"You're pregnant?" Mom exclaimed as soon as we spilled the news to her. I couldn't tell if she was more surprised or angry. Abe was just as angry as he scowled at Dimitri from a distance.

"We didn't even think it was possible," Dimitri defended.

"Really? Because it doesn't take a genius to know that having sex can result in a baby!"

"Don't you think you two should have spoken to a doctor before...sexual activity?" Abe said uncomfortably. "Your bodies are different, yet you so carelessly went ahead without protection."

Dimitri sighed in frustration, running a hand through his hair. "We're the first known strigoi hybrids to reproduce. We didn't know this would happen. It was an accident."

I frowned even though Dimitri was right. It was an accident, but it still hurt to hear those words come out of his mouth. The fact that my parents didn't support us made me even more upset. I didn't expect them to be super happy about it at first, but all the yelling was overwhelming me.

"You're already taking care of one child," Abe continued. "You might be ready, Dimitri, but she isn't. She's eighteen."

"And what's going to happen when that baby is born? People around here are going to think you slept around like a—" Mom shut her mouth, realizing that she had gone too far again. Had she said that a year ago, I wouldn't have been that hurt, but now? Those words hurt me more than I wanted to admit.

"Janine," Abe hissed. He wasn't happy either, but he knew when to keep his mouth shut.

"That was way too far," Dimitri growled, anger flaring through the bond. Mom looked down, tapping her foot on the ground.

"Why are you so mean?" I said, tears filling my eyes. "Do you not remember me being tossed from guy to guy like a helpless doll? I have to live with that pain every single day."

"I didn't mean it. Sometimes, things just come out of my mouth when I don't even mean to—"

I walked past everyone, clutching my stomach as I walked down the hallway. My hormones were making me crazy and I refused to cry in front of them again.

"Rose," Mom called, but I ignored her. "Rose, wait! Get back here!"

"Save it," Dimitri said bitterly. I heard his footsteps behind me as he started to follow.

"Where do you think you're going?" Abe demanded.

"To comfort her," Dimitri snapped. He had never spoken harshly to Abe of all people, but he was frustrated and angry. He could feel how upset I was and it infuriated him. "I'm her bond-mate and the father of her children. If you want to take your anger out on me, fine—but I will not allow anyone to hurt her, and that includes the two of you. Whether you support us or not, it's my job to be there for her."

Dimitri stormed off, following me until he was able to catch up. As soon as he was by my side, I abruptly turned around and buried my face into his chest. "I'm sorry for crying. It's the stupid hormones."

"I understand, Roza. There's nothing to be sorry about." Dimitri slid his hand under my legs and carried me. I didn't protest and let him take me to our suite where he carefully laid me down on the bed.

"Please don't go," I said. This pregnancy was making me so damn clingy, but Dimitri didn't seem to have a problem with it. He was always with me whenever I needed him.

"I'm staying right here," he said, lying down beside me and propping himself up with his elbow. "I know you're upset, and you have every right to be, but your parents will come around."

I shook my head, wiping my tears away. Deep down, I wanted to keep this baby. My parents would have to accept that eventually.

And then there was Nevaeh. I didn't know how I was going to break the news to her. "Dimitri, we still have to tell Nev."

Dimitri tensed. He was worried about that too. "Want me to go get her?"

I nodded and felt him move out of his place. He ran his hand over my side and kissed my cheek, sending me peaceful feelings which calmed my nerves instantly. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Try not to worry. I'm sure it'll be just fine."

I smiled up at him and rested my head on the pillows. While Dimitri left, I laid there, thinking about how Nevaeh was going to react to this. I wanted nothing more than for her to be happy, but with her upbringing and territorial behaviour, jealousy could be a possibility. What if she got upset? What if she felt excluded? I didn't want her to think we'd love her less just because we weren't related by blood. Dimitri and I were always going to love them both regardless of our DNA.

The door opened again which pulled me away from my thoughts and I saw Nevaeh walk in, jumping up onto the bed. I sat up on the edge, hugging her as she curled into my side.

"Daddy said you had something important to tell me," she said, swinging her feet.

"It's a secret," I said quietly as Dimitri sat on the couch. "Only close friends and family can know."

Nevaeh made a silencing motion with her finger. "My lips are sealed."

I sighed and played with a strand of Nevaeh's hair, looking over at Dimitri for reassurance. He smiled and nodded at me, silently speaking to me through the bond. You're okay.

