The taunts continued as the months went on, each one becoming more and more gruesome. The one that was the hardest for me to stomach was the threats Natasha sent about our baby.

The very graphic threats about our baby.

Dimitri and I tried not to be too cautious, but there wasn't much we could do to stop it. We were worried about so many things that were beyond our power. Dr. Claire had said that while I was pregnant, there was a higher chance that I could miscarry. Despite not having the surgery to confirm if I had endometriosis, she wanted to treat my pregnancy as if I did, just to be safe.

I loved watching my body change. There were parts that I hated, but there were parts that I was enthralled by. I loved how my body changed to accommodate the baby, and the first moment I felt the baby moved, I stopped everything I was doing to see if I could feel it again.

Dimitri was excited but nervous. He was excited to be a father, but nervous at the same time because he didn't have a good father figure. He was also nervous about Natasha coming after me while pregnant, or after our child once they were born.

When I sat down for lunch with Sydney about a month after I found I was pregnant, I was nervous. I wanted her to find out directly from me, but I wasn't to be gentle about it. I didn't want to upset her.

When I told her she looked at me for a moment before she shed a few tears, getting up and coming around the table to hug me. I was surprised by the reaction but hugged her back. She wept quietly, telling me how happy she was for us and that she couldn't wait to meet the baby. I squeezed her and rested m head against hers, happy that she was taking the news well.

"I was a little worried you'd get upset," I said once she sat down, both of us wiping our faces with a tissue.

"Why would I be upset? I've known that you've been having pain and such and suspected that you might have endo. To hear that you are pregnant, after already having a miscarriage, gives me a little bit of hope for the future," she said quietly with a smile.

Our families were happy, and our coven was ecstatic over the news. It had been too long since a new member was added through birth, and everyone was excited. The women of our coven threw me a baby shower, stating that none of them ever got the experience and were determined that I get to enjoy it.

Our friends were all excited too, Lissa and Mia fighting for the title of 'best aunt'. Ellison was adjusting to being an Ekon and would sit on the floor beside me as my pregnancy progressed, just listening to the baby. He would always smile when I would talk, saying that he could hear the baby move around more at the sound of my voice.

Ellison and Mia started to mend. We weren't wrong when stating that Mia was his mate, but they needed to work through their baggage the same way Dimitri and I did.

I started nesting around my fifth month, and Dimitri tried to help me by doing the heavy lifting, but I was so excited about some things that I didn't exactly wait for him to get home. So there were a few times I ended up with large bruises on my legs from boxes hitting them. I could barely contain my excitement as we planned the nursery. I wanted to paint all the woodland creatures on the walls, and while I had to do it in stages, I was more than happy with the end result. The bedding for the crib was a mixture of bears, foxes, and deer. It was perfect and I couldn't wait for us to welcome our baby home.

I did everything I could to try and pretend that our world wasn't messed up and that there wasn't a Strigoi that was out for blood. But it wasn't always easy to do that. And when that happened, finer details were painted in the nursery.

I knew that Dimitri wasn't going to be thrilled by it, but I couldn't wait until he finished work to bring home ice cream. I needed it now, and I was starting to feel grouchy. And once I got to the store, there was more and more that looked appealing and I ended up filling a cart. It wasn't all junk, some of the food was things that we needed at the house and I figured I might as well get it while I was here.

I blew my breath out between my lips as I spun my keys around my finger. I knew that Mom said that the last few days would feel like forever, but I was about ready to do anything to be done. I was already three days past my due date at this point.

"I know, you want the ice cream, but the ice cream doesn't want me," I mused quietly to myself, rubbing my hand over my stomach. My constant craving was ice cream and baked goods, but dairy upset my stomach so much lately.

So much that I couldn't tolerate it. It was hard enough having a seven-pound baby resting on my stomach, but for the baby to kick the gurgling stomach was not fun.

But maybe, just maybe, the dairy would speed my contractions along. I had already had them for over ten hours.

