Chapter 27

HAVEN

I was pretty ticked off when I got home around midnight. One of our big-shot clients had insisted on a meeting, and I couldn’t exactly turn them down.

Damn humans. Sometimes I wish I could just make them vanish, but they were more of a cash cow alive.

Phoenix was lounging in the living room, glued to the TV, and he swiveled his head to look at me. He had this mischievous grin on his face, so I shot him a glare, daring him to make a wisecrack.

Phoenix was one of the few I tolerated such casual behavior from because we had a unique bond. He was one of the first vampires I created.

“Where’s Grace?” I asked.

“She’s in your room. Looked pretty beat. You working her too hard?” He chuckled.

“Absolutely not.” I sighed. “She’s just really young, and...I guess I’ve turned her world upside down.”

“She’s a good kid. Just needs to adjust. You can be a lot to handle.”

“Get out.” I scowled.

“See you at work, and go easy on her.” He laughed before exiting the house to hop into his car.

I headed to my bedroom, eager to snuggle up with my girl, when I heard a scream. A cold sweat broke out on my back as I dashed into the bedroom.

My wings and fangs were out. My eyes were probably a deep ruby red with how pissed I was. But I couldn’t believe that something was threatening Grace now. There was no one else in the house but us.

Light was seeping out from under the bathroom door, and I was about to rip the door off its hinges when I heard her groan. I pounded on the door and tried to regain some composure to talk to her.

“Grace? Are you okay?” I asked, my voice laced with worry.

“Yeah,” she said, but she sounded like she was in pain. “I just need a minute.”

Then the scent of her blood hit me, and I could barely keep it together. ~She’s hurt! Shit!~

“Sweetheart, you’re hurt. Please let me in so I can help you,” I pleaded, my voice frantic.

“Oh God!” she shrieked. “I’m...I’m not hurt. It’s...it’s that time of the month, you know?”

I couldn’t comprehend what she was saying with how worried I was, and then it dawned on me. Oh... I backed away from the door and instantly felt a wave of relief. Okay. She was just having bad cramps. I could handle that.

I went to fill a hot water bottle in the kitchen. I also poured a glass of water in case she wanted to take a painkiller and returned to the bedroom. I waited for her to come out, and she had a bright blush on her face.

Okay, that was insensitive of me to say that, but I couldn’t have known. I would need to keep track of her cycle. That would be helpful for many things.

“Here you go, princess,” I said, handing her the hot water bottle.

“Thanks.” She smiled weakly.

She didn’t look too good, and I didn’t know how to make her feel better. She settled into bed with the hot water bottle on her lower belly and sighed contentedly.

“Did you take a pill already?” I asked, my voice filled with concern.

“Yeah.” She nodded. “I just need to wait for it to kick in. This wasn’t what I had planned for tonight.”

She was wearing a cute baby doll, so yeah, she had been thinking about her reward. I knew that she kept track of her cycle on her phone since she told me, but it meant that she had been too distracted by me to notice.

That could be risky if she didn’t want to get pregnant. I would need to remind her to check her app more often.

“I’m going to take a shower, then I’ll join you,” I said softly.

I kissed her forehead and moved to the bathroom. I took a quick and thorough shower before getting back into the bedroom.

Grace was exactly where I left her, and she still seemed in pain. My poor girl. I wish there was something I could do to help her, but even my powers couldn’t help with this.

I settled into bed and gently pulled her into my arms. I kissed her forehead, and she leaned into me, soaking up my touch.

“You should stay here tomorrow,” I told her softly.

“I’m fine. Do you offer that option to other women as well?”

“Are you questioning me here?” I narrowed my eyes at her. “For your information, I do. Women in my company can ask for one sick day a month.”

“That’s very feminist and modern of you.” She chuckled.

“It’s just better for everyone. If they like the company they work for, people stay and find ways to improve it. I learned a long time ago that it costs less money to keep people instead of hiring new ones all the time. I do my best so they have a good pay, more vacation time than is the norm, and flexible hours. What I care about is that they feel well so they want to stay and give their best to make the company thrive. Enough about my management techniques. Sleep, love. You’re wiped out.”

“Good night, baby,” she mumbled, as the pill must be kicking in as well as the warmth of the bottle.

She relaxed, and her breathing became steady. Only she could make me worry so much and so quickly. I was so scared when I heard her in the bathroom and smelled...

Well, I was glad that I managed to control myself there, but I promised her that she was safe. And I always kept my word, especially to her.

“I love you,” I whispered.

She hummed, but that was it. I wasn’t ready to tell her yet, and I wanted her to say it first anyway. I loved her for so long, so I deserved to hear her say it first.

I woke up to my alarm, and I felt reluctant to part from her for the whole day. I had no meetings today, so I could always work from home.

If I needed to leave, I could always take the car. After the scare I had last night, I didn’t want to let her out of my sight.

Grace was still sleeping soundly in my arms, and I gently kissed her forehead so as not to wake her before getting up.

I swapped my usual suits for something more laid-back and headed to my home office. I’d know when Grace woke up, and I could whip up breakfast for her then.

I wasn’t going to drink her blood this morning for reasons that were pretty clear, so I opted for the stash I kept in the fridge. It was a poor substitute for Grace’s blood, but it would keep me from losing control. She didn’t need that kind of stress right now.

I heated up a bag of blood and poured it into a mug before settling into my office. I fired up my computer and started tackling my emails. I’d have to cover for Grace today, so I needed to get a jump on things.

I was knee-deep in work when I heard movement from the bedroom. Grace made a beeline for the bathroom, and when she emerged, I figured it was a good time to make her breakfast. I could use the break anyway.

She wandered into the kitchen in comfy clothes, looking surprised to see me. I gave her a small smile, and she returned it.

She came over and wrapped her arms around my waist, resting her head against my chest. I held her close and kissed the top of her head.

“Good morning, love,” I murmured.

“Good morning. What are you doing here? Not that I’m complaining, but shouldn’t you be at the office?”

“I figured I could work from home today. I don’t have any meetings, so I thought I’d stick around.”

“If I’d known that was an option, I would’ve asked to work from home too.” She pouted.

“No.” I laughed. “You’re taking it easy today. I can handle things on my own. I managed before you came along.”

“That’s still a lot of work.”

“Are you questioning me?” I raised an eyebrow at her. “That’s twice since yesterday. You’re not in any shape for a punishment now, but I’ll remember for when you’re feeling better.”

“No, Master. I just want to help.” She blushed.

“You don’t need to. Just relax. That’ll help me more than anything.”

“Okay.” She smiled.

“Now, eat your breakfast, and I’ll get back to work.”

She frowned and rubbed her stomach. She was still in pain. I hadn’t realized her cramps were this bad.

“Do you want me to get your pills?” I asked.

“I already took one. I just need to wait for it to kick in. Thanks for breakfast. Do you...want yours too?”

I tensed up and took a deep breath. This was going to be harder than I thought, especially with her scent being so...intoxicating.