A/N: I would like to thank you all for your suggestions. Especially to an Indigo Grey who was kind enough to suggest baby names…love how your mind works! So poor little Lucian is dead and Darrin is soooo close to his goal. Let's see how's he's doing!
Chapter Four
I walked slowly down the winding path a cold feeling seeping throughout my body. I had let an innocent boy die because of my idiot father. A sudden wave of rage surged through me and I clenched my hands into fists. This was all his fault. If he had never come along then I wouldn't have to prove myself worthy to marry Dana. My rage was replaced by guilt at the realization that I didn't try hard enough to keep Dana out of my family business. If I had been more careful and alert then they wouldn't have found out about her or our engagement.
I stopped in my tracks as the guilt washed over me. If only I had been able to shield Dana from my family then they would have never found out about us and Lucian would have never died. I covered my eyes with a hand as I fell against the rough stone wall. I let out a sigh and blinked back the unshed tears that stung my eyes. I began to walk again, a little faster at the rage I still felt towards my father. I barely noticed the path ended until I was falling through empty space.
I let out a yell as I turned my body and tried to grab the stone wall rushing past me. I looked down to see the ground coming swiftly up to meet me. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the impact. I felt something icy cold circle around my waist halting me in midair. I opened my eyes to see the ground just a few feet below me. I looked to see where the icy chill was coming from to see a transparent arm wrapped tightly around me. I looked over my shoulder to see a man with curly hair holding me up. Something was strangely familiar about him but I couldn't put my finger on it.
"You alright there?" he asked smiling at me.
"I think so," I gasped as he set me on my feet.
His smile was familiar and I cocked my head to the side as I looked him over. He was about as tall as me, but very slender and incredibly lanky. His curly hair fell into his eyes and he shook them back as he stared back. His eyes were dark but very friendly. He reached out a hand.
"My name is Cal," he told me smiling again. I noticed that his eyes crinkled up at the corners.
"Darrin Cobalt," I replied taking his hand and giving it a firm shake.
"Cal? Where did you go?" a soft voice called out.
"Over here darling," Cal called over his shoulder.
A small, slender woman walked over to us and my eyes grew wide when she came into view. Her hair was long and fell down her back straight as an arrow, framing her heart-shaped face…and as red as blood. Her green eyes sparkled as she smiled up at Cal and her skin was as pale as milk. My mouth fell open as I looked her up and down. She was the spitting image of Dana. She noticed me looking at her and pouted her full lips the same way Dana did when I looked at her.
"Who is your friend?" she asked wrapping her arms around Cal's waist.
"This is Darrin Cobalt," Cal answered brightly still smiling. "Darrin this is my wife Stella."
"You look like Dana," I thought aloud.
"What did you say?" Stella asked her eyes growing wide.
Cal looked at me with the same amount of surprise as his wife. I looked over at him and realized that Dana had the same eye shape as him as well as the same smile. Still, she looked exactly like Stella. She was even the same height as my Dana.
"Dana," I repeated. "Does that name sound familiar to you?"
"We had a daughter once," Cal said sadly, "that was the name we gave her before this woman came in and ended our lives."
"How do you know what Dana looks like?" Stella asked her eyes fierce.
"She's my fiancée," I answered. "I was sent here by my father to prove that I was worthy enough to marry her."
"What became of her?" Cal asked his arm going around his wife.
"She was adopted by a man named Christopher Savior," I told them. "She's fine other than the fact that she's pregnant and in danger if I don't return with you two."
They both looked at each other. I watched them as they appeared to communicate silently between each other. Stella's eyes darted towards me on occasion as did Cal's. Finally they looked back at me. Cal came forward but kept a hand on his wife's hip. I looked at him hopefully.
"What do you need from us?" he asked.
"I need your permission to marry your daughter," I said firmly straightening to my full height.
"And why should we allow that?" Stella asked her eyes narrowing.
"Look," I began finding the right words, "I am a vampire as is your daughter. We believe in something called a Bloodmate. What this means is that they are basically our soul mate. They are our other half. Without them we feel incomplete. I have lived for over 500 years and until I met Dana I never felt whole. She came into my life and brought with her this warm light that filled my very soul. I love her with all my heart and wish to do anything to make her happy. Without her I don't see any point of living."
"You made it all this way just to get an answer from us?" Cal asked.
"No," I replied, "I came here for Dana."
"You seem like a strong young man," Cal said looking me up and down. "You really do love her don't you?" I nodded and he smiled. "We heard your little scuffle with the hellbat and we saw what you did for that boy. You felt compassion towards someone you had just met and even cried over their death. You have a kind heart. I'm sure our daughter would be well taken care of in your hands. I see no reason why you can't marry her."
I smiled back at him and looked over at Stella. Her face was stern like her husband's before he spoke to me. She walked closer to me, tilting her head back to stare up at me. I looked back, subconsciously slumping my shoulders to shrink myself like I did for Dana. She looked just like her that it shocked me to my core. Her eyes looked me up and down slowly causing me to shiver slightly.
"How is my daughter?" she asked softly.
"As far as I know fine," I told her, "although she is pregnant."
"Well then I supposed you need to make an honest woman out of her," she said crossing her arms over her chest.
"What?" I asked bewildered.
She just smiled and nodded putting her arms around me suddenly. I was pulled into a tight hug as she held on to me her eyes closed. Hesitantly I hugged her back, glancing over at Cal. He just smiled the same smile Dana had and nodded as well. I slowly smiled back and picked Stella off of her feet and swung her around. She let out a shriek of laughter and was still laughing when I set her back on her feet.
"So how do we get to your father?" she asked smiling.
