Hey guys. First of all, I want to say thank you so much for the awesome reviews! I am so glad that you are enjoying the story. Second, I'd like to say that I'm really sorry for not being able to put this chapter up sooner. I am sick and I have to go to the doctor tomorrow morning. I've been sick since I started the story, but I got a lot worse today. I've had a terrible migraine all day, but I was able to work on this chapter on and off all day when it would let up a little bit. I didn't want to keep you guys waiting! So, wish me luck on getting well so that I can write more. I really hope you like this chapter; I had a lot of fun writing it. Here we go!

"Zoey? Zoey, wake up. Can you hear me? Wake up!"

I sighed and went to stretch but the shock that went through my body caused me to stop and groan. Every muscle in my body was yelling at me to stay still. "Ohmygoddess, Stark, what did you do to me last night?" I said in a joking manner, my eyes still closed.

Stark cleared his throat, so I guessed that he wanted to get my attention. It would be just my luck to open my eyes and see everyone in the room, staring at me.

I hadn't wanted to open my eyes yet. I was loving the feel of the bed Stark and I shared underneath me. I could tell by the feel of it that I was naked. That seemed a little odd considering the fact that Stark and I usually dressed after, well, stuff, just in case someone came in while we were sleeping.

I could smell the dampness of the tunnels and hear Nala's purr engine going beside me. I never thought that I could be so comfortable and calm. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes.

Kalona was sitting on the opposite side of the bed, leaned toward me. I automatically sat up straight, trying to get the covers out from under me. All the while I kept my eyes on him. He was very stiff and didn't look like he wanted to be there at all. However, even though his body language was saying he didn't want to be there, the passion in his eyes as he took in my naked body said the very opposite.

I finally managed to get the covers over me. Okay, sure, I had been naked in front of Kalona before, more than once. Hell, I'd had sex with him! It shouldn't have made me so nervous but I couldn't help it. The fact that we were in the bedroom I usually shared with Stark didn't help matters much. It made me think of Stark, and that made me think of how awful our situation was. I knew that it was killing him to know that I had Kalona's child inside me.

Kalona reluctantly sat forward so that he could touch my face. I hadn't realized until he did it that my entire body felt like it was on fire. When he touched me, it sent stars flashing before my eyes. I winced. "What did this to you, Zoey?" he asked.

For a moment I didn't know what he was talking about. I was going to ask him what he was talking about when it dawned on me. "Neferet." was all I said.

He gasped. "The Tsi Sgili dares to hurt my mate!" The power in his voice caused me to flinch. He saw it and automatically softened. "I am sorry, sweet. Does it hurt very much?"

"Yeah, it hurts pretty bad. But I'll be fine." I lied. I didn't think I would be alright. I mean, Neferet had hit me hard. Harder than I thought she was capable of. Maybe she had actually hit me with something. I did only get a glimpse of her before she hit me. Tossing aside all that drama, I asked Kalona, "What are you doing here?"

I could tell by the look on his face that I'd hurt him. I was going to tell him that I didn't mean that I didn't want him here, but he didn't give me the chance. "You called me here."

"Uh, I may have gotten hit pretty hard in the head, but I think I would remember doing something like that." I explained.

Kalona softened yet again and whispered, "Zoey, you are dreaming. You wouldn't remember it if you tried your hardest. You always call me while you dream."

Huh. I didn't know that I did that. I took a shaky breath. "In any case, we shouldn't be here. I don't feel right being in the place I sleep with Stark, with you. It makes me feel like he'll walk in the door at any minute."

Kalona nodded, but it didn't look like he thought too much about it. "You thought I was him when I tried to wake you."

That made me think about how it was that I could sleep in a dream, but I tossed that thought aside for later. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was a little groggy."

"Think nothing of it. Shall we go somewhere else?"

I definitely wanted to go somewhere else, but I couldn't just yet. "I need some clothes first."

A mischievous smile appeared on his face. "Are you sure? I could always get naked, too. Would you feel more comfortable then?"

