16
With his expression one of equal parts concern and surprise, Reed jumped up from the table and began flying toward the kitchen and the front door. I followed after him, and Marie followed after us both, breathing heavily. However, by the time we all got to the kitchen windows, there was nothing to see in the front yard beyond the trees and decorative rocks and other things like that.
Breathing a little slower and easier now, Marie spoke in a trembling voice. “It was right there… right in the yard. It was a Bloodborn. I could see its glowing red eyes.”
What ensued was a discussion of where exactly Marie had seen the glowing red eyes, and if she was sure she’d seen glowing red eyes. Once convinced, Reed all but flew out the front door, after telling me in no uncertain terms that I was to stay inside. He even told Marie that she was free to bar the door with her body to keep me from leaving if I so much as tried to step a single toe outside. I didn’t even consider the idea, though, already having become sure that Marie would stop me using any means necessary. Also, with her present, I had no desire to start a repeat of what had happened several days earlier, with her nearly getting mauled to death after following me out of the house.
She and I ate dinner together while Reed was gone, and an hour later, he finally called to say that Marie had been absolutely right in what she’d seen. There had indeed been a Bloodborn spy lurking around in the area, and Reed and his men had killed him, then had done a sweep of the entire village to make sure that that had been the only Bloodborn spy in the area.
Once convinced, Reed came home, escorted a still-frightened Marie to her house, and then returned home once again, saying without a trace of irony that he was hungry as a bear.
Being that I’d been extraordinarily hungry during my pregnancy, I had seconds of dinner while he tucked into his first plate. After he’d had seconds as well, we moved from the formal dining room to the island to enjoy thick slices of Marie’s cheesecake while being closer to the front door, so that Reed could fly out at a moment’s notice if he received word that any other Bloodborn had been spotted.
While making slow work of the last few bites of his cheesecake, Reed began muttering that it was going to take all hands on deck to defeat Gerard and his bears if they all attacked en masse again, because they all seemed to be recovering from their injuries quickly.
As far as all hands being needed on deck, didn’t I know it. With Reed and his men still being outnumbered by the Bloodborn, I was absolutely certain my knife-throwing skill could be a real asset during another grand battle. But, of course, I still had yet to get Reed on board with that thinking.
However, when he spoke after a few seconds of staring into the twin flames of two white taper candles between us on the island, seeming to be deep in thought, it wasn’t to address the issue of me fighting. He simply wanted to know if there was any more baked chicken left. There was, and feeling like an absolute pig, I got another piece for myself as well, wondering if I was ever going to feel truly full at any point during my pregnancy.
Once Reed and I were both finally finished eating, we just sat sipping our respective drinks, whiskey for him, and sparkling mineral water for me, until Reed suddenly spoke, startling me.
“I know what’s coming, Samantha. I know what you’re eventually going to ask me. So, you may as well go ahead before we go upstairs to bed. Just go ahead and say or ask me whatever you’re going to.”
I found myself somewhat taken off-guard, because I’d thought he was going to request that in light of the stressful evening he’d had, I save whatever I wanted to say or ask until later, with later meaning hopefully never.
So, as off-guard as I was, I took another sip of my water, then set the glass down with deliberate slowness, stalling so that I could collect my thoughts, before responding. “I appreciate you wanting me to feel free to say or ask whatever I want to right now, Reed, and I am going to say something, but believe it or not, I’m not going to ask anything. What I’m going to say is that if and when Gerard and his men attack again, I’m going to use my special skill to help fight them. Considering that I’m a grown woman who knows her own mind and is aware of the dangers and risks involved, and also considering that I’m a woman who's always been in charge of her own destiny and would like to stay that way indefinitely... I just can't imagine not fighting and using my knife skills to help defend my new home. So… I’m going to. My mind’s already made up. So, that’s why I’m not asking you.”
“You’re just telling me.”
He made it sound so horrendously bossy.
Struggling to maintain eye contact with him for some reason, I swallowed. “That’s correct. I’m just telling you.”
“You’re just telling me, despite the fact that as chief of Somerset, authorized to lead by the United States government, I can veto anyone telling me anything.”
I couldn't quite read his expression, and it was making me nervous for some reason. However, I wasn't about to back down from what I’d said. “That’s correct. I've made a decision, and despite the fact that you can veto it all day long if you like... I’m not changing my mind. You’ll have to physically stop me in the event of another attack. But just know that if you do...” Not wanting to make it sound like I was issuing any threats, I paused to change the phrasing of what I’d been going to say. “See, I can never be with a man who won't let me use my skill for the greater good, Reed... I can never be with a man who won’t encourage it. I know it’s true that maybe I’m not the easiest woman to deal with sometimes, as you’ve pointed out, but... whether I’m easy, or difficult, or hard, or whatever, I don’t want a man who thinks he can change me, or control me, or tell me I can’t do something that I want to do.”
“Even when that man would be telling you that you can’t do something for your own physical safety?”
A bit surprisingly, even to me, I didn’t even hesitate. “Yes. Even then. And maybe especially then. Because that would be you telling me that I don’t know my own mind, and that I’m incapable of measuring risks and making decisions about my own safety myself. And that is something I know I could never live with in the long-term.”
With his expression still unreadable, Reed turned his gaze from my face to the twin candle flames. “I’m really going to need some time to think about all this.”
“Fair enough. Take all the time you need. That’s perfectly fine with me.”
We soon resumed sipping our drinks, although we hardly spoke. Not even when Reed reached for my hand and held it while he finished the rest of his whiskey.
However, that night in bed, our hands and bodies spoke volumes, and when we were resting in embrace afterward, I realized that I’d officially fallen in love with Reed. And not even just officially, but profoundly. I’d fallen in love with his deep voice, his touch, and his scent, but those things weren’t even the half of it. I’d fallen in love with his bravery, his caring, which he’d seemed to hide for so long, and his heart, which he’d also done a good job of hiding for a time. I’d fallen in love with the way he said my name sometimes when we made love, as sweetly and tenderly as if my name alone were a poem.
After this realization that I’d officially fallen hard, I remained awake for a good while, staring at moonlight dancing on the ceiling in the dark. All falling in love and strong feelings aside, I hadn’t been bluffing when I’d said I could never be with a man who wasn’t supportive of me using my special skill. Which made me certain that it was going to hurt like hell if Reed couldn’t bring himself to be.