Eternal Promise

January 2018…

“There’s my gorgeous fiancée,” Trent said. He walked into his room, closing the door softly behind him, and sauntered toward me. “I was starting to think you were going to sleep the day away.”

I stretched my arms over my head and let out a satisfied groan. “Yeah, well, someone kept me up all night,” I said, glaring at him with fake annoyance.

He kneeled over me on the bed and grinned. “I hope you’re not waiting for an apology for that,” he said.

“What time is it anyway?” I asked.

“Almost ten.”

I laughed. “That’s not half the day.”

“Mm-hmm.” His eyes sparkled, and my heart fluttered in response. “Everyone else is already awake. Jax made breakfast.”

“Did he make French toast?” My stomach grumbled just thinking about it.

“Yes.” Trent’s grin widened as if he found me highly amusing. Such a good mood was a rare thing for him, but I loved every second of it.

“Well, I’ll definitely get out of bed for that,” I said, smirking.

He let out a surprised laugh. “So you’ll get out of bed for my brother’s food but not for me?” His lips twitched with a barely contained smile.

“Exactly. But only because I really like staying in bed with you,” I said.

I reached for him at the same moment he lowered his mouth to mine. His tongue grazed my bottom lip, and my eyes fluttered closed. A thick, intense jolt of desire shot through me, and I reached for the hem of his shirt, my fingers barely brushing against his bare skin before he was off the bed and standing clear across the room.

“Oh, no.” He held up his hand and shook his head. “We have entirely too much to do today for you to be starting that.”

Groaning, I rubbed my hands over my face. The events of the past couple of days were still fresh in my mind—telling Trent about Ivy’s offer to help us have a baby, him getting upset, us fighting about it, throwing a surprise birthday party for him, his long lost thought-to-be-dead brother showing up out of nowhere. Trent begging me to spend the night, him telling me he wanted to talk to Ivy, making love until the sun rose.

“You really have no self-control, do you?” I teased as I got out of bed and stretched my arms over my head.

“Not where you’re concerned,” he said.

“Fine. Let me get dressed.”

Trent nodded. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen.” And then he left the room in a hurry, probably because he was worried I might try to start something again.

I took the quickest shower of my life, dressed in jeans, a fitted blue sweater, and black knee-high boots, and pulled my hair into a ponytail at the nape of my neck. Time to go have breakfast with my fiancé’s vampire family. Man, my life was weird.

When I walked into the kitchen, Sean, Colt, Karina, and Wyatt were seated along one side of the table while Whitney and Trent were on the other side. Between them was an empty chair for me. Jax moved from the stove to the island, replenishing the buffet of food he’d made.

“Help yourself,” Jax said, waving the spatula at the stack of plates.

I grabbed a plate and piled it with three slices of French toast and four strips of bacon. Things with Trent had been tense last night, so I really hadn’t eaten much during his party.

Jax rose a brow, his signature cocky smile making an appearance. “Someone worked up an appetite last night. Though, with how loud you were being, I’m not all that surprised.”

I grabbed a biscuit and hurled it at him. “I wasn’t loud,” I snapped.

He caught the biscuit mid-air and took a large bite, winking at me as he did. “We’re vampires. Everything is loud to us,” he said.

My face heated, and my temperature spiked several degrees. I was tempted to throw my entire plate at him next. Instead, I turned and headed toward the table.

Colt laughed. “You seriously gonna let him get away with that?” he asked Trent.

Trent shrugged. “I’m learning to pick my battles.” He draped his arm across the back of my chair as soon as I sat. He fingered a lock of my hair, smiling in my direction. “Besides, I have no issues with Jax knowing Chloe was with me last night.”

“Oh, my God,” I mumbled, head down.

A second later, a slice of French toast flew through the air, straight at Trent’s head. He grabbed it and flung it back in Jax’s direction.

“Boys!” Sean said sternly. “Honestly, Colton, must you always cause trouble with those two?” Sean shook his head. “It’s like you boys are ten years old again.”

I laughed. “You’re the troublemaker?” I asked Colton. “My money was on Jax.”

“Aw, Chloe,” Jax said in a sickeningly sweet tone. “That means you’ve been thinking about me.”

Trent growled.

“Okay, enough,” Sean said. “Let’s leave Chloe alone for a while.”

