bonded mate Nicolette shared. A home that would soon hear the laughter of their first child.

John looked over his shoulder when he heard footsteps approaching from another corridor. Cain, his king, but also his best friend, walked toward him, a smile on his face.

“Evening, Cain,” John greeted him. “You look relaxed.”

Cain winked at him. “Faye has that effect on me. Besides, I might be able to get rid of those kids soon. When do you think I can ask them to move out? I mean, they’re sixteen. They should be able to live on their own, right?”

John chuckled. “They cramping your style?”

“More than you know.”

Despite his words, John knew that Cain was only joking. He loved his children, and if they lived separate from him and Faye, he would only worry. And then John would have to hire even more vampire bodyguards to protect them. Already now, each of them had a personal security detail.

Faye suddenly appeared from the corridor and joined them. “How’s Nicolette?”

John grinned. “Getting fatter every day.” And he’d never seen anything lovelier.

Faye smiled. “Not much longer now, right?”

“Another month at least.”

“I doubt it. When I saw her last week, she looked like it could be any day now.”

Cain put his arm around his wife’s waist. “Since when are you a doctor?”

“I’m not. But women know these things.” Then she looked back at John. “You did tell her that she’s invited to tonight’s celebrations, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I relayed the invitation. She wasn’t sure how she was feeling, so I left it up to her to decide later. I know she wanted to take a nap. She might come later.”

“And drive herself?” Faye asked, in surprise.

“Of course not. I made sure there’s a car and driver available for her if she wants to join us later.”

Faye let out a breath of relief. She was ever the doting queen. “Thank goodness. I really hope that she’ll feel well enough to join the festivities.”

“Me too,” John said.

“You know, I was thinking,” Faye added, exchanging a quick look with Cain. “Why don’t you two stay at the king’s guard cottage until the baby comes? Then we could keep an eye on her while you’re on duty.”

“That won’t be necessary,” John said and pointed to Cain. “Cain’s ordered me to take a vacation starting as soon as the birthday celebrations are over.” He would have never asked for it, but Cain had come to him the night before, announcing his decision in a tone that brooked no refusal. Not that John would have protested. Spending more time with Nicolette before she gave birth to their baby was the best gift his friend could have given him.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Faye said to Cain and slapped him on the shoulder. “I would have personally thanked you for being so nice to John.”

“Oh, you already thanked me earlier,” Cain claimed and smirked.

A meaningful gaze passed between them, and John had to shake his head. They were still lovebirds, even after such a long time together. Just like John and Nicolette. Though he and Nicolette hadn’t been lucky enough to be blessed with children in their first year of marriage, as Faye and Cain had been. But then, the king and queen had had help: since both of them were vampires, they had asked Maya, a vampire physician from Scanguards, to perform her ground-breaking stem cell treatment on Faye, so she could conceive. Something vampire females hadn’t been able to do before Maya had made her discovery. Maya’s treatment turned a vampire female’s womb into a human womb. The resulting fetus was therefore half vampire, half human, incorporating some of the human DNA from the donor’s stem cells into its genetic makeup.

The treatment had worked on the first attempt and resulted in triplets. Three tiny, screaming, and always hungry hybrids that kept everybody in the kingdom on their toes.

And now they were suddenly sixteen years old.

“Is everything ready for tonight?” Cain asked.

“The fireworks are being set up as we speak. The decorations are up. Very goth.” John chuckled to himself.

Faye clapped her hands. “I don’t know how to thank you, John! I can’t believe you came up with the idea of hosting a vampire-themed birthday party. It solves all our problems with the kids’ human guests. Since everybody’s going to be in vampire costumes, nobody will blink an eye if one of us is seen drinking blood or exposing a fang.”

“It’s genius,” Cain agreed.

John shrugged. “I figured with all those vampire books on the bestseller lists and that new vampire series on TV—which is, by the way, totally unrealistic—no human would find it strange that three teenagers requested a vampire-themed party.”

“Just as well that those vampires on TV are nothing like us,” Cain commented. “As long as they keep getting half of what we do and how we live wrong, we won’t have to worry about them ever figuring us out. Our secret is safe.”

