Page 79 (1/2)

"No Unfortunately" He s on behind that secret grin

"What are you thinking?"

"It would be nice," he said, keeping his eyes on the horse

"What would?"

"To have a child of our own"

I wandered over and stood beside him "One day"

"I don’t know, Ara I…now that I can be here with you, I guess…things are changing"

"What are you saying?"

"I’ve been thinking"

"M is bad for your health," I said as he slid his ar me close

"No, it’s bad for your health,it ain"

I frowned at him for a second, about to ask who he was and what he’d done with rin, though I kind of wanted to slap hier "And you think I’m suddenly ready for a baby now?"

"Yeah" He turned away quickly and picked up a doll off the shelf "I think you’dthe doll’s hair "I think we can do this You always loved Harry, and you have a heart full of ein with The rest we can learn as we go along--" He shrugged and placed the doll down "Or read books"

"I don’t know I’m still not so sure"

"Of course you’re not" He caain "I made you think I had no faith in you, but I do And I want this--I want to be a fale mother in order to keep me safe for eternity "That’s quite a switch froed since then" He delicately took my hand

"Okay Fine," I said,again"

"Great" He leaned in and kissedas he stood back, even in the darkness of this room trapped in the past "I knoe can do this"

"That’s if I can fall pregnant, David I can’t even calculate ovulation because I haven’t had a period since I first arrived at the nancy test?"

I nodded "It’s in edhis concern into the crown ofthe transformation hasn’t made you infertile, like other vampires"

"Don’t say that--that would be very bad"

"I’m sure we’ll be fine" He kissed the top of my head

Everyone clapped as the saltshaker calass I looked to the end of the table, and even David, who I half expected to groan at his brother’s display, was cheering and save a little wave, to which he returned a bow, in a very kingly

Jason looked at his uncle bashfully and took up a spoon Arthur didn’t seem too impressed at this show of power, and I think Jase…Jason knew that He focused on the spoon, holding it in front of his nose, and slowly lowered his hand, leaving the spoon in the air, floating

I joined in the applause this time, too impressed to play the hulare at , and sat quietly while our people talked animatedly about Jason’s next cool trick

"Oh, you are a very talented young ret said

"Yes, he is," David said "Perhaps hed Jason folloith sohter, but I actually didn’t even hear it My e lump in my throat And it wasn’t because David scoldedelse I wasn’t sure why, but it just felt like so really important, and wherever it was, it made my heart ache

David’s eyes narrowed as he looked past the long line of vampires and saw my obvious sadness I offered a weak sain I could feel Jason and Arthur’s eyes on me, too, but I knew if I looked up, Jason’s face would be saying "What’s wrong?" and I would think in "

What a stupid way to feel So My David was sitting at the head of the table, finally, and tonight, we’d go to bed and I’d fall asleep in his ar What more could I possibly want?

I looked up at Jason then, and sure enough, it was there; the concern, the obvious worry in his eyes I could al to his feet to hold me in his arms, but it was David who appeared beside ," I said timidly and took his hand His touch felt cool and faely, not as familiar as it should have been for all the years we’d been in love

We walked to the garden, and as the loud chatters of our people beca ht abovehis face white, like the dead "I’m sorry, Ara"

"Why?"

"I was a jerk today, and…I hurt your feelings I know that" He gently squeezed the tops ofyou, I…you’re the one thing in my life that I’ve never had control over--"

"But--"

"No," he said, ide eyes, tightening his fingers on my arms "I don’t want control, Ara I don’t want to control or own you I love you But I just don’t kno to keep you--how to make sure I never lose you"

I slowly lifted"That’s what this means It means I love you no h hell and fire, and it means I will keep my promise to be with you, even when I don’t want to keep that pro "It’s nice to hear you say that"

I held my hand to my chest "Well, I say it because Ihis hands down iveyou that way I don’t want to be that kind of husband--or that kind of ether "I proed since wethat promise I understand you, Ara--I understand that your flirtatious nature is a part of you, and ht always be, but I just want to make sure I’ll be the only one you’ll ever love"

I stepped into him a little more "Even if death co will ever be strong enough to break us apart, David We’ve been through those fires of hell" I pointed off to nowhere "And ays come back We alill"