I felt the blush rise to my cheeks. Man, did I want him to get naked! But I knew that he couldn't. We wouldn't be able to talk if we were preoccupied doing…other things. "Uh…no. Let me get some clothes real fast and then we can go." I was about to get up when I realized that he would see me naked again. "Um, turn around."

He laughed. "Oh, Zoeybird, there is not a part on you that I haven't seen yet. Why must I turn?"

"Because I don't want to tempt you. We have things we need to talk about."

"I won't get tempted…much. I promise I will be on my best behavior. Do what you must." he argued.

I really didn't want to let him see me naked, but I didn't want to spend more time arguing with him. I let out an exasperated sigh and got out from under the blanket. I didn't look at him as I walked over to the dresser Stark and I had picked out for our room. Curiously, I opened the bottom two drawers.

Just as I had thought, Stark's clothes were neatly folded - because I had folded them for him. Could a guy do anything for himself? - in them. I thought about just grabbing some of his clothes, but I knew that that would only hurt Kalona, and I really didn't want to do that. As much as I didn't want to be attracted to him, I was.

I could feel Kalona's eyes on me as I pulled out a pair of underwear and a bra. I was about to put the panties on when he said, "Are you sure you want to put those on?"

I didn't turn around because I knew that if I saw him I would lose focus. "Yes." I'd meant for the word to sound sharp and final, but it came out a little shaky.

I finished dressing in record time, settling on my red panties and bra, some sweatpants, and a baggy white shirt. I was a little dizzy because my head hurt really bad and moving made it worse, but it wasn't that bad. I turned to look at Kalona. "Let's get out of here."

He gave me a brisk nod and came over to me. "Close your eyes." he whispered in my ear, wrapping his arms around me. I did as he said. We were suddenly surrounded by air. I didn't feel like we were moving, but my mind was telling me that we had to be. After a minute or two the wind stopped, and Kalona let go of me.

I opened my eyes to find that we were back in Nyx's kingdom, under the old oak that had a great view of a vast ocean. I realized that this was going to be "our place". I walked ahead of Kalona to the big oak, and sat up against it. This time I wouldn't let him pull me to him. I needed to face him while we talked.

He was only a fraction of a second behind me, sitting down next to me just after I had sat. "Tell me. What is going on?"

I took a deep breath. "Well, I went to go see if the baby is okay at the clinic in Tulsa, with the help of Stevie Rae, Darius, Aphrodite, and Stark. I had to explain to them everything that is going on."

Kalona didn't look too pleased about this, but he didn't say anything about it. "Go on."

"The baby is fine. Better, in fact. It isn't a Raven Mocker. It's just a baby. A normal, completely human baby." I said with a smile. "I got to see it. It's amazing."

Kalona didn't look very convinced. "How could you see it when it is so early?"

My smile faded. "Oh. Right. That's the weird part. According to the doctor, I'm two and half weeks along."

Kalona didn't look very surprised. Instead, he nodded. "Yes, that makes sense. The other mothers of my children progressed rapidly, also."

I gasped. I smacked him on the side of his arm. "And you didn't think to tell me about this?"

He laughed. "You've become very comfortable with me." He sighed then. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just didn't know if it would be the same with you."

"Oh." I looked down at my hands. I felt a little bad at being so mad at him when he just didn't want to get my hopes up in case it wasn't the same with me. "Sorry."

"Don't be." he said. "Now, tell me. How is it you know that the baby is not a Raven Mocker?"

I looked back at him. "Well, the doctor had this machine that she used on my stomach so that we could see inside it." Dr. Romano had told me everything she was doing as she did it while I was in her office. "The machine uses sounds, like radar, to show what's inside me. There, she took a picture of the baby. She even gave it to me. That's how I could see the baby."

Suddenly, Kalona reached over and put his hand on my stomach. He looked like a little boy who's mom just told him that he could get a new toy. He looked into my eyes as he said, "Show me."

"How can I show you? I don't have the picture with me."

He rolled his eyes, which was weird coming from an immortal like him. "Zoey, we are in your dream. Everything you have ever seen can be here. You just have to try and pluck it from your brain, then conjure it. Focus. Let me see our child."

