Page 35 of Blood Ties (City of Blood #1)

I get back to Bash’s apartment about an hour before sunset, and climb into bed with him.

I’m wearing a tank top and black panties that say, “Midnight Snack”, with a little blood drop.

He always finds my themed panties funny.

Bash is so stoic sometimes, so reserved, but the relaxed playful Bash that I experience when we are with Sarah and Ethan or—alone in bed—are when I love him the most. He’s special, funny, and so clever, but he takes life categorically seriously.

I often find myself wondering if he’s forgotten what youth is like and only remembers when he is with us, or if we bring out the parts of his personality he keeps hidden.

About 15 minutes before moon-rise, he sits straight up in bed.

It's the most unnerving and weirdly movie-accurate thing about vampires.

They seem to rise from the dead as soon as they awake, sitting up like they were pulled from the grave.

He looks over at me, relaxed, taking in my outfit, and laughs.

Pouncing on me, he peels my snarky underwear down my thighs and licks my pussy from opening to clit, sucking on me.

He spends the first 20 minutes of the night buried between my thighs and I have to hunt for my underwear again.

It might be his favorite game. Kissing him deeply, I can taste myself on his lips, and I hum appreciatively before he climbs out of bed and covers his stunning olive skin.

“Hey, Tesoro. Did you miss me?”

“Yes. It’s weird sitting next to you while you rest, you look so unnervingly dead.

” Taking a deep breath, I sigh. “I went and saw Grand-mere today. This is sort of a could-be-good-news, could-be-bad-news thing, but we are short on time. She has agreed to meet you, to hear us out. And she is going to meet us at Sarah’s.

We should probably get going so they aren’t waiting for us.

I’m sorry to spring this on you, but you were resting. ”

He looks me up and down, lying in bed, hair mussed, missing my underwear, and wearing only a small black tank top. “I don’t believe I’m the one that needs to be told to get dressed, Beautiful.” Smirking, he walks into the bathroom.

Throwing on my Marie Laveau voodoo t-shirt and ripped jeans, I grab my hair into a high ponytail, fasten my pendant around my neck, and am ready to go by the time Bash comes out of the bathroom.

Perfectly vampire-esque in his standard black-on-black, except he is dressed casually tonight in a black t-shirt, jeans, and boots.

“Let’s go, Prince.” I haul him out the door.

Fifteen minutes later, it’s full dark and we pull up in front of Sarah’s house.

This is the first time Bash has been here, so Sarah will need to invite him in.

He will be the first member of the Blood Ravens to come inside either of our homes, and only the second vampire ever, Ethan being the first.

We knock on the door and Sarah quickly pulls it open, giving me a look that says a thousand things, before smiling. “Prince Sebastien Malvani, won’t you please come in,” she says with a bow and a flourish of her arm.

Bash snorts a laugh at her and steps inside. Once inside, Ethan greets him with one of those man-hugs men always do. I lead the way into the house, with Sarah beside me and the men trailing behind us.

We find Grand-mere perched uncomfortably on a chair in the sitting room. I walk over and kiss her cheek, murmuring in her ear, “Thank you for coming.”

“Grand-mere Celeste, may I introduce you to Sebastien Malvani. Bash, this is my grandmother, Celeste Girard.”

“Mrs. Girard, it is my sincerest honor to finally meet you.” He gives her a half bow—not quite a bow, but something resembling the show of respect. “I have heard so many things about you, about your strength and your resilience. I appreciate you taking the time to meet me.”

She watches him wearily, and I can’t tell if she is afraid of him or generally uncomfortable with this entire situation.

“Elina, dear, I brought you Shrimp Creole. Sarah put it in the kitchen. Sarah, would you like to eat? I know you don’t eat, Sebastien, but the women do.” It feels like a pointed remark to bring contrast to our humanity. It is also incredibly disrespectful for her to ignore Bash’s greeting.

Bash gives her a pleasant smile. “That was incredibly thoughtful, Mrs. Girard. I’m sure Elina is hungry by now.

I already ate this evening,” he says with laughter in his tone, and my head whips in his direction, taken aback by his naughty joke.

Sarah covers a laugh with her hand as though she is in on the joke also. Ethan raises his eyebrows and smirks.

“Hmmpph. Well, Sarah? Get the food, dear.” Sarah jumps up and leaves the room.

Grand-mere levels Bash with a very serious look.

“Sebastien, please tell me what your intentions are for my granddaughter? I refuse to ask for forgiveness for my anger at the fact that your people have killed a significant number of mine, and I can not forgive it.” Bash watches her intently, deciding how to respond.

“I want Elina to be happy and cared for, but not at the expense of her safety, and as I understand it and have experienced it, vampires are not safe company.”

“Mrs. Girard, not only do I not deserve forgiveness for those sins, but I would not dare ask for it. I have not personally committed any crimes against you, and I am not my people, but I do bear the responsibility of my name and of my Re.” He takes my hand and envelops it with his, presenting us as a united front.

“I can assure you, with the certainty of my love for Elina, that her safety is paramount above all else, up to and including, against my own family. Should any harm befall her, it will be because I have befallen the same. She is the sun that shines in the night for me. I only wish to remain by her side for as long as she will allow me to. In eterno.”

We sit in silence until Sarah returns with bowls of food for me and Grand-mere. The warm shrimp dish smells so much like home that it makes my heart ache to hold it in my hands.

Grand-mere speaks with the clarity of someone who has been here before and knows the ending. “Well, Sebastien, I hope that you can hold yourself to that vow. It isn’t as though I could threaten you or coerce you into keeping Elina safe, I have to trust that you mean what you say.”

I lean forward, waiting for a verdict, for permission, for hope.

“I don’t trust you yet, but I am willing to try. Elina is all I have left—the only family I have. Seeing her content among her friends and loved ones is all I want from my life before it ends. Do not disappoint me.”