"We may have to." Cornelius replied. "Let me work on it, maybe I can figure something out." I nodded, then left him to the testing. Wandering to the library, I found Alexandre in his usual seat by the fireplace. He looked up and smiled warmly at me when I entered, holding out a hand to me. He helped me sit, then picked up a book on the table beside us.
"Still reading this one, or should I go fetch another?" He questioned me.
"That one's fine, thank you" I responded. Alexandre smiled again and placed a kiss on my forehead before laying both hands on the sides of my stomach. Whenever he spoke it seemed like the baby gravitated towards him these days.
"She's hardly ever still, how do you sleep?" Alexandre laughed.
"I don't." I replied and yawned. He laughed again, his loud, full laugh and it echoed around the library.
"Well for someone who doesn't sleep, you have been spending a lot of time in bed." He teased and kissed me on the forehead again.
"Hey!" I swatted at him and he dodged, catching my right hand and kissing the back of my fingers. He went around the small table to sit, still holding my hand, playing with my fingers in that absent way of his.
"How are you feeling, truly?" Alexandre asked softly and I looked at him.
"Just tired. She keeps me awake and I feel like she's draining my energy. Vampire pun intended." I laughed. Alexandre's expression soured.
"You're only a couple of weeks away, perhaps we should induce.." Alexandre suggested.
"No." I said sharply. He avoided my gaze, but I could see his muscles tighten. I sighed. "Look, she's already started to drop, Cornelius said it won't be long now. She may even arrive earlier than we expected. She's positioned correctly and everything, so don't worry so much, ok?" I squeezed his hand. Alexandre sighed and picked up his book.
"Just don't keep it to yourself if you're suffering, ok?" Alexandre requested, looking at me intently, and I chuckled.
"Like I ever do. But fine, can I keep you two horn dogs off my tail for a while? It's the boobs isn't it?" I taunted, referencing the recent drastic size increase. Alexandre growled softly, then leaned across the table to give me a soft kiss on the cheek.
"Never." He whispered in my ear and I felt a shudder run down my spine.
"Ah crud." I said and sat up straighter.
"What is it?" Alexandre snapped to attention as I gripped my lower stomach.
"False labor. Go back to work, I'm going to try to walk it off." I waved a hand at him. I stood awkwardly from the couch in his study, he jumped to assist me and walked me to the door.
"Are you sure?" Alexandre worried. "Have you even picked a birthing method yet? Carys, you need to be making these decisions, there are so few days left..."
"Calm down mother hen." I replied gently and kissed him. "The baby's gonna do her thing regardless of what I choose, and we don't know for sure Cornelius and you won't need to medically intervene. Let's just see how it goes, ok?" I patted his cheek. "But for the record, a squatting birth sounds best." I left the room, chuckling at his worried expression. Cornelius met me in the hall.
"Braxton Hicks are getting more frequent, aren't they?" He asked.
"Yeah, a little stronger too. Practice." I shrugged. Cornelius looked as if he had his own thoughts on that but held his tongue.
"She's dropped lower." He observed, eyeing my midriff.
"My bladder knows." I replied uncomfortably.
"I think it would be better if you moved closer to the birthing suite." Cornelius stated abruptly.
"What? Now?" I panicked, turning to look for Alexandre who appeared instantly, a scared look on his face.
"No, no, slip of the tongue. I meant to say, you should change sleeping arrangements so you're closer to the birthing suite. I really do believe it's going to be any day now. Alexandre, we need to prep the med room in case of emergency c-section, get everything ready." Cornelius instructed and before I knew it they had bolted off, leaving me alone in the hall. I shook my head. Crazy vampires. I decided to go out to visit Luc, since it might be the last time I saw him for a while. The false contractions stopped well before I reached the stables, and I gratefully breathed a sigh of relief as I opened the door and walked in.
"Hello Luc." I called softly.
"It's you again." He huffed, then there was a pause. "You smell different. It's almost time isn't it?" I walked towards him.
"Yeah." I replied softly. "I just wanted to come out here and let you know I might not be able to visit for a while, but I will try to bring your niece as soon as I can to show her to you." He bared his teeth.
