One Hundred and Twenty-Nine

Bram was sitting in bed again. He hated not feeling up to walking around or helping with the children. He was glad that Devon, Alex, and Mable were happy to step up and help Iz. Sarah was acting more and more like a little princess. They would have to nip that in the bud soon. He wanted her to have everything she could, but he couldn’t let her feel like she could boss everyone else around. Though, she really only seemed to like to do that with Devon the most.

“Yeah, we’re bringing the priest with us. He’s agreed to help your husband. I just want to make sure you will keep your promise of not hurting anyone. Especially Eudom. If you try to touch him, I swear I’ll kill you both.”

“I’m not going to ruin your special day, love.” His mother’s voice cooed through the other side of the phone. “I’m done with trying to torment you. You’re my son. You may not have been what we wanted for a long time, but you’re growing into your own now, and we have your little mate to thank for that. So, we’ll both be on our best behavior. I swear on our lives.”

“You’ll put that into a blood pact when we get there, correct?” Bram stiffened. Eudom suddenly started to click his fingers on the table beside the chair he was sitting in. Tom had helped with his injury too, and Eudom seemed to be healing substantially faster than Bram was. Nothing seemed to put the shadow entity at ease when it came to his mother, though Bram couldn’t blame him. Not when you thought about the things she’d done to his brethren.

There was a metallic sigh on the other side of the phone, “If I must. But it just breeds the idea that you can’t trust us.”

Bram laughed out loud at that, “Of course I don’t. That’s why I’m requiring it before we go through with this. Have you already prepared the garden?”

“Everything is ready. I know you won’t want to, but you could climb off the plane and do it as soon as you get here. But, I have hired people to cater for our food and to worry about cleaning up for us. So, there will be people around the castle this time. Your father’s been in such a state, he hasn’t even had the care to try to stalk or feast on any of them. I really need you to help him. I’m so worried.” His mother sniffled on the other side of the phone, and Bram wondered how honest she was being. He knew that Izabella had been worried sick about him, and had done her fair share of crying, but he couldn’t imagine his mother caring enough about anyone else, even his father, to cry over them.

“We’ll be there tomorrow, and see what we can do. Has the wound festered more?”

“It has. Half his face has turned black from where you cut him on the cheek. He can barely stand with the wound on his leg. He’s been in bed since your fight.”

“Guess he’ll learn not to underestimate me again.” Bram said, feeling a bit bad about it. His side was still killing him. Though his wound had been meant to actually kill him. “Anyway, I’ve got to go. We have an early flight to catch, and Iz will be coming into bed any moment.” He was shocked that they actually gave each other cordial good-byes this time. It was a rare thing. Once he hung up with her, Eudom’s red eyes blinked in the dark room.

“Do you think the witch will really keep her word?” Eudom asked, tapping his fingers together.

“I know you’re worried, but yes, I think she’ll keep her word. I’ll make a blood pact with her too, which will bind her from touching you. You don’t have to stay long, but I know Izabella will want you there.” Bram stretched his arms overhead, wincing at the pull in his side.

Eudom giggled, “Are you sure she wouldn’t want to plan her own wedding? Do you think Izzy will be okay getting married in the red dress instead of white? You’re very confident to set this up without talking to her first. My Matt wouldn’t have approved.”

Bram leaned back, feeling a restricting force in his chest. “If Matt were still around, I doubt Izabella and I would be where we are. I doubt he would have wanted his precious daughter to marry a monster like me.”

“Matt didn’t think Bram was a monster. He would have been happy knowing you would do anything for our Izzy. But what do you think will happen when the priest tries to bless your union? Bram shouldn’t have a blessing placed on him.” Eudom’s face started to grow closer, yet his body stayed in the chair. No matter how many times he did this, Bram felt uncomfortable with it.

“I talked to Tom about that already. He will bestow a blessing on Izabella alone. He will simply wish us a happy future together. When I asked him, he already had a plan. Like he knew I was going to ask.”

