He looked as dis...o...b..bulated as I felt.

"You're both half-dragons. So if Ralph drinks from you, you won't poison him."

I hadn't thought about Ralph sinking his fangs into me. I wasn't sure how I felt about being his lover and his meal.

"How did this happen?" The question came from my father, and his tone was not friendly. Neither was the look in his eyes.

"I'd rather not go into details, sir," said Ralph. He looked at Ash. "When you say for life . . ."

"Sorry, dude. Dragon mating trumps vampire bonding. There's none of that wiggy s.h.i.t where your mate suffers the same fate as you do. Libby is your wife until one of you dies, which for you two is a really, really long time." She threw her hands up in the air.

"Look, I don't care if you two boink each other stupid. I have another problem. If I don't get Synd tonight and take his soul, I can't stick around."

"A soul shifter?" Mom studied Ash. "I didn't think you existed."

Coming from Mom, that was saying something.

"I'm hurt. Really." Ash blew out a breath. "I have to take a soul every ninety days, and it's not like I have a choice. I can't control my nature. When it's time to absorb a soul, my physical form takes over. There's no controlling it or reasoning with it or stopping it.

Capiche?"

"Yeah," said Patsy. She looked queasy. I wondered if it was because of her pregnancy or because of Ash's soul-sucking. "Just don't forget to get his spit before you whack him. It's the only way to help Patrick and Jessica." She rubbed her eyes, sighing.

"Let's just get some rest, and do another one of these fun, fun meetings tomorrow. And Dora, if there's any way to contact your . .

. insurance, then tell 'em to stand down, okay?"

"Agreed," said Mom.

The meeting broke up. Ralph helped me from the chair.

As we headed toward the boys with my parents in tow, Lorcan and Eva joined us.

"Dora and Elmore, we have accommodations for you," said Lorcan.

I glared at him. "Oh, really? The kind with gla.s.s and bossy electronic voices and too much of the color white?"

"Whoa, now." Lorcan put his hands up in a surrender gesture. "They're in the bungalow next to Ralph's."

Eva smiled. I liked her. She was nice and seemed less intense than most of the vampires I'd met, with the exception of Ralph.

"How about we take Stephen and Michael for a slumber party?"

Ralph took my hand and squeezed. "Thanks, Eva."

"How in the world are the vampires supposed to handle two mortal children?" asked Mom. "What if they wake up? Or have a tummy ache? Or need a gla.s.s of water?"

"Tamara is-" started Eva.

"No, no," said Mom, waving away objections. "We'll be happy to watch the boys."

"I'd be thrilled if you and Elmore would watch the boys," said Ralph.

"Excellent! Now, go away and let us play with our grandsons."

Grandsons. I couldn't believe how easily Mom and Dad accepted Ralph and me as dragon-mates. Married by almost-s.e.x. My stomach clenched. Oh. My. G.o.d.

There wasn't a get-out-of-mating card. Ash said a dragon's heart chose its mate. Had Ralph and I chosen each other?

Or had Sybina chosen for us?

Chapter 25

Eva and Tamara said good night. Lorcan walked them to the door, but when they went through it he stayed with Damian. I figured they'd been a.s.signed to escort us to the bungalows. Queen Patsy wasn't taking any chances.

While my parents sat down and played blocks with the twins, I drew Ralph aside.

"You claimed me, in front of my parents and the Broken Heart mafia."

Ralph smiled. "I'm not usually so He-Man, I promise. We're bound, Libby." Panic flashed in his blue eyes.

"It's too late to get cold feet," I said. I took his hands. "I don't care what Ash says. Nothing is ever written in stone. If you want to find a way out of this-"

"No." He kissed me. "I'm all in, Libby."

I'd told him that yesterday, and I meant it, too. It was scary-crazy, but I had no intention of changing my mind.

Ralph looked down at me and I saw love shining in his eyes. How was it possible to fall in love that fast? We'd skipped all the regular courting rituals and dove right into forever marriage. Screw it. I didn't know much about those rituals and I'd never been the type of girl to follow society's mores. Who said I couldn't fall in love with a vampire, marry him, and raise two beautiful boys with him?

I looked down at my parents. Dad held Stephen as they stacked blocks into a tower. Mom helped Michael push over the house they'd just built together. It was like they were already a family.

"We know what we know," said Mom. How was it that the woman always knew what to say? "I met your father in Reno, Nevada, at a UFO convention. I married him the next day."

"What?" I stared at her, openmouthed. "You never told me that."

"I listen to my heart, Liberty. It has never steered me wrong."

And that was why Mom's faith in the paranormal, in the goodwill of people, and in love was so d.a.m.ned unshakable. It didn't matter if my dragon half or my human half had chosen Ralph as my mate. My heart was still mine and it said: Ralph's the One. Go for it.

Mom made shooing motions. "Go on. We'll take the boys to our bungalow when we're done playing."

I leaned down and kissed Mom on the cheek. Then I kneeled and gave Dad a hug. He pulled back, tears in his eyes. "We love you, Liberty. And we're happy for you."

"Thanks, Dad."