I took a deep breath, putting a hand on my stomach. "I'm pregnant."

Nevaeh looked at me with a stupefied expression. "Huh?"

"She doesn't know what that means," Dimitri said in an obvious tone.

"I'm having a baby," I clarified. I lifted my shirt, grabbing her hand and placing it on my stomach. "A little person is growing in my tummy. You're going to have a sibling."

"A sibling?" she gasped. Her mouth was left open as she took in the information and I grew more and more anxious for her reaction. When her blank expression turned into a smile, I sagged in relief.

"Cool!" she said excitedly. "We can share toys and build forts! Can I decorate the room?!"

Tears started pouring out once again, but it wasn't because I was upset or angry. I was relieved and happy. I hated to admit it to myself, but Nevaeh's reaction was more important to me than my parents'. The fact that she was so enthusiastic made my heart surge with joy.

Nevaeh leaned over and kissed my stomach before hugging me tightly. "I protect this baby now."

Lissa stood behind her small kitchen counter, carefully squeezing the pink icing around the base of the cake in front of her. I turned nineteen today and Lissa wouldn't stop bugging me about celebrating even though I had objected against the idea. Her suite was bigger than mine and was a lot more like an apartment, so we decided to celebrate here. While Lissa and I talked at the counter, Dimitri sat with Adrian, Eddie, and Christian, talking away while they watched a football game on the large flatscreen. Nevaeh sat on Dimitri's lap, finally relaxing after being hyper earlier.

"You realize I'm probably not even going to eat this, right?" I asked, eyeing the homemade cake. Things like cake and chocolate just didn't work well with my stomach right now since I was pregnant.

Something else that didn't settle well in my body was blood from the feeders. It had been a serious concern at first, so we had gone back to the doctor's office after a week. Dr. Lee had suggested feeding off of Dimitri since we were bonded, and it worked. Only his blood could stay down, so I now drank from blood bags that he donated strictly for me, or I fed straight from his vein when we were alone. I felt horrible and guilty at first because it felt like I was using him, but he had reassured me multiple times that he wanted to help me, and that it was his choice to be my primary source. My body needed the nutrients.

"Hey, it's the thought that counts. You need a pretty cake," Lissa said, turning the cake around to put the icing on the other side.

"Yeah, I guess you're right—but this looks like it belongs to Nevaeh." The cake was covered in white icing along with the extra baby pink icing that lined the edges. Nevaeh must have been the one to tell Lissa how the designs should be.

"She was pushy about the pink," Lissa chuckled, shaking her head. "You should sit down, Rose. I don't want you to stand for too long."

"Lissa, I'm six weeks pregnant, not nine months." Lissa had been treating me like I was made of glass ever since I had told her I was pregnant. She was only concerned, but I didn't even have a bump yet.

"I know, but I'm just worried," she said, finishing off with the icing at the bottom. "Have you thought about baby names yet?"

I shook my head and grabbed a bowl full of strawberries from the fridge. Lately, fruit was the only food that didn't give me nausea. "It's too early. I won't be able to find out if it's a girl or a boy until about 4 and a half months."

"Oh, right." Lissa grabbed another bag of light purple icing, squeezing the end to place flower-like clumps all over the top. "I still can't believe you're having a baby. Who would've thought you and Dimitri of all people would get engaged and have kids? He went from being your mentor to being your fiancé and the father of your children."

It sounded silly and almost unbelievable when Lissa put it that way. It all started with a crush I had on him, and now we were going to spend the rest of our lives with each other. It was crazy, but I couldn't imagine a life without him now.

"Is the cake ready yet?" Nevaeh asked us for the tenth time tonight.

"Almost," Lissa replied. Whenever Nevaeh wasn't sitting, she was running around the apartment and had even knocked some things over. It took me and Dimitri several tries to get her to sit down and be patient, but she was reaching a stage in her life where her attitude was getting stubborn. She was still a sweetheart and didn't throw tantrums or anything, but she did have moments here and there where she needed to be handled with some tough love.

"You're supposed to sing happy birthday first," Dimitri reminded her. I rolled my eyes. The last thing I wanted was for them to sing happy birthday. It was awkward as hell.

Nevaeh slid off of his lap and ran towards the kitchen. "But I want it now," she whined.

"Oh, no you don't." Dimitri picked her up easily, handling her with one arm as if she weighed nothing. He pulled a chair out from the table and gently placed her in. She hated time-out, but it worked.

