A Kategan Alphas Christmas Special: Featuring Vane and Sarina (The Kategan Alphas Book 7) (2 page)

Chapter Three

Christmas
dinner went better than Sarina anticipated. No one even commented on the
unsightly pies or the dry turkey skin. It was almost, one might say, a dinner success.

Sarina
held Vince as the family adjourned to the living room for gift-giving time
after dinner. With full bellies and filled glasses of wine,
egg
nog
, or cider, the family took their respective seats around the great
room. Vane stoked the fire to a roar and added two more logs to keep it toasty.
There was nothing quite like the crackle of fire and the smell of fresh woodsy
smoke to make one feel warm during the holidays.

Sarina
chose to do something differently this year. Instead of sitting near Vane at
the fire she chose a seat opposite him in a single chair. Her mate eyed her decision
shrewdly but she smiled around the room as if nothing at all was wrong. It was
gift-giving time and she knew for a fact that Vane hadn’t gotten her what she
wanted—
what she needed
—this
holiday. He wouldn’t even talk to her about it. She rocked Vince a bit faster
as her agitation grew.

The
Christmas tree stood in the corner of the room. Vane and his brothers had cut
it down earlier in the month. The tree was a fresh evergreen straight from their
woods. It glowed with bright twinkling lights and was strewn with an array of
colorful ornaments and family heirlooms. Sarina had insisted that
everyone
put at least one ornament the
tree. Brayden and Dmetri had been tough to get to do so.

Stubbornness
must be a vampire train.

“Who’s
going to hand out presents?” Cassie asked. Darien, ever the quiet brother, sat
behind his mate and toyed with her fiery-red hair affectionately. Darien met
Cassie while living a depressing existence. He’d been mourning the death of his
loved one and unborn child. Darien had been through hard times in his life but
Cassie had saved him and brought him back to life.

But
not everyone looked to be having a grand time. Vane, ever mindful of where
she’d chosen to sit, looked increasingly more reproachful as the night weaned
on.

“I’ll
hand out gifts,” Vane offered stiffly.

Presents
were handed out. Most of which went to Vince. Sarina got tasked with opening
those
as Vince didn’t quite understand what Christmas was
yet, being just past one year old.

The
night passed in a warm glow. Everyone laughed at the cute new sweaters Vera
bought the men—each with a certain red-nosed reindeer on it standing in a
manger of snow. The red nose of which was a red fuzzy ball sewn on top of the
sweater. Vince tried to rip one off almost immediately before Sarina snatched
it away from him, giving him one of his new toys instead.

Sarina
opened the few gifts she’d been given: a nice bottle of her favorite champagne,
a beautiful bracelet, and some scrumptious chocolate truffles. Beneath the tree
was growing emptier. And she’d yet to open anything from Vane. As the last
gifts were handed out, the one she’d bought for Vane, and one more for Vince,
Sarina felt her emotions rising.

Do not cry
.
God, this would be the worst time to get emotional. But, thinking those
thoughts had her eyes misting nevertheless. She quickly looked away and cleared
her eyes before smiling and opening her gift from her mate.

It
was a small box, large enough to hold a grapefruit. He’d wrapped it in red-and-silver
paper and tied a red bow across the top. A smile appeared at her mouth and Vane
caught it, giving her a smile and wink. She chuffed in laughter and untied the
bow then ripped the paper to reveal a box with a lid. Her heart was racing. How
silly was that? They were mated after all. It’s not like much could surprise
her. But, she didn’t know he’d bought her a gift, so this was a surprise.

She
lifted the lid—and froze.

A picture in a silver frame.
Of her, Vane, and baby Vince. Tears sprang to her eyes only this time for a
multitude of reasons. It was a good picture; she remembered when
it’d been taken only a few months ago by Roman
. Vane had his
arm across her shoulders and she had hers tucked around his waist. Vince sat at
her waist as she held him. They all smiled at the camera.

