Page 20 of Blood of the Damned: Thorn (Vaughn Winery #1)

Ledger

Three days later, and though Ledger was back at work, he continued to have ‘pinch me’ moments.

To add to that, he’d come to the conclusion the girls were giving him the gift of movement.

They could chat with Papa, so they didn’t move when Thorn touched him.

A sense that Thorn believed Ledger was feeling something else, like wind, and not the girls came when Thorn wasn’t shielding.

Ledger had given up trying to dissuade him of that notion as the girls grew inside him.

It didn’t matter. He had something special, and he didn’t need Thorn—or anyone—telling him differently.

He caught sight of the rings on his finger, and his nose wrinkled in delight at the wedding band that sat snug against his engagement ring. Thorn had etched the band with symbols that were a long forgotten language of his kind but said, forever eternal love .

The vampire really was a romantic fool.

Will you stop saying that?

Never.

Thorn’s happiness at his feelings made him shake his head at the protests he didn’t mean.

I do.

Ledger ignored his insistent mate and hummed to himself, placing the tray of clean goblets onto the counter he’d polished not ten minutes earlier while daydreaming about the wedding. Something he was trying not to do when it made him forget what he was doing.

He cast a glance around the room, satisfaction coming at how organized everything was.

Ledger had words with Calvert, who had been the one to do the wine tasting prior, about changing things up a little. Now the wedding was done, Ledger needed something else to concentrate on.

Calvert had basically told him to do what he wanted, so Ledger had taken him at his word.

The horseshoe counter from the middle of the room he had moved closer to the windows, giving a better view of the winery during tastings.

Ledger believed it worked to sell more wine by seeing the beautiful vines during the tasting.

It was why he swapped things around. Those who came for the tasting got to tour the winery first. He found over the last two days folks were more enthusiastic by the time they got to him and most definitely more interested in purchasing wine.

They shipped globally and although they sent their wines to stockists worldwide, Ledger liked the idea of selling directly to the buyers when it gave them more profit.

Not that the brothers would ever become strapped for cash and in need of more income.

Far from it, as it turned out. After the wedding, Thorn had explained their businesses to Ledger, making his mind boggle at the enormity of it all.

Especially when Thorn had produced paperwork that gave Ledger half of everything Thorn owned.

The side venture they had with making blood-wine for the vampires was a billion-dollar business alone.

Ledger’s hands trembled, and he made sure to keep them away from the glassware as the shock continued to resonate at just how rich he now was.

The brothers were minted. So seriously minted that, despite effectively living forever, they’d possibly never be able to spend what they had, even if they stopped investing now.

Thorn pointed out that included their children and future generations as he’d gotten Ledger to sign the documents.

Ledger and their children were now part of the Vaughn legacy.

“Breathe, goddamn it,” he mumbled when he became a little dizzy. He bent forward, lowering his head. When that didn’t work, he got down on the floor and lay prone, looking up at the decorative ceiling.

These were hormones. Okay, maybe it was how overwhelming it was to be given access to the freedom to have anything he wanted. “Your Daddy—”

“So it’s true!” gasped Rowan from the doorway where he stood looking like he’d somehow gotten poleaxed, staring at Ledger from an upside-down position that gave him a view right up his nose.

Shit.

Ledger sat up slowly, aware that one, he was lying on the floor and two, the roundness of his belly was more obvious when he was laying flat.

Feeling more than a little self-conscious and uncomfortable when he wasn’t sure what to say, his hands fluttered at his sides.

He and Rowan had become friends and he got the impression, judging by Rowan’s expression, he’d hurt his feelings by not sharing his news.

He fiddled with his suit jacket, pulling it a little closer together like it could distract from the obvious, then gave up.

“You didn’t get married because—”

“What… no . We didn’t get married for any other reason than Thorn wanted to show the world we were a couple, as did I.” It sounded lame when he said it, but it put a little worm of doubt in his brain because he’d never considered that Thorn only wanted to marry him due to him being pregnant.

It shouldn’t matter, they were mates.

