Chapter 4

Isettled onto the chair, watching Eden sleep.

I'd meant what I'd told her. She was mine now. I was a possessive SOB, and she wasn't just the woman I couldn't get enough of, she was the mother of my spawn.

Yeah, I was taking advantage of the circumstances to have more involvement in everything about her, and the Talon who remembered what it was like to be human and desperate felt guilty—but the vampire? It was coldly satisfied.

I hadn't wanted to allow Eden to leave in the first place. If I'd had my way, I'd have kept her with me on Lilith Island even after her contract was up. But she was so young. She'd made it clear she couldn't wait to escape the island and small-town life. She'd saved almost everything she made as a thrall to finance her big move.

I'd figured I'd give her a few years to get it out of her system, then go after her. I'd even told myself I'd have given her a choice, although when it came down to it, I'm not sure I would've.

Eden muttered something scared and broken. I was instantly on my feet.

"Easy." I feathered my fingertips over her downy cheek. "It's just a bad dream. You're safe."

"No…" Her heart rapped out a panicked beat. She moved her head back and forth on the pillow. "Please, don't…"

My gut squeezed. I'd wanted the upper hand. Wanted her punished.

Lilith knew, she deserved it.

It shouldn't bother me that she was frightened, upset. But it did, damn her anyway.

I gripped her chin. "Eden. Look at me." When she did, dazed and afraid, I captured her gaze and put a compulsion on her. "Sleep. You're safe. You will sleep deeply, without dreams."

Her breath shuddered in.

"Sleep," I repeated, low and firm.

With a sigh, she curled into a ball and was out.

I stared down at her, every muscle in my body strung tight, a germ of an idea teasing me.

I wanted her safe, yeah.

I also wanted to own her, to guarantee she never left again. Having her off-island had gutted me. I'd been obsessed with getting her back.

That was unacceptable. I was a syndicate lieutenant now, and Brien was still establishing himself as the new primus. He needed my full attention.

Yeah, the baby would ensure Eden stayed for the next eighteen years, but after that, there'd be nothing to hold her on the island…unless she accepted my blood bond. Then she'd be mine for the rest of her life.

Gradually, her breath slowed as she drifted into a deep sleep. I left the room, keeping the door ajar so I could monitor her.

The suite had two bedrooms and a large living room with more black lacquer furniture. I stretched out on the velvet couch, my head against the arm, and took out my phone to report to Brien.

He answered on the first ring. "Talon."

"It was Eden, all right," I replied.

"You have her?"

"Yeah. But there's been a change of plans. We're not flying back tonight. We checked into the Hotel Garnet."

"Why? What happened?"

My fingers tightened on the black case. "She's carrying my spawn. Five or so months along. I asked the Krals to arrange for a gynecologist to look her over. She passed out when she found me in her apartment. The doctor said she's okay, though."

He whistled. "You sure it's yours?"

Anger heated my chest. But it was a legitimate question. Eden had proved she wasn't trustworthy.

"I'm sure. You know we were exclusive this past year. I would've known if she'd been with another man."

If nothing else, I would've smelled him on her. You can't hide who you're fucking from a vampire.

When the silence stretched, I added, "And yes, I asked her straight out. She confirmed it."

A heavy exhale. "Well, bring her back and we'll decide what to do with both of them."

My hackles lifted at that "we'll decide what to do with both of them." Brien might be my best friend, along with Cain, his other lieutenant, but he was also my primus. He could order me to slit Eden's throat and I'd have to obey.

No. Fucking. Way.

Eden was mine. And so was her baby.

I'd vowed never to have a child with a human. In a syndicate, vampire blood, and how much of it you carried, was everything.

But now all I could think was that this was my woman…my spawn. And I was damned if I'd let anyone take either of them away from me.

That germ of an idea sprouted, grew roots.

And then, for the first time ever, I lied to Brien. "I offered her my blood bond, and she accepted."

"Did you?" His tone was neutral.

"Yeah." I sat upright on the couch. If I were still human, I'd be sweating.

This was the tricky part. If Eden accepted, I'd basically own her—her body, her blood. Just as important, her punishment would be left to me; a primus almost never got between a vampire and a blood-bonded thrall. Eden, however, was a special case. She'd disrespected Brien and the syndicate, and as his lieutenant, I should be backing him up, not taking her under my protection.

