I lifted my gaze, braving a peek at Vincent. A deep V carved the place between his thick brows. “Your mother? What about her?”
“Sharpe said the woman who looked after me in Quincy isn’t my mom. Do you guys know anything about that?”
Both of them tensed. There were several beats of uncomfortable silence before Eros was the first to speak. “Listen, doll—”
“We don’t know anything,” Vincent finished for him, giving me a frown. “I’m sorry, Princess, to hear they lied to you like that.”
I gave the fae a long look. I wasn’t sure if I believed him. He was acting weird. Then again, why would he lie to me about something so important? “Look at me, Feral. Look me in the eye and tell me again that you know nothing about this.”
Things with Vincent and me were...Well, they were better. Having our inner monsters bond so intimately and then almost dying together had a way of bringing us closer, whether we liked it or not.
The energy between us was tenser than it had ever been. Maybe that had something to do with the fact that we’d admitted our deep feelings for one another. Right when he’d taken those bullets for me, he’d admitted to loving me. On top of that, he had given up his pursuit of the throne and had even promised to let go of his grudge with Eros. All on one condition.
When I was ready, I would bear his child.
It seemed a small price to pay, especially since the thought of growing round with his baby sent a torrent of rabid hornets loose in my belly.
How were the others going to react when they found out what I’d promised Feral? Sterling would be fine with it. Thanks to my father’s savagery, he was sterile and couldn’t have any kids of his own.
Corry would probably be upset, but his reaction would be like a science fair volcano compared to the fatal destruction of Eros’ volcanic rage once he found out I basically sold my womb to his enemy.
I couldn’t think about that right now, though. I squeezed my eyes shut and forced my rioting breath steady. “I need to find my mother.”
“And we’ll help you find her.” Vincent’s hands smoothed over my hair, down my shoulders, and banded around my waist once more. “After we figure out all this shit with your dad and your brother first, alright?”
“Okay.”
“Can I kiss you?”
I opened my eyes to see nothing but sincerity burning in his green eyes, which were stained with red around the rims. “Since when does Vincent Feral ask for permission?”
His lips split into a wicked grin. “Since you agreed to take me as your mate and become the mother of my child.”
The hiss of Eros’ cigarette as he took a drag instantly stopped, followed by a growl so scathing it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
The air grew as brittle as dry pasta in an instant.
Fuck.
“Whatdid he just say?”
Chapter three
Mediation
“Whatdidyoujustsay?” Eros demanded again. He clutched his cell bars so tightly his knuckles went ghost white, and for a second, I thought he might bend the bars.
Vincent flashed him a wry smirk, challenge flickering behind his eyes. “I said, your mate is going to be the mother of my child. She promised I’d be the first to breed her, all in exchange for playing nice with you.”
My throat closed up as anger ignited in my tummy, making my blood simmer. Vincent was goading Eros, trying to get a rise out of him. I don’t know why I was surprised. In the back of the van, he’d promised to play nice with his brother, but it was my bad for thinking a vampire like Feral was privy to the definition of the word “nice.”
Eros’ eyes shifted to me, and the emotions ensconced in his gaze made my chest tighten. “Tell me he’s full of shit, doll. You couldn’t have promised him something like that, not for the sake of settling our feud. It’s not worth it.”
Vincent blew out a gloating laugh. “Not worth it for you, maybe.”
Snapping my head in his direction, I tossed him a withering look. “Shut up, Feral.”
He opened his mouth but clamped it shut a second later. His eyes blazed with the heat of a thousand rebuttals, but to my shock and amazement, he voiced none of them.