“If you harm her, Ronan, I’ll beat you bloody. Do you understand me?”
Mikhail’s protective tone was admirable. “I understand.” The bloodlust gripped Ronan and he forced himself to focus on his promise to take care with the female who’d volunteered to feed him. He wanted her. Wanted her blood to gush down his throat. The dhampir took a seat on the edge of the bed and brushed her hair to one side, baring her throat to him.
Ronan seized her in a blur of motion and sank his fangs into her flesh.
Bliss.
* * *
“You look tired, Claire.”
She gave Vanessa a wan smile as she paused near the open door. “Tired” was an understatement. More than ready to collapse, Claire wanted nothing more than to fall face-first into bed. “I’m beat. Still getting over the mono.” If by “mono” she meant “morning sickness.” “How’s school going? You need anything? Notebooks? Pencils? A binder?”
“No, I’m okay.” She leaned her little body against the doorframe and folded her arms across her chest. “I was wondering, though … I mean, if you’re not still too sick…”
Claire waited patiently for Vanessa to ask her question. She knew better than anyone how embarrassing it could be to ask for help. Even from a friend. When they’d been down-and-out, her mother never had a problem with the whole beg, borrow, and steal mentality. Claire could never stomach the begging or borrowing. Obviously, she hadn’t minded stealing.
“I want to buy a bra and Mom isn’t exactly, well, you know.”
She didn’t have to say any more. Claire knew exactly what Vanessa’s mom was. But seriously, a bra? Vanessa was in the fifth grade for crying out loud. “Well, if you think you really need one, we could go tomorrow. I’m closing at the diner. We can go shopping before I have to be at work.” She might have enough energy to take Vanessa shopping if they went early. With each passing day Claire was so exhausted by sundown that she could barely keep her eyes open.#p#分页标题#e#
“That would be great!” Vanessa’s expression brightened and she leaned toward Claire. “Corra McKenna says that every girl in the fifth grade owns at least a sports bra.” Vanessa’s gaze dropped to her chest and she shrugged. “It’s not like I’ve got much to worry about down there, but I don’t want to be the only girl in the school who doesn’t wear a bra, you know?”
“Be ready by nine, okay? We’ll get donuts before we hit the store.” Well, Claire would get Vanessa donuts, anyway. She doubted she’d be able to stomach a glass of water, let alone a deep-fried pastry. Her stomach heaved just at the thought and she took a step away from the door. “I’m going to go lie down and get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning, though. Okay?”
“I’ll be ready.” Vanessa was practically bouncing with excitement. “See you tomorrow!”
“See ya.”
Claire shut the door to her apartment behind her and turned the dead bolt. Lord, she was exhausted. Step by step, one foot dragged after the other as she lost focus of everything around her in the course of her trek to the bedroom. Her hands wandered to her lower abdomen, palms splayed over her womb. There was a child growing inside of her. An actual little … person? Were vampires considered people? And in her case, would the baby be a dhampir? Mikhail said that vampire/human pairings resulted in dhampir babies. What did vampire hybrid babies look like, anyway? Were they born with little bitty fangs? If that was the case, breast-feeding was out of the question.
Whether her baby would have mini-fangs came second to the fact that in nine months Claire was going to be responsible for a helpless little life. Someone was going to depend on her. Look to her for guidance. Hell, for food and shelter. She’d have to clothe him and feed him, put him to bed, and make sure he was clean—
He.
A secret smile curved Claire’s lips. She didn’t know how, but she was certain the baby was going to be a boy. With Mikhail’s dark hair and aqua blue eyes. The thought of her vampire made her chest ache as tears sprang to her eyes. Stupid hormones. Running out on him had been a total dick move. And continuing to focus all of her energy on blocking their connection was even worse. Maybe that was why she’d been so exhausted lately. Her body was already trying to funnel everything she had to the baby; by blocking Mikhail she was expending energy she didn’t have.
Another week. She needed one more week to think things through. Decide what she really wanted. Could he even turn her now that she was pregnant? She had no idea how this whole vampire thing worked. Even more reason to go back to him. Claire didn’t like to fly blind. It went against her nature. Mikhail could arm her with knowledge, help her to form the best plan of attack.