I gave him a grateful smile and smeared butter and syrup over my French toast. Next to me, Whitney was busy tapping away at the screen of her tablet.

“What’re you doing?” I asked.

“Messaging Ellie and Abby about your wedding,” she said without looking up. “Letting them know we need to plan for one more bridesmaid.”

“We do?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah, about that…” Trent said, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re going to need another bridesmaid. I asked Colt to be in the wedding, too.”

“Okay then,” I said.

Who else could I ask? Gina or Tonya would be the only other people I’d ask, but they were as close as Ellie and I were. Asking one and not the other felt wrong. How could I choose? I could always ask Larissa; then she could be in the wedding with Little Frank, which might make the whole thing easier.

“All right, Colton,” Jax said, pulling out a chair and sitting. “It’s time to start talking.”

Colt sighed. Karina shifted closer to him, and he wrapped his arm protectively around her. “Well, I obviously didn’t die in the war. I mean, I did. Technically, but…”

“So, you did go to the war?” Sean asked.

Colt nodded. “Yes. I was drafted shortly after I turned nineteen. I fought for almost two years before I was severely injured. I was on my deathbed, literally, when I encountered a vampire. He offered to save my life.”

“And you said yes?” Trent asked, his tone full of disbelief. “You walked out on your family because you couldn’t stand the thought of becoming a vampire, and then you—”

“Easy, Trent,” Sean said. “Let him finish.”

I rested my hand on Trent’s leg, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He leaned closer, the scent of his cologne wrapping around me.

“When you’re knocking on death’s door, your outlook on things tend to change,” Colt said.

“Then why didn’t you come find us?” Jax asked, shoveling a forkful of eggs into his mouth. He chewed, then swallowed. “After you changed, I mean.”

“I don’t know.” Colt shrugged. “I was embarrassed, I guess. Worried you wouldn’t welcome me back.”

“You’re our brother. Of course we would’ve welcomed you home,” Trent said.

“My sire took me under his wing, taught me how to be a vampire, and for several decades, I simply survived,” Colt said. He placed a kiss to Karina’s temple, then straightened in his seat. “But then we got mixed up with some dangerous people. My sire was destroyed, and I took off. Laid low for another few years. Until I met a vampire named Dante.”

Trent stiffened, and Jax froze with his fork halfway to his mouth. They’d reacted the same way when Macaih had talked about Dante, too. What was up with that? I really needed to ask Trent how he knew Dante, and why he seemed so terrified of him.

“That’s when I met Karina,” Colt said, smiling at her.

“Wait, you’re a vampire?” I asked, shocked. I was so certain she was human.

Karina laughed softly. “No. I’m human. Just like you.”

“Technically, she’s human,” Colt said, the two of them sharing a knowing look. “She comes from a line of very powerfully psychics.”

“Psychics are real?” I asked, pushing my plate away.

I hadn’t even taken a single bite, and my food was probably cold now, but I was no longer hungry. I was much too fascinated by Colt’s story.

“Yes,” Karina said. “Both of my parents were psychics, and I inherited their gifts when they died.”

“I’m sorry about your parents,” I said.

“Thanks.” She smiled sadly.

“So, you can see the future?” Jax asked.

“No.” Karina shook her head and leaned forward, folding her arms on the table. “I mean, not really. I can’t just randomly see what’s going to happen in the future, but sometimes, I’ll get visions, or I’ll see things in my dreams. Other times, all I have to do is touch someone or something and I can see what’s going to happen.”

“Which is why Dante had her,” Colt said. “He was in a bad way with some witches, and he was using Karina to figure out what was going to happen. When she couldn’t give him the answers he wanted, he’d…” Colt’s jaw clenched, and he curled his hand into a tight fist, his knuckles white.

“You rescued her,” I said.

“I fell in love with her,” Colt said, his tone vehement. “I couldn’t let Dante keep hurting her.”

“So, we ran,” Karina said, uncurling Colt’s fingers and taking hold of his hand. “And we’ve been on the run for over a year.”

“Where’s Dante now?” Jax leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, expression hard.

“No idea. He gave up following us a few months ago, somewhere in Italy. He just disappeared,” Karina said.

“What’re the chances Dante will find you here?” Trent asked.

“Slim,” Colt said. “I haven’t used the name Halstead since I died in the war. I took my sire’s last name. Dunn. There’s no way for Dante to trace me to you guys.”

