Page 42 of Death Dance

“Well, I was acting to make certain Pepper was secure in her future. It’s your fault for involving yourself.”

I snickered at the cordial war between my father and my husband. “My father has won that round, Emerick. Just accept it. He’s playing with a full deck of cards, he knows the rules, and you’re just trying to figure out his game. Just be happy he actually likes you.”

“I’m quite grateful he likes me, as I would be a smear in the location of his choice should he not.”

My brothers laughed, and Alisander grinned at us. “When our old man told us about you, we had concocted several ruthless plans to free you from that vampire’s clutches. Eugene was actually against the plan because he likes your husband.”

“I appreciate that, Eugene.”

Eugene grinned at Emerick. “They like you, but they’re going to posture for Pepper because they can. Our father was not happy with our constant requests for a little sister.”

That was one party I would be joining with enthusiasm. “Father, I demand you find me a good stepmother and provide me with a little sister.”

My father raised a brow. “Your brothers should not be a bad influence on you already.”

“They’re a good influence. With the new information I have at my disposal, I have come to the conclusion I am the perfect daughter. It’s not a mug, but you have my blessing to have another perfect daughter.”

Emerick snickered. “Your father is already going to be an instant legend for being your father, Pepper. If he has two daughters, the majority of the preternatural community will faint away from shock. If it was easy for vampiric couples to have girls, we would be rolling in daughters and have no sons.”

Alisander snickered. “It’s true, Pepper. Most vampires want sons to protect the daughters they never have. I know a vampire who has had over a hundred children, all sons. Most of his sons are still alive, too—and they have had many sons without a single daughter in sight. What are the current odds of having a daughter, Dad?”

“I would say perhaps one in every hundred thousand births are a daughter.” My father shrugged. “We had your ultrasound checked four times because we were shocked you were actually a girl. When the doctor asked, I simply said the last time I was checked, I had predominantly male sperm and was told I would never be having a daughter.”

I admired how my father lied while using nothing but the truth. “I guess we’re going to have to settle for trying for a daughter or two, Emerick. It seems my father is not up for the challenge of having a hundred thousand children hoping for another daughter.”

My husband burst into laughter. “Personally, I will be content with happy and healthy.”

Well, he had me there. “Happy and healthy is a good start. Father, I recommend that you encourage these brothers of mine to try for girls. If they are busy trying for daughters, they won’t be getting into trouble elsewhere.”

My father sighed and shook his head. “When they are ready to have sons and daughters, they will charm women, make the appropriate arrangements, and have them.”

“We’re the marrying kind,” Eugene informed me in a solemn tone. “I do not understand why my father is not.”

“I grew up in a society where women often died in labor, so men would have numerous wives, often at the same time. My father, before I was born, had four wives—they all passed during childbirth when I was young, leaving my mother as the sole survivor.” My father sighed. “It was well enough none of my family survived. They would not have adapted well to being vampires. They were gentle people because my grandfather and uncles had created the circumstances so they could remain gentle. I was… more balanced… than the rest of my family.”

I could understand that.

My father had the capacity of good and evil, and for most of my life, I had only seen the evils without understanding how they had been founded in love and a hope for my survival.

I thrived because of his choices.

“You are not having any extra wives on my watch,” I informed my husband in a solemn tone. “I do not share with other women.”

He laughed. “Why would I want any extra wives when I already have the best wife? That would be like trading our penthouse for a studio apartment in the slums that doesn’t have hot water or electricity.”

I shuddered at that thought. “I’m domesticated now, and I do not wish to return to my street fending ways.”

“I appreciate your survival skills, but I would rather you enjoy hot baths and electricity. But when you are ready to try for a daughter, I’ll make the arrangements for the extra blood, we’ll interview the donors so you can see which women you like and wish to keep company with, and otherwise make preparations in the penthouse.”

I frowned. “Wait. I thought I just needed female blood to help with the hormones?”

“Our brood has the donors help support the pregnant women, and we, as a family, learn better parenting from them, as they have had to fill all roles in the household. Pregnant women in our brood tend to want to be around little children, and this fills that need. The companionship also helps reduce stress, and when labor does start, there are more hands around to help with tasks. We’ve been doing this for maybe a hundred years, and it has really helped with stress levels.”

Huh. “Hey, Dad? How normal is it for broods to do that?”

“Your brood is quite unusual with its practices, but those practices have paid off, so it’s becoming more common. My brood communally rears children, so we don’t need to rely as heavily on any blood donors. However, we also are more secretive, so we try to prevent donors from realizing what we’re up to. I have a special blood bank program that we use to acquire female blood when needed,” my father replied, and he smiled. “Both ways work well. However, I’ll come over after this mess is finished and work with your brood on how to improve your communal practices. That’s a large part of how we got away with raising Pepper as we did. We always had a brood vampire nearby making certain everything went smoothly.”

“Pepper’s care requirements far surpass the norm.” Emerick shrugged, and he stole one of the unclaimed pieces of cheesecake and passed it to me. “You’ll want the extra calories since you’ll be carving tonight. I do have a question, however. What did you mean about Pepper’s abilities with stakes earlier? I have not been able to understand your point.”