“I hope it remains that way.” John motioned to the door. “I’d better check that everything is ready for our guests.”

“You do that. I’ll have a word with the kids, reiterate the rules for tonight.” Cain winked at him. “Just in case. You know how they are when they get excited.”

John nodded at Cain and Faye, then walked outside. The mansion which housed the king and queen and their three offspring also contained quarters for the king’s guard, highly trained bodyguards whose job it was to make sure no harm came to the family.

Outside, several small cottages, all retrofitted to be vampire-proof, dotted the expansive grounds. A long, broad driveway led to a public road several miles away. Along this driveway, tents and stalls had been erected, as well as a stage and a dance floor. It looked more like a carnival than a birthday party. Staff members were milling about, arranging last minute items, while early guests were already arriving, parking their cars in a designated area. From there, they would be led to meet the birthday boys and girl, while security staff discretely scanned them for weapons.

John surveyed the area, sweeping his gaze over the arriving guests. Everything looked good. There were no problems he could detect. There rarely were. His staff was extremely well-trained and dedicated, and the guests had been pre-screened before invitations had been sent out.

His cell phone buzzed. He pulled it from his pocket, and when he read the display, smiled. “Hey, my love,” he murmured, answering it. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling really well tonight,” Nicolette answered. “A bit hot, but otherwise fine. And I’m bored.”

He chuckled. “You are? Then why don’t you text the driver and ask him to bring you here? Faye was asking about you. And I’d love to steal a dance if I may.”

“I’m fat as a cow, John! You don’t want to dance with me.” There was a breathless quality to her voice, which reminded him of how she breathed whenever they made love. She’d sounded just like that when he’d made love to her two days ago, with her laying on her side to take pressure off her back and him behind her, gently thrusting in and out of her while he caressed her belly and her heavy breasts. “I’m too fat to dance.”

He quickly glanced around. Nobody was on the terrace that surrounded the house. Nevertheless, he lowered his voice. “You’re not too fat to make love, so if you won’t dance with me, will you at least let me make love to you tomorrow morning?”

A soft chuckle came through the phone. “Oh, John. I honestly don’t know how you can still find me attractive when I look like a balloon waddling around on two sticks.”

He threw his head back and laughed at her description of herself. Then he murmured, “Don’t you know how hard it makes me just thinking of you with your big belly and your heavy tits, and your gorgeous ass? If I weren’t so concerned about your and the baby’s health, I’d be fucking you like crazy every single day until you deliver our son. So, get your sweet ass into that limousine and come over here so I can at least put my arms around you and pretend to be civilized.”

“I love you, John,” she said. “I’ll be there in an hour, just need to put some decent clothes on.”

“I love you, too.”

~ ~ ~

The arriving guests, a few complications regarding the planned fireworks, and a mix-up in the food tent kept him so busy that the next time John looked at his watch, an hour and a half had passed since he’d spoken to Nicolette. Had she taken longer to get changed into something suitable for a party, or had they run into traffic? He couldn’t help but worry. He always did when he was away from her.

He called Nicolette’s cell phone. It rang several times, then went to voicemail. He disconnected the call without leaving a message, and instead searched for the number of the driver he’d arranged for her. It rang once before the call was connected.

“Hello.”

“Dean, it’s John Grant. I tried my wife’s phone. Is she with you?”

There was the sound of the car’s engine, then the driver’s voice again, “Oh, hi, Mr. Grant. We’re on our way. Sorry for the delay.”

“John.” He heard Nicolette’s voice coming over the speaker in the car. “Sorry, I must have forgotten my cell at home. I was trying on every dress I have, because nothing fit.”

Just like he’d suspected. There was nothing to worry about. “Well, at least you’re on your way now.”

“We’re only about ten minutes away. We’ll be turning off the freeway in a second,” she said. “There’s our exit already.”

“Great!” Then he added, “Thanks, Dean. I’ll see you both shortly.”

He was about to disconnect the call, when he heard Dean’s voice again. “Oh fuck!” Then a high-pitched scream, coming from Nicolette.

