CHAPTER SIXTY SEVEN

SIX MONTHS LATER:

LIFE CHANGING

EMBRY CALL:

Kat gave one last almighty push and our son was delivered into this world. After a quick clean he was handed to Kat. He lay gazing up at his Mother with adoring blue eyes, so similar to hers. I kissed his precious soft cheek and marvelled at the perfection of him. "Hello Nathaniel " cooed Kat. I had never loved her more. She became my wife three months ago. We had a quiet low key wedding in La Push doubling up with Rebecca and Caleb. Kat's sister had just announced her pregnancy two days ago. Everyone was delighted for her, especially Mike and Angie. Kat looked tired but oh so proud. Her labour had been long and hard but all that was forgotten now as we gazed upon this little miracle we had created. I knew everyone else was going to be in awe of our son too. Rebecca and her beloved were waiting outside to meet their nephew. Kat's parents were here too. Jake and Nessie had also turned up with big bunches of flowers, baby clothes and other gifts. Unfortunately they could not have children due to Renesmee being a hybrid. I had a feeling they would spoil Nathaniel though! Rebecca now lived right next door to us. She had given up life in the city to marry Caleb and settle down. I couldn't wait for Nathaniel to have a play mate in a few months. My Mom, Tiffany was overjoyed with her new gift of an extended family. She was much better now. She had my wonderful Kat as a daughter in law and now Rebecca had given her so much joy too.

Life was good. To think I almost lost my Katherine, my reason for breathing, my everything. Thankfully Daniel had helped bring her back to me. Kat told me all about the angel Lukas who had saved her. She wished I could meet him, then she would laugh and say I would find out one day too. I wished my other sister was here to see our beautiful boy. Leah had not been back to La Push for months. Etienne and she left just after Kat's miraculous recovery. She has text me and phoned but she wouldn't explain why they couldn't return. I took a photograph on my phone of Kat and Nathaniel. I punched in Leah's name then pressed send. At least she would get to see our son on his first day of life even if it wasn't in the flesh. I couldn't wait to get my wife and baby home. It was a new start, a new life and I couldn't wait for it all to begin.

We had been given a second chance and I wasn't going to waste a precious second of it.

ETIENNE LUCIER:

Why did my darling Leah have to be so stubborn and wilful? She won't give up once she starts something. Daniel was now a vampire, he was articulate and handsome. He was strong and dazzling. A fine example of a new born. Until the thirst overcame him. Then he was a raging, terrifying and powerful fledgling. Leah had to physically restrain him from going out and killing some innocent human. His desire for their blood was so strong. In truth I was exasperated with the whole situation, We had been holed up in our Vancouver home for six months now. I had a cellar you see and it was easily adaptable into a prison for Daniel when Leah thought he had become uncontrollable. I didn't realise changing Daniel into one of us meant we had to babysit him too. But my darling wife said she had a responsibility to her fledgling because she changed him into this monster. I had tried mind control on Daniel and it seemed to work for awhile and he would consume animal blood with us, but then the thirst would take over again. To be honest I just wanted him out of our house. I wanted my wife back, I wanted our life together back. Daniel was besotted with Leah and whilst I knew this could happen between a new born and their maker, I wasn't impressed because I was almost certain that he was already in love with her before. Leah swears she wasn't aware of it. I have my doubts.

So all in all the past six months have been torturous for me. I didn't like sharing my beloved with anyone. Daniel's hungry red eyes watched her every move with lustful desire shining in them so plain and evident, I was scared. What if he managed to persuade Leah to leave me? Then I chided myself, I was Leah's maker so she wouldn't leave me surely? My head actually hurt from over thinking the situation. Leah spent all her time trying to make Daniel into a refined and restrained vampire. Secretly I think she loved modelling him into something she wanted him to be. Me? I wish we'd never laid eyes on him. I had a bad feeling right from the beginning which had just grew and grew.

Something had to change, and it had to happen soon.

LEAH LUCIER:

I was so tired of leading a double life. I was Etienne's wife. I was Daniel's maker. I shouldn't have changed him. My husband was right. I was a one off. I should not have been so caught up in keeping my promise to Daniel. He didn't turn out like I did. I had hoped and prayed deep down that he would be fine because he was no ordinary human. I was wrong. It didn't work like that. Now I had this fiendishly evil and devastatingly handsome fledgling on my hands. My marriage was suffering. My heart ached for poor Etienne, he wanted me all to himself, quite rightly so. My body betrayed me when ever Daniel was close to me, I wanted to make him mine in all ways possible. Why did there have to be this attraction between us? I didn't want it. I hated it. I was stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea, as they say.

Something had to change, and it had to happen soon.