Sought...Book 3 in the Brides of the Kindred series (17 page)

“Ninety-nine point nine percent accurate.”
Sylvan’s deep voice was hushed and Sophie couldn’t help biting her
lip as she looked at the man she loved.
What is he thinking?
What is he hoping for?

“And…here it is.” The machine emitted a few
beeps and the lights on its front panel blinked. Sylvan reached
into the small slot where he had put the vials of blood he’d drawn
from her arm earlier. Sophie was no longer afraid of needles—though
she still didn’t love being stuck. But this time she had barely
felt the needle, she was so anxious to get the results of the test
Sylvan was running.

She held her breath as he closed his large
hand over the contents of the slot and held it out to her. “What is
it?” She was nearly dancing with impatience when he unfolded his
fingers to reveal…a small white flower.

“White.” Sylvan spoke gently, saying it
aloud. “You’re not pregnant,
Talana.”

“Oh.” A strange combination of relief and
sorrow rushed through Sophie.
So I’m not going to be a mom after
all. Not now, anyway.
Then she looked up at Sylvan’s face.
Though his features were impassive, she knew him well enough by now
to see the disappointment in his ice blue eyes. She opened her
mouth to speak…and a sob rose in her throat.

“Sophia?” Sylvan leaned down, a worried look
on his face. “Are you all right?”

“I…I think so. I don’t know why I’m crying.”
But she couldn’t seem to stop.

“You don’t know why?” He took her by the
shoulders and looked at her worriedly.

“Yes, I do. I know,” she said through the
sobs that shook her. “It’s because I know…know you wanted a son.
One who could grow up and play with Liv and Baird’s little boy. I’m
sorry, Sylvan. So sorry I disappointed you.”

“You didn’t disappoint me!” He swept her
into his arms and held her close, his face pressed to her neck.
Pulling back, he looked into her eyes. “You could never disappoint
me,
Talana
. I have
you
, and you’re all that I
need.”

“But I know you want a family too,” Sophie
said, sniffing. “We can try again as soon as you want.”

“We weren’t trying in the first place,”
Sylvan pointed out, giving her his little one-sided grin.

“No, I know.” Sophie blotted her eyes on her
sleeve. “I guess I just got so used to the idea in the past few
days. And Liv is so happy to be pregnant.”

“Olivia is
ready
to be pregnant,”
Sylvan said. “I get the feeling you’re not. Not quite.”

“Maybe I’m not.” Sophie looked down at the
little white flower which indicated a negative pregnancy test. “But
I
want
to be ready. When I look in your eyes and see how
much you want a son, I want so much to give you one. A little boy
with blond hair and blue eyes, just like you.”

“No, he should have green eyes and brown
hair with red highlights—just like his mother.” Sylvan smiled again
and swept a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Or, you never can
tell—we might have a daughter. It’s extremely rare but it
does
happen from time to time.”

Sophie shook her head. “I’d rather have a
little boy. I think I would worry about a boy less than a
girl.”

“I doubt you’d worry less if you knew some
of the things
I
got up to as a child.”

“Yes, well you were killing abominable
vrannas
by the time you were nine. I hope you wouldn’t
expect to let our son do anything like that.”

“No.” Sylvan looked thoughtful. “There
aren’t any
vrannas
aboard the ship. I suppose we could
devise a different manhood ritual for him, though.”

“Over my dead body!” Sophie pushed away from
him. “Listen, Mister, if you think for one minute I would let you
take any son of mine into that kind of dangerous situation—” She
broke off because Sylvan was laughing softly. “What?” she
demanded.

“Nothing. I’m just thinking what a
wonderful, protective mother you’re going to be when you’re ready
to have children. When we’re
both
ready.” He pulled her
close again and Sophie buried her face in his broad shoulder and
breathed in his familiar, comforting scent.

I love you,
she sent through their
link, because it was so much more intimate to use mind-to-mind
communication.
Love you so much. Thank you for
understanding.

Talana. Blood of my blood…
He buried
his hands in her hair and eased her head to one side, baring her
throat for his teeth.

