Page 151 of Bleed

I’m tempted to tell her I’m well aware of that already, but I doubt she’d appreciate the observation.

“From what I’ve gathered, blood bonds appear to manifest differently depending on the pair,” I say, my thumb moving absently over the soft skin above her ankle. “We’ll document any changes as they occur.”

“Of course we will,” she mutters.

I glance down at her, arching a brow.

“Can’t we just, like, enjoy the magic for a little while before going back to the research?”

“I’m not certain we’ll have the luxury of time,” I grumble. “It’s highly unusual for vampires to form lasting attachments to humans. James’ attachment to Taylor has already drawn attention, and ours will likely do the same. Secrecy remains of the utmost importance.”

“No worries there.” She sighs, twirling the stem of the wine glass between her fingers. “I’m a champion secret-keeper.”

The elevator chimes, drawing my attention toward the foyer as the doors slide open and Albert steps into the penthouse.

He’s right on time.

Unfortunately, I’d completely forgotten about arranging for him to come by this evening.

Beatrix perks up at the sight of him, swinging her legs off my lap and sitting upright. “Hey, Albie!” she calls, positively beaming. “What are you doing here?”

The corner of his mouth twitches despite himself. “Came to draw your blood again,” he replies, advancing in our direction.

She whips her head toward me, understandably confused.

Now that we’ve sealed our bond, her blood has been permanently altered. Any new samples would only document the aftermath, rendering them useless as a control.

I lift my gaze to Albert. “I apologize, I’d forgotten we set an appointment. Drawing her blood won’t be necessary after all.”

He stops, one brow lifting.

I don’t owe him any further explanation, but leaving him without one will only invite questions.

“I’ve taken to drinking directly from the vein,” I say, reaching over to rest a hand on Beatrix’s thigh. “My source prefers it that way.”

Albert is usually adept at containing his reactions, but not this time. His mouth drops open, and I take a small amount of satisfaction in rendering him speechless. Beatrix appears even more delighted, swinging her gaze back to him with a wide grin.

“Oh, don’t look so surprised, Albie,” she teases. “You know I have a knack for getting my way.”

He blinks back at her, still at a loss for words.

“And since your daddy and I are officially a thing, you totally have to call me Mommy now,” she adds smugly.

Albert’s expression immediately hardens, his upper lip curling. “Absolutely not.”

She gasps, slapping a hand dramatically to her chest before whipping toward me. “Elliott, tell him!”

I scrub a hand over my face.

There are situations even a century of experience cannot adequately prepare a man for.

I glance at Albert, who looks horrified. If I gave the order, he’d follow it– and the realization is briefly tempting. Bex knows it, too, judging by the expectant look on her face.

I decide not to encourage her, giving him another directive instead.

“Now that Beatrix will be a permanent fixture in my life, I’ll be making some changes in staffing,” I say.

Upon waking tonight, the two of us discussed the practical changes necessitated by our bond, security being the chief concern. After what happened at the tattoo shop, I’d prefer she never leave this building without an armed convoy, but she informed me– in considerably more colorful language– that wasn’t an option.