He went quiet for a second. "When I fell, I knocked over your journal by accident. And I… Not so accidentally read some of it."
"You did?" I asked curiously.
"Are you mad?" Scotty flinched like he felt guilty. "I totally understand if you’re upset, and I'm really sorry."
I smiled at his silly reaction. "Of course I don't mind. I told you to use my bedroom, didn't I? And in any case, I don't feel the need to keep any secrets from you. I've already confessed that I am a vampire. What else do I have to hide?"
Scotty smiled shyly, the blush in his cheeks radiating heat. "Right… So… You want to have a baby?" His eyes widened. "I mean, not with me necessarily, just in general, because I read it in your journal."
A pulse of hope and desire ran through me. For a split second, it sounded like Scotty was offering me my greatest dream—to have a child. But of course, he was only bringing up the topic. It was foolish of me to automatically assume he wanted the same thing.
I cleared my throat. "I do."
"Sorry if this is an ignorant question, but can vampires… Impregnate people?"
"Yes."
Scotty's eyes widened. An expression like surprised relief flashed across his face as he sat up. "Really? That's so cool!"
I raised a brow in amusement. "You think that's cool?"
"Yeah. I mean, I don't know that much about real life vampires, just the ones in movies and stuff. So you're gonna have to teach me, okay?"
The way he stared fondly into my eyes as he spoke melted my heart.
"I'll teach you anything you like, Scotty," I said. "All you need to do is ask."
He regarded me for a moment, tilting his head. "Just ask, huh? Okay. I have something to ask you."
"Anything. I'm an open book. Just like my journal that's face up on the ground."
Scotty grinned. "Here's my question, Malachi: will you have sex with me?"
9
Scotty
Haveyou ever seen a vampire nearly choke on his own spirit? Well, I just did.
"Sorry, was that too forward of me?" I asked, suddenly embarrassed.
Malachi composed himself. "No, not at all. In fact, I welcome your honesty. Your offer was simply unexpected."
I smiled, pleased that he was pleased.
Malachi licked his lips and I couldn't help but notice the white glint of his fangs in the dim light. They sent a shiver down my spine. I also noticed Malachi's hands balled up on his knees tightly, almost like he was holding himself back. There was no way he wanted me as badly as I wanted him, right?
"First of all, my answer is a resounding yes," Malachi said evenly.
My heart stuttered in excitement.
"But there are a few things to discuss beforehand," he went on.
My breathing quickened. "Like the possibility of me getting pregnant, right?"
Malachi's rose quartz eyes flashed. "Yes, that's certainly part of it. But there's more." He closed his eyes and was quiet for a long moment, as if steadying himself. "Scotty, did you come across the term fated mates in my journal?"
I nodded. "Yeah, I did, but I didn't know what it meant."
