"So, tell me about your vampire."

Mal's eyes went to Erin's instantly. There was nothing else in this world that Erin could have said that would have shocked her more.

"I'm sorry?" was the only thing that came to her in response to such an unexpected inquiry.

Erin shook her head. "Your father told me about your experience with the, um, corpse that wasn't dead. He had to be vampire. You have to know that. More, I can tell you know what I'm talking about by your reaction. So I think it's safe for me to reveal that I am vampire, too. You may speak freely. I'm interested to find out why he did not erase your memory. I can also tell you are not blood-bonded, as your father is to me."

Mal knew she was standing there gaping, but couldn't do anything to change it. Blood-bonded? Her father? What did that mean? This woman was a vampire like Ahmose?

"I...have to sit down," she finally uttered, her gut clinching.

Erin led her to one of the loungers, and sat on one beside it.

"It's okay," Erin said, and curled her fingers around Mal's forearm.

Mal felt the calmness infuse her mind and body, aware immediately of how familiar it was. Ahmose had done that more than once.

Pushing Erin's hand away, Mal raised her eyes again to look another vampire in the face. She could see it. Erin's beauty was obvious, and sparked the same intense awareness that Ahmose had, even lying dead on the sand.

"I'm fine," she said finally. "Before I say anything to you, tell me about how you know my father. What do you mean when you say that he is blood-bonded?"

"It's a different world, Mal. Many things you don't know, and many you probably shouldn't know. I shouldn't elaborate, not yet."

Erin's eyes became hypnotic and Mal felt slightly dizzy, then the odd sensation went away.

"Tell me about your vampire," Erin said without expression.

"First, you tell me about you and my father," Mal insisted.

Erin's expression didn't change, but Mal noticed her eyes shift. "Well, isn't this interesting. You can't be compelled."

"Whatever the f.u.c.k you mean. How do you know my father? Were you...together?"

Erin drew a long breath and smiled. "Okay. Yes, we were together. About five years ago, we had six deeply pa.s.sionate years when we were inseparable. I loved your father. I guess I still do, to some degree. But he couldn't stay in our world. It overwhelmed him and finally, he asked to be released."

"Released? Were you holding him against his will?"

"No. He was very willfully involved with our lives together. But when humans stay with vampires, we usually bond them to us, by blood. It creates a link, so that we can always find them if something happens to them. It also keeps the human healthy, keeps them from aging. And you know this already, but we need to feed, so the process creates a perfect union between feeding and the human. It was very beautiful, Mal. Kai and I were extremely happy for some time before he decided he needed to return to his life. He wanted to find you and repair your relationship. I a.s.sume he has."

"Not yet. We're working on it."

"I'm glad. He's a good man. I told him then that I wanted him to be happy, and I meant it. Anyway, that's our story, however brief. Would you mind letting me know who you met? Your father brought me here for you, Mal. He's afraid you may need some help, and if I'm right, you will."

Mal hesitated. This was just so unexpected and strange. Even though she had told Bev and Kai about Ahmose, and knew that she carried his child, knew that the child was unique, this entire vampire thing still felt surreal. That her father had been with a vampire, that he brought that vampire to her, just seemed impossible.

"I don't need any help. I'm doing quite well on my own, so I'm sorry my father wasted your time. Let me see if he is ready to take you back to the airport."

Rising, Mal started towards the inside when Erin put a hand on her arm again.

"He is first blood, if you are with child. He is likely from South Africa. Most that I have known are from a hidden village and call themselves children of the moon. Does this sound familiar?"

Mal turned to face Erin. "It doesn't matter. Whatever you know, it doesn't have anything to do with me and my daughter."

"It's a girl. You know this because..."

Her hands cradling her belly, Mal shook her head. "Look, we're not going to be confidants. I don't know you. So, thanks for coming and go home."

Mal slid the doors wider and gestured for Erin to pa.s.s.

Erin walked through and stopped just inside.

