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Alric clambered out of bed and headed for the attached bathroom, wondering when he last had a shower. Had they even left the bed at all since Eden’s turning? He snorted, they hadn’t at all, but whether they wanted to or not, it was well past time for Eden to meet the remainder of the Coven. And sooner was probably better than later, not putting it past someone to pick the lock and barge in.
He glanced back at the bed, stared at Eden sprawled over it surrounded by rumpled blood-spattered sheets. His gaze drifting over Eden’s naked form taking in ever scratch, bruise and bite mark he’d left behind, many of them already beginning to fade and he wished they’d linger a little longer. Tempted to head back to bed and place more on his skin until there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Eden was taken. But he also feared the danger he’d placed Eden in, making the new dhampyre a prime target for those wanting to usurp Alric’s position within Silverdale City and not just as the head of the Silverdale Coven. He couldn’t slip amongst the humans that filled the city like he once had and yet, Alric wouldn’t change anything.
Couldn’t wait for the day Eden’s belly swelled with their child.
He flicked on the shower and stepped under the stream of hot water, once more thankful that they’d upgraded the complex to a gas heating system and no longer had to wait for water to heat. Hell, these days he was glad to not have cold showers at all, grimacing at the times in the past his idea of a shower had been a piece of cloth and a cold river. But not even that could wipe the smile from his face as the thought of a child, his and Eden’s kept it fixed in place. It didn’t have to be soon, knowing Eden would want to finish his graduate studies first and got himself set up in the library beneath the university that also contained all the folklore and history passed down from Alric’s ancestors. He knew Eden would love spending time in there, reading books and manuscripts that no other human would ever see, not that Eden was human anymore.
“What are you grinning about?” Arms wrapped around his waist and teeth nipped at his shoulder.
“Two things really-” turning in Eden’s arms and wrapping his own around Eden’s neck. “-there is somewhere I want to show you once the rest of the coven had finished meeting you. A place I think you’ll love, and I have no doubts that you will end up spending a lot of time there... it’s not far from here and you can access it via the system of tunnels spread out under the city, so you don’t have to worry about sunlight.”
“About the sunlight thing... am I going to be alright to attend classes? Most of them are in the late afternoon...”
“As a dhampyre your tolerance for the sun will be better than mine, however for the next few years you will be quite sensitive to it.”
“So, I should stock up on SPF 100 suntan lotion.” Eden’s lips quirked as he spoke.
“If only,” Alric laughed. If suntan lotion was all it took, the coven would have bought shares in all the major pharmaceutical companies involved in developing it. “But the tunnels lead to the university and the timing of your classes should be safe, just try not sit in the sunniest place in the lecture theatre.”
“Okay, so what’s the second reason you’re smiling?”
His smile brightened further as he fumbled behind him to flick the shower off. Alric didn’t want to have this conversation here and gestured for Eden to head back to the bedroom. Alric grabbed a towel, rubbing his skin dry as he followed him and dropped it on the floor not seeing any point to covering up. He clambered onto the bed, stretching out next to Eden who stared at him with a hint of trepidation. Alric smiled again, reaching out to reassure him and dispel whatever idea’s Eden’s mind was conjuring up. If anything, what he was about to tell Eden was exciting, something that Eden would never have gotten the chance to experience if he’d remained human.
“The other reason behind my smile was thought of us having a child together - or more if you wish, it isn’t as though we don’t have years ahead of us to do it – but a child that is created by the two of us-” his smile got bigger again and he couldn’t help caressing Eden’s abdomen that would one day bear their child. “-because now that you’re a dhampyre, one of the changes made to your body-”
“-gives me that ability to get pregnant. Yep. I already know. Albie informed of that,” Eden snapped and Alric’s smile slipped. “He didn’t do it intentionally, just assumed that you might have already told me... and frankly I wished you had. Wished that you’d mentioned it, along with everything else that was going to happen to me before...” Eden closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “But as strange as it all sounds – and it’s still going to take some time to get my head around it – I can understand why you’d smile about that.”
It pleased him that Eden was taking the news well even if it annoyed him that Albie had spoken of it first. But then that was more Alric’s fault for not having the balls to broach the subject with Eden sooner instead of it happening exactly as Albie had warned him.
“But if I’d told you two weeks ago, that you despite being a human male would be able to conceive, would you have believed it?”
Eden snorted. “I was barely prepared to accept that you were a vampire. If you’d also said that once I turned I’d be able to fall pregnant I wouldn’t have believed it. I would have thought you crazy and refused to have anything to do with you.”
“What else did Albie say about it?” He rested his head on Eden’s chest letting the beating of his heart relax him.
“Not much. Or at least not much that I remember. Just that you can also bear children...”
“True. It is possible. Or at least it would have been if the Fates had chosen to pair me with another vampire-born. Dhampyre’s for some reason can only bear children but can’t impregnate. I don’t really understand it and yet, I remember fairy tales speaking of it having happened, then again fairy tales aren’t always hiding a truth.”
He glanced up at Eden, reluctant to move but knowing that if they didn’t the rest of the coven would get sick of waiting and he’d rather they met Eden on his terms. But patience wasn’t something that developed with time and with how close the members of the coven were – not just familial ties either – personal boundaries rarely existed, hence why Albie thought nothing of lounging around in his apartment even when Eden was visiting.
“Disappointed?”
“Hmm... a little, maybe-” Alric wasn’t quite ready to believe him, there was a pensiveness to Eden’s gaze that worried him. “-but I’m more worried about how fertile this change will make me... I suppose,” face blushing bright red as he said it.
“What?” Alric pushed himself upright, a little confused at Eden’s question; wasn’t even sure if he knew how to answer it.
“Like is it one slip and whoops, you’re pregnant kind of thing... or a bit more hit-and-miss. And would we know? Is, there tests that you can take...”
Alric blinked still not sure why Eden was worrying about this all now. They’d used condoms each time they’d fucked since he turned... or had they? What about the first time? Had they used a condom then... oh, crap. Alric dragged a hand down his face as he realised Eden had a good reason to be concerned.
“No, none of that. We’ll just have to wait.” He stared straight at Eden. “But I promise that I didn’t intend to get you pregnant, if it turns out you are... I forgot. And maybe you aren’t...”
“But the chances are...”
“Pretty high that you are already pregnant.”