Page 50 of The Mafia Bloodline
“With you being vampire, we’ll need to monitor her closely. These pregnancies are rare but not unheard of, especially in the Dragic bloodline. She’ll need rest. Regular feeding. Hydration. And absolutely no stress.” His gaze flicked knowingly toward Volken, who looked seconds away from snarling. “That part’s on you.”
Volken nodded slowly, his throat working as he swallowed. “I understand.”
The doctor smiled faintly, packed up his things, and left with a gentle nod to me. “Congratulations, both of you. You’re going to be parents.”
The words echoed in my head long after he left. Parents.
I looked up at Volken, expecting him to still look shocked, but what I saw instead stopped me cold.
He was staring at the door where the doctor had gone, his expression unreadable, hands flexing at his sides. When he finally turned back to me, the fear was gone. What replacedit was something raw and deep, his expression was filled with reverence, maybe. possession and love.
“You’re really carrying my child,” he murmured, as if saying it out loud would make it more real.
“I guess so,” I whispered, still dazed.
He crossed to me in two strides and dropped to his knees, his hands trembling slightly as they slid over my stomach. “I can hear it, now that I know what to look out for.” he said, voice low, reverent. “The heartbeat. Faint, but steady.”
My throat tightened. “You can hear it?”
He smiled a small, awed curve of his lips. “I can feel it. Our bond… it’s different now. There’s another heartbeat tied to it.”
I reached out, fingers threading through his dark hair, and for the first time since I’d met him, Volken looked vulnerable. His eyes glowed faintly, not with hunger or rage this time, but with something pure and bright.
He pressed his forehead against my stomach, his voice breaking on a whisper. “I swear, Runa… I’ll protect you both. Whatever it takes.”
“I know you will, I know.”
We told the others later that night.
Layla was the first to react, her hand flying to her mouth, tears spilling instantly. “Oh, Runa!” she cried, pulling me into her arms before I could even speak.
Sorcha’s grin was wide and knowing, one hand instinctively brushing her own daughter’s hair. “Welcome to the madness,” she said with a wink. “You’ll never sleep again, but it’s worth it.”
Volken stood a little off to the side, arms crossed but eyes soft, clearly overwhelmed as Layla and Sorcha surrounded me like protective sisters.
Then the brothers found out.
Lucien was first to smile faintly, the way he did when something truly touched him. “Be ready brother, life is about to become even more complicated for you.” he said dryly.
Viking laughed outright, clapping Volken hard on the back. “Didn’t think you had it in you, brother!”
Volken shot him a lethal look. “Keep talking, and you’ll find out exactly what I have in me.” Viking just laughed at his comment.
Draugr only grunted, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Another Dragic. Gods help the world.”
Even Roman, ever the stoic leader, allowed a small, genuine smile. “Congratulations, brother. You’ve done well.”
Volken inclined his head, his arm coming around me as if he needed the touch to remind himself, I was real. “She has made this possible,” he said quietly, and the warmth in his voice made my chest ache.
Layla wiped her tears and gave me a radiant smile. “We’ll help you with everything. You’re family now, Runa.”
Family.
It struck me again how foreign that word had felt once. And now… now it felt like home. A twinge tightened my heart when I thought about my father, would he ever see his grandchild?
Volken bent close, his breath warm against my ear. “You’re glowing,” he murmured, his hand sliding protectively over my belly. “And you’re mine.”
I smiled faintly. “Both of us, apparently.”
