Page 136 of Burn Falls
Calla nodded. “Great-Grandma Gael got pregnant by a vampire named Renzo which means that we,” she motioned between herself, Al and Betha, “all have vampire venom in our veins. Renzo, in 1928, turned Draven and Athan into vampires and a few weeks ago, I almost died. Draven saved me by turning me, and The Mother of Vampires gifted us the ability to have a pure vampire baby.” Calla turned and flattened her sweater over her belly—a sweater in May—to show her growing belly.
The room was silent, and then Valencia started to laugh. “Good one. I almost believed it for a second there.”
“I’m not joking,” Calla stated. “Think about it, V. Think about you and Athan …”
Calla trailed off, and the moment it clicked in Valencia’s head, her eyes widened, and she looked at Athan, who stood next to her.
“You’re a vampire?” she asked, looking up at him.
He nodded. “Yep.”
“We’re vampires?” Al asked.
Calla shook her head. “No, you and Betha just have vampire traits.”
“And Dad?” Betha asked.
“He had all of the traits,” Shauna stated. “He was fast, strong, and had the reflexes like a cat.”
“Can you turn us too?” Al asked.
“No,” Calla stated.
“You’re a vampire!” Valencia shouted at Athan. “Don’t you think that’s something you should tell someone you’re sleeping with?” She shoved at his chest, but he didn’t move. “And you!” She spun around to face Calla. “You didn’t think to tell me that you almost died?”
The next night, Calla and I married in Martin’s backyard. Valencia was still shooting daggers at Athan, but it seemed that she had forgiven Calla. Martin married us, and everything on my end was perfect. Calla was perfect, and that was all that mattered.
“Are you going to carry me over the threshold?” Calla asked after the limo we’d rented dropped us off at the hotel.
“You bet I am.”
Athan had already checked into the hotel for us and given me the key to the room. Without further hesitation, I bent and swung Calla into my arms. Her poofy white dress went into her face, and she laughed.
“I can’t wait to get this thing off.”
I walked into the hotel and headed straight for the elevators. “I can’t wait to take it off of you.” I pressed the call button for the lift, and the doors opened. With Calla in my arms, I stepped inside and pressed the correct floor number.
“You wanna try for eight tonight?” Calla smirked and looked up at me.
“Reading my mind?” I teased. In the last few months since her turning, we had been steadily increasing the number because our sex life was electric—even if she was pregnant. At first, I was worried I would hurt the baby, but it was a pure vampire, and I assumed it would be stronger than both of us.
“Nope, but we’ve come a long way since one.”
“Yeah, sweets, we have.” I opened the door to our room and gave my wife what she wanted.
Luna grew inside Calla at a rapid rate, and Calla gave birth to her after only six months pregnant. I’d ended up keeping the ultrasound machine (after making a donation to the doctor’s office so they could replace it), and I delivered Luna into the world in a room we set up for Calla to give birth.
Looking at Luna now, in the backseat, you’d think we had her two years ago. She was already a toddler. I didn’t know when she’d stop growing because I’d never encountered one of her kind before, but I was certain she would look like an adult in a few years.
I took Calla’s hand in mine as I drove. “Are you okay, sweets?”
“Can’t believe it’s been a year already.”
“Yeah.” It had been a year since I pulled the plug on Miles. If he had gone with Donovan to Chicago, I wasn’t sure if I would have ever met Calla. Though, a part of me knew that our paths would have crossed at some point given we are soulmates.
“Do I have a present too?” Luna asked for the backseat, taking me out of my thoughts.
Calla turned to face her. “No, baby. You already opened all of your presents on Christmas.”