Yet now the thought was in his head, it seemed to take root and bloom around Ledger’s past insecurities— present insecurities .

“Okay, but when were you gonna tell us?” Rowan asked in an accusing tone, coming to lean against the counter when Ledger rose, needing to do something, but it meant he couldn’t avoid looking directly at Rowan.

Awkward.

Ledger blew out a breath and met his stare, trying to figure out the best way to play it.

Rowan made a show of cupping a non-existent belly. “You’re pregnant and you didn’t tell me. Why?”

A rush of heat ran up Ledger’s neck. He dipped his gaze to where his jacket hung open and the shirt embraced his rounding stomach.

He had been unable to do up the button on his slacks for the last two weeks, but he had been a little in denial about needing bigger clothes.

Instead, he’d used a belt to keep his pants up under the bump.

He supposed carrying twins meant it was going to be more obvious quicker than usual.

Although Ledger had no real clue, this being his first time, and he hadn’t been around other pregnant omegas to ask.

“I’m still adapting. I’ve not told anyone about it, to be truthful.

” For him, it had been intentional keeping his pregnancy quiet.

He’d not known who to tell. There was the worry about what they’d potentially ask him, which was something that had to be considered when he was mated to a vampire.

Some of the staff, the ones who had signed a non-disclosure agreement, knew what the brothers were.

The circle of folks that did was tiny, making it harder.

Rowan was aware, and they were friends, so shouldn’t it have been easy to say?

He had no actual answer to that.

Thorn had told his family immediately, and his sister, who was traveling right now and hadn’t come to the wedding.

She had been very enthusiastic about everything, especially coming to visit after the birth.

Along with the wedding gift she had sent came a truckload of baby things that had arrived the day before the wedding.

Thorn had them stored in one of the cellars for now, until Ledger finished with the refurbishment of the cribs and decorating the nursery.

It all took time and with the wedding, working full time and being pregnant, there was only so much energy Ledger had.

Pregnancy sure was an energy sapper, he’d discovered, and he wanted to do the stuff himself making it slow going.

“Not even your family?” Rowan asked, wearing a look of sympathy which pulled Ledger back into the conversation and away from his thoughts.

No one had questioned—to his face— why none of his relatives came to the wedding.

He suspected the staff had gossiped about it, and Rowan’s question confirmed it when he looked upset for Ledger.

A stab of loneliness came and went as he deflated like a balloon popping at the mention of his family.

“I don’t have a family who would be interested in knowing,” he replied stiltedly and honestly, hating the feelings twisting through his defences at such a confession.

He’d long since accepted his past, but with how fresh Thorn’s friends and family’s enthusiasm was over the wedding and the girls, it was hard not to think about how he had no one to be excited for him.

We have lots of people now. Family.

The forceful way his squirrel jabbed at him made Ledger stand straighter and acknowledge people wanted to be a part of his life. That included the man in front of him, showing his concern.

“Then it’s their loss.” Rowan came forward and gave him a hard hug, the type that made a guy feel special.

It was difficult to swallow as he hugged him back. “Thank you.”

Rowan's brows pinched together after letting go. “Why you thankin’ me? We’re friends and I’m just sayin’ it as I see it.”

A furious blush warmed his cheeks as he grinned sheepishly at Rowan, opting to change the topic of conversation before he got sappy and did something silly, like cry over Rowan. “Thorn is beside himself. He’s worse than a mother hen.”

He witnessed Rowan’s conflict before he let Ledger off the hook and went with the change of topic. “I bet he is.” His grin widened as an impish light appeared in his eyes. “He was protective of you before, I can only imagine how he’s gonna be with you having a baby.”

“Twins,” Ledger shared, hoping that would take away the sting of him not confiding in his friend earlier.

Rowan snorted, his eyes growing impossibly wide. “Twins? Holy cow, let’s hope they get on better than Calvert and Dacian.”

Ledger bit his lip, but it didn’t stop his amusement. Calvert, though most definitely more reserved than Dacian, was just as bad for bickering. “Let’s hope so. Though I think it’ll be a while before I need to worry about that.”