Silence descended, and I adjusted so I was leaning against Trent’s side. He placed a lingering kiss to the top of my head.

“Look, you all have your lives here, and you obviously have people you care about, people you want to protect”—Colt nodded in my direction—”so if you feel it’s not safe for us to be here, we’ll go.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s fine. I’ll be safe. Please don’t leave.”

Jax and Trent just got their brother back, and I wasn’t going to be the reason they lost him again. I didn’t want Sean to lose his son again, either. Whoever this Dante guy was, he seemed like a lot less of a threat than the Zoya. Or Ivy.

Jax huffed. “That’s easy to say when your best friend is one of the most powerful witches in the world.”

I glared at him. “Jealous?”

“Of Isach?” Jax laughed too long and too loud. “In your dreams, sweetheart.”

“Who’s Isach?” Colt asked.

“Isach Zoya,” Trent answered.

“Zoya? Isn’t that the name of the witch who cursed you?” Colt’s gaze shifted around the table.

“Yes, but Isach’s different. He’s good.” I shot Jax a dirty look, warning him not to say anything negative. “He’s my friend, and he’s dating my cousin. And in case you forgot,” I said, my attention fully on Jax. “He saved your ass, too.”

“We both know that was for you, not me,” Jax said. “I would’ve been perfectly fine if he hadn’t shown up.”

“Jaxon,” Trent warned, his tone cold.

Colt laughed. “I’m gonna stick around just to see how this whole thing plays out between you three.”

“I’ll tell you how it’s going to play out,” I said, standing and grabbing my plate. “I’m marrying Trent, he’s going to change me, and then we’re spending eternity together. End of story.”

I dumped my uneaten food into the trash, then stormed out of the kitchen. Anger pulsed through me, and my hands shook. Why did I let Jax bother me like that? I knew how he felt, so hearing him saying it wasn’t a shock. But at this point, I had hoped he was moving on and not dwelling on things that had happened, things neither of us could change.

“Hey, you okay?” Trent asked.

“Your brother drives me crazy,” I said, flexing my fingers in the hopes they’d stop trembling with anger.

“Which one?” Trent asked, and when I glared at him, he laughed. “Aren’t you always telling me not to let Jax get under my skin? You can’t let him get under yours, either.”

“I know.” I sighed and rested my forehead on Trent’s chest. “He just has this way of making me feel guilty, like I’m somehow solely responsible for everything that happened. I know I broke his heart, but how long is he going to punish me for it?”

I eased back and stared up into Trent’s eyes, and he gazed back at me with a mixture of hurt and compassion. “For eternity,” he said.

“That’s not funny.”

“It wasn’t meant to be,” he said, cradling my face in his hands. “Heightened emotions, remember? Vampires can hold grudges for a very long time.”

I frowned. “I hurt you, too, and you forgave me.”

“Because I chose to. Jax hasn’t. Not yet,” Trent said and kissed my forehead. “He will eventually. Just give him some time.”

Sighing, I nodded. More than ever, I wished things could go back to how they were before Jax ever bit me, back when we were friends and there was no lingering feelings or animosity between us.

Trent’s phone rang. He released me, grabbed his phone from his pocket, and frowned. “I’ll be right back.” And then he was gone.

“May I have a moment?” Sean asked.

The sound of his voice startled me, and I let out a small gasp. I’d been lost in my thoughts, wondering who Trent was talking to and why he seemed upset by the call.

“Uh, yeah, of course,” I said with a smile.

Sean motioned toward the couch. “Can we sit?”

Okay, this wasn’t weird. Keeping my gaze on him, I sat on the edge of the couch. Sean sat at the other end, his body angled toward me, hands clasped in front of him.

“I feel as though I need to apologize for my sons,” he said. “Growing up, Trent was always the quiet one. For the most part, he’d mind his own business and not bother anyone. Jax was my wild child. If there was trouble, he needed to be in the middle of it.”

I laughed. That definitely sounded like Jax.

“Colt was always the instigator. He was forever doing things to cause Jax and Trent to go at each other, and clearly, that hasn’t changed,” Sean said with a small chuckle. “But after my own… indiscretions and lapses in judgment, I vowed to make sure those boys didn’t repeat my mistakes. I raised them to be respectful of everyone, especially women.”