"You will need him, you cannot raise a first blood child alone. I can help you find him."

"Why can't I raise my daughter?"

"She will be very powerful. And she will need her spirit amulet. Mal, I spent time with first bloods in Africa and I know what you will experience. The birth will be normal, mostly. So will her childhood. But she will be capable of things no other child can do. First bloods have magics and physical abilities that need to be honed and managed. A child of this nature is rare and precious indeed, over and above the fact that she's yours, that you will love her." Erin paused, and when she realized that Mal was listening intently and making no move to leave, she continued. "Do you know the name of the vampire who impregnated you?"

Impregnated. That sounded so cold, so clinical, so calculated. Mal was certain that wasn't the case. But then again, was it possible that Ahmose did this on purpose and would come for her when the baby was born?

She turned suddenly to Erin. "Will he take her away from me? Answer me, Erin, are we safe?"

"I think you must be. If he knew, he would never have left you behind. These children are magnificent and extraordinarily deeply loved, my dear. He would not leave her behind if he knew. What surprises me is that he should have known."

Her eyes searching the seascape off of the deck, Mal turned and went to the railing again, aware that Erin had followed her.

"He was the most incredible man I've ever seen. I answered a homicide call and there he was, huge, naked, perfect, except for a bullet hole in his forehead and he was dead."

"He didn't stay that way."

"No. That still shocks me. Anyway, he said he needed my blood to heal and kept me for two days."

"He didn't force you."

Mal laughed. "Hardly. You know he was irresistible. I wanted him before I saw him alive. After...warm, beautiful, charming, humorous, I could not stay away from him."

"First bloods are the ultimate s.e.xual animal. I was with one only once, I can imagine how he must have felt beneath you or inside of you."

"I'll just say I would do it again if the chance arrived."

Mal watched as the sailboat disappeared around the edge of a cliff that jutted into the sea. "His name was Ahmose."

Erin visibly reacted to that news, her body jerked, her eyes shot to Mal's. "Did you say Ahmose?"

"Yes. He told me he was the leader of his people, although I really don't know anything about him. I didn't think I would ever forget him even though he told me that he would make me do so. But I did forget him, until this morning when I spoke to my unborn child and the memories flooded back. I sound crazy, don't I?"

Erin didn't speak at first. When she did, it was cautiously. "You don't. Humorous, huh? Ahmose. I would never have...well, I never saw that side of him, I guess. Uh, yes, Mal, he is our leader. I was changed to vampire in Ahmose's village near the Victoria Falls in Zambia. We all thought he was the penultimate male."

"Everything he did to me felt penultimate. Oh, s.h.i.t, I can't believe I am telling my father's lover about my s.e.x life."

"It's an essential part of who we are. I'm just kind of amazed that Ahmose was in L.A. and that you've been with him. And are pregnant with his child. He was always kind and gentle with us, but he never showed us the charming humor you describe. Most of the women in the village had a crush on our leader. I can only imagine that it must have been wonderful to be with him."

"It was. I wouldn't mind seeing him again, but the fact that you said he would never have left me here if he knew I was with child frightens me. I would never let him take my daughter from me. It seems like it's a good idea that he never finds out. Can I trust you to keep my secret?"

Erin did not answer right away.

Kai knocked on the bedroom door, waited only a moment, and entered without waiting for a response.

Bev stood in the center of the room, naked except for a white satin thong, a pale rose tee shirt in her hands. He couldn't help himself, his eyes dropped to her large b.r.e.a.s.t.s, displayed, almost as if framed, by the tee shirt in her hands.

"What are you doing in here?" Bev asked, and quickly pulled the tee shirt over her head, the soft cotton falling loosely over her full curves.

Kai didn't know what else to do, so he walked right up to her, took her face into his hands, and kissed her, his tongue lingering as he pulled away.

Bev stepped back. "I don't understand."

"I need to explain, but it isn't what you think."

