Page 65 of Unholy Gambit: Checkmate in Blood
And they’d have this for eternity. Or at least until someone killed one of them. A vampire in New York had run tests on her blood and a scraping of the inside of her cheek — and deemed the blood bond with Axel to have fully taken.
She’d aged normally through puberty and early adulthood. The current theory was that whatever had happened when she was five had only partially engaged it. The magic had woven the bond into her soul but not fully into her body. The blood exchange during the oath had activated the blood bond into its full expression, and now she would never age another day.
Which was fine. She’d have opted to do it, if it wasn’t already there. The idea of growing old while he didn’t was horrifying.
At least I won’t be in a hideous belt buckle this year, Axel telepathed, a hint of laughter in his mental voice.
A lot’s happened since last Halloween.
It has. How was your day?
Busy. I thought I was going to beat him, but he snuck a move in I didn’t see coming. Still kicking myself over that one.
You won’t let anyone sneak it in on you again.
He was right, and she felt instantly better. A mistake isn’t a mistake if you learn from it.
* * * *
Axel couldn’t dip into her mind to hear her thoughts anymore, but that was okay. He could still see the instant his words hit home. She’d learned from the lesson, and thus, it was of value.
He walked to the shower and stepped in. He’d gone into his hidey-hole naked that morning, after fucking his darling Aurélie into a boneless sleep. He’d had several hours on his own to handle some of his black-market customers in the early morning hours, but he hadn’t bothered with clothes.
She’d gone to sleep around four this morning, and from what he could tell, she’d awakened a little before noon. It was their norm, give or take, depending on the seasons.
“I’ve heard through the grapevine that Marco has a surprise for you this evening,” he told her while he soaped up. “I can’t get anyone to spill the tea, though.”
“I’m always wary of vampire surprises.”
He chuckled. “Marco likes you, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
One of his private flock stayed on campus later than the others, which meant Axel couldn’t feed from him immediately upon rising. Aury assumed that was the case today, since Axelhadn’t fed before he came to her, but then backtracked in her mind and it didn’t add up.
“Who’s on your feeding schedule today?”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you. Marco has a rattlesnake shifter he keeps for himself at Homewood, and he’ll be bringing him to the party tonight. Etta and I get first dibs on him after we cleaned out that nasty Celrau house south of Atlanta last week. We get a full meal, and then he’s allowing small sips to anyone who wants a taste.”
“Rattlesnake? Really? How am I just learning about snake shifters?”
He chuckled. “They’re a delicacy. The only things better are Fae blood and dolphin shifters.”
“And I spoil you with part-Fae blood every month and a half.”
“You do.” He stepped out of the shower, towel dried his hair, felt his Aurélie’s eyes watching him. Scented arousal.
“Not now. I think making you wait until after the party will make you appreciate me more.”
She play-gasped at him. “I appreciate you plenty! You and your talented cock.”
He laughed. He’d once told her flattery would get her wherever she wanted to go, and now she poked stuff like that in all the time. His former virgin had fallen in love with sex from the start.
Three hours later, Aury adjusted the rose at her temple and turned a critical eye at her reflection in the mirror.
Axel could only stare, as usual. The black velvet dress hugged her curves and pooled to the floor like liquid shadow. She wore a black wig that looked completely natural, all sleek and dark. Her lipstick was the color of heart blood.
And he knew that when she put on the sky-high heels she could now walk effortlessly in, the dress would barely skim the floor.
His Aury no longer thought of herself as a cripple, or even a recovering cripple. She was a healthy young woman who enjoyed life to the fullest, and she’d brought peace and joy into his life when he’d never experienced either.
