Chapter dedicated to Myrninspider123, just on principle, because your user ID is so cool. lol. Thanks for reading and reviewing, my friend!

Chapter 36 – Choices – Claire's POV

We waited for Dr. Goldman to arrive.

Myrnin held my hand while I lay on the exam table. He kissed my forehead, his lips just a reassuring butterfly touch, and gently smoothed a strand of hair off of my face.

Dr. Goldman opened the door and Myrnin greeted him warmly, "Theo, good to see you again."

"You as well, my friend," he replied easily. He grinned down at me and asked, "How have you been feeling?"

"Tired," I admitted. I loved being pregnant, and feeling this little one swim around in my belly was an experience like no other, but I was really ready to have my body back.

"Yes, your body is doing quite a bit of work and the child is taking all of the nutrients he or she needs, before you get any. Are you eating correctly? No empty calories?" Dr. Goldman asked, reminding me of his earlier instructions.

I felt Myrnin's body shake with silent laughter. I knew what he was chuckling at - our previous conversation regarding the nutrient content of his cum. A deep blush covered my cheeks.

Thankfully, Theo wasn't looking at my face. Instead, he settled down on the stool between my legs, and shifted my feet into the stirrups. He instructed, "Slide your body down a little."

I wiggled closer toward the edge of the table and held my breath, while he inserted two fingers to check my cervix. It wasn't a comfortable feeling and I breathed a sigh of relief when he withdrew his hand. Myrnin squeezed my fingers comfortingly.

"Your cervix is still closed tightly, which is good. And the heartbeat is strong." He stood. The nurse handed him a flexible measuring tape. He measured my belly lengthwise and nodded in approval. "Yes, you are measuring exactly thirty-five weeks."

He adjusted the table and dropped the stirrups, and then reached out so I could grasp his arm as he pulled me into a sitting position. He said, "Get dressed and then meet me in my office, so we can discuss your final planning."

When I was fully dressed, Myrnin and I sat in two very comfortable chairs across from Dr. Goldman's large mahogany desk. Myrnin began, "We have discovered that the child does not belong to Michael."

Theo raised his eyebrows in surprise and waited for Myrnin to continue.

"Yes, when I went through Claire's memory, it became obvious that she and Michael never had sex. However, during a failed experiment which rendered us unconscious and affected our short-term memory, we found that she and I had engaged in intercourse. Her baby girl is mine."

I couldn't miss the note of pride in Myrnin's voice, and had to dab at my suddenly misted eyes.

"Oh...I see. That does make much more sense given your Royal lineage. And you are confident she is a girl?"

"Yes, she is most assuredly a girl," Myrnin replied.

Theo smirked and said wryly, "All right then, we should probably anticipate unpredictable outcomes. As with any child, they typically exhibit traits of both parents." He looked at Myrnin pointedly and then turned to me and said sympathetically, "You are definitely going to have your hands full."

I giggled.

Myrnin huffed and replied defensively, "Spontaneity is not a negative thing."

I whispered, "Certainly not." It was one of the things I loved most about him. He grinned.

Theo continued, "Half human/vampire babies tend to deliver early and quite fast, so if you experience any cramping, go ahead and go to the hospital so that we can check to see if you are in labor. And call me immediately if you see any bleeding."

Myrnin's tone was tense as he asked, "What are the risks during delivery?"

"The first and foremost risk is bleeding." Theo's gaze rested on me meaningfully as he said, "This is a good time to discuss any advanced directive you would like me to follow, in case something goes irrevocably wrong. Have you discussed your choices?"

My heart pounded in my chest, when I understood what he was referring to – emergency vampirism. It was never a choice I could see myself making and whispered, "No, I don't want that."

Theo just nodded. However Myrnin's entire body tensed and a tremor ran through him. Shit.

...

We left Dr. Goldman's office and returned home. Myrnin hadn't said a word the entire time. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and pleaded with him, "Please understand...I just can't."

He spun to face me. His eyes sparked angrily as he growled, "No! I will not understand! Is what I am such an abomination to you, that you would choose death rather than live to be a mother to our child?!"

My entire body shook and I stared at him with wide eyes. When he phrased it like that, I knew he was right. But it didn't stop the fear that seemed to suffocate me when I considered the reality of becoming a vampire. A tear breached my eyelashes and I whispered brokenly, "I'm scared."

His features softened. He gathered me in his arms and held me close, as he soothed, "I know, little bird. And I promise, I will be with you every step of the way. You will never be alone. I will take care of you, I promise."

I clung to him, trusting him, depending on his strength and agreed softly, "Okay..."

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You definitely do not want to miss the upcoming chapters...

The next chapter is done. I will post it in a few days, however if there happened to be FIVE reviews, I will post it immediately. Much love-