Page 15 of Dark Rebel's Mystery

"Why did you wait?"

She shrugged. "It's a private matter between you and Margo and your parents."

"You are my mate, and I don't keep anything from you, not unless I'm forced to."

"Margo might not be happy about my involvement."

"Nonsense. Margo loves you."

"I know." Gertrude released a breath. "So, what did Bridget say?"

"She repeated more or less what you said. Semen can be harvested, but venom cannot. She recommended we find an unmated immortal male who would be willing to donate both. She said most would be happy to help, but personally, I doubt it."

"I can ask around," Gertrude offered. "I can do that very discreetly."

"Thank you." It was a huge relief not to have to do the search himself and explain to potential candidates what he needed from them. "You have no idea how much I appreciate your offer. I was dreading having to explain what I needed."

"Anytime." She straightened in his arms and kissed his jaw. "What else did Bridget say?"

"That's it. Then, Margo and I discussed how to present it to our parents while keeping the clan's existence a secret. A lady named Vivian overheard us talking and suggested asking Eleanor from Safe Haven if she would be willing to compel our parents to be silent on the subject. Vivian said that we could arrange a retreat for the six of us together as a family vacation and do it there. That way, we will be able to talk with our mother first and see where she stands on the issue. If she's against the idea, there is no reason to tell our father."

"When are we going?"

He chuckled. "When can you take time off?"

Her face fell. "I'll have to wait for Hildegard to return, and that will only happen once the prisoners in the keep are gone." When he lifted a brow, she shook her head. "I can't tell you about that, so don't ask."

"I'm not. Margo told me that there was a dungeon in the keep, but I was under the impression that it was rarely used to house prisoners and that it didn't even look like a dungeon."

"That's true," Gertrude confirmed. "It is often used as a transition place, I mean when people are not ready to be brought into the village but need a refuge from somewhere else."

"I thought that was the purpose of Safe Haven."

"You are right, but we use the keep a little differently. We also have the mountain cabin that, from time to time, serves that purpose too." She chuckled. "We call it the love cabin because that's where Amanda and Dalhu fell in love. Then they moved to the dungeon, so maybe we should rename it the Love Underground or something like that."

Rob laughed. "That sounds like the name of a kinky club."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you know about kinky clubs?"

"Absolutely nothing." When she arched a brow, he lifted his hands in the air. "I swear. I must have read something somewhere. I really don't remember."

That earned him a suggestive smile. "I have a few books that you might want to read to broaden your education." She cupped his cheek. "Maybe it will help you get over your prudishness."

"I'm not a prude."

Gertrude arched a brow.

"Well, maybe a little."

9

KIAN

Kian was developing a headache, and it was the kind that radiated in slow, pulsing waves behind his temples. It rarely happened, and usually only under intense pressure or after too many sleepless nights.

Today, though, the reason was a crushing sense of failure.

He'd been dealt a check by Navuh, but hopefully, it wasn't a checkmate. Not yet.

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