Page 51
He bent down and took the book before raising it up and extending it to me.
That stupid article from high school. “First place in the literary quiz bowl is Alexei Zaslavsky, who won an esteemed award and a $500 scholarship to the university of his choice. Mr. Price, head of the English department, says that Alexei Zaslavsky is an excellent student with a mind full of fantasy that even the truth couldn’t fool. His brain is a fortress that holds on to everything. Not even magic could change it.”
I’d always thought that article strange.
I glanced from the page to Zeke then to the pen on the floor.
“What I write becomes truth.” Zeke stared at me and then at the page that lacked even a dot of Zeke’s mouth-fostered penmanship.
“Your gift can’t touch me?”
“It can. You’ll always know, though.” Zeke picked up the omegaverse book and scooped up the pen once more, posture awkward, edging the plastic up to the bath mat before rolling it onto the cover. His towel drooped as he did so, giving me a little peek of his dark thatch of hair, a shadow of what I craved.
With the same hasty gesture as before, he mouthed the pen, angled the book, and penned in the margins. The hasty gesture did something to the book as he finished; the pages shifting somehow; the book becoming a little thicker.
He took a deep breath and spat the pen onto the floor before approaching to open my robe. I wasn’t certain what he was doing until he was on his knees, face eye level with my navel. He traced a thumb over my hip, to my navel, circling it curiously before trailing straight down. He leaned in to kiss below it and smiled up at me, face hopeful.
Something felt different, and when I reached down, my fingers brushed where he’d kissed, a risen line in my flesh below the navel.
“Answer for everything.” Zeke gave me a long, pleading stare, and relief sent a cool whisper across my flesh, an endless sigh.
“A pouch line?” I laughed as he nodded.
“Jess told me about some of the options. Since you were so afraid of the original way.” Zeke’s goofy grin made my heart flutter. “If I could change one thing, it would be what would make you more comfortable.”
“Now I have to reread the series… Pouch line in her world?” I offered a hand to him, aiding him to stand and face me. My robe, open for him, exposed soft skin that we pressed together, holding one another.
“Less traumatic for both of us, I’m sure.” He stroked my damp hair.
“And what if I had wanted to birth the old-fashioned way?” I glanced up at his carefully neutral face, making him glance away from me.
“I cannot say I’d enjoy witnessing you in that kind of pain. But if it’s what you truly wanted, I’d have no say.” He pressed a soft kiss onto my forehead. “I’ll be right here as long as you want me.”
I buried my face against his chest and shuddered, breath deep and slow. “Of all the books I could have picked, you know?”
“Hey?” He reached down and tilted my face up. “Let’s talk. Now that I know we’re going to do this together, I want that bite from you when you’re ready. And we’re going to be meeting another doctrinus, a magister from higher up. This doesn’t happen very often, so there’s documentation and monitoring, and we’ll both have to sign some paperwork. We’re not exactly encouraged to have children, archivists.”
My heart skipped a beat. “What?”
“No, no. Don’t panic. It’s discouraged but not outlawed. They may ask us not to have another. The child will be governed by the council from birth, and will not have a normal childhood.” He stroked over my head and I watched his expression, guarded as if there was more.
I gestured for him to keep talking, to spill the last bit he didn’t want to say.
“The magister who will be checking over you is a former…partner…of mine.” Zeke cleared his throat.
“Who?” A territorial urge rose up within me, and my teeth ached.
“Mesmer Holiday.” Zeke cleared his throat. “It was a short-lived affair. Nothing emotional left between us; no hard feelings. I just don’t want to surprise you.”
His thumb trailed my lip, exposing the teeth I was doing my best to tamp down. “Please?”
No other would have Zeke or take him away. I opened my mouth, leaned in, and nipped a chunk of flesh right at his pectoral, over his heart. Blood washed over my teeth, my heart beat in my very fangs as I bore down, desperate to make that mark permanent.
Zeke groaned, his flaccid cock twitching against me. He liked the feeling, reaching a hand to the back of my head to hold me there, shivering as my heart tuned into him.
No guilt.
No unease.