Sophie offered her neck eagerly, wanting to
feel the rush of pleasure as he bit her and injected her with his
essence. Before they had gotten bonded, she had been under the
impression that Blood Kindred only bit at the moment of climax. But
it turned out, biting—at least the deep, intimate biting done
between a warrior and his mate—was almost like deep kissing for
them. And now that he knew she truly didn’t fear it anymore, Sylvan
was prone to sinking his fangs into her any time they had a moment
alone. The sharp little prick of his four sharp points penetrating
her flesh was like foreplay for her now. In fact, just the feel of
his double set of fangs tracing her sensitive skin was enough to
make her shiver with desire.

I want you,
Sylvan said through their
link, tracing his tongue over the delicate blue veins pulsing in
her throat.
I want to take you to bed and fill you all night.
Want to pump you full of my essence and my cum over and
over.

I want that too.
Sophie thought her
mental voice sounded rather breathless but she couldn’t help
it—Sylvan made her weak in the knees, literally. She could barely
stand, she wanted him so badly.

Obviously sensing her dilemma, Sylvan swung
her up into his arms. Sophie gasped and then snuggled closer to his
broad chest. She loved how strong he was—and how gentle he could be
despite his immense strength.

“You’re strong too, you know,” he whispered,
apparently catching her thought. “Stronger than you know. You’re
going to make a wonderful mother when the time is right.”

“Maybe it’s right tonight,” Sophie
suggested, kissing him eagerly. “We could try.”

“We could,” he agreed. “I’m not adverse to
‘trying’ all night long, if you wish,
Talana.”

“Yes,” she murmured, kissing him again as he
carried her from his office to the bedroom. “Yes, let’s try.”

The only thing that bothered her as he laid
her on the bed and began undressing her was the thought of Kat.
I’m not pregnant. I should have gone with her. She’s all alone
and it’s my fault.

Then Sylvan’s hot mouth closed over one of
her aching nipples and all coherent thought left her as he bonded
her to him again…

“So you’re not preggers.” Liv looked down at
the small, white flower, looking slightly disappointed.

“Afraid not.” Sophie handed her twin a plate
before sitting down beside her on the couch. Today Liv was craving
pancakes and nobody made better blueberry buttermilk pancakes than
Sophie—or so she had claimed over the Think-me when she begged
Sophie to come make her some. “Anyway, I wasn’t when we did the
test. After last night, all bets are off again.”

Liv laughed. “You decided to try again?”

“And try…and try…and try…” Sophie laughed
and then suddenly sobered. “I feel bad about it, though.”

“Why should you?” Olivia took a bite and
closed her eyes to savor the delicious taste. “Mmm, you’ve outdone
yourself, Sophie!”

“I’m glad you like them. Wasn’t that what I
was making the morning Baird first claimed you? Blueberry
pancakes?”

“Could be.” Liv took another bite. “Mmm. But
I seem to remember that Kat wanted to make some kind of quiche.
Something with way too many ingredients…ugh.”

“Kat is always so crazy in the kitchen.”
Sophie sighed. “Poor Kat… That’s what has me feeling so bad. I’m
not pregnant, Liv—I
should
have gone with her.”

“You couldn’t have known,” Liv said
reasonably. “It was too early to take a test and we couldn’t wait
to make the decision. It was send her to Twin Moons or lose
her—personally, I still feel like we did the right thing.”

“I’m worried about her, though. When will we
ever get to talk to her?”

“Soon.” Liv took a drink of milk. She had
told Sophie she still couldn’t get Baird to try it. He didn’t like
the idea of drinking something that came from a bag between a cow’s
legs, though he ate cheese like it was going out of style. “Baird
said that he had a call from Lock a little while ago,” she
continued. “He and Deep are taking her back to see the holistic
healer woman—Mother L’rin—again. They’re going to call us on their
viewscreen on the way back.” She shrugged. “Who knows—if Kat gets a
clean bill of health she could be back aboard the Mother ship with
us before you know it.”

“I hope so,” Sophie said earnestly. “And I
hope she can forgive us for sending her off with Deep and Lock in
the first place.”

“Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee?” Liv grinned
and cut another wedge of pancake with a particularly plump
blueberry right in the middle. “Don’t worry about them. This is Kat
we’re talking about—she can hold her own against anyone. I’m sure
she’ll have some interesting stories to tell us when she gets back,
though.”

