She frowned, narrowing her gaze. “But then we go back tonormal? Just meet up a few times a year for, well, sex?”
He bit back a laugh. His girl was cautious and pretty muchadorable. “No. We plan a life together.” With her safely away from his enemies.“We form a family and hopefully have sons.” She was strong and smart, and she’dmake an excellent mother. His boys would be lucky.
“Sons? There’s a chance for daughters, right?”
“No. While demons can have females, vampires cannot. Mypeople are much more vamp than demon, and we have boys.” He wished it weredifferent because he’d love to have a daughter. A mini-Ivy would be a delightto have around. “There’s one exception, and it’s unlikely to ever happenagain.”
She shuffled her feet in those fuck-me heels. “Well, Isuppose we could give it a try.” The rapid pulse rate he could hear inside herbelied her casual tone. “You could come live with me as I finish this campaignto take predators off the internet.”
Cute. “Actually, your time for courting danger is over. I’mhappy to hire as many employees as you’d like to continue your work, but mycalling hasn’t changed.” He figured she’d like the family holdings in Montana,and if she wanted to work from there, that was fine with him. But her rolewould be from behind a computer and not in the field. How had he missed hercurrent profession?
“I don’t think so,” she said.
“You don’t understand.” He’d tried to explain reality to herbefore, but she’d never been ready to take the plunge. “There’s an exchange,baby. I need your blood, and you need me.” It was difficult to explain. “Ifyou’re taken away or killed, I die without your blood. If I stay alive, youneed me near you for peace.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re telling me I need sex from you?That I can’t survive without your body?”
He snorted. “No. I’ve seen it happen once with a distant cousin,and the female mate went mad after what appeared to be crippling anxiety. I don’tunderstand it, but the best we’ve figured out is that it’s some type ofpheromone-based need and reaction.” It had been devastating to watch hiscousin’s mate implode after he’d been killed. Of course, that had been beforethe creation of the virus that could negate a mating bond. He explained such toher.
“As you know, I’ve heard of the virus,” she said, waving ahand.
“I know. But understand that it has never been used with amate who still had a living mate, and even if it works on you, I’d die.” Mostof the Realm doctors agreed that the virus wouldn’t work on a mate unless theirmate was long dead.
She tugged on a pearl earring as if deep in thought.
His phone buzzed, and he glanced down to see Jasper’snumber. He’d have to call him back. For now, he’d promised his older brotherthat he’d get answers. “You have some time to make a decision.” Man, he hopedshe didn’t decide to let him die, but it had to be her decision. Every instincthe had whispered that she was too kindhearted to let that happen, but she’dstill try to negotiate the terms. He liked that about her. A lot. For now, hehad a job to do. “Ivy, where’s Leah?”
Ivy’s jaw firmed. “I have absolutely no idea.”
As a liar, she was almost too cute for words, but she wasdefinitely lying.
“How long have you and Leah been in touch?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said.
Impressive, that. “Where is she?”
“I honestly don’t know,” she said slowly as if speaking tosomebody with a concussion. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”
“I thought I just made it very clear to you not to defy me,”he murmured.
Her tongue flicked out to wet her bottom lip. “Doesn’tmatter. I’m sure the second Leah saw you, she was long gone. Believe me, shehas systems in place to make sure that even I don’t know where she is.”
That statement had a ring of truth to it.
“How long have you and Leah been meeting up?”
Ivy pressed her lips together as if refusing to let out anysound.
He couldn’t believe it. He’d had her under surveillance forher entire life, yet he hadn’t known she’d been meeting up with Leah. Thatspoke more to Leah’s ability at subterfuge than Ivy’s because he knew Ivy hadnot spent any time hiding. She’d been quite open about her whereabouts, and itrather surprised him that she hadn’t realized he’d had a protection detail onher the entire time. Sometimes he forgot that even though she’d lived so long,she was still quite naïve.
“You need to tell me everything you know about Leah,” hesaid, knowing Jasper would be calling again any second.
“No.”
He just studied her. Raised voices came from the other room,along with a flurry of movement. He turned just as a knock sounded on the door.“Enter.”
Klyde poked his head in. “You’re not going to believe this.We just got word that Ulric is back on this world. The prison world failed, andhe’s alive and here somewhere.”