I unlocked the car and set my groceries in the backseat, shutting the door. I came around the car and faltered for a moment, the hair standing up on the back of my neck. I started to turn but a clothed hand covered my face and another wrapped around my shoulders, holding me tight against them. I tried to fight them off, but whatever was on their hand was doused in something, making my eyes droop.

I was disoriented when I woke up but was on edge. Something was seriously wrong, and it wasn't the fact that I knew I wasn't where I should be. I shifted carefully on the bed I was on and looked around the small room I was in. It was plain and bare, and aside from the bed and a dresser, there wasn't much to it. There were three doors. One that had a dead bolt on it, and two regular handles. I got up and winced gingerly as I walked to one of the doors, holding the underside on my belly as I walked.

I turned the handle and the door revealed a small bathroom. I shut it and then went to the other, finding a closet with towels and linens. I huffed and tested the main door. It was locked as I suspected but it was worth the try.

I made my way back to the bed and tried to reach out to Dimitri, being flooded with feelings of panic and anger. It was overwhelming and I tried to force my way into his mind.

Dimitri?

It took a moment, but I could feel the moment when it clicked in for Dimitri that I was communicating with him.

Rose. Where are you?

I sighed externally. I have no idea. I was at the store getting ice cream and someone grabbed me.

Dimitri was quiet for a few moments, but by the time he started to communicate, the locked door opened and someone stepped through. I gasped quietly and shook my head.

"You?" I asked quietly, hurt flowing through my chest.

Emily closed the door behind her and set the medicine bag down on the bed beside me.

"I didn't have a choice," she said quietly as she leaned over and took a few things out of the bag, a stethoscope being one of them. She took out a blood pressure cuff too, but all of the things in her bag looked old.

"Really?" I asked bitterly and she looked up at me with pity in her eyes and fear.

"I loved my son. He was my whole world and they threatened him. I got two days with him and I never got to see him again. I had to do what I could to protect him, and I still am. In exchange for being another set of eyes, they won't go after my son," she whispered, "I'm trying to keep you alive here."

"How am I supposed to believe that? Did you kidnap me?"

Emily shook her head and wrapped the blood pressure cuff around my arm.

"No. I tried to convince them to leave you alone, and I almost did because you were pregnant, but Tasha was insistent," Emily whispered and took my blood pressure, shaking her head softly.

My blood felt like it had turned into ice in my veins.

"Tasha?"

Emily nodded her hand and lifted the stethoscope, holding it against my belly and moved it looking for the baby's heartbeat.

"I've never seen a Strigoi so blood thirty," she said quietly, a slight shake in her voice. "I remember Lucas being crazed, but this…Have you been able to reach out to Dimitri?"

I nodded. "Yes but only for a minute. Where are we?"

"Not far. We're still inside the city," Emily said and held a finger up for me to be silent. I took a slow breath and winced as a sharp pain rippled through my abdomen, making me flinch back. Emily's eyes flicked up to mine and she frowned.

"How far apart are your contractions?"

"What?"

"You've been here for a few hours. Your water broke in the car."

"Uh, I don't know. I started getting contractions last night."

Emily looked towards the door before going to the closet and grabbing a thin blanket.

"I need to check your cervix," she said quietly, "I can hear the baby's heartbeat and I can hear the baby moving. Please."

I looked at her quizzically but deep down knew how much this baby meant to me, how much I had worried about not being able to get pregnant. I didn't think that she would do anything to hurt my baby. I awkwardly shifted my sweatpants down, now noticing that they weren't the ones I wore earlier and pulled them off.

"Sit on the edge and lay back," Emily said quietly. I nodded and draped the thin blanket over my lap for my own comfort and laid back. It felt awkward but I let Emily examine me. She tsked quietly and put the blanket back over my legs.

"Tell Dimitri that we are in the abandoned building on Woodsily Street. And that he needs to hurry. You're eight centimetres dilated," Emily said urgently but quietly. I nodded and tried to calm myself long enough to contact him, but the door that Emily came in flew open, and my stomach rolled.

Abandoned building on Woodsily. Hurry!

"I see you're finally awake," Natasha snarled and my whole body tensed up. I tucked the blanket tighter around my legs. Emily stood up and stood in front of me.