I shifted uncomfortably on the couch. Where was he going with this? Was he going to tell me I was causing too many problems, and that I needed to leave? That he didn’t want me marrying Trent?

“I’ve made it very clear to both Trent and Jax that you are not some toy they can fight over, and I just told Colt the same thing. I love my son, but he will use anyone and anything he can if he thinks he can get away with it.” Sean pinned me with a hard stare. “Don’t let him.”

“Okay,” I said, then cleared my throat. “Thank you.”

Sean nodded. “I’m well aware of what’s happened.” He raised a brow, his unspoken words loud and clear.

Thank God he didn’t feel the need to spell it out for me. I was well aware of what happened, too, and the last thing I wanted to do was discuss it in any sort of detail with Trent’s father. Talk about awkward.

“But you’ve now made your choice, and I’ll make sure everyone here respects that,” Sean continued.

I nodded again, unsure what to say. I never expected this type of heart-to-heart with my future father-in-law, or that he’d defend me like this.

“I have never seen Trent as happy as he is when he’s with you.” Sean reached over and placed his hand on mine. “I couldn’t have chosen anyone more perfect for him.”

I smiled despite the tears now pooling in my eyes. “That means a lot. Thank you.”

Sean patted my hand, then stood. He smiled and left the room. I exhaled loudly and leaned back on the couch. That had been unexpected, but I was glad Sean had spoken to Jax and Colt. Dealing with Jax on his own was bad enough, but now that he had Colt spurring him on… things were only going to get more complicated.

A moment later, Trent returned, and he was smiling. That was a good sign.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

“It is now.” He held his hand out to me. “That was Isach. He’s going to meet us at Ivy’s in half an hour.”

My eyes widened. “Ivy’s?”

“Yes. We did agree last night that we’d talk to her, right?” he asked, genuine confusion coloring his tone.

“Yeah, but I didn’t think you meant talk to her today,” I said.

“Is there a reason we should wait?” he asked.

“Nope,” I said. I’d been incredibly upset when I thought Trent didn’t want to have a child with me; he hadn’t even been willing to discuss the possibility, but now he was, and I wasn’t going to waste this opportunity.

I took his still proffered hand, and he pulled me to my feet. I expected him to wrap his arms around me and kiss me, but instead, he laced our fingers and tugged me toward the kitchen. Everyone was still seated around the table.

“Chloe and I are heading out for a little while,” Trent said.

“Don’t be too long,” Whitney said, glancing at me over her shoulder. “We have wedding plans to make.”

For as excited as she was, you’d think she was planning her own wedding. But I wasn’t complaining. I’d be lost without her help.

“You’re leaving?” Sean asked, head tilted. “Your brother just came back, and you’re going to take off?”

“Where you going?” Jax asked.

“We have something to take care,” Trent said, his voice calm and level. “We won’t be long.”

“And this can’t wait?” Sean leaned against the sink and crossed his arms.

Trent gave my hand a gentle squeeze and sliced his gaze to me, a knowing smile curling his lips. “No, this can’t wait. We’ll be back soon. Promise.” And then he led me outside.

Nervous energy buzzed through me. I had no idea how today would turn out, but I was going to stay positive. I climbed into his truck, and he was on the road before I even had my seat belt hooked.

“Can I ask you something?” I asked.

“Have we really gotten to the point where we ask a question about asking a question?” he said with a light laugh.

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t stop the smile that formed. Asking a lot of questions was our thing, but he was right—asking to ask a question was hitting a new low for us.

“How do you know Dante?” I shifted so I was facing Trent, wanting to see his reaction to my question.

His laughter faded, and his expression turned hard. “What makes you think I know Dante?”

“Because every single time someone mentions his name, you get that look on your face.” I nodded at him. “And you and Jax stare at each other as if you two know something no one else does. You’re afraid of him, aren’t you?”

“Anyone with half a brain is afraid of Dante. He’s dangerous,” Trent said. His hold on the steering wheel tightened to the point his knuckles turned white.

“Okay… So, how do you know him?”

“There was a short period of time when Jax and I were on our own,” he said.

“I remember you telling me that,” I said. Though he hadn’t really said much else about it, other than he and Jax had left Sean for a while.

“Jax and I got mixed up with Dante for a while. Did a lot of things we shouldn’t have, and when we realized just how sadistic he was, we took off.”