I felt teary yet again, so I stood up and let Ralph lead me away.

"You have the greatest parents," he said. "I mean, wow."

"Yeah," I said, grinning. "Wow."

Lorcan walked us to the bungalow. I had no plans to leave Ralph's side, much less Broken Heart, but I guess the man had his orders.

"Congratulations," he said. "And good luck."

We said good-bye. I was getting nervous now. We were going to bond-bond. All the way. My belly squeezed as antic.i.p.ation wriggled through me.

The bungalow reminded me of Ralph's destroyed home. It was cozy, or would've been had it not been drenched in white and missing the personal touches that made a house a home.

Ralph kissed me, and everything in my world felt absolutely perfect.

"Why the smile?" Ralph asked. "Something make you happy?"

"Yeah," I said. "You do."

Ralph took me into the bathroom and undressed me slowly. I returned the favor. He did nothing more than hold me under the warm water. We washed ourselves from hair to pinkie toes.

As the water went cold, our bodies went hot. It was probably wise to stay in the shower, considering we wouldn't light the tiles on fire. At least, I didn't think we would.

"I've already claimed you," he said. "Now we just have to do the word-giving, and the . . . you know." He waggled his brows.

"What's the word-giving?"

"Something like . . . 'I love you, Libby. I promise to honor, respect, and protect you to the best of my ability.'"

"You forgot to say that you'll obey me," I said, feeling all gooshy.

He grinned. "I think we'll both skip that one." He brushed my hair away from my face. "Your turn."

"I love you, Ralph. I don't know what the future holds for us and our rather diverse family, but I look forward to the journey." I put his palm over my tattoo. "My heart beats for you."

"And mine would beat for you," he said softly. "If it could still beat."

I laughed, and then he dragged me close and kissed me. Whoa. He sucked my tongue into his mouth, flicking, swirling. I groaned and he swallowed the sound.

I rubbed against his pectorals. My nipples hardened as his chest hair abraded the sensitive peaks.

My hands were everywhere on him, touching, stroking. My ability to think faded and I felt immersed in his smell, his taste, his touch. I dragged my lips across his throat, tasting his collarbone before swiping the muscled contours of his chest.

Desire pulsed in every part of my body. Ralph slipped one finger inside and smiled. "You are so wet."

"Duh. You are so hot."

He rewarded my compliment by rubbing my c.l.i.t.

He nipped my earlobe. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

He cupped my b.u.t.tocks and lifted me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and held onto his shoulders. Oh, yes. He pushed his c.o.c.k against my wet heat.

I panted and moaned. Ralph slid his c.o.c.k between my slick folds, making sure he b.u.mped my c.l.i.t with every stroke.

He bent his head and sucked one of my nipples into his mouth. He laved the tight bud, sc.r.a.ping his teeth across the tip.

Ralph paid lascivious attention to my other nipple.

"Please," I begged. "Please!"

He rubbed his c.o.c.k harder and faster until my pleasure built higher and higher. And then . . . boom! I imploded. Or at least it felt like I had.Ralph positioned his c.o.c.k at my entrance, pushing just inside it.

Breathing hard, my limbs quivering, I looked at him. He put his mouth against my neck. My skin tingled where his lips brushed.

At the same time his fangs pierced my flesh, he drove his c.o.c.k inside me. My maidenhead tore. I don't care what they say in romance novels: It f.u.c.king hurts.

Ralph drank my blood, gripping my b.u.t.tocks as he made slow thrusts inside me. The penetration felt strange, but soon pleasure built again.

Ralph stopped drinking and pressed his forehead against my shoulder. He thrust harder and deeper and all I could do was hang on.

Another o.r.g.a.s.m claimed me. Then Ralph groaned and came, his thighs trembling as his seed filled me.

I was officially married to Ralph.

I was a stepmother, too. I hadn't thought about motherhood before, but I liked the idea. A lot. Me . . . a mom.

Dragon, vampire, human . . . it didn't matter. I felt our bonding all the way to my soul.

I woke before Ralph did. I snapped on the lamp and turned to look at him. His chest didn't rise or fall. His skin looked waxy. Still, he was a very cute dead man. He'd tugged on pajama bottoms last night, but had forgone the shirt at my request.

I felt naughty feeling him up while he was still resting, but that nudge of guilt didn't stop me from running my palm along his muscled contours. I traced the tattoo. That was weird. A third line had appeared in between the two slanted ones. It was as long and thin as the other two, but a vibrant red. I looked down at mine and saw that I had the same red line. What did that mean? Maybe only that we had done the mattress mambo as dragon mates.

I kissed his cheek, then got out of bed. I took a shower and got dressed. Maybe I'd ask Lorcan to magic up some new duds. I went to the kitchen and made myself some coffee. As it perked, I looked out the window. It was already dusk, but I could still see the fresh snow on the ground.

I checked on Ralph, who remained dead to the world. I chuckled. I didn't think I'd ever get tired of making vampire puns.

I sat on the couch and turned on the television. It was a rerun of The Princess Bride. Oh, I loved this movie.