Adriel
In the months that passed, Caleb found it easier to drink blood. The positive association helped, and soon he was able to down a glass without my help - although I’m sure he would have appreciated it regardless.
We were at Maxwell’s office for a scheduled ultrasound. The doctor hummed as he set up the machine. This time, we weren’t alone. Benji and Pierce, along with Lark, tagged along to see their new unborn family member. Not wanting to be by himself, Theo joined us as well. He seemed excited to be an uncle again so soon after the first time.
“A lot of you in here, huh?” Maxwell asked as he rubbed the jelly on Caleb’s swollen belly. Caleb winced at the sharp cold sensation.
“Can you blame us?” Pierce asked. “Our strange little family is about to get even bigger.”
“Strange indeed,” Maxwell mumbled. “I never even thought it would be medically possible for a human omega to bear half-vampire children - or that vampires evenexisted- but here we are, I suppose.”
Caleb groaned. “I know I should be excited about the baby coming soon, but it sucks being this big. I feel like a beach ball.”
Indeed, Caleb had grown particularly large. I felt it was partially my fault, since he was such a small-framed young man, and I was quite tall.
“You’re incredibly handsome,” I promised him. “Even more so when you’re bearing my child.”
Caleb blushed.
“Yeah, you have thatglowing parentlook about you,” Theo added as he leaned against Maxwell. “Which is totally weird, by the way. Why does that happen? Any ideas, doctor?”
“Go away!” Maxwell complained, shooing Theo. “I’m trying to perform a procedure here.”
Theo grinned but backed off.
Pierce and I exchanged a curious glance. A coy smirk played on his lips. He didn’t have to say it out loud for me to know what he was thinking.
He asked the silent question:Those two?
I nodded ever so slightly - not enough for Theo or Maxwell to notice.Definitely.
As intrigued as I was about my brother and the doctor’s growing friendship, I was more interested in my mate - and our child. I waited impatiently for Maxwell to finish the ultrasound.
Meanwhile, Lark fussed in her dad’s arms. “Ga!”
“Yes, ga,” Benji assured her. “Are you excited to see your cousin?”
Lark nibbled on his arm in reply.
“Ow!” Benji yelped. “Watch the teeth, baby girl…”
“Oh god,” Caleb complained. “What ifourbaby tries to eat me, too? After all that blood I had to drink…”
“You’ll both be fine,” I told him, then glanced over to Maxwell. For the first time I noticed the uncomfortable knot in his brow. “What’s taking so long, doctor?”
“Um…” Maxwell mumbled. “Well. Oh dear. There appears to be a bit of a problem.”
Caleb shot up and cried, “What?”
Instantly I felt a shot of dread. “What is it?”
Maxwell pursed his lips as he gently pushed Caleb back down and moved the ultrasound instrument around his belly. “You see? Right here.” He pointed to the screen. We huddled to see it, but in my sudden anxiety, it was difficult to read the image.
“Just tell me what’s happening!” Caleb snapped.
Maxwell looked startled. “You can’t see it?”
Caleb was about to tear the doctor’s head off before Theo stepped in. He patted Maxwell on the back and murmured, “Bedside manner, remember? Not everyone’s a doctor like you. We don’t get these things.”