"I know she fucked up," I said, "and I'll address that. But she's carrying my spawn, Brien. I want to handle it."

"I see."

A beat passed. Two. Three. I forced myself to wait him out.

I hadn't come to New York planning to blood-bond Eden. Hell, it had been the farthest thing from my mind. Still, now that it had occurred to me, I liked the idea.

Actually, I fucking loved it.

If she accepted, she'd be mine—permanently. My exclusive thrall for as long as I desired. She could never leave me again.

And she'd be under my protection. Even Brien, my primus, would think twice before harming her.

Not that she wouldn't be punished. She would. But I'd be in charge, the man who decided what form the punishment would take.

"Your call," Brien said at last. "But make sure she knows this is her last chance. She'd better behave herself or I will take action."

"Understood, and thank you." I knew he'd only agreed because of our friendship, and I appreciated it. "FYI, I'm also bringing a kid back. Seventeen or eighteen. Name's Rio. He was living with her, and she cares about him—he's insurance that she'll behave. If he works out, I might use him as a PA, too."

"I trust your judgment," he said. "Is that it? Twilight's waiting." Twilight was Brien's new mate.

"Only that I want to put Eden in the garden suite. She needs fresh air, being pregnant and all."

He grunted assent, clearly uninterested in where Eden slept, and ended the call.

My next call was to the Hotel Garnet concierge. A blood-bond ritual required a bracelet. As I expected, the concierge was happy to compile a selection for me to choose from.

"Something simple," I told him. "Nothing too fancy. And I want blue stones."

Because despite everything, I wanted to please her, and Eden wasn't a fancy, frou-frou type. The blue stones were to match her eyes.

"Of course, Lieutenant," said the concierge. "I'll have it to you within the hour."

I thanked him and looked in on my prisoner. She was sleeping peacefully, so I locked the suite and went to inform Rio of his new employment. He was sitting straight-backed on the couch, Nathan on a chair nearby.

Nathan jumped to his feet. "Adrian's in his bedroom working."

Adrian appeared in the bedroom doorway. "I ordered thralls for the three of us."

I nodded my thanks. Unlike Adrian and Nathan, my only meal tonight had been a half-bottle of blood-wine. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be feeding from Eden for the foreseeable future. And although I wouldbe fucking her, that clearly wasn't an option tonight, either.

Rio was next. "How would you like a job?" I asked him.

A suspicious squint. "What kind of a job?"

"I could use a PA."

"What's that?"

"A Personal Assistant."

"Yeah? What would I be doing?"

"For now, you'd be Eden's personal chef and companion. Later on, we'll see. You'll have to prove I can trust you."

His chin lifted. "I won't spy on her for you. I don't care how much you're paying."

"I wouldn't hire you if I thought you'd spy on a friend."

"Yeah? That's all right then. How much are we talking about?"

I named a figure and his brows shot to his dyed-pink hairline. "And all I have to do is hang out with Eden?" he asked, clearly expecting a catch.

"That and cook for her. You'll sign a contract with us—one year. After that, you can leave or stay. Your decision."

He rolled his tongue around his cheek. "All right. Sure. I'm in."

I suspected he'd only agreed because he thought he might get to play the hero. The kid clearly worshipped Eden. But if he helped ensure her good behavior, it was a win-win.

I glanced at Nathan. "Have Smythe work up a contract for Rio. A digital version so Rio can sign it before we leave." Smythe was Brien's new PA. "Standard terms. That means you won't share information about us with anyone," I told Rio.

"And if I do?"

"I wouldn't," I said. "Not if you want to leave the island with all your fingers."

Rio nodded. "Understood." To his credit, he didn't appear afraid. If anything, he seemed to respect me more for the threat. He even tacked on a Lieutenant without prompting. Then he frowned. "But if we're going to Canada, I don't have a passport."

Adrian's lips twitched. "We won't be going through customs."

Rio's cheeks reddened. "Right," he said.

While Nathan contacted Smythe, my own phone buzzed with a call from Cain. I refused it. If I knew Cain—and I did—he just wanted to tell me to get my head out of my ass.

