Love Bites by Cari Quinn Page B

the conditions of either group.”
    The words hit her fuzzy brain in a rushed, nonsensical jumble. She wasn’t a latent. She couldn’t be, even though she didn’t know what that really meant.
    So why was she so afraid?
    It was just this situation. Who wouldn’t be fearful after a night like she’d had? She’d had two threesomes with two guys who were convinced they were vampires, and hell, they’d even mostly convinced her. But that didn’t mean she was like them.
    No, she, Sydney Louise Langdon, was normal. Maybe she was overly horny, with questionable decision-making skills, but she wasn’t any kind of vampire, and therefore, certainly couldn’t be pregnant with a vampire’s baby if her birth control had somehow failed.
    If that was even what Luke had tried to suggest. She wasn’t sure.
    Then the taunts at the back of her mind overtook her momentary calm. So why did you want to bite Kellan? And why do you want him to bite you again? That’s hardly normal human behavior .
    Kellan’s roar swiftly cut through her fog.
    “What? You’re telling me she could be pregnant? That you could have impregnated her just now?” He gripped Luke’s shoulders, shaking him hard enough to pop the fillings out of his teeth, had he had any. “Goddamn you, how could you?”
    “I pulled out. You saw that for yourself. She also said last night that she was on the Pill. Besides, even if she were to get pregnant, there’s no reason to think she could carry the baby to term. Vampire blood would likely kill any part-human child, which explains why there are no known cases of a vampire birth that we could find.”
    “You knew the possibility existed and said nothing? You know how unreliable the rhythm method is, you fucking bastard. And birth control is no guarantee.” Kellan seethed with fury. “One sperm. That’s all it takes.”
    Her ears buzzed, her vision blurred. Suddenly, she was so cold, as if the heat of her body had simply drained out of the soles of her feet, leaving her frozen in place.
    I could be pregnant. And I wouldn’t even know who the father is .
    It was the last thought she had before she surrendered to the black.
     
    ***
     
    A low moan roused Kellan from his restless doze.
    He rushed over to the bed and motioned to Luke, who paced by the windows. “She’s coming to.”
    Luke joined him and stared at Sydney. She lay as motionless as a mummy in the center of the bed. They’d swaddled her in every sheet they owned to try to warm her frigid skin, but she had shaken uncontrollably until she’d finally lapsed into full unconsciousness.
    “Finally. She’s been out for hours.”
    “Hours?” Kellan’s head whipped toward his friend. His dolt of a friend. The man he’d wished umpteen times he could slay without benefit of a silver stake or silver-edged axe, neither of which he had handy at the moment. “Try a day and a half!”
    Luke shrugged. “Time’s relative, man. The important thing is, she’s waking. They mentioned this in the book. Latents need a lot of sleep to complete the change, since they don’t require the traditional excessive infusion of blood. She probably scared herself into fainting. Then her body’s craving for rest took over.”
    “And when were you planning on telling me this?”
    He shrugged again. “You haven’t exactly been in a talking mood.”
    “I’ve been frantic over her. And what you might have done to her, you thoughtless bastard.”
    “She’s not pregnant.”
    Luke’s certainty would have made Kellan feel better, had he been able to trust a word that came out of his mouth. Now everything the blasted mate-thief said was suspect.
    Sydney stirred, loosening the sheets around her with her thrashing. She was mumbling something, though she’d yet to open her eyes.
    “Baby, take it easy,” Kellan said soothingly, sitting down on the side of the bed to gather her into his arms. He lowered his face to hers, staying put though her cheek blazed like hot asphalt.