Page 54 of Crimson Bond

The last time she was this certain of something she’d left for California—and left me behind. A sharp spike of fear pierced my heart.

How could I ever live without her? I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted anything in my life. Ilovedher.

For a moment I tried to envision doing what Abbi wanted—taking the cure and going back to being human. I was sure it was the wrong thing. The citizens of the Bastion needed protection and leadership. They needed a queen.

Trying to fill in and be their king wasn’t an option. I might have been an Arch Vampire and Imogen’s child, but as a male, I lacked the queen bee pheromones necessary to hold a hive together.

But how could I leave the people here—and the entire vampire species—defenseless?

I couldn’t.

If the cure worked, and Abbi decided to take it and leave the vampire people behind, I’d have no other choice but to stay andtryto lead them.

There was a sharp rapping on the door. Abbi slipped from the bed, grabbing her clothes and dressing quickly before answering. She opened the door a crack. On the other side stood one of the clinic staff members.

“He’s awake,” was all the woman said, but it was enough to send Abbi running down the corridor without taking time to even close the door behind her.

Great.Shane had pulled through, the scrappy little bugger, and she was literally running to him.

So, he was a vampire—and my “child,” which meant he’d be hanging around for literally eternity.

The only good thing about the development was the wait was over. Now Abbi would finally be able to think with a clear head and make a decision about her future—and mine.

I honestly didn’t know which way she would go.

29

The Real Thing

Abbi

Shane was sitting up in bed and smiling when I arrived. He and Marjorie both turned toward the door.

“Abbi,” Shane said in a joyful voice. “Boy am I glad to see you.”

“I’m happy to see you, too. How are you? How do you feel?”

“I feel great,” he said. “Though I just now figured out I’m actually alive and not in the afterlife. When I woke up and saw Marjorie’s face, I wasn’t too sure. I thought at first she was here to welcome me to Heaven.”

“Awww.” She leaned over and squeezed his hand. “You’re sweet.”

I walked closer to them, stopping at the end of Shane’s bed. Obviously, they’d had a happy reunion. I wasn’t sure how much she’d told him about recent events.

“How much do you remember about what happened before you... before you fell asleep?” I asked.

“If you’re asking whether I remember being the main course at a vampire potluck dinner, the answer is yes,” he quipped. “Kind of hard to forget something like that. Mercifully I passed out at some point. I understand you arrived and stopped them just before they polished me off. Thank you, by the way.”

“Pleasedon’t thank me. It’s my fault you were even in that situation in the first place. I feel terrible.”

“It’s not your fault,” he said. “That creepy ‘mom’ of yours is the one who told all those vamps to dig in and wished them, ‘bon appetit.’”

“I know. I’m so sorry. So... I guess you also realize you were bitten multiple times?”

“Yeah. Not nearly as much fun as when I was bitten before.” He slid a flirty glance at Marjorie, and she giggled.

“I lost count at about bite eight,” he said.

“And you shared your blood with me three times when we were together,” Marjorie reminded him.

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