Bound to Shadows

"Missed you," he said softly, when we finally parted.

"And we're missing di

"You won't let him eat at the di

Then the smell of roast lamb hit my nostrils, and hunger won out.

"That's because it's not polite to get orgasmic at the di

"Not unless it's an absolute do or die situation," Qui

I raised my eyebrows as he pulled out a chair for me. "So you have done guys?"

"As I said, it's not my preferred option." He kissed my nose before sitting down himself.

"That's not what I asked."

A smile touched the corners of his luscious lips. "Yes, I have taken blood from men. No, I have never actually had sex with them."

"But isn't that your preferred way of feeding?"

He raised his eyebrows at me, the amusement touching his lips finally reaching the dark depths of his eyes. "You prefer men, but that hasn't stopped you from kissing women, has it?"

"That's different—"

"How?" he interrupted. "We both do what we must when it's required. It doesn't mean we enjoy it."

I guess he had me there. I'd kissed Vi

His gaze flicked from me to the two men on the opposite side of the table. "Now, how about you two explaining the highly charged buzz I'm getting off you both?"

I began tucking into the lamb. The meat just about melted in my mouth and I groaned in delight. Qui

Unfortunately for us both, I have to be at work by eight.

He glanced at his watch. I can do quick.

I leaned sideways, dropped a kiss on his cheek, and said with a mental grin, Quick would be good.

Liander placed the remaining plates on the table, then sat down beside Rhoan. His smile was a mile wide, and there were little crinkles of happiness lining the corners of his eyes. Rhoan was almost as bad.

"Well," my brother said, picking up his utensils and cutting into the thickly sliced lamb. "We do have an a

"Color me surprised," I said dryly, munching down more lamb.

Rhoan's smile grew, though I wouldn't have thought was possible. "We have decided to have children."

I just about choked on my meal. The meat lodged somewhere in my throat and I started coughing violently. Qui

"We do realize this," Liander said, eyes twinkling. "Which is where we hope Riley comes in."

"Me?" I squeaked. "In case you've forgotten, I'm as barren as Rhoan here."

"You may be barren, but you have frozen eggs," Rhoan said. "We're twins, Riley, which means you're as close as Liander's going to get to having a kid with me."

I looked from one to the other. "You're serious, aren't you?"

Liander nodded. "My sister has agreed to carry the child for us. It's our chance to have a child, Riley. It's our chance to carry on the family name." He paused. "But if you're not comfortable with it, that's fine. We'll just pick another donor. We don't want it to seem like its you or nothing."

"Either way," Rhoan added softly, "It leaves Liander with something to hold onto if the worst ever happens at work."

Something unfurled inside me—a desire long acknowledged and yet long forced away. My fingers began shaking—in fact, I think every part of me was shaking—so I put my knife and fork down on the table and leaned back in my chair. Qui

"We're different packs," I murmured, more to break the expectant silence than out of any real concern over whose name any resulting child might bear.

A child. Liander's and mine.

God, I wanted to get up and dance at the prospect and yet, at the same time, my stomach was churning with fear.

After everything that fate had thrown my way of late, it was hard to believe I was now being presented with this opportunity. Hell, part of me didn't want to believe that it might actually happen, because I didn't want to face the pain of yet more disappointment.

"Told you she'd say that," Rhoan murmured, then leaned forward, his arms crossed on the table. "We're starting a new pack. The Jenson-Moore pack, which currently consists of three werewolves and one vampire. Said vampire will be expected to play uncle and change diapers along with everyone else."

"Said vampire" Qui

"You did get off midnight bottle duty, even though you're usually awake," Rhoan said, glancing at me. "Well, what do you think?"

"I think I'm too shocked to actually think," I muttered, then leaned forward and studied the two of them. Though it was good to see the two of them so excited—so happy—the sick fear churning my stomach wouldn't let me give in to that same happiness. Maybe because I'd been right where they are—had my hopes up for something good, only to have it pulled out from under my feet—and I didn't want them to go through the same sort of pain.

"You do know this won't be easy," I said slowly. "My eggs are viable, but no one can say what effect, if any, the drugs Talon once gave me will have had on them."

"We're aware of that, Riley," Liander said, twining his fingers through my brother's. "We're willing to take the chance."

Yeah, but was I? Those drugs were still changing me, and no one had any idea where or if it would end. Did I have the right to put any child of mine through that sort of uncertainty?

And yet, the eggs couldn't remain on ice forever. The doctors had already warned me that there were no guarantees that they would remain viable after more than a few years. If I ever did want children of my own, this might be my one opportunity.

But was I ready for a child? Was I ready for the heartache that might just come with it? Because, right now, those eggs represented hope. What if we went through with the surrogacy, only to discover that the eggs weren't strong enough—or had been changed too much by the drugs that had been forced on me—to ever become a living entity?

Confusion and hope and fear swirled through me. I didn't know what to do. I really didn't. And I was clinging so hard to Qui

"We're not asking you to make a decision right here and now," Rhoan said softly. "We know this has probably hit you like a ton of bricks. We just want you to think about it, and let us know."

I took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Have you asked anyone else about donating eggs yet?"

"No, but we have several options. As I said, don't feel pressured into this if you're really not comfortable with it. We're okay if you say no."

Yeah, but would I be? "But another donor would make the child of your line, not yours and Rhoan's."