Free The Ties that Bind (The Forever series, Book Five) by Eve Newton

smitten
with him it is almost amusing. But this is the effect he has. “He has found the
book?”
    “Yes.”
    “Has he translated it yet?” She asks eagerly. “He is so
clever, so worldly. I knew he would find it.” Yep, smitten I tell you.
    “Sort of. He wants me to come and see you to ask about it.”
    “What does he want to know?” She asks.
    Erm, everything?
    “You caught me off guard. We hadn’t got around to discussing
his questions, what with one thing and another,” I admit.
    “I see. Well in that case, I look forward to seeing you. You
remember how to get there?”
    “Of course.”
    “Good. Bring him with you.”
    “How? I thought only Dragons in Dragon form could get
there,” I say.
    “I will allow it. Just this once. You will have to bring him
in your Dragon form.”
    Hm, so not so much an impossibility, but a rule, it seems.
    “Fine. I am sure he will be happy to see you again.” I leave
out the “infuriating creature” and “thorn in my side” remarks.
    “As will I. He will make you an excellent partner for a
while, when the time is right,” She says with conviction.
    For a while? Oh dear. Best not mention that to CK, he will
likely blow every gasket he has.
    “Mother, can I ask you something?”
    She looks at me warily--seems even in the Dragon Realms that
question usually precedes an unpleasant topic. “Of course.”
    “Xane mentioned it may be possible for me to reproduce. Do
you think that is something that is possible?”
    “Do you want to have children?” She asks instead.
    “I don’t think so. But I want to be prepared in case it
happens, with…” I trail off as She is glaring at me again now as I apparently
haven’t heard a word of what She has been saying to me about my willful Vampire
self.
    “ ValamAtrux , anything is possible. You are no longer
an ordinary Vampire. But know that you will never breed with your Vampire
lovers. They are incapable. If you choose that path you will have to rethink
your commitments,” she warns. Okay, breed? What am I? Some kind of mare?
    “Do you want me to? Have children?” I ask hesitantly. She
beams at me.
    “With one of your own kind, yes. However, I don’t see that
happening anytime soon. You have too many other distractions.” She frowns.
“Heed my warning, my daughter, the path you are on is uncertain. You need to be
clearer about what you want. There will be others vying for your attentions and
even you cannot have them all.”
    Even me. I don’t feel so well after that comment. What
others, and how many? I am going to have to ensure no more funky rituals take
place as I just cannot give my attention to anyone else.
    “I must go now. I will see you soon, my dear.” She leans
forward to kiss both my cheeks and whispers, “A female Dragon and a male Demon
are the most powerful couple the Realms can produce. More so than two Dragons.
If you choose him, be prepared to lose the ones you love.” And with that piece
of actual motherly advice instead of all this cryptic nonsense, She steps back
and transforms to the black crystal Dragon she arrived as and takes off,
whipping the air around me.
    Xane is next to me in the bat of an eye and asks, “Well?
What did she say? She looked pissed.”
    “She wasn’t best pleased. Told me I had to suppress my
Vampire self and be more Dragon.”
    “She’s not wrong,” he says mildly.
    “Hey! My Vampire self is the whole reason we were together
earlier. If I become more Dragon I can assure you there are others closer to
the top of the list than you.”
    He looks affronted at that, but it’s true. Especially after
Tiamat’s remark.
    “Do you really believe that? After what we shared?
Everything I know you feel for me because I feel it too?” he asks.
    “Xane, I feel it. Believe me, I do, but I just can’t do
this. I am betraying everyone I love, who loves me.”
    “I love you,” he says earnestly.
    “No, you don’t. You don’t know me. You can’t possibly say
that.” I