When he said "our child", I smiled. I could hear the love in his voice when he spoke about the baby. I was filled with happiness as I closed my eyes and tried to grasp the memory of the picture. It wasn't easy because I had only seen the picture a couple of times, and it was only possible because I had managed to remember the picture because it was my child.

My hand started to tingle. I barely heard Kalona tell me to focus and keep doing what I was doing. I could tell by the feeling in my hand that the picture would soon be physical and that I needed to pinch my fingers together to keep from dropping it. I did, and felt the smooth paper of the picture.

I opened my eyes to see it in my hand for only a moment before Kalona snatched it out of my grasp. I was going to tell him that it was rude to take things without asking, but as soon as I looked at him the words disappeared from my mind.

Kalona looked at the picture as if it was going to break. His eyes were shiny with new tears, but his mouth was pulled up in a smile that would make every woman on the planet want to pull him into her arms. A little laugh came from his lips right before he spoke. "It is…beautiful."

I hadn't realized that I was crying until I opened my mouth to speak and one of the tears fell into it. I tasted the salty tear and quickly wiped my eyes. Kalona was so focused on the picture that he didn't even notice. "It is beautiful." I finally managed to say. "And it's ours. That baby is inside of me right now. It was made from me and you."

He slowly looked up from the picture and into my eyes. When he did, he saw that I was crying, but he took it the wrong way. "Have I upset you? Do you…not want the child?" He reached up and wiped another tear that had spilled off my cheek.

I shook my head. "No, that's not it. I'm just happy that I can make you so happy. Well, that I can make you happy by having your child."

Kalona's face softened. He scooted closer to me and wrapped his giant arms around me so that my head rested on his shoulder. "Oh, Zoey." he whispered, stroking my hair. "I am not happy just because of the child. Yes, it's true that I am… Well, no words can describe how happy I am that I will have a normal child. I was overwhelmed when Nyx forgave Rephaim and gave him the body of a normal man. Now, I have a child that will be born normal.

"But that is not the only reason I am happy." He pulled back so that he could look into my face. "I am also happy because my child will have a wonderful mother. A beautiful, powerful High Priestess who will protect it until she breathes her last breath. I know that that is who you are, Zoey. I know that you love the child just as much as I do."

I thought I would start crying again but I managed to get a hold on myself. Yes, it made me happy that Kalona was so happy, but there was another part of me that was upset because he was only happy because of the child. True, he had said that that wasn't the only reason he was happy, but truly it was. The only reason why he wanted me around was because he knew I would take care of his child. I thought about saying something about it, but he kept talking.

"That is only part of the reason why I love you, though." he continued, as though he could read my mind. "I love you so much, Zoey. I love you because you are strong. Because you are unique. You are compassionate, beautiful, and wise, even though you don't see it. You are perfect; truly amazing."

A moment passed as he put one of his hands to the side of my face. "And every second I wonder how you could love me. How you could be with me and be happy to be having my child. I know that it is only because of the spell that you love me, but I hope that one day that can change, and you will love me for who I am. Because that is why I love you."

I had never in a million years thought that Kalona would say something so beautiful. Especially that he would be saying it to me. He looked like he was about to cry, and that broke my heart. I couldn't stand seeing him so broken. I didn't think I would ever see or hear anything more surprising, but I proved myself wrong with my next action.

I threw myself at him and pulled him into my arms.

"Oh, Kalona, you couldn't be more wrong. I do love you for you. I love you so much. And not because of the spell. Because you are amazing. You've never shown this side of yourself to me before. I assure you that if you had, you would have had me a long time ago. You are all the things you said I was and more. I will always love you." I whispered, feeling in my gut that everything I'd said was true.

He pulled away from me. "I cannot believe that. I know that it is the spell that has made you love me."

I put his face in both of my hands and made him look at me. "You're wrong. I. Love. You."

Then, I pulled his face to mine and kissed him passionately. He practically melted in my arms, kissing me as hungrily as I was kissing him. It seemed like there was no one in the world but me and him. Maybe that was true. Maybe I had just been dreaming about everything else.