"With this," I answered pulling out the glowing black stone from my pocket.
I held tightly to Stella's hand as she grabbed a hold of Cal's. I gave her small hand a squeeze as I threw the stone to the ground and brought my foot down upon it. It cracked and emitted a dark purple smoke that surrounded us. I closed my eyes and held tightly to Stella's hand as the smoke circled around us. When I opened my eyes the smoke had cleared and we were standing in the library back at the mansion. Stella and Cal looked around with wide eyes. I looked up when I heard someone gasp from the doorway.
Dana stood there, her belly swollen with child and protruding from her small body. She ran towards me with more speed than I imagined her to have in this state and threw her arms around my neck. I put my around her waist as she kissed my face, my neck, and anywhere else she could. Tears ran down her face as she held onto me tightly. I kissed them away and gently kissed her lips. She smiled against mine and pulled me down to deepen the kiss.
"I thought you would never come back," she whispered against my lips.
"I told you that I would come for you," I scolded lightly. "And I brought some people for you to meet."
Dana peered around me and stared at her parents. Her arms slid down from my neck as she walked towards them. Her father gazed lovingly down at her while her mother cried silent tears and smiled. Dana looked at each of them for several minutes before reaching up and gently touching her father's cheek.
"Mom? Dad?" she asked softly.
"Yes," Stella whispered her voice thick with tears.
"It's really us sweetie," Cal said gently.
Dana let out a soft sob as she buried her face in Cal's chest. He held onto her tightly closing his eyes as tears spilled down his face. Stella came up behind Dana and wrapped her arms around the two of them kissing the top of Dana's head. I watched with soft eyes at the tender scene. I turned when I heard someone walking into the room to see my brother and father standing there. Davian smiled at me and clapped me on the shoulder. Father looked over at Dana and her parents, a sneer marring his face.
"I see you found them," he said his voice dripping with dread.
"Yes," I replied coolly, "so I guess that means I've passed."
"Not quite yet," my father said shaking his head back and forth. "I still need to know they gave you permission."
"Oh we have," Cal responded looking over Dana and his wife. "And I have bone to pick with you. Who do you think you are? You had the nerve to endanger my daughter when she is in such a critical state." Father's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water as Cal stepped around the two crying, hugging women and came towards him. "I for one think that enforcing such strict rules upon your family creates a hostile environment in which your children will try to defy you at every turn."
"Do you have any idea who you're talking to?" my father snapped his eyes flashing dangerously.
"I believe I am talking to a rather weak and insecure man who takes out his insecurity out on the ones close to him," Cal answered calmly. No one in the room said anything. I looked over at Davian to see a shocked look on his face. "I have given this fine young man permission to marry my daughter. I feel that he has done everything within his power and much more to ensure her safety and happiness. I am allowing him to marry my daughter because he is a strong, outstanding young man. And looking at you and the kind of man you are, I am rather pleased to see that Darrin is nothing like you at all."
Dana beamed up at me, tears still shining in her eyes. She kissed her mother on the cheek before coming to stand in front of me. I smiled down at her and placed a hand on her baby belly. I felt sudden movement and something small and strong bump against my hand. Dana looked at my hand on her stomach and smiled up at me brightly. I let out a small laugh before looking at my father. Mother and slipped into the room during Cal's little speech. She looked over at me and Dana, at Dana's parents, and at my father.
"Fine then," my father snarled through gritted teeth. He turned his eyes towards me, his gaze suddenly becoming soft and almost warm. "You really are a fine man Darrin. I know you'll be a good husband and a wonderful father. I hope one day you can forgive me for what I've done."
"That won't be happening anytime soon," I growled pulling Dana closer to my side.
"Be that as it may," my father sighed, "please call upon us when she gives birth, which should be very soon seeing as how she's five months along."
I didn't say anything and instead looked over at Dana's parents. They smiled fondly at me and Dana before turning and walking off, disappearing into thin air. Dana watched them leave with a sad smile before her face scrunched up in confusion. She looked over at my father, walking away from me with one hand on her lower back and one on her stomach.
"If I'm five months along," Dana began, "then why would I have to call upon you soon? I still have four months to go."
"Not quite," my mother chuckled. "Didn't anyone tell you the gestation period for vampires is six months?"
"Six months!" Dana cried whipping around to glare at me. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I thought someone told you," I said holding my hands up to defend myself if necessary.
"Don't worry dear," my mother said placing a hand on her shoulder. "I should have spoken with you about this before but every time I tried you would glare at me and growl."
Dana blushed and looked down at her feet at a loss of words. I went to her and rubbed her back gently. I glanced over at my mother to see her pouting slightly. She noticed me looking and turned her face away from me. Father stared blankly at me one of his arms around my mother's waist. Davian smirked at me and walked towards us, his hands clasped behind his back.
"I hope you aren't thinking of implementing a family ban so close to her due date," he said still smirking. "I don't know about you but her doctor may not get here in time when it comes to push. Mom's pretty good a delivering multiples…I mean she got us both out even with your big head."
"Fine," I sighed looking down at Dana, "you all can stay here till the babies are born. After that I want you all out of my life."
Father nodded stiffly and pulled my mother from the room. She glanced over her shoulder once at us before allowing my father to lead her away. Davian gave us a real smile before walking out after our parents. I looked down at Dana and her eyes met mine. She looked at me lovingly and took my hand, placing it on her stomach. I looked down at her small hand covering mine as I felt the three small lives moving around inside of her.
A/N: If you all haven't guessed the next chapter we shall have three new characters joining this tale! I'm keeping what I have decided a secret for now and you all will have to wait for the next chapter to see the genders and names I've picked out! Please remember to leave a review!