Shade nodded. "He was with her all night, and I don’t need to tell you why he had a smile on his face. But I am a bit concerned. He will need to feed from her soon. It is not a desire he will be able to control, and I want to make sure they are both prepared. I’m glad he wants to talk."
He brushed her crimson hair away from her face and kissed her neck, releasing a low moan. "I will soon need to go to Luca to feed, and although we have been through this process before, I will never like it."
Her face turned solemn. It was a reality she’d come to accept. His need to feed from Luca as her pregnancy advanced, and all that went with it. It was a necessity to protect the life she carried, but she still didn’t like it, and she didn’t like the turmoil it created for Shannon. "I don't want to think about that now. Go to Cory. Your son needs you, I think."
She watched him from their bed as he slid from beneath the sheets, his skin a dark bronze against the white linens. He dressed in jeans, hung low on his hips, as he pulled a clean t-shirt from the drawer. He gave her a final kiss before leaving the room.
Closing the bedroom door behind him, he leaned his broad back against it and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he headed to Cory's room. Standing outside the closed door, he tapped lightly as he heard the music playing inside.
Cory was lying across his bed listening to music and remembering his night with Madison. They had slept after making love, and then would wake, make love again, and fall back asleep. They slept late and when he woke, he could smell the strong coffee brewing and the smell of bacon frying as Madison prepared a breakfast for them. When he climbed out of her bed, he pulled on his jeans and found her in the kitchen, wearing a white cotton robe, her hair tossed from a night of love making, her lips still swollen from their kisses.
She smiled at him when he entered the kitchen, as he took a seat at the table and she slid a large cup of coffee in front of him. They ate a huge breakfast, and then made love again before taking a shower together. He’d spent the rest of the day with her before he knew he had to get back home. There would be a backlog of work in the camp, and they hadn’t slept much the night before. He was hoping to catch a quick nap, and also, he wanted to talk to his dad. He heard the tap at his door and rolled off the bed, rushing to open it. "Dad! Did Kate tell you I wanted to talk?"
As the door whipped open, Cory was already firing questions at him. "Yes, son, she did. Damn, let me get inside the door, will you? Relax." Shade took a seat in the living room and waited for Cory to get situated. "Sit down, son. Tell me what is going on."
Cory dropped down on the large sectional sofa, not sure where to start. "It's about Madison. Last night, I, uh, I spent the night with her. I mean, I didn't just spend the night. We made love. I waited a long time, Dad, and I let her make the first move. I didn't want to do anything until she knew what we were, and I knew she could accept that, so I waited. I love her, but I really needed her to come to me of her own free will. And now, I need to know you're okay with this. I really love her, Dad."
Shade sat back on the sofa, his huge frame filling the space. He crossed his arms over his chest. "I’m glad you came to me, and I’m glad you let Madison set the pace. Did you struggle with the beast?"
Cory nodded. "I can feel the beast. He pushes for release when we make love, but he was easy to control. I could feel myself lose control of him slightly when I would, uh, you know, whenever I’d cum. But I never exposed my fangs with her, and my eyes didn't turn. I didn't feed from her either. I feel the desire to feed, but I didn't want to scare her, or push her too far. I wanted this to be normal. For once, I just wanted to feel normal. To feel what other people feel. To not just have sex, but to make love to her, and have that returned. I've never had that before."
Shade smiled and nodded his head. "Well, the beast is going to start pressuring you harder, Cory. He will not be satisfied until he gets her blood. Blood is the only thing that will satisfy him. Being half-breed, I know your beast is not as strong, and his blood lust will not be as great, but it is there. It is important to understand that eventually, you will not be able to control that urge. Madison needs to know that, son. It will give her time to prepare."
Shade stood up and walked to the paintings on the wall, admiring them once again. "Cory, I know the life you had on the streets was not something you chose, and sex was a way to survive. I want you to have as normal a life as possible. You will live a different life than anyone here because you are not a full-blooded vampire. But love is something not to be taken lightly. This is serious stuff. You now have a responsibility to her.”
"She loves me, Dad. I can feel her love for me. And she doesn't indulge in casual relationships. She doesn't sleep around. We've talked about this a lot. She wasn't a virgin or anything, but she has been selective, and only slept with guys she developed a relationship with. Since she's been in college here, she said she didn't want to get side-tracked. She wanted to finish her education. But we were both attracted to each other from the beginning. I know I won't be exactly normal, but Madison makes me feel normal. And I know she loves me. I wish I could be with her all the time. It's what I want."
Shade walked back to the sofa and sat down beside his son, throwing his arm around the back of the sofa. "Be sure the two of you are ready to commit for life, the span of yours and hers, for however long that will be, Cory. I understand that need. Mating, in the traditional sense, is not an option for you, but once you feed from her, trust me, she is not going to ever go back to any mortal man. Until that time, you will still need to use the feeders. No outside hunting, keep your blood clean. So, be mindful of things, your life is about to change."
He hugged Cory tight to his chest. "It will be all right, son. She will be worth the wait. Anything else you want to ask?"
Cory accepted the hug, leaning in to his father. He sometimes found it hard, after all this time, to accept this was his life now. It was such a dramatic change from his life on the streets, and he never dared to dream of anything different for himself. But now he had it, he knew he’d kill to keep it. He swallowed hard at his father's advice. It wasn’t the feeders’ blood he wanted but hers. He knew he must move slowly though, and he was right, Madison was worth the wait.
"I don't know how to prepare her for the next step. When I was living on the streets, and in the clubs, I rarely fed from mortals, and when I did, I would erase their memory. I don't want to hurt her. It would destroy me to hurt her. I don't know what a mortal feels when we feed."
Shade smiled. "If you are gentle with her, and feed from her during your passionate encounters, the feeding will be pleasurable for her. She will feel claimed. Talk to her about it. Let her lead, just as you let her lead with letting you know when she was ready to make love with you. She will let you know. Madison already knows we feed, it is not news to her, so she has had time to think about it. If her love for you is as you say, her curiosity about the experience, and her love and trust in you, will help her get there. Trust your instincts. Trust her. Don’t be afraid, you won’t hurt her. Let her experience what only you can give her.”
Cory nodded as he pushed back from his father, breaking free from the hug. "Thanks, Dad, for finding me, for giving me this life. I’d never have found her. I’d never have been able to love a mortal girl until I was healed myself, and knew what love felt like. You healed me, and you healed my mom. I can never repay you for that. Whatever I have with Madison, whatever path we choose to follow together, I owe that to you. I don't tell you enough, but I love you."