Heavenly Blood

25 - Alec

"You have given us quite a scare."

I opened my eyes to see Max in a chair next to me. Just beyond her was my wife in her bed. I didn't want to take it her features. I couldn't take the pain anymore. Max moved to block my view. She held the back of my head, tipping it back to pour a liquid down my throat. It was less than a shot but I lapped the elixir hungrily. Only Angel blood consumed my need like that.

"Who's was that?" I asked finally.

"Isla. They tried giving Alice some of her blood to increase her supply. It's just made the situation worse," Max sighed, "But she thought as an artery was open might as well take some for feeding time at the zoo."

I smirked half heartily. I felt ashamed for fainting and now also for my lineage. Dravon was our father and now I was killing my wife with our children. Max, I know, could see the pain in my face. She slipped her hand into mine. I could see by the creases in her face, the news bothered her also. There was nothing to say in that moment, so we remained silent. I let my body strengthen before attempting to get up from bed. I stumbled and first but managed to sit on the edge, Max's watchful eye on me.

"What are the options?" I asked finally.

"Change her or don't change her," Max replied.

I gritted my teeth, "And the likely outcomes?"

"If you change her she will likely be around long enough to give birth to the vampire baby," Max replied, "It's the only option of the two where she will survive labour, but this comes with the consequence of killing the Angelic baby."

I swallowed, "And potentially her."

Max nodded, "Alternatively you don't change her and risk all three lives. As she is, she won't be strong enough to carry either one of the children and the rate of degeneration in her body will only accelerate from this point forward. Either way no one can say for certain that any of them will live or die."

"What do you think I should do?" I asked.

"What does it matter what I think?" She replied.

"It matters," I responded harshly, "Because you are my sister and her friend. In Alice's absence I look to you for answers."

"I can't give you..."

"Opinion then," I cried irritated, "I don't want to see her suffer in pain if I decide to change her without you also agreeing. I don't want anyone coming out of this smug."

"You really think..."

"I don't know!" I shouted, my emotions breaking, "I just don't know anymore. Either way I'm the reason she dies. I need an outside perspective. What would you do if you were me."

She didn't even hesitate, "Change her. And do it now. The longer we wait the weaker she becomes and the less likely she is to survive."

"That involves draining her of all blood," I murmured, "Then dipping my own down her throat...that is if I do it quick enough and by that point I haven't over dosed on her blood."

Max closed her eyes, "You always neglect to say the last part."

"What part?" I winced as I took to standing.

"The part that endangers your life," Max replied, "The fact that even if you do everything right and she lives, you could die."

I shook my head, "No ones ever thinks about the consequence on the vampire. All we are ever seen as is the monster." I sighed, "And after today I feel more like a monster than ever."

Max opened her mouth as if to reply but abruptly closed it again. With the span of a day I had managed to make Alice want to kill herself, be on the verge of death because of our babies, learnt I am the son of the most blood thirty bastard on the planet and was now contemplating putting Alice through the most incomparable pain on the off chance that it doesn't kill her and saves her instead. Not only that but I was having to pick between my children also. Bite her and choose the vampire, leave her and hope to deliver the Angel. I stumbled over to her bedside, picking up her hand. I wanted desperately to hold it but the icy nature of her now blue skin cause even I too much pain. Very little was understood about Angels, even by themselves. Enough was known of Vampires and Demons to be able to heal them to some degree but Angels were left while loved ones watched helplessly as they died. I closed my eyes as they slowly drew to her face. I wanted to remember her as herself.