He was her strength. Her courage.
And she was so damned grateful to have him with her. She didn't want to face the end alone. Wulf wouldn't let her. He would be there with her, even though it was going to kill him to see her die. He would hold her hand, and when she was gone, she would be remembered throughout time.
"I don't even know the name of my grandmother."
Wulf frowned. "What?"
"I don't know my grandmother's name. My mother died before I could ask. Phoebe said she'd never thought to ask either. I don't know what either she or my grandfather looked like. I only know my father's parents from pictures. I was just thinking that I will be only a picture to the baby. He will look at me as I used to look at them. Abstract people. Never really real."
His eyes sparked with intensity. "You will be real to him, Cassandra. I promise you."
How she hoped that was true. He enveloped her in his arms and held her close. Cassandra held on, needing his warmth. She pushed the regret and pain out of her mind. There was nothing she could do. Inevitable meant inevitable. At least she had this moment in time. She burst out laughing and crying at the same time.
Wulf pulled back and stared at her in confusion.
"I'm sorry," she said, trying to control her emotions. "I was just thinking of that stupid song, 'Seasons in the Sun. 'You know, 'we had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.' Good grief, I should be a mental patient."
He wiped her tears away and kissed her cheeks. His warm lips burned her skin. "You have more strength than any warrior I have known. Don't ever apologize to me again for those few times when you show your fear to me, Cassandra."
The love she felt for him ran through her, choking her up even more than her regrets. "I love you, Wulf," she breathed. "More than I think I have ever loved anything else."
Wulf couldn't breathe as he heard those heartfelt words. They tore through him like shattering glass.
"I love you too," he said, his throat tightening at the truth of it. He didn't want to let her go. Ever. But there was nothing he could do to stop it. Cassandra gasped as he kissed her passionately. He finished undressing her in a fever pitch. She unbuttoned his shirt and when they couldn't find a way to remove it or his jacket, Wulf tore them off.
She laughed at the sight of him. But the laughter stopped the instant he laid his hot, heavy body against hers and returned to her lips. He rolled over onto his back and pulled her on top of him. He always took great care with her so as not to press against her stomach or hurt either her or the baby.
His eyes searing, he placed her on top of him. They both groaned the minute he entered her. They made love furiously, each aware of the fact that for them the end was racing toward them. Aware that as every day passed, they were nearing an outcome that neither of them could control or avoid. It was frightening.
Cassandra cried out as she came in a wave of molten passion. Wulf pulled her against him as he joined her. Their joined hands rested on the bed above their heads. Wulf laced his fingers in hers and made her a ragged promise.
"I will not let you go without a fight."
Chapter 15
The next few weeks went by in a blur as Cassandra finished the baby's memory box. For the first time in her life, she actually felt safe somewhere. It was a glorious feeling.
Chris and Kyra, the so-called Apollite babe Chris had found, spent a lot of time in the apartment. Kyra was a pleasant woman who would often pretend that she couldn't remember Wulf just to annoy him.
The tall, thin Apollite would look at him guilelessly and ask, "Do I know you?"
It irritated Wulf but amused everyone else. As the pregnancy progressed, Cassandra realized another reason why Daimons couldn't have children. She became increasingly needful of blood. Her biweekly transfusions turned into daily ones, and for the past two weeks, she'd needed two to three of them a day.
The increase worried her. Did it mean the baby would be more Apollite than human?
Dr. Lakis had told her it really had no bearing on the baby's biology and that she should relax. But it was hard for her. All night long, Cassandra had been rather depressed and too tired to move. She'd gone to bed early, even before dawn, wanting to rest and just be comfortable for a few minutes.
Wulf came in and woke her up long enough to ask her how she was. "I'm sleeping," she snapped. "Leave me alone."
He'd held his hands up in surrender, laughed good-naturedly, and then curled up around her. She had to admit she loved the feeling of him there. The sensation of his hand on her stomach.