His blood chilled. “Nicolette!” he screamed into the phone. “What’s wrong? Dean? What’s going on?”

But his voice was drowned out by screeching tires, metal-slamming-into-metal, glass breaking.

“Noooooo!”

Before he even knew what he was doing, he was running, the phone still pressed to his ear. There was another sound, as if a large object was being slammed against metal or concrete, something hard, and then everything went silent.

“Nicolette!” But she didn’t answer him. Couldn’t, because the line was dead.

There was only one other way to connect to her. If she could hear him. Their telepathic bond, a bond only blood-bonded couples had.

As he ran to the parking lot, he sent his thoughts to her.

Nicolette! Are you okay? What happened? Please talk to me!

Nothing. No reply.

No!

He reached the valet, snatched the key a guest was just handing him and jumped in the car, slammed the door shut, and took off.

John.

The word sounded so weak in his mind, but he heard it clearly.

Nicolette, I’m coming. Hold on, my love. I’m coming.

John. Again the message was weak. Hurry.

He raced down the narrow road and slammed the gas pedal down as far as he could.

I’m almost there, love. Almost there. Just a few more minutes.

He turned onto the public road, the tail of his borrowed car spinning out, but he kept the vehicle under control.

I smell something.

Panic hit him. No. Please, don’t let it happen!

You’ve gotta get out of the car! Get out now!

There was silence for a few seconds, seconds that were too long. Then he heard her again.

Can’t… seatbelt is stuck.

He tried to calm himself, not wanting to make Nicolette panic.

Try to wiggle the seatbelt. Try to loosen it. See if you can slip out.

I’m sorry.

No! he responded. Don’t give up!

He came up on a curve. Behind it was the exit ramp from the freeway, the one Dean would have taken. He raced toward it, took the curve, and felt his heart stop.

I’m here, my love.

The front of the limousine was wedged against a low concrete wall and the tail of a big rig. A big rig that had taken the exit ramp at too high a speed and lost control.

The gas…

Nicolette didn’t finish her thought.

A split-second later, the limousine’s gas tank exploded, engulfing the car and its passengers in flames. John screeched to a halt only yards away from the inferno and jumped from the car. He ran toward the flames, despite the heat that felt as if it was melting the skin off his bones. But he didn’t care. All he cared about was saving his woman and his child.

With supernatural strength he managed to reach the car. The windows had shattered, and flames were shooting out from them. But flames wouldn’t stop him. Not now, not when he was so close.

His hands burned. Excruciating pain shot through him as he wrenched the passenger door open. He couldn’t see anything but flames inside. Running on pure adrenaline, he willed his hands to turn into claws and reached inside. There, Nicolette. He felt her big belly, felt the seatbelt restricting her, and sliced through it with his sharp claws. All the while, the fire was burning the clothes off this body and the hair off his head.

He grabbed Nicolette and heaved her out of the car, brought them to the ground and rolled several times to extinguish the flames.

“Nicolette, I’ve got you.”

But his vampire senses had already told him that it was too late. There was no breath, no heartbeat, no blood rushing through her veins. He laid his hand on her pregnant belly. No heartbeat from there either. All that was left was charred skin, singed hair, burned clothes. And unlike John, who would recover from his burns with sufficient blood and restorative sleep, Nicolette wouldn’t. There was no life left in her. He couldn’t even turn her into a vampire to save her; it was too late for that too. He’d failed. Failed to keep her safe, failed to save her. Failed her when she was at her most vulnerable.

Nicolette was no more.

He rose and looked at the car wreck, the flames still high, still burning hot. Hot enough to kill a vampire.

“Nicolette,” he murmured, “I won’t leave you.” He walked toward the flames.

Strong arms ripped him back. The strong arms of another vampire.

“No, John, she wouldn’t want that.”

He turned his head to look at Cain. “I can’t live without her.”

“You’ll have to learn to. She would want you to.”

Forgive me, Nicolette. He swallowed back tears, standing there for what felt like an eternity.

And like a coward, he turned away from the flames and allowed Cain to help him.