Page 42 of Vipers and Vendettas
Ifind Maddox in the library.
‘I need to feed,’ I say, stalking to his desk. ‘Am I going to the club, or …’
Maddox puts a finger to his lips. ‘Shh. She’s asleep. Don’t wake her.’
I couldn’t have hidden my surprise at Maddox’s words even if I’d wanted to. In fact, I think my mouth falls open.
I heard what Maddox did when Jules got here, but not until she was safely stowed in the fold against my, Iron's, and Krase’s wishes. Maddox pulled rank and wouldn’t budge on not keeping her locked up.
I stare at him. Does he really expect me to believe he gives a shit about her suddenly?
‘Was there something else?’ he asks quietly.
‘Is she all right? Is she …. Do I need to go to the club?’ I say, feeling odd about all of this after everything.
I mean, last time we had to do this in secret, but she signed one piece of paper and we can literally fuck her wherever we want. I’ve never really thought about it before, but it’s insane. Before, when we’ve had girls sign, I haven’t thought about them past feeding. But Jules is different. I’d never use her like she doesn’t mean something to me because, even after what she did,she does. I haven’t stopped thinking about her over the past few weeks. I was only angry at her for the first few hours. After that, I just wanted her to come back.
‘Take her into the fold, will you? I have a call in five, and she needs her rest. Be gentle with her. As for feeding, ask her when she wakes. If she says no, go to the club. Theo says she’s fine. Just make sure she feels well enough.’
Maddox gets up and brings with him a small tray with a teapot and a china teacup on it. ‘Give her some of this.’
‘What is it?’ I ask, trying not to sound as suspicious as I feel.
I know he’s not going to poison her or anything, but this one-eighty he seems to have done where Jules is concerned is more than a little disconcerting.
‘It’s to help with her nausea,’ Maddox says.
‘But she’s all right?’ I ask again.
‘So Theo Wright says.’
He leaves the tray on the table close by, and I notice the key to the fold is on it, too.
He gestures at me to go, so I use the key and enter Jules’ little prison, taking a second to look around. It’s not as bad as I feared, better than the dungeon anyway, but it’s still a jail cell no matter how he’s decorated it … which he clearly has.
Her clothes are in the large, antique armoire he had moved from his mother’s old room; the walls are covered in painted flowers, and the heated floor is carpeted in crème. The paintings on the wall make my jaw tense.
I tried not to let her words regarding the painting I did for her of Siggy bother me, but it’s rare that I gift one of my creations to anyone, even members of the clan. For her to throw it back in my face like that was one of the worst things she could have done.
I put the tray down with a small sigh and hop back through into the library. I put my arms under Jules and gently gather her to me. She makes a noise of contentment as she curls into me, but she doesn’t wake, not even when I carry her into her room in the fold and place her on the bed.
I watch her for a while, still wondering at Maddox’s newfound sensitivity where she’s concerned. Maybe it’s guilt for how he welcomed her back. I lay a hand lightly on her abdomen. I couldn’t believe it when Maddox told us that not only had Daemon found her, but that she’s pregnant as well. That could be my biological child. Though most incubi clans tend to view offspring as the responsibility of the entire group, the thought of the baby beingminemakes a warmth flow through my chest that I’ve never felt before.
I’m not angry with Jules, not anymore, but when she wakes up, we’re going to have a little talk before I feed. I glance at the wall where the fold ends. Krase, Iron, and I all need her soon. We rolled a die to see who would be first. I’m just lucky it was me. Krase was pissed, but all’s fair with this particular human, especially now that she’s lawfully ours. That’s not to say I’m going to make her do anything she doesn’t want to, of course, but ever since the Mountain, when I first saw the real Jules, I’ve wanted more.
I fell hard for her. And I think I did the day we met over two years ago. There was nothing I could do about it then except pine after her. I thought I was the only one, but I’m starting to realize every single one of us fell for her on day one.
I wonder when Axel will grace us with his presence. He doesn’t even know she’s back. I touch her abdomen lightly. He doesn’t even know that she’s pregnant yet. For all we know, it could be his. I mean, it doesn’t matter. We’re all clan, so the baby is all of ours as well as Jules’, but it’s a huge deal.
I look down at her and realize she’s awake. She’s watching me, her beautiful green eyes locked on mine.
She doesn’t say a word, no apologies or excuses, but her hand immediately seeks mine, and she squeezes it. The connection between us flares to life, and I suddenly realize I missed it as much as I’ve missed her. She’d hidden it from me somehow. I figured as much, but knowing the link between us still exists makes me breathe a sigh of relief all the same.
The things I was going to say, all the words I’d prepared over the past three months, flutter out of my head. None of it matters.
I surge forward and kiss her lips. She lets out a breath, her arms twisting around my neck, not letting me retreat even if Iwashaving second thoughts, which I’m not.
I groan as I lean over her, straddling her carefully, and we stay like that, my lips and hers dancing together.
