Thea closed her eyes and rested her head on my shoulder. I thought she was deep asleep once I laid her on our bed, but she blinked and stared at me.

“Hey,” I said, smoothing her golden hair away from her pretty face. Hell, she was so beautiful, it hurt.

“Hey,” she whispered back.

I sat down beside her. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m not sure.” Her tone told me she was conflicted. About what?

“I can hear the irregular beat of your heart. Something is worrying you. Talk to me.”

She stared at me before saying, “Aren’t you worried? A couple of hours ago, we learned we’ll have a daughter, a freaking powerful daughter.”

I placed my hand on her stomach. “Honestly, I think we’re blessed.”

She bristled. “Well, I haven’t wrapped my head around that yet.” I could actually see her struggle accepting this. “Besides, shouldn’t every child be raised by her mother? I won’t be here to raise her.”

Her gray eyes filled with tears.

So that was the issue. Thea was disguising her fear of abandoning her daughter by pretending to be scared about being a mother, about bringing a powerful girl into this world.

I lay beside her and tucked her to my side. “That won’t happen. You’ll be here to raise her, no matter what.”

She sniffed. “But you heard Bagatha. There’s no way to survive this.”

“That she knows of.” I smoothed my hand down her back. “I’ll find a way. I promise.”

She buried her face on my neck. “Let’s talk about something else.”

I kissed her temple. “Like the fact that we chose each other before we were born?”

I felt her lips curling in a smile against my skin. “I think the most amazing thing here is the fact that it all happened over five hundred years ago.”

“I’ve been waiting for you to come to me for a long time,” I whispered.

She pulled back and stared into my eyes. “That sounds so absurd, but it feels so right.”

“I know.” I grabbed her hand and placed it over my chest. “I’m glad you’re here with me. I love you, Thea Harrington.”

“I love you more, Drake DuMoir.”

That was impossible, but I wouldn’t keep arguing about it. I pressed my lips to hers, but before I could pull back, Thea hooked her arm around my neck and held me there. She moved her lips against mine. I was at her mercy, always, and I opened my mouth, letting her in. I controlled the kiss, though, keeping it slow and soft. Until Thea straddled me and pressed her body to mine.

“You should rest,” I whispered against her lips.

She pulled back just enough to look at me. “I’ll rest after.”

“But … I don’t want to hurt you.”

Thea tilted her head and her golden hair fell over her shoulder like a brilliant curtain. “Is this because I’ve been weak or because of the baby?”

“Both?”

She smiled at me. “As far as I know, women have been having sex all through their pregnancies.”

“But their pregnancies aren’t like yours.”

“No, they aren’t.” Her smile fell away. “Maybe it was Bagatha’s tonic, but I’m feeling better, and I would like to make love to you before I start feeling weak again. Before I can’t anymore.”

The emotion in her voice. The glint of unshed tears in her pretty eyes. The rapid thump-thump of her heart. It broke me. Who was I to say no to this beautiful woman who had stolen my dead heart? My soul? As legend had it, she had done all that a long, long time ago.

I lifted my shoulders off the mattress and kissed her—deep, but soft. While I showed her how much I loved her with my mouth, I spun us around and laid her down in our bed.

“I’ll take care of you,” I whispered against her lips.

A moan rumbled in her chest. The sound hit my core and desire rushed through me. But I had to control myself. I was gonna make love to her, and I would try to take it slow and gentle.

That didn’t mean we had to stay in bed the entire time though.

Kissing her, teasing her tongue with mine, I held on to her and stood from our bed. I pushed her against the wall, pressing my body against hers, rubbing my hard on against her hips. She moaned. Hell, the little sounds she made drove me insane.

I pulled back so I could get rid of my shirt and her top. Then, I kissed her again, loving the way my chest felt against hers. There was just one thing in the way …

Still kissing her, I snaked my hand up her back and unclasped her bra. She chuckled against my lips while I made quick work of getting rid of that piece of clothing, too. I glued my torso back to hers. Hell, her breasts grazing against my chest was too freaking good.

I didn’t want to stop kissing her, tasting her, touching her, but I missed seeing her entire body since she got sick. Now, I wanted to.

I reached down and tugged on her pants. Understanding what I wanted, Thea took over, and I stepped back while she slid out of her pants and panties.

And I stood there, gawking at the perfect woman in front of me. She was freaking stunning. Her breasts were perky and full, a slim waist and flat stomach, round hips, long, lean legs. Desire flowed from every cell in my body, making me hurt.

A blush spread over her cheeks. “Are you just going to stare at me?”

“Hell, no,” I said, advancing on her.

I brushed my lips against hers, teased her with my tongue, but then I turned her around. She gasped as I splayed her hands on the wall and pressed my chest to her back, my hips on hers.

I pushed her hair to the side and inhaled, taking in as much of her sweet, sweet scent as I could. Despite myself, my fangs elongated and I grazed them on her soft skin. I knew she would let me drink from her, but I wouldn’t even dream of it.

She moaned as I closed my hands around her breasts. I played with her nipples, rolling my fingers over the hardened buds, and pinching gently. Letting out little gasps and moans, Thea squirmed every two seconds, rubbing her ass onto my hard on, making it hurt more and more.

I slid one of my hands down her stomach to her core. I teased her for a moment, rubbing my fingertips across her inner thighs, then slipped two fingers inside her. Thea let out a hiss and bucked against my hand. Hell, she was so freaking wet.