“Oh,” I said.

“It’s a time in my life I don’t like to talk about,” Trent said, his tone hard.

“Okay.” I nodded. “I won’t bring it up again.”

Even though I was curious about what he’d done while with Dante. Had they killed people? Macaih had said Dante liked to keep women to feed on them—had Trent done that, too? The thought of him doing something that sick had bile rising in the back of my throat. Trent was much too compassionate to ever do anything so horrible.

Before I knew it, we were at Ivy’s rundown house. Trent parked next to Isach’s car. My stomach was in a large knot. We got out of his truck, and Isach met us near the porch steps.

“Thanks for coming,” Trent said.

Isach nodded. “Glad to see you two are getting along again.” He smirked.

Trent took my hand, lacing our fingers, an amused look on his face. “C’mon. Let’s go do this.”

We followed Isach inside, and I was hit with the strong smell of cinnamon, incense, and banana muffins. Ivy was perched in one of the chairs, teacup balanced precariously on her lap. She glanced up when we entered and offered a sweet smile.

I’d never understand this woman—she was either holding people hostage and threatening their lives, or she was sipping tea and nibbling on baked goods.

“Good morning, Chloe.” Her eyes twinkled for a second before her gaze moved on to Trent and Isach. “Gentlemen.”

Trent’s hold on my hand tightened, and I have his fingers a small squeeze.

“Please, sit.” She nodded at the couch. Only then did I notice the other chair that had been here last time was missing. So was the ottoman.

Trent ushered me toward the couch, and I sat sandwiched between him and Isach. Talk about cozy. Yeah, right. I cleared my throat, my nerves from earlier making a reappearance.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us again,” Isach said.

From the corner of my eye, I could see his back was ramrod straight, and his jaw was set in a firm line. Did he not want to be here? Had he been thinking about this deal, too? Had he changed his mind?

“Yes, well, we all do have a common interest in what happens, don’t we?” She set her teacup on the coffee table and dusted crumbs from her lap. “So, I assume a decision has been made?” Her gaze roamed across the three of us, and for a moment, I felt like a small child being scolded by a teacher.

“Not yet,” Trent said. “I have a few questions, if you don’t mind.”

Ivy smiled, her lips pinched. “By all means.” She waved her hand for him to continue.

“Chloe and I have already sworn a blood oath to you, but from what I understand, you want us to swear another one, correct? One that will guarantee we align ourselves with your coven?” Trent asked calmly.

Everything inside of me froze with fear—Ivy hadn’t said anything last time about making us sign another blood oath. I knew Isach would have to, but why did Trent and I have to?

“Correct.” Ivy nodded thoughtfully.

“And if we refuse?” Trent raised a brow. His tone was still calm and level, though.

“Then there’s no deal.” Ivy’s words had an edge to them.

“And then there’s no power for your coven,” Trent said. “Even when the curse is broken, you still won’t be as powerful as the Zoya. Without Isach and my family, you’re still only second best.”

Ivy narrowed her eyes, her fingers curling into her palms. Her lips thinned into a straight, angry line. I sighed. This was not going well.

Trent, who still had a firm hold on my hand, grazed his thumb over my knuckles. “Blood oaths can be very tricky, so if you want me and Chloe to swear another one, then I want Isach to write it.”

My jaw dropped, and my eyes widened. Where had that come from? Isach’s expression hadn’t changed, which led me to believe he and Trent had talked about this before we’d ever stepped foot in Ivy’s house.

“We can write it together,” she said.

“That’s fair. Thank you,” Trent said. He shifted over, giving me a tad more room. “Now, explain to me how this works.”

I leaned back and got comfortable. Ivy explained the process to Trent—in much more technical terms than she’d used with me—and how the magic worked. When she got to the part about the Zoya, and then the magical consequences as they pertained to any potential child, I stiffened. I let my gaze wander around the room, refusing to look at Trent, though I could feel his body tensing.

When Ivy finally stopped talking, Trent asked, “What, exactly, do you mean when you say you want us to align with your coven?” His tone was so cold it made me shiver.

“It means we’ll work together to defeat the Zoya and to protect your child. And, should any other threats arise in the future, we can count on you to be our allies,” Ivy said.

“And by protect our child, you mean you want access to its magic,” Trent said, his tone accusatory.

