Page 49 of The Mafia Bloodline
“And you love me for it,” I whispered against his lips.
His answering growl was low, affectionate. “Every impossible part.”
When the kiss broke, he sighed, brushing his thumb along my cheekbone. “Fine. The doctor can wait until tomorrow night. But you’re resting. No arguments.”
I smiled, tired but lighter than I had felt in days. “You’re bossy when you’re scared.”
“I’m bossy because I care,” he countered dryly, already tugging me toward the bed.
We lay down together, his arm curving protectively around me, hand splayed across my abdomen like a silent promise. The weight of his touch was grounding, even as the night outside lightened toward dawn.
“Sleep, little one,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to my hair. “When I wake, we’ll call the doctor. But for now…” He exhaled slowly, the tension easing from his body. “For now, it’s just us.”
I leaned into him, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat under my cheek.
And as the first faint rays of sunlight brushed the windows, I let myself drift into warmth, into peace, into the impossible reality that inside me, part of him was growing.
I was petrified, with everything going on I didn’t know if bringing a baby into this world would be the right thing to do, but with this little piece of me and him inside me, the future didn’t seem so dark.
***
The next evening came slowly, as though the sun itself refused to set fast enough.
Volken didn’t leave my side once. Even as dusk crept into the edges of the sky and the vampires stirred from their daylight sleep, he stayed, one arm slung protectively around me while we lay tangled in the sheets. Every so often, I’d catch him glancing toward the door or the window, like he expected the world to shatter in on us before the doctor could arrive.
When the knock finally came, three sharp raps, he was on his feet before I could blink.
“Stay here,” he said, voice all command again.
“Volken,” I murmured, sitting up. “I’m pregnant, not dying.”
That earned me a look, one of those icy, cutting ones that would’ve terrified anyone else. But I’d learned that behind that stare was nothing, but fear wrapped in armour. He sighed,shaking his head once, before muttering, “You drive me insane,” and gesturing for me to stay seated anyway.
The doctor entered quietly, escorted by Colt and Ivan. A familiar man, he was tall, greying at the temples, calm in the way only someone used to dealing with immortal tempers could be. He’d served the Dragic family for decades, unflappable even in the face of vampires who could crush steel in their bare hands.
“Volken,” he greeted smoothly, nodding toward me. “And this must be the reason for your call.”
“She’s been nauseous, dizzy,” Volken said, hovering near me like I might dissolve. “And she thinks…”
“I can talk for myself,” I cut in, frowning at Volken. “I think I’m pregnant.”
The doctor gave me an amused smile, setting down his case. “Well, let’s find out, shall we?”
Volken didn’t move far, just enough to give the doctor space while still close enough that his presence felt like a protective wall. The examination was gentle but thorough; the doctor asked quiet questions, checked my vitals, then ran a small handheld scanner over my lower stomach, a modern piece of tech the brothers had adapted to monitor hybrid physiology.
When the faint rhythmic sound filled the room, a fluttering heartbeat, Volken’s eyes snapped to mine and everything stopped.
For a heartbeat of my own, I didn’t breathe, and then I looked at the screen, saw the small, grainy outline that the doctor turned toward us. It didn’t look like much. Just a blur. But my heart knew before my brain did.
“There,” the doctor said softly. “That’s your child.”
My breath caught. I pressed a hand to my mouth, my eyes burning instantly.
Volken just stood there, unmoving, his jaw tight. I could feel the bond humming between us, disbelief, awe, and underneath it all… fear.
The doctor turned to him, his tone even. “She’s healthy. The baby’s strong, though small, just a few weeks along, I’d say. But with her being human, and you…”
Volken’s eyes snapped to his. “Say it.”