A few seconds later, a text arrived.

Cain:You sure she's not fucking with you?

I growled and shoved my phone back into my pocket without replying.

Cain and I went way back, further even than me and Brien. We'd met soon after he'd come to the island as an orphaned ten-year-old to live with his aunt and SOB of an uncle. The friendship came after he saw me steal a candy bar from Mrs. O'Brien's store but didn't report me. I wasn't an orphan, but I might as well have been with a mom who liked wine a little too much and a father who spent more time on the mainland than at home.

So yeah, Cain was my oldest friend, but I wasn't in the mood to listen to him chew me out for impregnating Eden. Not that I'd done it deliberately, but still. I could've been more careful, worn a condom like I did with other thralls.

Cain and I had made a pact to never sire a spawn with a human. To kids like us, who'd had to fight for every scrap of respect, power was important. With it came status. Dignity.

A knock on the door announced the arrival of the thralls. Rio gulped audibly as three chic, beautiful women sauntered into the suite.

He stood up, stretched. "Think I'll go to bed now."

Behind his back Adrian and Nathan exchanged amused glances. Adrian pointed to the room on the left. "Take that bedroom."

He and Nathan would take turns sleeping, since one of them had to be awake when the day sleep knocked me out.

I looked the trio of thralls over with a jaded eye. They were all gorgeous, with lush, fuckable bodies, but none were a sexy, prickly, blue-eyed blonde.

Adrian and Nathan waited for me to make my choice. I held out my hand to the nearest thrall, a dark-haired, brown-skinned woman who was basically Eden's opposite.

When she came to me, I put my hand on the small of her back and guided her out the door. "I'm Talon."

Her lips curved in a practiced smile. "Call me Coral."

I gave her a small smile back. "Coral. That's pretty," I added absently.

"Thank you," she murmured.

She was obviously a pro, which made things easier. I needed fresh blood and a quick fuck to take the edge off.

Back in my suite, I glanced at Eden's door. The compulsion should keep her out until morning, but I amped up my senses for a few seconds just to make sure. Her breathing was slow and even, the sound of a someone deeply asleep.

Coral wrapped herself around me, but I disentangled her fingers from my neck and set her away from me with a shake of my head.

"In my bedroom." I indicated the open door on the other side of the living room.

"Of course." Unperturbed, she strolled through the living room and into my bedroom, where she stepped out of her heels and turned to face me.

She wore a red body-con dress with a plunging neckline that bared her throat. Her lips were glossy, her eyes smoky. "Where do you want me, sir?"

I'd been hard for hours. I needed this release so I could think straight.

But damn if I didn't hesitate, tempted to tell Coral I'd changed my mind. It felt…wrong.

She laid a hand on my chest. I brushed it away. "Take off your dress and bend over the bed."

I sensed her spurt of arousal. She liked being ordered around.

Good. I wasn't in the mood to be polite.

She unzipped the side of the dress and stepped out of it. She wore no bra, and her panties came off along with the dress.

She put her hands on the mattress and eyed me over her shoulder. "Like this, sir?"

"Yes." Stepping closer, I pressed her head down so I couldn't see her face.

Not because she wasn't beautiful. She was.

But she wasn't Eden.

I fed from Coral as we fucked. After, I zipped up my pants and waited as she cleaned up in the bathroom. When she came out, I handed her a couple of large bills.

"A tip," I said and walked her to the door.

As I reached for the doorknob, she moved closer, fingering my bicep. "Next time you're in New York, get in touch. The front desk has my details."

I grunted noncommittally and pulled the door open. Behind us, I heard a click.

My nape tightened. The compulsion I'd put on Eden must've worn off. Coral glanced down the hall, clearly curious.

"Goodbye," I told her.

Eden drew a tiny, pained breath. Her hurt and anger radiated down the hall.

I blocked her.

She knew what I was. I didn't have to explain myself to her.

So why did the tightness spread from my nape to my chest?

Coral was still standing there. I gently but firmly pushed her through the door, closing it behind her.

Eden's door was shut again. There wasn't a lock or she probably would've turned it.

I stopped in the hall outside her room. I could hear her breathing on the other side of thick wood. I grasped the handle, then released it.

"Get some sleep," I growled and continued to my own room.