“Wait, what?” I said, sitting up straight. “That wasn’t part of the deal, Ivy. You never said that.”

Letting her have any access to a child of mine was just as bad as handing it over to the Zoya. I’d seen firsthand how other members of her coven acted around her—they were submissive and afraid.

Ivy shifted in her chair. “If I’m the reason the child even exists in the first place, and if my coven is the reason the child survives the Zoya, then it only seems fair that my coven gets to reap some of the benefits.”

“Absolutely not.” I stood, hands balled into fists.

Trent stood, too, and faced me, his back to Ivy. “Chloe,” he said softly, hands on my shoulders. “Trust me, okay?” His sharp blue eyes were hyper-focused and pleading.

I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like what would happen next, but I trusted Trent implicitly. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nodded and sat back down.

Trent reclaimed his spot next to me and once again took my hand in his, lacing our fingers. Ivy’s gaze dropped to our joined hands, a faint smile lifting the corners of her mouth. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was actually happy Trent and I were together and doing well. She probably was knowing the curse being broken was a guarantee.

“There’s nothing we can do about the child being born with magic,” Isach said. “But we can do something about the magic itself.” He smiled—the same smile he’d given me the day he’d offered me up to Hannah. My skin crawled.

Ivy huffed. “You’re not suggesting we bind the child’s magic.”

“That’s exactly what we’re suggesting,” Trent said.

“Bind the magic?” I looked from Isach to Trent. “What does that mean?”

“It’s a spell that would make the child’s magic dormant. It will always be there, but it can never be accessed,” Isach explained, and when he smiled this time, it wasn’t creepy or evil.

“Except by the witch who casts the binding spell,” Ivy said. “Which means a Zoya will still have access to immense amounts of magic.”

I whipped my head around to stare at Isach. “Is that true?”

He nodded. “But you know why I’m doing this, Chloe. I want out. I don’t want access to anymore magic. But I assumed you didn’t want her”—he jutted his chin in Ivy’s direction—”to have access, either.”

“Okay, enough.” Ivy held up her hands. “I think you’re under the misguided belief that this is a negotiation. It’s not. I’ve made my offer. Take it or leave it.”

As if they’d somehow planned it, Trent and Isach stood at the same exact time. I scrambled to get to my feet.

“Then I guess we’re done here.” Trent tugged on my hand. “Let’s go.”

My heart stopped. That was it? We were just going to walk out?

“I’ve already gotten what I wanted. Chloe’s going to break the curse regardless,” Ivy said with a soft chuckle. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted, so go head. Walk out that door. I’ll still get what I want, and you two… well, I wish you both the best.”

Trent stopped, released my hand, and crossed his arms. “The only way you’re getting what you want is if I change her, and trust me, Ivy, I’m fully prepared to accept her mortality. Are you?”

My entire body went numb. What did he say? Would he really refuse to change me just so Ivy wouldn’t get what she wanted?

“And don’t try to pull what you did last time,” Isach said. “Because of the bond that you transferred, Sean and Jax can’t change her. And Trent is very heavily protected at the moment.”

Isach stood next to Trent, the two of them presenting a united front. Or more like a terrifying, impenetrable force.

Thoughts raced through my head, tripping over one another. I couldn’t latch on to any single thought or idea; they were all moving too fast. All I could do was stare at Trent. He’d asked me to trust him, and I did, but that was before he told Ivy he’d make me stay human. He didn’t really mean that, did he?

“She signed a blood oath,” Ivy said coolly. “If she doesn’t honor the terms of that, she will die.”

“And I’ll die with her,” Trent said without flinching. “Then the curse will never be broken.”

Trent and Isach faced off with Ivy, who was clutching the arms of the chair so tight her knuckles were whiter than freshly fallen snow. Somewhere in the house, a clock ticked, each second more painful than the last. The only thing that hurt worse was the sharp beating of my heart.

“Very well.” Ivy’s words were clipped. “Sit, and we’ll… negotiate.” She spat the word as if it were vile.

I released a pent-up breath, and tension eased from my body. My heart rate slowly returned to a more normal, less painful rhythm. I once again sat between Trent and Isach, but this time, I was much more alert.

I needed to know everything that was said—and all the stuff that wasn’t said but implied—because I was officially in a negotiation for my life, my immortality, and my future with Trent that could very well include parenthood.