"Stay," he said, pointing his finger. As soon as he turned his back, she stood and stomped away which only resulted in him placing her right back in her chair. She wasn't like this very often, but she was extra stubborn today.

"Look at me, Nevaeh," Dimitri said in a calm tone, kneeling to her level. "I know you want sweets right now, but you can't keep making demands and running around in the apartment."

"But I want cake."

"I know, and you will get some, but you have to learn to be patient. Do you understand?" he asked. His voice was clear and firm, but he wasn't aggressive at all. Despite her not listening the first few times we had scolded her, Dimitri remained patient and consistent.

After a few moments, Nevaeh finally nodded and stayed where she was instead of arguing. Something I noticed about her behaviour was that she only listened and took things seriously when Dimitri was strict. We needed to find a balance between being soft and setting boundaries.

Dimitri walked over to me as a feeling of guilt settled into his stomach. "I'm stuck between wanting to keep her in time-out and wanting to scoop her up and hold her."

"Hey, nobody said parenting would be easy," I said, trying to alleviate his guilt. "Kids need discipline, and I think you're doing a great job. It's better to teach her than to let her get away with everything."

"You're right," he said, leaning over the counter and grabbing my hand. "So, you're sure it's safe for you to eat that much sugar?"

"The doctor said I can have a little bit here and there, but I don't think I'll have much anyways. I don't want to puke my guts out again."

"I'm sorry you have to go through that," Dimitri said affectionately. "If you ever feel nauseous again, just let me know and I'll take you to the bathroom. Whatever you need, just tell me."

"Thanks, Comrade." Dimitri had been so caring and sweet so far throughout the pregnancy, and I was only six weeks in. I could only imagine how protective he was going to be during the later trimesters.

When Lissa was finished with the icing, Dimitri grabbed the pack of colourful candles. He eyed Nevaeh who had been sitting quietly for a while now. He let her get off of her chair and she walked over, hugging his legs. "I'm sorry, Daddy."

Dimitri smiled at her and lifted her again, placing her on the counter. He gave her a reassuring hug and a kiss on her cheek to cheer her up. "Want to put the candles in?" he asked.

"Yes, please," she said, lighting up with a smile. Dimitri left her and Lissa to decorate while he dragged me to the table.

"Dimitri, you guys really don't have to sing," I said.

"Hey, you did this to me on my birthday."

I still remembered. My friends and I had practically backed Dimitri into a corner with a lit cupcake, singing happy birthday like obnoxious teenagers when he had turned 25.

"Sit," he said.

"But—"

"Sit," he repeated. I groaned and plopped onto a chair at the small table. Dimitri walked back over to the counter and laughed when he saw whatever Nevaeh was doing.

"It's time!" Lissa said excitedly, putting Nevaeh down and lighting the candles. There were a lot of them and I became increasingly curious to see what it was. When she carefully walked over, the boys jumped up from their seats and started singing that stupid birthday song, causing me to blush and curl into my seat in a shy gesture. I felt Dimitri's hands slide around me as he sang, and I had to admire how beautiful his voice was. I always thought singing happy birthday was cheesy and awkward, but I could listen to Dimitri all night.

"Make a wish," he said softly when the song was finally over. I looked down at the candles and saw that Nevaeh had used up all the pink candles to make a heart shape in the middle. It was sweet and heartwarming, and I couldn't have asked for anything better. I watched the flames dance and replayed all the good memories from this past year. I didn't know what else to wish for, because everything I wanted was right in front of me.

I could wish for all the painful moments of my life to go away, but I realized in that moment of wishful thinking that I didn't need to forget about it. There might have been a scar on my soul, but I had to look at all the good things that had happened as well. I had escaped a terrible situation with the help of my friends and family. I had helped dozens of girls escape and receive the help they needed. I had met Nevaeh and given myself and Dimitri a chance to love and raise her. I had brought Dimitri back to life, and because of that, we were gifted with a miracle. I wanted nothing more than the very best for my loved ones, so I made my wish and blew out the candles.

My friends cheered, clapping ridiculously while the smoke from the candle buds rose. I looked over and found Dimitri looking at me in awe, and I suspected he must have been reading my thoughts. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and pressed a kiss to my head, giving my body a tight squeeze.

"I love you guys," I said, bursting into tears again. "Oh god, these stupid hormones!"