"Like I would care or want to see that abomination." He spat.
"I think that's not necessarily true. I think you're starting to look forward to my little visits." I teased. He turned his head away.
"Look, I know we had to cut your blood supply, and I'm really sorry for that. They were trying to protect me because of all the craziness out there." I waved a hand. "But I can at least offer you one last meal before I go. If you want it." I approached him cautiously and bit my finger deeply so the blood poured freely. He turned his head away, the chains rattled with his movement.
"Take it away, you filthy broodmare." He sighed.
"Now you don't mean that." I replied gently and stepped forward to reach his lips, tracing them as I had done before. The blood dripped freely from his mouth and he subconsciously licked it away. The thirst took over his eyes and he took my finger in his mouth and sucked at it eagerly, suddenly turning to stare at me with wide eyes like I had somehow betrayed him. The door burst open and Alexandre came through, growling. He ran to where I was and yanked me away from Luc with a snarl, looking at my bleeding hand like his brother had committed an unforgivable sin.
"You!" He snarled, but I lay a hand on his chest.
"I offered, Alexandre. I don't know how long it'll be before he'll be fed again." I said softly, trying to calm him, but his growl only increased. "Alexandre, he's your brother, allow me to care for him while you can't." Alexandre blinked at me.
"Why would you want to?" He asked, anguished. "He tried to kill you!" He had a tight grip on my shoulders and was nearly shaking me. I looked at Luc who was also staring at me in disbelief.
"Because I don't think I could give up on my sister, if the situations were reversed. And there's a chance, no matter how slim, that our blood can help, can make things better between you.. and I.. don't want the two of you to hurt anymore." My eyes began to tear up. "I spent so much time hurting myself, I just want to fix this one thing, please? Can't I try to fix it?" I whispered and looked at Alexandre pleadingly. He pulled me to him immediately and I buried my head in his chest. I could hear his heartbeat stutter.
"Fix it. As if there's anything here to be fixed. As if I'm broken." Luc sneered. I looked at Luc, but Alexandre clutched my head against his chest, covering my eyes, as if trying to protect me. "You're delusional little girl. The monster you cling to is the one that needs to be fixed., and the only way to fix it is to destroy it, and everything it has ruined by touching." Alexandre snarled at Luc and I heard him pick something up off the floor and then a solid crunch and thud as it impacted. Luc coughed and the fresh scent of blood wafted across the room.
"My wife has shown you nothing but kindness, despite the way you have treated her. And yet this is how you continue to repay her?" Alexandre snarled.
"Wife? Last time I looked, you were living in sin." Luc wheezed, his voice still held a note of condescension. Alexandre growled again. "You've made her nothing better than a whore." Luc spat and the sound of something wet landing on the concrete floor hit me right before the smell of blood came again, stronger. Alexandre lost control this time and flew at his brother. There was a tire iron buried in Luc's chest that Alexandre twisted mercilessly. I heard bone crack and flesh tear as he yanked it downward viciously, still buried in Luc's torso. Blood ran freely down Luc's body, spattering on the floor and into the plastic kiddie pool. Luc laughed maniacally.
"Finally, Alexandre, are you going to end it all? Why don't you let me free so this can be a more even fight?" Luc wheezed and coughed up more blood. I don't know how he spoke at all with the tire iron buried in his lung. I ran forward and grabbed Alexandre's hand.
"Alexandre, no." I whispered, he looked at me, rage and bloodlust filled his eyes, but his expression gentled as he saw me.
"Why are you letting your female decide your battles? Is she also going to fight for you?" Luc coughed. I put a hand on his chest as well.
"Luc. Surely you're not looking to die today?" I asked him quietly. He blanched, but the sneer never left his face. He averted his gaze.
"Get out of my sight or let me down so I can fight properly." Luc growled. Alexandre pulled the tire iron from Luc's body with a sickening sucking sound and Luc slumped with a snarl.
"Let's go Carys." Alexandre said, tossing the tire iron down. I nodded once, but before following, sunk my teeth into the fleshy part of my palm.