Dangerous Lives

Chapter Three

RPOV

I was pregnant. Nathan had tests done to confirm it. I had no idea how it was possible. I never thought it was possible. Strigoi were dead... weren't they? But Nathan had a beating heart. I could hear it when he was on top of me. It was quiet, not as powerful as a normal heart, but alive and beating nonetheless.

After thinking long and hard about those newly discovered facts, and having nothing else to do all day but look at a stupid foreign magazine and stare at the ceiling fan, I came to the conclusion: Strigoi were living creatures and they could reproduce. I didn't know if female Strigoi could. I mean, it's known that their bodies are incapable of changing so maybe it was just the males.

It dawned on me that they knew this could happen. I knew they knew because Nathan had talked about it. I hadn't thought much about his small comments of children other than he wanted sex.

It was another day pain. Another day of lust. I needed the bite that Nathan refused to give me. He'd said I'd need my blood. Whatever the hell that meant. It had been three weeks and I'd become so desperate that I would even beg Adrian when we met up in my dreams. I knew it made no sense, because, well, it was a dream and it wasn't real but I couldn't handle the addiction. I was an addict. There. I said it. I was an addict and nothing I could do would change that.

Adrian continued to tell me that they were looking. He said they would never give up looking for me. Looking. That didn't mean they would ever find me. I'd started to hope they never would. It was Nathan's fault. He'd told me this would happen. Said eventually I'd never want to leave him. But it wasn't him that I wanted. It was his endorphins that made the bite pleasurable.

Nathan refused to remove the chain around my neck. I was throwing up a lot. He'd given me a bucket. That wasn't what I had in mind. I'd begged him to let me loose but he'd thrown me as far the chains could allow. The bathroom was so close but the chain was so short.

As it turned out I'd been pregnant for a little over three and a half months. That's what Nathan's Moroi doctor had said. I could tell she was willingly working with them. She didn't look scared or nervous and she was always dressed nice when she came in to check on me.

Nathan slept next to me and I felt a twinge of jealousy. I just knew that he'd gone hunting last night. "Rose." He mumbled in his sleep. His eyes were closed, but his arms easily found me. I rested my head on his arm. I needed to sleep. Unfortunately sleep didn't come easily to me any more. The sun was up. The clock on the nightstand read 12. Sighing, I pressed my face into his chest. He smelled like trees.

Nathan had given me an XL tshirt saying that he didn't want to go buy me maternity clothes. He said this was easier. I still wore my sweatpants, though they were started to get tight. I had to wear them on low on my hips.

"Little Damphir." Adrian said, hugging me. When had I fallen asleep? He was smiling slightly. "I was wondering when you'd finally pass out. How's the kid?" My hands were shaking. I hid them behind my back.

"Doing well, I think." I said quietly looking around. I started bouncing on my knee. He knew what the problem was immediately.

"You know I can't." He said sincerely. I nodded once and closed my eyes. "You're going to be okay." I shook my head.

"I... can't do this Adrian." I told him. "It hurts." He looked like he wanted to hold me but he knew and I knew that it was a bad idea. At least I knew I wasn't in the right mind. If I hadn't realized that I wouldn't have been able control what I said to him. "I just... I need it." I was still bouncing and closed my eyes again. I could feel tears starting to break the surface. "It hurts soo much." Adrian sighed.