"Leave her be," Emily hissed but Natasha narrowed her eyes at her.

"I'll do as I please, you'll be best to remember that," Natasha said as she advanced us, trying to step around her. Emily moved her body to keep it between us. Emily lifted her chin the slightest bit and kept herself firm.

"Don't forget your place," Natasha snarled at Emily.

"I haven't, but my son isn't vulnerable anymore. He is protected by more than just me now," Emily said defiantly. Natasha chuckled darkly and her eyes moved to me where I was on the bed. I tried not to shrink back against her gaze, but there was something about it that sent a chill down my spine.

"It won't be long now," Natasha sang, "I promise that I'll enjoy the little snack before I end your life," Natasha said before retreating from the room. I shivered and let out a strangled whimper, curling inwards on myself.

Once the door was shut Emily faced me again, helping me roll onto my side and trying to help me through the contractions. My shirt was long enough that I didn't necessarily need to put my sweatpants back on. Emily had given a few different suggestions to help with the pain, moving into different positions and whatnot.

At one point she had me sit on the toilet and I sighed in relief. I wasn't sure what it was, but it helped with the pressure. But the only thing that was truly concerning was how quickly I was progressing now. I could feel the pressure lower, and a part of me was scared that I was going to end up sitting on the baby's head.

Emily helped me get settled back on the bed when the door opened again. I lifted my head and tensed, but Emily insisted that I try to relax as much as I could. But seeing the Strigoi in the doorway was daunting.

Emily lifted her head and looked at the Strigoi.

"Put those on the dresser, Lucas," Emily directed, gesturing at the dresser near the end of the bed.

I kept my eyes on him as he set the bowl down on the dresser. It was scary to see a Strigoi version of Christian. His eyes lingered on me for a moment before he cocked his head.

"Is he safe?"

I braced myself on the bed with a groan. "Who?"

"My son."

I looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah. As far as I'm aware. Not that Natasha did anything to help that," I moaned, grimacing as the contraction rolled through. Lucas nodded and stepped out of the room, locking the door behind him. Emily kneeled beside me and let me grip her hand, breathing with me as I breathed through the contractions.

"I can't feel him," I whimpered to Emily, "Is that bad?"

"Your pain may be blocking him out, but Dimitri will still be able to track you," Emily whispered, rubbing her hand over my arm.

"It hurts," I whimpered.

Emily nodded and moved the pillows around on the bed, helping me ease back on the pillows. She kept glancing anxiously at the door.

"What is it?"

Emily's eyes flicked to me and then to the door again.

"Nothing you need to worry about right now," she said gently. My face screwed up and I moaned.

"I think I need to push," I said after a moment, "I feel like I need to push."

Emily moved around the bed and lifted the blanket she had draped over my legs. Her face fell a little but nodded.

"You're ready, the baby is crowning," she said and flipped the blanket up and went to the bathroom, washing her hands before coming back to the bed.

"What feels more comfortable? On your back, or on your knees?" she asked and I shrugged. I was already on my back and it didn't feel fantastic, so I let Emily help me off the bed and onto my knees facing the bed.

The weight felt different and I braced myself against the bed.

"I think like this," I groaned but it was cut off by a grunt from another contraction. Emily let me grip one of her hands as I started to push, stifling my cry as I pushed. Emily gave me words of encouragement, rubbing my lower spine as I pushed. This wasn't how I wanted this to go. I wanted Dimitri to be here, I wanted Lissa here, I wanted to be at the hospital with my doctor. But I was here, and I needed to focus on what was happening now.

"Breathe," Emily encouraged, "the head is out, now the shoulders."

I nodded and gripped the sheets on the bed, hearing them tear between my fingers. I couldn't hold back my screams any longer and felt the scream rattle in my chest. I knew the moment Emily had helped the baby rotate. I felt the baby slide out and I breathed a gasp of relief. I moved to sit on my butt and looked at Emily, panting quietly as she suctioned gunk out of the baby's nose and mouth. Once she finished that she cut the umbilical cord, wrapped the towel she had waiting around the baby and handed me the baby.