I leaned my head on her shoulder, planting a gentle kiss on her smooth skin.

“Drake,” she whispered.

I felt her core tightening around my fingers. To help relieve her ache, I slid my other hand down and rubbed her clit with my thumb.

That was all it took. Thea leaned back on me as she came, trembling her perfect little body against mine.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

As quickly as I could, I took off my pants and adjusted myself behind her.

“Please,” she whispered, breathless.

I leaned into her, pressing my chest on her back, and putting my mouth to her ear. “Please what?” I pushed hard around her entrance.

She moaned again. “Please, make love to me.”

Letting out something like a growl, I obliged her wishes, and in one powerful stroke, I filled her, going as deep as possible. Her walls were freaking tight and wet around me, and I shuddered.

I kissed her shoulder. “You feel so freaking good.”

She pushed her ass back, toward me. “Move,” she hissed. “Oh, damn, please move.”

This woman …

Clasping her waist with my hands, I moved. I pulled all the way out and pushed in, hard and deep. She gasped, but kept asking for more. And I gave her more. I pumped into her with all I had.

Her eyes half-closed, Thea threw her head back, surrendering to the pleasure. I trailed my lips along her neck, inhaling her sweet scent. I nipped at her earlobe, and glided my hands from her waist to her round breasts. Her nipples were hard, and I couldn’t help gently pinching them. She let out a cry.

This right here, being inside her, touching her, licking her … it was too freaking much.

I wouldn’t last long and I had to. I wanted to.

I pulled out of her and, in one swift move, picked her up in my arms. She yelped, but didn’t complain as I carried her to our bed. Then I paused.

Our bed. Our sheets. This woman with her perfect body, and her come-hither smile.

So freaking much.

I crawled over her. She grazed her long nails over my chest and my stomach. Then, she wrapped her hand around me and I bucked.

“You like this?” she asked, her voice low, sensual.

Hell.

I dropped my head, resting my forehead on hers. “You have your hands on me. What’s not to like?”

She smiled and pumped her hand over my length once, twice, three times. Hissing, I closed my eyes, surrendering to the sensation. Then, surprising me, she slipped her other hand around my hip and tugged me closer. Still holding me, she guided me into her.

“Hell …” I whispered, completely gone.

Thea wound her legs around my waist, lifting her hips and pulling me even deeper. I tensed, knowing, feeling I wouldn’t last long. I wanted to, but there was nothing I could do, not with her. She was just too much for me.

Thea sank her nails on my back as I thrust into her with long, deep strokes. I felt as her entire body tensed. Knowing she was almost there made me pushed even harder into her. Holy hell, how could this keep getting better and better?

Then, Thea stilled for a brief second. Her walls tightened around me as she came. I fought against it. I even pumped into her a couple more times, but I was a goner. The pleasure exploded deep inside me and took me over. I fell over her, joining her as we both trembled away the bliss.

She kept her arms and legs wrapped around me for a long time, and I dared not to move, lest I spoil whatever was going on here.

After a while, Thea turned her face to mine and brushed her lips over mine. “I missed that.”

“Me too.”

“We should do this more often.”

“Only if you’re not feeling sick anymore.”

She offered me a small smile before closing her eyes. “Or sleeping.”

I chuckled. Her heartbeat and her breathing slowed significantly. She was drifting to dreamland. I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Sweet dreams, my love.”

I couldn’t think of anything better: making love to the woman who had my heart, then holding her while she slept. I ran my hand through her hair, down her back, still in awe that she was mine. And I was hers. Forever.

Forever.

If she lived that long.

No, I wouldn’t think like that. I had to believe I would find a way to save her. I had to. If not for my sake, then for our daughter’s.

A daughter.

Thea’s naked body was pressed against mine, so instead of resting my hand on her belly, I placed it on her lower back. Thea and I were going to have a daughter. A special daughter with magic. A special daughter that could help us in this crazy journey of making the supernatural world a better place.

I turned my gaze to the window. The curtains were closed, but since they weren’t thick, I could easily see the sun setting. Careful with Thea, I slipped from bed, and got dressed: sweatpants and a shirt.

Since we didn’t have servants here, or maids and assistants, I didn’t have an endless supply of blood. And, with Thea so weak, I hadn’t drunk from her in weeks. I hunted in the woods behind the mansion. I usually found a deer or a few rabbits strolling around. I wondered how long it would take, though, for me to drain them all, and then I would have to go farther into the woods, or find an alternative.

But I would worry about that later. Right now, I need to feed so I would be strong for what was to come: finding a way to keep Thea alive through the pregnancy and birth, and the war against Princess Morda.

I glanced at the woman sprawled on the bed. Her heartbeat was steady and her breathing was deep. Her hair covered half of her back, and she hugged the pillow—probably thinking it was me. An urge to go back to bed and hold her hit me hard. But more than that, I now could hear the rush of her blood in her veins, and as usual, it called to me.

Better go hunting.

A couple of minutes later, the sun had set and I ran into the woods.

It didn’t take long for me to find a lone deer. I tried not thinking too much as I attacked it, killed it in a second, and drank its blood.

I was so distracted with the warm blood going down my throat, I only sensed him when he was close.

Slowly, I swallowed and waited. When he ran at me, I spun out of the way.

The vampire grinned at me, showing off his fangs. “Playing hard to get, Prince Drake?”

“Lark,” I said. The rebel vampire’s grin widened. “What do you want?”

“You.” He lunged at me again.