"It's okay," Nevaeh said, crawling over the table and pressing a napkin to my cheeks. I chuckled as she wiped my tears away before she sat back and eyed the cake again. Clasping her hands together, she gave us her cutest baby face. "So...can I have cake now?"

After everyone had gotten a slice of cake in, we stayed behind to watch some shows on Netflix. It was a stress-free night for us and we all ended up in a pile of tangled limbs, cuddling on Lissa's carpeted floors. We spent a lot of time joking about our memories at the academy. Our conversation became a little too mature for kids, so we put Nevaeh to bed when it got late before returning to Lissa's room again. I laid on Dimitri's chest with my leg bent at his waist while he stroked my hair. I could feel someone's knee poking into my back, but I didn't care enough to see who it was.

"Little Dhampir," Adrian said after a little while. He grabbed a pillow off of Lissa's couch and held it up. "Ever heard of a birthday spanking?" Before I could even respond, he swung the pillow over my backside and I heard Christian and Eddie start to laugh.

"Hey!" Dimitri screeched, untangling himself and rolling me onto my back. "Watch it, Adrian. I'm the only one who's allowed to do that."

"Try me," Adrian challenged, swinging the pillow again and hitting him in the side. Dimitri quickly grabbed the other pillow and hit Adrian even harder, breaking into a pillow-fight.

"These guys used to hate each other, and now they're acting like brothers!" Lissa commented.

"I can watch these two go at it all night," I said, watching Dimitri put Adrian into a headlock. "Hey, Liss, I'm going to go get the soda crackers. My stomach's feeling weird again."

"They're in the top right-hand cabinet," she informed me. Dimitri and Adrian continued to wrestle with each other while Eddie and Christian made comments about who was going to win. I walked over to the kitchen, fishing around for the packs of dry soda crackers. I pulled a small package out and leaned against the counter as a small wave of nausea hit me. The crackers didn't look too appetizing, so I put them down and gripped the counter.

"Roza?" Dimitri said. I turned around and found him carrying Adrian on his shoulders who he carelessly dropped on the ground, resulting in a loud thud.

"Not cool man!" Adrian shouted, rubbing the back of his head as Dimitri walked over.

"Are you feeling nauseous again?" he asked.

"A little bit. Do you mind grabbing the strawberries in the fridge?"

Dimitri's brows knitted, but he didn't question my body's strange ways of handling pregnancy sickness. He reached into the fridge and pulled the bowl out, handing it to me. We sat down at the table and I slowly ate as Dimitri rubbed my back until there was a knock on Lissa's door.

"I'll be right back," he said. I rubbed my forehead, waiting for the nausea to subside as Dimitri answered the door. He cleared his throat and I sensed a feeling of discomfort. I took a peek and rolled my eyes when I saw Abe standing in the doorway.

"I wanted to talk to both of you," Abe said. He sounded a lot softer than he did a week ago. He and my mother had texted me earlier to wish me a happy birthday, but I had deliberately ignored them.

"Rose isn't feeling well right now," Dimitri said dryly. I never thought Dimitri would talk like that with a man like Abe, but his protectiveness was making him risk it all.

"Just five minutes," Abe said.

It's okay, I told him, using our telepathy. Dimitri sighed and stepped aside, letting Abe in. Since everyone else was too busy watching Netflix, we headed into Lissa's bedroom. I put the bowl of strawberries on the nightstand and rearranged the pillows behind me so that I could sit up. Dimitri wrapped a blanket around my bare legs and sat beside me, propping them onto his lap so that he could rub my legs through the soft fabric.

"If you need to throw up, let me know," Dimitri said. He was trying to use our bond to alleviate my nausea and it surprisingly helped a little bit. Abe leaned against the wall, observing Dimitri's affectionate and caring behaviour with me. A look of guilt crossed his features.

"Your mother and I tried calling you."

"I know," I said, picking another strawberry out. "Did you come here to say it in person?"

Abe hesitated, still watching us curiously. "I came here to apologize. We needed time to think."

"And?"

"Well," he began, "We're not super happy about this, but I think stressing you out when you're pregnant isn't fair."

"Stressing her out is never fair, pregnant or not," Dimitri stated, and Abe agreed with him.

"Janine and I weren't the most responsible when we were young," he admitted. "We weren't careful, so if you think I'm a hypocrite, you're right."

