~*~Chapter One~*~
Roman Godfrey was lying in his bed. He was tangled up in his designer sheets. He was sleeping peacefully, the woman he loved curled up in his embrace.
Suddenly, in the middle of the night, the phone rang, awakening him from his slumber. He mumbled an obscenity as he reached for it. "Hello," he grumbled into the receiver.
"Roman! It's Peter," a joyful voice spoke.
"Huh?" Roman said, his voice thick with sleep.
"You gotta get over here!" Peter exclaimed. "Miranda just had the baby!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, I am the father of a son."
"That... that's great. I am happy for you, Peter," Roman said, and he was ecstatic for his friend... but for just a moment; a tiny, fleeting moment, Roman too wished he had a son.
He then looked at Letha who was lying in his arms, so serene. She was absolutely beautiful. She was the center of his world. Immediately he thought that it would NOT be a good idea if he and Letha had another child. They already had their share of troubles with their little Cassandra. They adored their daughter, but she was a handful. Her powers were very intense; they marveled Roman's. It had been very difficult for Roman to teach her not to abuse them. Everyday he had to correct and guide her; he didn't want to give his "curse" of upirsm to yet another child. Moreover, he did not want Letha to suffer through another traumatic pregnancy and birth. He had almost lost her when they had Cassandra. He never wanted to go through that again. He decided in that moment that there would be no more babies for them.
Roman promised Peter he'd be right over, then he hung up the phone. His talking to Peter had awakened Letha who was curled up against his chest. "Hey," he said as he bent his head toward her and lightly kissed her cheek. "Sorry I woke you up."
"Mmmm," Letha said tiredly. "That's okay, Romey." Her voice was groggy from having just woken up. She had heard voices and assumed that Roman had been on the phone with someone.
"Is everything okay?" she asked tiredly.
"Everything's fine," Roman said. "That was Peter on the phone. He said that Miranda just delivered a baby boy. He wants me to come over."
Roman reluctantly left Letha's arms and began getting dressed. His hair was disheveled as he slipped on his pants. He was tugging on a shirt when Letha sat up in bed.
"Well, I can go with you, too," Letha said. "Norman or Shelley could stay with Cass." Her hand was resting on her stomach as she was sitting up in bed.
She wanted to congratulate Peter and Miranda on the birth of their baby. "Did he say what name they chose?" she asked. Since they had met, Letha had become friends with Miranda, especially since Peter had married her. She was perfectly okay with his choice, as she had chosen Roman. She knew that Miranda was the right person for Peter, just as Roman was the right person for her.
"No," Roman responded when she asked about the baby's name.
"And you're not going. You're staying here," he insisted. "I won't be gone long... and Cass is asleep."
During the past four years, Roman hardly ever let Letha or Cassandra out of the house. He had built an extravagant modern house overlooking the river. It was beautiful and cozy. They were happy in their perfect paradise, but part of Letha was sad.
Norman and Shelley lived in the small guest house at the end of the gate. Roman remained extremely protective of Letha and Cassandra to the point of paranoia. As a result, Letha became restless. She hated being cooped up. She wished Roman would relent. She and Cassandra wanted fresh air and sunshine, but Roman was constantly worried someone would find out their child was a upir. Whenever Letha did go out, Roman insisted she wear a black wig because he feared she'd be recognized as Letha Godfrey, his cousin. For her safety, he wanted everyone to think that Letha had died.
"I have to go," Roman said as he grabbed his jacket.
Letha was upset that he wouldn't let her go, but she really wasn't surprised that he had refused. He always said 'no' except for the rare occasions he allowed her out of the house in her disguise.
"Roman, wait! I need to talk to you. I have something important to tell you," she implored.
Roman was on his way out the door when she called out to him. He turned to look at her. He walked over to tenderly kiss her goodbye. "Take good care of Cass," he said as he gazed into her eyes. "I'll be back soon." He then turned on his heel and he was gone.