She
didn’t mean to cry. Not even a little bit. But a stray tear escape down her
cheek. Almost at once, Vane stiffened which captured the attention of everyone
in the room, who in turn, looked at Sarina.

“What’s
wrong?” Alicia asked, rushing over. She saw the picture in the frame and smiled.

“Aww,
what a wonderful gift, Vane! Don’t worry, everyone,
it’s
only emotional, happy tears!” She laughed and Sarina gave her a tight-lipped
smile.

Yes,
happy tears, she nodded. But it was a lie.

But
as she looked at the picture all she could see was the imaginary baby that
could be sitting in Vane’s arms.

If
only he’d allow it….

Several
moments passed and to Sarina’s surprise Vane came up beside her.

“What
do you think?” he asked.

Muscles
in her face twitched as she tried to keep the holiday cheer high, but it was
becoming increasingly more difficult. How was she supposed to keep pretending
she was happy when all she wanted to do was scream?

“What
do I think?” she repeated.

Vane’s
warm hand landed on her shoulder. Very slowly Sarina turned to stare at his act
of comfort. The hand withdrew.

“I
think…” Something in her voice made him frown. “I think that now is not the
time to discuss this.”

Ire
flashed behind his forest green eyes. “Sarina…” he cautioned in that deep voice
of his.

“Sarina
what?
”

She
was all-too familiar with the fact that the family sat close by eavesdropping
as the tension elevated in the room. This was not how she wanted this
conversation to happen. The family didn’t need to know about their troubles.
About
her
troubles.

“Don’t
you like your Christmas gift?” Vane hunched down in front of her. His powerful
build of sinew and strength spread that silly sweater he wore tightly across
his shoulders.

“Why
yes, husband, I do like it,” she answered ever so politely.

His
brow furrowed. “Then why don’t I believe you?”

Sarina
glared at the man she loved, finally at a point where she did not care who
heard their struggles. If he wanted to have this conversation now, then by
golly, she’d let him have it!

“Maybe
because a photo of our family is nice and all, but it’s not what I wanted for
Christmas.”

His
lips flattened and she watched as indecision flitted over his expression. He
seemed determined not to ask any questions, and yet, finally, like music to her
ears, the question rumbled out. “And just what did you want for Christmas,
lumara?
”

There
it was.

The
one question he’d been avoiding for
weeks
leading up to Christmas. Because he
knew
what she wanted. He knew badly, likely sensing her need for a new young rolling
off her in waves, but he didn’t want her to have it. So although their love
life was as active as ever, he continuously refused to plant his seed inside
her.

Whatever
reason could he have for not wanting another child? Vince was their perfect,
beautiful little boy. A darling girl would only make the family complete. How
could he be so incapable of seeing the obvious?

So,
naturally, Sarina’s chin cocked as she looked away and answered as many women did
in times of stress. “Nothing.”

Dumbfounded,
her mate looked ready to laugh. “Nothing is wrong?” he asked in disbelief.

“Exactly.”
Sarina stood and avoided her mate’s gaze. “Vince has fallen asleep. I’m going
to go tuck him in.”

Alicia,
Cassie, Vanessa and Vera made their rounds kissing Vince’s soft head while
cooing their Christmas wishes to him. At least this night was almost over. Sarina
was halfway up the stairs when Vane all but shouted at her.

“Then
what do you want for Christmas, Sarina?”

Her
body froze at the temper in her mate’s voice. Did he really just speak to her
like that?
In front
of their family?

Sarina
took a moment to collect
herself
as the entire family
stared at them both with uncomfortable, wide eyes.

“What
do I want?” she repeated slowly.

He
ran a flustered hand through his long, black hair. “That’s what I asked, isn’t
it?”

Glaring
at her mate, Sarina said the words loud and clear for all to hear; words she’d
been too scared to utter for weeks. “I want another baby!” It was amazingly
freeing to speak her wish. Like a part of her was given newfound freedom. So,
she repeated her wish once more. “I want another baby!”