I clutched the baby to me, looking down at the beautiful face that was red and still covered in goop. I shifted the towel around and laughed quietly to myself.

"I told your daddy you were a boy," I laughed tiredly to myself, kissing his head.

Emily smiled at me and rubbed my leg. "Lean back against the bed. Passing the afterbirth won't take long," she said. I nodded and leaned back against the bed, gazing down at my son. Aside from my own panting breath, I could hear something else. Yelling.

"Em," I said alarmed but she shushed me gently but I started to panic when the door burst inwards, coming off the hinges.

I clutched my baby closer to my chest but relaxed when I recognized the person in the doorway.

"Ivan," I exclaimed quietly, sagging back into the bed. Ivan looked from me to the baby to Emily and then back to me. His shirt was flecked with blood and some was smudged on his cheek, eyes glowing red.

"Dimitri, I found her!" Ivan called out and stepped further into the room, his eyes clearing in a blink.

"Emily," Ivan snarled but I raised a hand.

"Don't blame her just yet," I said tiredly and closed my eyes. Ivan spoke quietly to Emily when two pairs of footsteps approached the room. I opened my eyes again as Dimitri crouched down beside me, his eyes wild and alert.

"Hey," I said tiredly, reaching up with one hand and stroking his cheek.

Dimitri gripped my hand and kissed my palm, his eyes moving frantically until they landed on the squirming baby in my arms, making his first cry in the world. Dimitri drew in a shaky breath and raised his other hand, cupping the baby's head gently.

"I missed it," Dimitri whispered and I stretched my head up, kissing his jaw.

"I know, but all that matters is that you're here now," I breathed. Emily pressed gently on my stomach as my contractions continued at a lighter rate. Dimitri kissed my head a few times.

"A boy or a girl?"

I smirked up at him. "I told you we were having a boy," I said with slight smugness. Dimitri nodded and looked at Emily when she dropped something into the bowl beside her with a sigh.

"That's it, you're all done," she said quietly, rubbing her wrist against her forehead. "I gather you took care of things?"

Dimitri nodded. "We have a few that were taken into custody. We found some other things that will be useful," Dimitri said and Emily nodded with a quiet sigh.

"Good. I'll be glad to be able to live my life again without fear."

Dimitri gave a sharp jerk of his head before slipping off his duster, helping me put my arm through the sleeves. Once he had me wrapped up in the duster and our son tucked safely in our arms, he lifted me up and strode through the doorway. I tried not to look at the carnage that was in front of me, but it was hard.

"It looks like a slaughter happened," I whispered.

"There was one, with minimal casualties on our part."

I nodded, rested my head against his chest, and closed my eyes, not wanting to see anymore.

After going to the hospital to make sure that the baby and I were both in good health, Delia was able to brush over some of the stand-out details of my delivery. We got all the necessary paperwork done and were deemed healthy, finally able to go home.

But I didn't want to let him go.

"Rose, you should sleep," Dimitri chuckled.

"I don't want to let go of him," I laughed, "Plus, we need a name. I know we picked one, but it doesn't seem right for him."

Dimitri came to sit beside me on the couch and rested his arm on the back of the couch, kissing my temple.

"What do you think of Noah?"

Dimitri canted his head and nodded after a moment. "I like Noah. That was the next name on my list," he said. I nodded and looked down at Noah in my arms, his mouth making a sucking motion despite being asleep.

Dimitri hummed quietly and slipped his arms under mine, lifting Noah from my arms.

"Go get some sleep, Roza," Dimitri whispered, kissing Noah's head. I smiled and yawned, not trying to stifle it any longer. I really was exhausted. I stood up and stretched my arms over my head, stretching with a groan.

"Come with me?"

Dimitri smirked and nodded heading into our bedroom with me on his trail. I climbed into bed and curled up on my side, smiling as Dimitri rested Noah against his chest. I rested my hand on Dimitri's stomach and sighed.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just happy," I said as I blinked slowly, sleep coming over me quickly.

Super rough edit! There are only a few chapters left!

Let me know what you think!