He laid down on his back and pulled me on top to straddle him. I kissed him one more time before pulling away to give him a flirty smile.

"What are you doing?" he asked, breathlessly.

I didn't answer him. Instead, I closed my eyes and focused hard, just like I had when I was trying to bring the picture of our baby into my dream. It took me a little longer this time, and I could feel Kalona putting his hands on my waist, his patience getting thin. Finally, I felt the same tingle I had earlier, this time all over my body.

I heard Kalona gasp and then let out a little growl, letting me know that it had worked. When I opened my eyes I saw the proof for myself.

My hands were on Kalona's bare chest. His muscles gleamed in the sunlight cascading down on us. His hands were warm on my naked body, sending chills through me. He sat up, putting his hands on the back of my shoulders to pull me toward him. He kissed my breasts, every now and then letting his tongue snake out to touch the most sensitive part of them.

I shivered and moaned at the same time.

This time Kalona and I explored each other's bodies before we actually had sex. It made us being connected to each other all the better. This time, I didn't fade into blackness, so I was able to enjoy every single moment of it. I realized just how amazing Kalona's body could be.

When we finished - this time I was on top - I fell over next to him to catch my breath. Kalona's eyes were closed, his left hand reaching out to grab my right hand. We panted there next to each other until I rolled over and draped myself across him, my head on his shoulder and left leg over both his legs.

"See how much I love you?" I asked him.

He laughed, giving me chills as he did. "Oh, yes. I see now."

I jutted out my lower lip like Aphrodite sometimes did with Darius. Kalona's eyes were closed, but when he didn't hear me say anything, he opened them to look at me. When he saw my face he said, "What is wrong, lover?"

"I told you I love you." I whispered in the saddest voice I could manage.

He cocked his head to the side. "I heard you, sweet. Why has that made you so upset?"

I rolled back off of him and turned the other direction. My heart felt like someone was squeezing the crap out of it. I thought it would stop beating right then and there.

Kalona rolled over towards me to put his hand on my shoulder and peek at me. I thought he would say something, but he didn't. Wow, I thought, he really didn't get it. For a split second, I felt the same exact way I did when I overheard Loren talking to Neferet about how easy it was to seduce me. I had found out that he'd only had sex with me because Neferet had put him up to it so that they could get me secluded from my friends. He hadn't really loved me like he said he did. Maybe Kalona was the same. Maybe he only loved his child, the one that was growing inside of me, and only told me he loved me so that I would still try to keep it safe.

He put his finger under my chin and pulled it up to face him. "My love, what has upset you so?"

As soon as he said the words "my love" I started to cry.

"Are you sure you love me?" I asked, feeling hollow inside.

I felt the jolt that went through his body. "Of course I love you, Zoey. I've already-" He stopped, obviously getting why I was so upset. "Oh, Zoeybird. I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you. More than anything else. I am so sorry I didn't say it earlier."

The ice in my heart thawed just a little bit, but I was still afraid he was just saying that he loved me, not really meaning it.

"Little love, would you like me to show you how much I love you?" he whispered seductively into my ear.

Although I shouldn't have been so swayed by what he said, I was instantly filled with a burning hunger for him. I turned around and started kissing him passionately again.

We made love once again, taking our time exploring each other's bodies this time.

We'd just finished and laid down together, spooning, when Kalona whispered, "You have to go now, love. Someone is trying to wake you up." I went to tell him that I didn't want to go yet, but he put his fingers on my lips. "Shush. Don't say anything. You do have to go. But I want you to leave thinking of us, and what we just did. I want you to go knowing that I love you with all my heart, and that I will not let anything get in the way of us."

A flash of Stark's face came before my eyes, but before I could say anything, Kalona was gone. I was no longer in Nyx's kingdom. Instead, I was at the carnival again, walking in slow motion to the cotton candy stand. This time, Nala appeared to leap in my arms, telling me that she wanted some cotton candy, too.

I thought about how weird it was that she could talk just before I woke up.