"I think you brought your lover here when you had to know I was attracted to you. If you wanted to discourage me, all you needed to do was say so. I'm pretty freaking bright, I would have been able to get it, Kai."

"That is not why I brought her here. She's here for Mal."

"For Mal? Why? What would that woman have to do with Mal?"

"I can't explain, you just have to trust me. But it's important, or I never would have called her."

Bev fingered the tail of the tee shirt, which drew Kai's eyes back to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He'd always been a breast man, and hers were perfect, he hoped he would have a chance to show her his opinion some time.

"I need more of an explanation than that," Bev snapped at him. "Mal is my best friend and if this woman has something to do with her recent experiences, I need to know. Also, I am her therapist, when she needs one. So start talking, dad."

"I can't tell you anything else right now, Bev. Please understand."

She just stared at him for a few more moments, then looked away. "We're done here. I've had a lot of wine, and I'm tired. Let yourself out."

Bev dropped onto her pallet and rolled away from him.

Kai let himself out.

So much for the lovely dinner and evening out, but things had changed with Erin's arrival.

As he walked onto the deck, his eyes searched the too comfortable scene, his daughter and former lover cozied up and chatting in the lounge chairs. Erin was scooted to the edge of her seat, her hand lying on Mal's belly.

"So what is happening out here?" he asked. The tightness in his voice belied the casual words of inquiry.

Erin looked up at him. "All good. I was just getting to know your granddaughter. Come here, Kai."

Kai rounded the bottom of the loungers and took a seat near Mal's feet.

"Let me have your hand." But Erin didn't wait, she just took his right hand and pulled him forward, placed his hand on Mal's belly, and her left hand on his neck.

He felt her presence in his mind, but that wasn't unfamiliar, since when he was her lover and blood-bond, she often merged with him during s.e.x. "Can you feel her Kai? Can you feel your granddaughter?"

He wanted to pull his hand away, this was too much, more than he wanted to process right now, but Erin kept his hand in place. "Reach for her, Kai, hear with your heart and not your mind."

With Erin's aid, his mind cleared and he felt something intense, what he did not know.

He looked up at Erin and Mal. "What am I feeling?"

Mal spoke, her eyes glistening. "It's my daughter."

"So you really are pregnant? There really is a child?"

Erin tilted her head. "Kai, you have a granddaughter in here."

He sat stone still, his hand pressing into Mal's abdomen, where he could suddenly feel this baby, and while no words were exchanged, how could they be, he still knew that she told him that she was excited to meet her mother's father.

"f.u.c.k me," he said softly.

His eyes shot to Erin as she said, "Well, if you insist..."

"Not going to happen, Erin. You chew me up and spit me out."

"I suppose I do, at that. Still, you were my best ride ever, Kai. I miss you. Did you patch things up with your girlfriend?"

"She isn't my girlfriend, and now I doubt she will give me the chance."

"Let me fix that." Erin hopped off the chair and headed into the house.

Kai started to stand. "Erin, don't..."

But Mal pulled him back.

"Pop, no. I need to talk to you. I need your help."

He watched Erin disappear into the house and turned back to Mal.

"Are you okay?"

"How can you ask me that? You felt her, I'm amazing!"

Kai smiled. "This is real."

"It's real, Pop. It's too real. Erin says that if Ahmose knew about her, he would come for us. He would never let her stay with me. I need your help. I think..." She paused because she couldn't believe she had to say something like this. "I think I need to disappear. Will you help me?"

The d.a.m.n door opened again. This time, Bev was p.i.s.sed. She rolled over to tell Kai to get the h.e.l.l out, but stopped when she saw that it was the beautiful woman he'd brought with him. Erin came through the door and closed it behind her. "Hi. Bev, isn't it?"

Bev sat up and looked hard at Erin. Good G.o.d, but she was stunning. Bev knew immediately that she had no chance against someone this elegant and lovely.

"What do you want?" Bev barked.