“No doubt,” Sophie said, taking a nibble of
her own pancake. “Not to change the subject but have you heard any
more about Lauren? When I think about what might be happening to
her…” She shivered.

“I know,” Olivia agreed soberly. “Baird’s
been working with the High Council but so far they’ve determined
that we can’t make any overt moves on the Scourge without having
proof of where they’re holding her.” She sighed and put her plate
down on the coffee table. Apparently, the thought of their unknown
cousin being subjected to the probes of the AllFather took her
appetite away.

“Well, have you heard any more from Aunt
Abby? I don’t know how much longer we can keep what really happened
to Lauren from her,” Sophie said.

“As long as possible,” Liv said grimly.
“Think about it. What’s worse—thinking that your only daughter has
disappeared into thin air? Or
knowing
that she was kidnapped
by an evil, malevolent…
thing
for purposes too horrible to
think about?”

“I see your point.” Sophie nodded sadly.
“But poor Lauren! I was looking her up on-line, you know, wishing
we could have gotten to know her. She looks so happy and bright in
all her pictures. And did you know she dropped out of business
school to start a specialty cupcake shop in Sarasota?”

“Specialty cupcakes? Mmm.” Liv nodded.
“Sounds like a woman after my own heart.”

“Or a woman after your pregnant stomach.”
Sophie gave her sister a little smile. “I just hope she’s all right
somehow. And that someday we get to meet her.”

Olivia nodded. “I hope so too. I feel so bad
for Aunt Abby, though. She still thinks Lauren is on Earth and
she’s certainly sparing no expense to try and find her.”

“What do you mean?” Sophie took another
nibble of her pancake.

“We got another vidcall last night. I meant
to tell you earlier but I forgot,” Liv said. “Baird took it. It was
a private investigator Aunt Abby hired —a specialist in finding
missing persons.”

“Really? What did he want?”

Liv shrugged. “More information and Kindred
cooperation. Baird said he was a real hard-ass. But he seemed to
think that was a good thing. You know—like he respected him.”

Sophie sighed. “Sounds like an alpha male
thing to me.”

“Of course.” Olivia smiled. “And we should
both know about that, right womb-mate?”

“Yup.” Sophie allowed herself a small smile.
“And to think, I used to believe an alpha male was the last thing I
wanted.”

“You just had ‘alpha male’ confused with
‘asshole,’” Liv said comfortably, picking up her pancake plate
again. “They don’t always have to be the same thing, you know.”

“I know that
now,
” Sophie agreed.
“But it took Sylvan to show me.”

“And Baird to show me.” Liv sounded
thoughtful. “I wonder what Kat is learning from Deep and Lock?”

“You’re telling me we have
what
kind
of a bond?” Kat stared at the two of them in disbelief.

“A soul bond,” Lock said quietly. “It’s only
half a bond, really—incomplete without the physical aspect.”

“Which, as you may remember, we have all
agreed we’re
not
going to pursue,” Deep said dryly, his arms
crossed over his broad chest. “It’s really not that important.”

“If it’s no big deal then why are you
telling me now?” Kat demanded.

“We thought that since you’re going to see
Mother L’rin again today—” Lock began.

“We thought you’d rather hear it from us
than her.” Deep frowned. “Speaking of which, if we don’t get to the
shuttle soon, we’re going to be late. They’re not going to let us
land in the middle of the Healing Gardens again, you know. We’re
going to be doing some walking to get to her.”

“Oh no, you’re not brushing this off so
easily.” Kat put a hand on her hip. “I want to know more about what
you two did to me and why you didn’t tell me first.”

“Let’s talk and walk, then,” Deep suggested.
He was being infuriatingly calm about the whole thing—as though he
and Lock bonding her to them against her will was of no importance
whatsoever. Which of course made Kat suspicious.

“Please understand, my lady—we were saving
your life,” Lock pleaded as they all left the house and headed for
the waiting shuttle. It had taken the form of a smallish car, as
all Kindred shuttles did when not in use for flight. “Mother L’rin
told us it was necessary. Your spirit had fractured—forming a bond
with you was the only way to mend it.”

“I don’t know if I believe that,” Kat
snapped as she climbed into the back of the shuttle.