Chapter 88

My breaths came in shallow, measured waves, my hand resting gently on the mound of my swollen belly. The room was quiet, save for the soft rustling of crisp white sheets.

I felt it, a subtle ripple of sensation, the unmistakable sign that the moment I'd been waiting for was drawing near. I couldn't believe it was finally happening and that my dream had turned into a nightmare.

I was having contractions. They were still playing a gentle rhythm, a distant promise that soon my world would transform. I'd prepared for this, read all the books, attended the classes, yet no amount of knowledge could completely dispel the mixture of relief and fear that now surged within me.

Relief, because I might just escape the cold emptiness of the cellar, might bear my child through the natural course of events. I wanted to feel the connection, the raw miracle of life, not be numbed and cut open by some unknown surgeon's hand.

But fear danced at the edges of my consciousness. It was a shadow I couldn't shake, a truth I couldn't avoid. As soon as the baby was born, Noah would turn me into a vampire. He would break the bond between me and Arthur.

Everything would be well and truly lost if that happened.

I stared straight ahead, the cellar walls disappearing as I imagined being in a proper hospital room with Arthur at my side, where I was meant to be. He was smiling down at me, so excited to be a father.

How did it come to this? Memories of our early days together flickered through my mind. The laughter, the whispered promises, the dreams shared under a sky bursting with stars.

All of our dreams had been coming true. We might have taken an unconventional route to get there, but we had gotten there all the same. Our forever had just begun to start.

But now 'forever' held a different meaning. It meant an eternity of darkness, of feeding on the life force of others, of watching those she loved grow old and fade away while I remained unchanged.

The thought made me shudder, a chill coursing through my veins that had nothing to do with the cool cellar air. Even if I couldn't escape that fate, I would do everything in my power to keep my daughter from it.

My fingers traced absent circles on her belly, a silent promise to the life growing within. I would protect this fragile being, shield her from the twisted fate that awaited her at Noah's hands.

But how? The question hung heavy in the air, unanswered and almost unbearable. With the mate bond broken, I had no idea what kind of bond I would form with Noah when he made me a vampire. What if I lost myself in the process?

I just didn't know enough about vampires. I had truly thought they had died out. They were used as a bogeyman of sorts for young werewolves. We weren't taught their history or anything about them, really.

I quite literally had had all the time to ask Noah, but I honestly hadn't wanted to know. But now that the time was coming closer and closer, maybe I should have. I couldn't pretend that everything was going to work out in my favor.

I should be as prepared as possible. That would be the smart thing to do. I made up my mind. The next time that Noah and I were alone, I would ask more about the ritual.

I had been so lost in thought that I hadn't noticed that Noah was coming. When the door creaked open, I jumped. Noah raised an eyebrow at me.

"I'm sorry I startled you, Sweetness. Are you okay?" Noah asked, concern etched into every line on his face.

I wanted to scream that no, I wasn't okay. Who would ever be okay in this type of situation? But I didn't. I couldn't. So I just smiled at him and shook my head.

"I'm okay. I was just distracted, that's all." Which was the truth. Going into the early stages of labor would do that to a person. At least I assumed it was the early stages of labor. What else could it be?

Noah cocked his head and I watched his eyes lose focus for just a second before they zeroed in on my stomach. I stopped breathing. He knew. I didn't know how, but he knew.

He clapped his hands together. "You're going into labor! How delightful. I shall fetch a nurse for you. While I have been alive for quite a long time, I'm afraid this is out of my scope of knowledge. I'll be right back."

Noah immediately left the room. I sighed in relief, glad that he wasn't going to stay and glad that he was actually fetching someone for me. The only thing worse than giving birth in this cellar was the thought that I was going to have to do it alone.

While I waited, I tried to count the seconds between contractions. It wasn't going to be super accurate, but it gave me something to do. It also made me feel like I had the slightest modicum of control.

However, the next contraction did not come before the door was opening again. A nurse entered, her presence a comforting break in the suffocating silence. If she thought any of this was weird, it didn't show. Noah's pockets must run deep.

She offered a gentle smile, one that held years of birthing room experience. "How are you holding up, dear?" she asked as she came to my beside, pulling a cart behind her. She immediately began to hook me up to various machines.

I managed a weak smile in return. "I... I'm not sure. This is my first." I didn't add the fact that I was being held here against my will. I didn't think it would get me anywhere anyway.

The nurse's eyes softened, as if sensing the turmoil within. She had to have an idea about what was going on. But I knew how persuasive money could be. I couldn't fault her for that. I had attached myself to Arthur for that very reason.

"You're doing wonderfully. Remember, you're not alone in this. I'm here to support you."

Support. The word echoed in my ears, a lifeline in a sea of uncertainty. Perhaps there was a way out of this dark destiny, a path that didn't involve surrendering myself and my child to the unending night.

I had support out there. I had an entire pack behind me. I had my parents and my husband. They would never stop looking for me. They would find us, eventually. I just hoped it wasn't too late.

As the contractions continued their rhythmic dance, I felt a surge of determination rise within me. I would find a way to escape Noah's twisted plan. I would protect my child from a fate they didn't choose.

With newfound resolve, I focused on the coming birth, determined to bring my child into a world filled with hope and light, rather than the shadows that threatened to consume us both.