“I love you, vampire king. I can’t wait for us to be a family.”
Lucy
The party isin full swing. If I’m not careful, my stuck up vamp husband might just ask me to dance.
I take a seat with an internalized groan, given my back is hurting from standing around so long. The last thing I want is Dominik in full domineering mode to drag me away from my own party.
There’s no way I’m leaving, not when somehow Kezia has arranged for The Killers to start blasting, and all my friends are getting it down on the dance floor with a bunch of bemused vamps and dragon shifters. Lydia in particular is getting plenty of attention, but then she was always a show off.
I spot Eliza in the corner, as always. She gives me a smile which I know is her trying to convince herself she is okay. What on earth possessed her to leave England and come to study in Budapest, I have no idea, but at least Grace and I are going to be around if she needs us.
A twinge in my back is enough I release a softohat the pain.
“My dove?” Dominik growls in my ear. “Are you well?”
“Absolutely. Completely and utterly fine,” I respond rapidly. Probably too rapidly.
“Do you wish to dance? Your friends seem very taken with this music.”
“Spoken like a true vampire who loves opera.” I laugh at him, but then my back does the thing again and I stop.
“I do not like opera,” Dominik grumbles.
“Then you need to learn to love The Killers.” I use my hand to squeeze at my back. This time the pain isn’t going away.
“I prefer Florence and the Machine,” Dominik says. “If we’re going to be tossing around band names.”
“Suitably gothic for a vampire,” I say, but I’m distracted by the pain now.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks me, crouching down in front of me and placing his hands on my knees. His usual dark eyes have a slight red glow.
“I’m tired. It’s been a long day, even if the ceremony was reasonably short.”
“I miss the old days when we were expected to bite our brides publicly,” Dominik says.
“And just how many brides have you bitten?”
“How long have you got?” He’s still looking at me with concern.
“That many…oh!”
This time the pain is accompanied by something else…something wet.
“Lucy?”
“I think my waters broke, Dominik.” I clutch at my stomach. “But I’m not due yet…Grace went two weeks over her due date.” I gasp.
In the blink of an eye, I’m in his arms, and we’re somehow in the air, somehow flying. The pain gets worse, and I cling to my vampire with everything I have, only I’m not sure it’s enough.
“Hey.” The soft voice of Éva is accompanied by a cool hand on my forehead. “You’re okay,” she says.
I’m in a white room which smells like a hospital. Dominik stands by the bed doing his best to be brooding and not terrified.
“Is everything okay?” I ask. “Is the baby okay?”
“Of course.” She shakes her head and smiles. “Your mate did the right thing bringing you here, but given you’re not entirely sure about dates, you’re going to be fine.”
I feel a hand slip into mine and look up to see Dominik.
