Free Final Days by C. L. Quinn

his and touched his shoulder.  Jacob could feel the tension slip away.  First blood manipulation, they called it “impressing,” a skill every vampire had, but couldn’t use on another vampire.  Unless you were a first blood .  The soft touch left the “impression” intended by Ahmose to relax and feel no anger.  It worked well.
    “Thanks, man.  Still getting used to this.”
    “As am I.  As are all of us.  My people still do not believe your Starla chose you over me.”
    Jacob spread his arms.
    “I’m a fucking charming guy.  Well, they’ll find out soon enough.  The best man won.”
    Ahmose grinned.  “I don’t know about the ‘best’ one, but the right one did.  I am really pleased to welcome you to my family, Jacob , and to my community.  Please know I think of you as a brother.”
    “I appreciate it.  It’s going to get close, since we are sharing the job of father to these children.”
    Ahmose tilted his head.
    “I thought I’d be much more disturbed about that.  I’m not.”
    “I guess it’s the destiny thing.  You know, that you and Cherise believe this was meant to be exactly how it played out.  That I had always been a part of this ordered chaos.”
    “I believe it to be so.  We are not competitors anymore, my brother.  This woman is well and truly yours.  I am forever grateful you both accepted our destinies and these children can be born.”
    “It seems clear now you were right all along.  Doesn’t mean I’ll ever get used to you touching my mate.”
    “I will endeavor not to.  But I love that she is the mother of our children and every once in a while, I need to just let her know that.”
    “I get that, too.  Just, try to do it when I’m not looking.”
    “Fair enough.  Are you two pleased with the dwelling?”
    “Yeah.  Not as big as yours.”
    “Nearly.  And three extra rooms on the back for our children.  The small one behind it is meant as a play area.”
    “Sweet.  They’ll love that.”
    “Breakfast?”
    “Definitely.  Need to mitigate the damage of all tha t wine last night.  Your celebratory MoonShine is incredible.  And highly inebriating.”
    “That’s wha t makes it so special.  The party keeps going long after the music stops.  If you have sex while high on it, it’s…well, just give it a try sometime.”
    Ahmose accepted the situation, but it was still difficult for him to imagine his Star with Jacob.  He knew now he was just the sperm donor, but he missed the love he might have had with her, if fate had been even a little less capricious and let her fall in love with him instead of Jacob.
    But he meant it when he told Jacob he was grateful to them.  They did not have to do this.  But they were here, risking their marriage to bring the children of the moon to him and this village.  There were no words great enough to convey his appreciation and gratitude.  So he would shower the couple with all the wonderful things he could over the coming years, give them a home forever, full of love and laughter, and a village that would be like family.
    Ahmose knew they would have a boy and then two girls.  Starla would be assisted each time with insemination by another first blood vampire with an elaborate lab in southern France.   Their son was growing right now inside the beautiful young vampire he had met just three months ago.
    He clipped Jacob on the shoulder, called up to Starla and Chione, and they all went down to join the community for the first meal after rising from their daylight sleep.
     
     
     
    Windari sat near the edge of the garden, watching Ahmose laughing with the usurper, the Shoazan who was pregnant with the child that she should bear him.  Their leader had been searching for his Shoazan for centuries, but he’d never given her a chance.  He did not know she could not have a first blood child, he had never let her fuck him to find out. 
    Once, a very long time ago, during a solstice celebration, she’d