Vane
growled in the back of his throat, the sound like a warning.

“Humph,”
Sarina scoffed and tossed her hair over her shoulder as she continued up the
stairs. Her mate’s huffing and puffing hardly bothered her anymore. He could
growl all he wanted as far as she was concerned.

Dmetri
Demidov broke the strained silence with a whistle. “
O-kay
,” he crooned in his
heavily-accented
Russian. “
Diz
holiday over.
Christine, come.”

Christine
rolled her eyes at her vampire mate but grabbed her purse anyway.

The
holiday was over.

Just
like that.

After
cooking some lousy ill-prepared food then handing out a few funny presents,
then it was over.
So quickly.
Weeks and months leading
up to this moment all passed by faster than a speeding freight train.

And
Sarina needed to get away from Vane. By the time she finished singing a song to
put Vince to sleep, Vane waited for her out in the hallway.

The
silence down below told her Christmas was over. And her mate looked positively
livid. Yes, well, she was angry too. So, with her head held high, Sarina
strutted straight past her mate (much to his astonishment) and headed to their
bathroom. Her emotions were too rattled to have this conversation now. Heck, it
wouldn’t even be a conversation. It’d just be a fight at this point.

Maybe
if she just turned on the water and got in the bath, then everything would
begin to look better. Hot, sudsy water had a way of calming her nerves and
relaxing her—even if the problem that awaited her sat right outside the
bathroom door.

“You
can’t ignore me,” Vane muttered from the bathroom doorway.

We’ll see about that
,
Sarina thought.

Sarina
pulled her red-and-green Christmas sweater up and off her body. Her bra soon
followed as well. She felt her mate’s gaze roaming over her bare skin. Not that
she cared. Unbuttoning her slacks, she sashayed those down her hips and kicked
them off, quickly followed by her holiday panties, which just happened to be
adorned with miniature images of festive green wreathes and tiny red-and-white
candy canes.

A
soft growl behind her made her flush, but she told herself it was from the
steamy water and not Vane. That insufferable lykaen didn’t deserve her
attention right now as far as she was concerned.

“Fine,”
he
growled
“You want to talk? Then let’s talk about
this.”

Ha!
Now he wanted to talk about this. Not this morning or last night or any of the
numerous
occasions in which he’d had time
to bring up the topic. Of course he wanted it when
he
was ready, the selfish oaf.

Bristling,
Sarina gave him a piece of her mind. “I don’t see what there is to talk about,
Vane. You’ve already made it abundantly clear that you don’t want another
child. Perhaps you think I’m getting too old?” She laughed out loud.

“Don’t
be absurd. Of course you’re not old,” he grumbled. “But that doesn’t
mean—” His words were cut off mid-sentence as she stepped into the
steaming hot water. Sighing at the decadent sensations, Sarina turned off the
faucet and sat back while bundling her hair high on her head with a band. A
soft moan escaped her as tight muscles in her legs and back relaxed for the
first time that day.

After
a long while, Sarina realized her mate had yet to resume speaking. Peeking
through one eye, she spied him. He’d moved much, much closer and she hadn’t
even realized it. Darn that man and his cat-like reflexes. His cheeks were
flushed, as they always were when he was aroused. His lips were moist as if
he’d recently wet them with his tongue—a tongue she knew first and
foremost was soft when he used it on certain delicate parts of her. Sarina
quickly closed her peeping eyelid.

“You
were saying, Vane, my dear?” She kept her voice firm and authoritative. Someone
had to stay in charge here and better for it to be her.

He
cleared his throat and the air stirred as he hunched down beside the bath.
Water splashed. His hand dipped into the steamy water. Sarina swallowed over
the lump in her throat. It took everything in her to remain strong and not look
to see what he was up to. But the last thing she wanted to do was give him the
satisfaction of knowing she was curious about anything he did.