Chapter 11: Every move you make, every step you take, I'll be watching you

Nick walked into the upstairs nursery and surveyed the three cribs that had been carefully arranged in the room. When the doctor had first told her that she was pregnant, Nick had been shocked. Motherhood was not something she had had on her agenda; especially after learning she was a Grimm. After the initial shock wore off, her world was once again upended when she discovered she was having triplets. Good gravy! She was having a litter of pups, his pups. As daunting as that prospect seemed at the time, she fiercely loved the tiny creatures growing in her belly, whatever species they turned out to be. Carrying Monroe's children was like carrying a piece of him inside her, and it comforted her. Walking over to the first two cribs, her gaze feel upon a set of identical twins slumbering peacefully. Each of the little boys had coffee-colored eyes and brown curly hair. Tiny fingers and toes ended in sharp little nails, and although the babies were only three months old, tiny sharp teeth were starting to break through their gums. Kissing each sleeping infant on the forehead, Nick then made her way over to the third crib. The twin's tiny sister was wide awake. Large, alert, crystal-blue eyes looked up at her. Unlike her brothers, the baby girl had straight ebony hair, just like her mother. Nick wondered what other traits the little girl had inherited from her. Bending down, Nick kissed the baby and told her to go to sleep. As though she understood, the infant closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Nick went down stairs to make a cup of tea, as was her evening ritual. Her mind wandered back to the book she had read many months ago, the one dedicated to Blutbaden. A particular paragraph stood out in her mind. However, Mother Nature, not one to be stonewalled, incorporated into the Alpha Blutbad's physiology a unique blend of chemicals that could alter a non-Blutbad mate, so that he or she would then be compatible. How true it turned out to be, Nick smiled.

The time leading up to the delivery of the triplets had sped by quickly. At times, Nick's morning sickness had been overwhelming, probably due to the high level of Blutbad hormones coursing through her system. Rosalee down at the spice shop had concocted a special tea for Nick that had helped ease the worst of her symptoms. Hank too had been very helpful and supportive, especially when it came to helping her prepare the nursery. He was a wonderful friend, and never questioned her about the circumstances of her pregnancy. Hank had his suspicions about a certain clock repairman, but Nick would tell him when she was ready, and that was good enough for him.

Sipping her tea, Nick pulled a well-handled piece of paper from her sweater pocket. It was the note that Monroe had left on the coffee table many months ago. Her thumb moved across the bloody fingerprint, now a rusty brown color. Bringing it close to her nose, she breathed in the lingering scent of the Blutbad. Opening the note, she began to read…

My love,

Soon, you will understand all that has happened here tonight and why. Until then, please know that I love you. I will never be far.

Monroe

After finding out that she was pregnant, Nick went to the trailer and started reading everything she could about Bludbad mating practices. She learned that Blutbad females become solitary creatures when they are expecting, and males are not welcomed until several months after the delivery of the offspring. It was rare, but not unheard of, for a male Blutbad to harm his own offspring. Being extremely territorial and possessive of his mate, even their own offspring could be viewed as rivals. As a precaution, the male was always introduced slowly and cautiously over time. So that explained Nick's fiercely protective posturing toward Monroe that night. She was defending her future offspring from a potentially dangerous male Blutbad. And as for Monroe's behavior, that too could be explained. Nick's scent that evening had driven him wild with desire. In an attempt to curb the aggressive nature of the male Blutbad and foster a gentler, more amorous feeling, the female released a potent array of pheromones. But when it came to male Blutbaden, sex and aggression often went hand-in-hand. Regrettably, no system was perfect.

It was getting late, so Nick decided to retire for the night. Upstairs, she opened her bedroom window. The air outside was warm, but pleasant. A mild breeze gently swayed the sheer curtains hanging on either side of the window. Nick turned on the baby monitor and got into bed. As she started to drift off, she could have sworn she heard in the distance a solitary, protracted howl. Its subdued timbre echoed through the neighborhood and then all was silent again. A delicate ray of moonlight slipped through the parted curtains, its soft glow resting upon Nick's pretty face. A tiny smile graced her lips as his name tumbled quietly from her mouth and was carried off into the night.

o-o

It was back again, that feeling of being watched, her every move chronicled, scrutinized. But this time around, she felt no threat from the unseen presence, no dread or fear, only anticipation. This time, she knew without a doubt who her invisible stalker was, who it had been all along. He would return to her soon. Nick would be waiting.

Finis…