Tall, Dark & Lonely (Pyte/Sentinel #1)(93)

Caroline was a collector. She liked to have unique vampires and people under her control. He should know, he filled a very sought after slot in her collection for a few months over a hundred years ago. An untrained, unmated male Sentinel would be the key to her collection. Once she broke his spirit and his mind that is. Then he would be molded into one of her personal guards or an assassin. He would be perfect for either. Chris’ protection would be training. That was the only thing he could do for him. Madison was a different story all together.

He looked up at her. She mumbled something in her sleep and turned over onto her back. Her hand came to rest on her stomach over her womb where their baby grew. Her life was over as she knew it that is if she survived the birth which wasn’t possible.

All his research years ago turned up frightening accounts. Impregnating a human woman was a very rare feat for a vampire. It happened maybe two or three times every century. Out of those few times it was very rare for a Pyte to be born, a child born of both worlds with unlimited potential. Most of the babies were either stillborn, killing the mother along with it or a natural vampire was born.

A natural vampire was no different from a regular vampire except it was born not made. The mother would also die from the birth. Only the reason of her death was different. She would die from blood loss when her unborn child would rip through the undisturbed womb and attack her heart, the source of the blood.

He already knew what Madison carried, a Pyte, their son. He made damn sure of that the morning he realized that she was pregnant. If he had sensed a natural vampire he would have dragged her to an emergency room and held a gun to the head of any doctor who refused to take it out of her before it was too late.

It was too late to do anything now even if Madison decided to terminate the pregnancy. He could smell the change from here. The womb in a matter of speaking had shut down. The baby’s DNA triggered something in her body and there wasn’t a weapon on earth that would be able to penetrate that womb. Their child was protected from outside interference. Its mother was a different story.

This should have been done months ago. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about her day and night. It was frightening to think of all the little ways a human could come to harm. He’d never given it much thought before, because frankly he couldn’t have given a damn.

Humans were disposable and easily replaceable in his eyes. They all died at some point or another. It was inevitable. He’d sat back and watched countless generations be wiped out only to be replaced by new ones. There was nothing he could do so he never bothered on an individual level. The only time he stepped in to help was for a monumental injustice.

The American Civil War had him traveling as a ship’s cook to Boston back in 63’. After the war he stayed in Boston and took his first policing job. When he couldn’t stay any longer he returned home to take up a position with Scotland Yard where he stayed until that one little mishap in November of ’88.

He f**ked up big time. He was supposed to make the arrest not drain him, but what else was he supposed to do the bastard when he was covered in blood? A mistake, it had been a huge mistake to go on duty without eating first.

They stationed him in Whitechapel to keep an eye on the girls. He meant to get a bite to eat before his shift, but thanks that notorious little shit all the working women were hesitant to go off into the dark with a man. So, when the little shit he was looking for literally stumbled into him what was he supposed to do? He drained him and tossed his body into a pauper’s grave. After that he was too disgusted with his lack of restraint and gave up his human façade.

From there he hid out in vampire covenants, trying to figure out the meaning of his life. He was searching for something or someone. If he had only known the person he was looking for wouldn't be born for another century he would have done a lot of things differently.

He went from war to war, touring the world, looking for the one thing missing in his life. After the second war he found himself traveling back to the states where he’d been ever since, taking up rooms in boardinghouses all over the country. It wasn’t much of a life he was now realizing. Things could be so different for him now and he knew the reason.

Madison.

She could be with him from now on along with the children. They could enjoy life and travel the world. They could make a real difference in this world along with the Sentinels. He could be happy. They could be happy. He’d been so stupid to wait this long.

Now it wasn’t just his happiness at stake, but Madison’s life was very much on the line. She was in so much danger and not just from the birth. Caroline was a vindictive bitch as well as a collector. She hadn’t taken rejection well all those years ago and his obvious affection for Madison just threw more gas onto the fire. She would not stop now until she had Madison and his son under her thumb.

He couldn’t allow that. Madison was everything good in this world. She deserved a long happy life. She wasn’t going to pay for his mistakes or suffer alone for their love. He had to fix this now.

She might hate him after this and he couldn't blame her. There was a very good possibility that she would never talk to him again. It would hurt like hell, but at least she would be safe. She would be alive and well. That’s all that mattered. She could go on with her life and find another man, live her life and do whatever she wanted. It would hurt every second of every day, but he would find peace in her happiness.