Sin Undone

Twenty-eight

“Are you crazy?” Sin asked Lore, as they stood in front of Eidolon’s door. He’d just outlined his plan to her, and she was about to fall over. “I know they’ve been all brotherly and stuff, but they’re never going to go for this. Never. And you’re going to feel like an idiot.”

Lore, wearing a form-fitting charcoal T-shirt, jeans, and combat boots, shrugged. “If they don’t go for it, that’s their choice, and I understand.”

“Uh-huh.” Sin jammed her fists on her leather-clad hips. “What does Idess have to say about this?”

“She doesn’t know. I mean, she knows I plan to ask, but she doesn’t know I’m asking right now. I don’t want them to feel any pressure, and I don’t want her to feel bad if they refuse. She’ll be here in about fifteen minutes.”

Sin just shook her head. Lore was in for one hell of a letdown. Their brothers had been a well of support, yes, but this… this was asking too much.

Con was already inside, looking fabulous in midnight jeans and a silver button-down that set off his eyes. Everyone was there in the living room—everyone but Idess. Even Kynan and Gem had come. And seriously, how could a pregnant chick look so good in Goth gear?

Taking Con’s hand, Sin stood behind Lore, ready to be there for him when their brothers refused his request.

Runa and Shade were on the floor with their triplets, who were crawling around and playing with the dog and the ferret, who kept stealing their toys.

Eidolon was in the overstuffed leather chair with Tayla on his lap, while Wraith sprawled on the couch with a bowl of popcorn, his arm flung around Serena, who was holding a sleeping Stewie. “So, what’s up? What’s this favor you need?”

Everyone’s eyes were on Lore, and Sin’s heart pounded.

“Ah…” Lore shifted his weight.

“Spill, man,” Shade said.

“Yeah, that,” Lore muttered, and Sin groaned.

“What?” That from Eidolon.

“I need your sperm,” Lore blurted. Shade, who had been drinking a soda, choked. Everyone else gaped. Sin groaned again. Tact had never been one of the items in her brother’s chest of personality traits.

Finally, Runa said softly, “You want a baby.”

“Yeah.” Lore looked down at the floor, and Sin’s heart broke for him. “You know I’m sterile. This half-breed shit. But Idess and I… we want a family. Since I can’t give her that, I was hoping maybe… Well, the next best thing would be a brother.” He took a deep, shuddering breath. “If you don’t want to, I get it. It’s cool.”

The brothers all looked at each other. Then looked at their mates. God, Sin could have cut the tension with a knife. She gripped Lore’s hand in her empty one. “Hey, maybe we should go. Give them time—”

“No,” Tayla said. “I don’t think there’s even a question.” She smiled at Eidolon, who returned it with a crooked upturn of his lips. “If you need it, you got it.” Her smile turned very, very naughty. “But you’ll have to wait until we’re done with it. We’re going to be using it all for a while.”

Eidolon lit up, and he pulled Tayla into a crushing hug, his palm going straight to her belly before glancing at Lore. “Yeah, bro, you got it. Maybe as early as tomorrow.”

Wraith rolled his eyes at the happy couple, but after getting a nod from Serena, he turned back to Lore and drawled, “Hell, I’ll give it up.”

Shade shrugged. “Yup.”

Sin sagged against Con, relieved, happy, and awed by this incredible family. How stupid she’d been to not want to get to know them.

“I have beer,” Idess called out from the hall, and when she walked into the living room, Sin could only imagine what she felt at the grins that came from all corners. “Oh,” she breathed, and cut her gaze to Lore. “You… asked…?”

Lore held out his arms, and she rushed to him, her eyes brimming with joyful tears. “Thank you,” she said, to no one in particular. “Oh, thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re heroes,” Wraith muttered, and then a bright, cocky smile lit up his face. “Oh, hey, I really am. Apocalypse, fallen angel, saved the world…”

Serena gave him a well-deserved jab in the side, and he “oofed.”

Eidolon lovingly ran his hand up and down Tayla’s arm, his fingers caressing the mate dermoire etched into her skin. “Can you believe how lucky we are? Seminus demons rarely take lifemates, but here we are, all of us mated.”

“And alive,” Shade added.

“That’s a total shocker,” Wraith threw in.

Gem laughed at Wraith. “Definitely a miracle. Especially in your case, dumb-ass.”

“It’s not a miracle.”

All heads whipped around to a tall, stunning male who stood in the entrance to the living room. His thick blond curtain of hair fell perfectly around broad shoulders, and his black slacks and shirt had to be custom made to so perfectly fit his gorgeous body.

“Reaver,” Shade ground out, and okay, this was the former fallen angel who had fought alongside Wraith in Israel. “I hate it when you do that.”

Reaver grinned, a total panty-melter. “Why do you think I do it?”

Eidolon tucked Tayla tighter against him. “So why isn’t our situation a miracle?”

“Because it’s all fated, you silly demon. You all played roles in saving the world, and some of you have much more to do.” He shrugged. “It’s all good.”

Wraith threw a handful of popcorn at the angel. “You know I hate the cryptic shit.”

Suddenly, they were all pelting Reaver with food, and while they engaged in what was probably the strangest battle between angels and demons in history, Sin pulled Con into the hall, away from the laughter and curses.

“I haven’t had a chance to thank you.”

“Yes, you have.”

“For saving my life, maybe. But not for giving me one.” She reached up and cupped his cheek. “Con, thank you. I love you so much.”

Warmth radiated from him, and Sin wondered why she’d ever believed that vampires were cold. “We got a good thing here.”

“Yeah.” Sin thought about her brothers, her sisters-in-law, her new friends, and the fact that standing before her was the most perfect mate on the planet. “I can’t think of anything better.”

“It could be better… someday.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, what Lore was just talking about—”

“Ah… I can’t ask my brothers for sperm. ’Cuz with my egg, that’s just gross.”

Con laughed, his fangs flashing sexily. “Not them. Me.”

She patted his hand like she did with her baby nephews. “Sweetie, you’re a vampire.”

“Yeah, but I’m not a stupid vampire. I sort of planned for this scenario.”

“You’ve got some little popsicles?”

“Yup. I gave E samples of everything before Luc killed me.”

Her heart gave a great thump. She’d never wanted kids. Had never even thought about wanting them. But as she stood there with the male she loved, in a house full of the family she never thought she’d have… she realized that, yeah, she did want them. Maybe not today, but she and Con had hundreds of years together, and in the meantime, she had lots of nephews to play with. Well, to look at from a distance, anyway.

“It’s funny,” she said, with a strange hitch in her voice, “but I never wanted to be tied to anyone. Never wanted to be owned or to belong to another person. But now I realize that belonging with someone is completely different. I belong with you, Con.”

“And I with you.”

He kissed her, sealing them together with a bond she didn’t mind, and one that would never be broken.