I shook my head. "I don't understand. You guys are supportive of Nevaeh's adoption, so why are you angry about me having a baby? And don't give me that 'you're only eighteen' bullshit. Or nineteen, whatever. I already get shamed by other people for being young and I'm tired of it."

Abe sighed, leaning his head back. "We want to make sure you're ready. I wasn't around for a lot of years, and that affected you."

"That's what this is about?" Dimitri asked. "You think I'm going to leave them behind?"

Abe set his lips into a hard line. Was he comparing our relationship to his? Did he think Dimitri would leave me and the kids? Was he worried we'd split up and have a complicated family?

"With all due respect," Dimitri said, frustration filling his voice, "I understand you're worried. She's your only child, I get it, but when have I not been there for her? Since the day I brought her back to the academy from Portland, I've been there. When she was dealing with the initial post-traumatic stress from the brothel, I was there every single day to help her. I've protected her, I've loved her, and I've supported her through thick and thin—and I will continue to do so for the rest of my life. I love your daughter more than anyone in this world and if I had to die for her again, I would."

Dimitri's words touched me so much. He was always true to his word and he was standing up for himself. He wasn't raising his voice or trying to challenge Abe in any way, but his message was firm. My parents needed to stop associating their complicated relationship with ours.

"I trust that you can take care of her," Abe said after a few seconds. "And Janine and I will support you if you let us."

"My mom can certainly help me," I considered. "Is this your way of saying sorry?"

"Sort of, but that's not all," Abe said. "I have something waiting for you, but it won't be ready for another week or two. It's for both of you, but consider it as a late birthday gift."

"Is it a box full of baby stuff? Because I'm only six weeks in, so if you're thinking of getting anything now...don't." I had purposely told my friends to hold off on any baby accessories during the first trimester. Everything was fine so far, but I was more prone to a miscarriage at this stage.

"No, Rose, it's not that. It's a surprise."

"A surprise from Abe Mazur?" I said apprehensively. "That can't be good news."

"I swear to God, Dimitri, if you let me bump into anything, I'm going to rip this blindfold off and smack you with it!"

It had been two weeks since my birthday and Abe's late present was finally ready. Dimitri had purposely blocked me off from reading some of his thoughts because he had already seen the surprise and he didn't want me to know what it was. After giving it some thought, I had given Dimitri permission to blindfold me for the first time while he guided me through the outskirts of the court.

"We've been walking for ages!" I complained. Dimitri had one hand on my back while his other hand held my arm as he walked beside me.

"We're almost there. Just keep walking. I've got you," he reassured me.

"Do you know what sensory deprivation does to body coordination?"

"I told you I won't let you bump into anything."

"And I probably look ridiculous."

Dimitri sighed. "I should have gagged your mouth on the way here too," he said nonchalantly.

"You're hilarious," I said sarcastically, although the thought turned me on a little. "You know what? You should just go full out. Tie me up. Blindfold me. Throw a gag in there too if you want. I'll still find a way to be annoying."

Dimitri briefly let his wall slip through our paired minds. The thought of doing everything I'd suggested intrigued him. It was turning him on too.

"I know you're thinking about it," I said. The tension between us was becoming increasingly sexual. My raging hormones didn't help. My sex drive had spiked a lot recently and the thought of doing bondage with Dimitri was driving me insane.

"So are you," he whispered back. "I can smell your arousal too."

"Well then maybe you should do something about it."

"Oh, I will. After the surprise, of course. We're almost there, so keep walking."

I scoffed. "Yes, sir."

Dimitri kept his hand around my arm until we finally came to a stop. He placed his hands on my shoulders and turned me to the right. "Alright," he said, untying the blindfold. "Here you are."

When the fabric was removed from my eyes, I blinked a few times and knitted my brows at the sight. In front of us was a light-coloured house with two storeys, a stone driveway, and a nicely trimmed front yard. In the garage was a black SUV, but there was no one inside.

"You brought me all the way here to look at someone's house?" I asked.

"Not just anyone's house," someone said from behind me. I spun around and saw Abe walking up to me, his car parked on the side of the road. Mom followed him, crossing her arms with a smile on her face. Abe grabbed my hand and placed a set of house keys into my palm. "This is your house now."

Writing the last part kinda made me want to do one more smutty chapter (with some bondage) at some point since there are still a few more chapters. Would you guys be okay with that?

Apart from that, I feel like I'm so emotionally attached to this story and it's hard for me to let it go, so the rest of it will mostly contain fluff and family moments :) I hope you liked this chapter.