Grady (The McCade Dragon #3)(26)

 

"Yes. My sister is a peach, and not the warm and fuzzy sort. More like the pit and any rotten places you might find on it. My brother-in-law as well." Grady drove them to the shopping center, as Kurt said he needed a few things as well, while Harper explained. "So as you can tell, she is not on my list of favorite people right now."

 

"No, I would imagine not. But should you need me to go and find them, sort of put them on the straight and narrow, I would gladly do so." Harper told him she'd think about it. "So this jewelry that is causing the uproar … I have read the mind of the man who would pursue you, and he has it that he wishes to sell it. To a buyer that has his sights set on keeping it until the next generation of McCades were born. This isn't the legend of the demi parvure, is it?"

 

"It is. I'm surprised you know anything about that." Kurt told him that he had read about it in passing. "Passing or not, if you have any information at all on this, it's more than we have been able to find out."

 

They shopped for a mattress for nearly two hours. It wasn't that hard; on the contrary, it was a blast. Kurt had Harper laughing by the time they'd made their first foray into testing the mattresses out, and kept them both entertained while they not only purchased one, but also a crib and other baby furniture.

 

"I was wondering if you'd do me a favor, my lady." Kurt looked at him, then back at Harper. "This man, he will come for you, and while I know that you are stronger than he thinks, I should like to taste a little of your blood … nothing to harm the child, but enough so that I can find you, or talk to you should you need it. Grady and I have exchanged blood before, on numerous occasions."

 

"He saved my life, and I returned the favor when he was nearly too weak to go on." Harper didn't say anything as they stood in the nursery department, but continued to turn her back to them. "Harper, is everything all right?"

 

"I'll let you do this, taste my blood, if you do me a favor." Kurt, of course, told her anything. "Don't say that too fast, please. I want to make sure that if there is a reason for you to have to find me, you make sure that my son is all right first. I know that I never wanted him, not at all, but now that he's here, within me, I find that I'm kinda glad for it."  

 

She turned to them then, and Grady could see the fear and determination in her eyes. Kurt took her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it before turning it over to see her palm. He touched the small pulse there at her wrist, running his fingers over it several times as he stared at her.

 

"I can see into your life. Not all your future, but enough to know that you and your child are well cared for and loved. Nothing too harmful will come to either of you." Before Grady could ask him what that meant, Kurt continued. "You will be injured, I'm afraid. You and your son, but neither of you will be killed by it nor maimed badly."

 

"Will the outlook change if I let you take my blood?" Kurt grinned and told her she was much too smart for her own good. "Yet you didn't answer me. You taking my blood … will it save my son from harm?"

 

"Yes, my lady, it will save you both." Harper told him to do it. "I should warn you that all things come with a price. I will not only be able to find you should you want, but feel you as well. Every emotion that you have, as well as when you are dying. Not that I foresee that happening, but I wanted you to know that."

 

"You mean when I'm having a shitty day or just hormonal?" Kurt had given him the same warning when they'd exchanged blood. "I want you to do this, but I'd like something in exchange. A boon, I think it's called. I want you to make sure that no matter what, you never put yourself in harm's way to save me. Not to the point where you might not make it out alive."

 

Kurt looked at him, then at Harper. "I'm sorry, my dear, but I cannot do that. You are, as of the moment that I met you, a being that I would die for. For you and the child. I will not allow harm to come to either of you, for the simple reason that you are the mate to my dearest friend."

 

"Don't be hurt, please?" Kurt said he would try his very best. "You can take my blood, but know this; I won't allow you to come to harm either if I can help it."

 

Kurt licked her wrist and then bit gently into her flesh. She wasn't in pain … Grady knew that Kurt would never harm her, and when he licked the wound closed, he looked at him and smiled. There was something about it that made him feel like Kurt had a secret. And when he nodded at him, Grady said they'd talk later, that they had a baby to buy for.