Eudom giggled again, “It is no secret that Bram loves Izzy. And Izzy wants to be married. It was inevitable that when the priest came, he would need to be the one to do it. Izzy would have agreed to a justice wedding, but it wouldn’t have made her as happy. Hopefully she says yes when you ask though.” His face started to retract as he looked over at the door. “She’s coming to bed. Eudom will leave you. Come say goodbye before you leave tomorrow. Eudom will be awake.”

“Thanks, Eudom. We’ll see you in the morning.” He looked over as their door opened and Iz came in. By the time she closed the door behind her, Eudom was gone.

“Why are you sitting in the dark?” She turned, smiling at him.

Bram could feel his excitement bubbling under the surface. Just smiling at him like that, alone in the room together, made him want to wrap himself up in her and never let her go. “I was just talking with Eudom. He wants us to make sure to go up and say goodbye before we leave.” He held his hand out to her as she stumbled a bit in the dark room. He reach over, clicking the table lamp on.

“I need to go take a shower. Do you want to come with me? We can use Rosey’s tub and you can sit on the side of it while I wash and then I can help you when I’m done. Or you can stay in bed and I’ll bring a bowl like we’ve been doing and I can give you a sponge bath.” She sat beside him, letting her fingers run over his chest and abdomen.

“Not that I mind the sponge baths, but I think a real shower would feel amazing.” He sat up, eager to get in. He’d tried to get her to love him over the last few days, but she kept insisting that he needed to heal more. He was hopeful that this would change things. Going to the closet, she took out robes for each of them and tossed them over her arm. Setting both on the end of the bed, she knelt in front of him, pulling the first aid kit out from where she was keeping it under the bed. It was more like a large basket filled with anything she could possibly need.

She gently removed the bandage covering the wound. He raised his arm so that she had better access, grimacing as she prodded at his side. “The black seems to have faded completely now. Though it’s swollen and has turned bright red. I was reading online that it’s usually a sign of infection. Can a vampire get an infection?” She asked, looking up him with concern in her eyes.

He ran his fingers through her hair, “I’ve lived for a long time and have never had an infection, so I don’t think so. But I am half human, and I’ve never had a wound like this before.” As her hand rested on his thigh, she leaned over him, her breasts rubbing along his leg. “Iz,” his hand grazed her neck and shoulders, “I really want to make love to you. It’s been too long.”

She clicked her tongue at him, shaking her head, and giggled to the point where her breast jiggled against his leg. He groaned as she looked up at him with those sparkling eyes of hers. “You really do have a one-track mind.”

“But you said that I just had to get up and make it around the house.” He licked his lips, letting his fingers curl around the back of her neck.

“Is that why you forced yourself up this morning, even though you should have stayed in bed.” She shook her head. “We do still need to be careful, but if you’re going to be like that just to try and get in my pants, I think we can make sure you get some love tonight.” Her nails dug into his thighs as she pressed herself into his lap. “You do need a real shower though. Let me just get a waterproof bandage on you here, and we’ll head to the bathroom.” Standing, she pressed a finger against his chest, “Lay back and let me work.”

Straddling him, she took her time placing the bandage. When she had to reach down to grab something out of the basket her body ran along his and her breast pressed on his rock hard cock. Moving more slowly than she ever did. “Now you’re just teasing me, love.”

“Well, to be fair, it’s pretty easy these days. It’s not like I have to worry about you picking me up and manhandling me.” Her tongue kicked out to lick as the trail of hair below his belly button.

“I’ve never manhandled you.” He said, raising himself up on his elbows, but grimacing as he did. He had to hope she didn’t notice it, otherwise, she might change her mind.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Really? I’d love to know what you consider manhandling then.”

“I promise to show you once this damn wound heals up. In the meantime, I can only hope you won’t be too gentle.” He winked. When she was done, Iz backed up, grabbing the robe and tossing it onto him.

Grinning down at him, she couldn’t help it. “You’re going to take what I’m willing to give you and you’re going to like it.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m yours to do with as you will.” Putting her hand out, she helped him sit up, tucking him into his robe. “God, you’re so damn sexy when you talk like that.”


***

**Happy Reading! Thanks for baring with me so far, despite the wait between chapters. Hope you're all still enjoying the story.**