Chapter 46 - Where I Belong Pt. 2

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Note:

Long awaited but here(what's a year, right? Nope? Okay…) Sorry for the w-block. It's slowly lifting, since I'm writing here and there again. But there's another problem I'm dealing, Tamed-Nhood wise. It has a weird bug that I'm trying to fix. Haven't been in the NH for a while, so don't know how long it's been there. It messes up my sims, so I can't take pictures. I've had it before, so I know what it is. But last time it got out of control and I had to erase everything and start over. Hope it doesn't come to that now that I'm nearing the end of this story.

Wordy. Lacks pics in certain areas (due to bug)

**Adult Situations, Nudity**

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Raven took a step back to get a hold of himself. That small bead of red that was forming on it was driving him crazy. Letting out an involuntarily growl, he eyed the drop. The spell had worked. Her blood was no longer toxic… and smelled oh-so good. The predator in him slowly making its way towards the surface. He was getting ready to attack and that wouldn't play out very well for anyone. Marina quickly sucked the finger into her mouth, licking the drop off. Running her tongue across the puncture wound she made sure it stopped bleeding before pulling it back out. Anything to make him calm down, because she could clearly see that he was struggling inside. That small action had another effect though and he practically pounced on her, pinning her against the wall.

Marina's heart skipped a beat, but she still wasn't sure if it was because of fear. She always said she wasn't afraid of him… but now with him visibly struggling, perhaps a little bit was surfacing? Raven lowered his head and leaned in. Pulling her hair back he took a deep breath inhaling her scent. The throbbing vein in her neck was beckoning him; calling his name. Then there was the fast beating of her heart like a clock gone wild; ticking off the seconds for him to take her. His fangs lengthened to full extend… so close… so close…

Raven sighed and lifted his head to attack her mouth instead. His kiss was fierce and Marina tried to keep up, but before she could he stopped again. The metallic taste of her blood still lingered on her tongue and a moan escaped his lips when he broke the kiss. Diving back in, he repeated the process again… and again. Marina didn't want to push him, but she let out an irritated sigh. 'I won't break you know'

The corners of his mouth slowly rose at her eagerness. 'Hmmm, I don't know that. The small part of my mind that's still able to think is the reason why you're not running out of here… screaming'

'Then think of something else—'

Think of something else? In a quiet room with her heartbeat having a concert in his head. Was that even possible?

'Like what?', he whispered.

'I don't know… say, my lips and the way they feel against yours', Marina pressed her lips against his in a light kiss. '—My skin', she whispered against his lips and placed both of his hands on her waist. She gasped when he pulled her body against his. Keeping her mouth occupied with his own, his hands trailed up and down behind her; caressing her exposed back. Moving to her sides and then to the front, Raven's hands disappeared  underneath the top-half of the dress in search of even more bare skin. Marina moaned when he skillfully and teasingly rubbed her nipples. They responded immediately to his touch and hardened between his fingers. And when his hands closed over her breasts she gasped against his lips. Her skin was on fire as she arched her back trying to mold her body to his hands.

Lifting her hair and reaching behind, Marina pulled loose one of the strings that was keeping her dress up and let the silky material glide to the floor. Raven took a step back to admire what had been revealed. He had seen her naked before, but now it felt different. Now she knew who and what he was and would be completely his after tonight… The thought alone pleased him so much there were no words to describe it. Immensely came close, but still fell short. A lot of different thoughts entered his head about what he would like to do to her body. So many things she'd definitely enjoy, but settling on one or two proved difficult. Raven sighed as his eyes devoured her frame. Marina got back up from the bed she sat down on and walked over to him.

'Do you know how many times you've sighed tonight?, she whispered.

'Nine… but that was a rhetorical question'

'Hmm-mmh', she murmured lowered his jacket. Her fingers easily found the buttons on a piece of clothing around his waist she didn't know the name of. Followed by another piece here and another there. Marina had no idea his outfit had so many layers to it. Meanwhile Raven ran his hand up and down her sides as she undressed him. Needing to touch her… needing to keep focused on something. Her hair as it cascaded down her torso made him marvel at its softness. Wondering if it was really hair or silk. The corners of his mouth rose when he felt an increase in her movement. With every piece of clothing she removed her hands moved faster. Raven took in a sharp breath when her fingers finally reached his skin and explored his torso. His body shook lightly with the control he was fighting to hold.

Marina took his hand and pulled him over to the bed. She never thought she would be the one taking charge when they finally took the next step, yet here they were. Placing his hand on her waist, she waited for him to touch her. Raven lifted his hand back up and stared at her as she lay there. A slight pink color started between her breasts and crawled up to her cheeks, causing him to smile. But then his mind switched on him, reminding him that it was blood that was gathering underneath her skin that was producing that color and his fangs lengthened again. Marina thought he would pull away again, but he didn't. Instead she saw a look of pure desire on his face.

Instead of fighting it, Raven embraced the feeling of his hunger for this woman and just let it flow through him. It flowed to the point of obsession. Reaching out, he pulled her hair to the side, exposing her nude torso, and grabbed both of her breasts. Kneading her soft skin between his fingers, he managed to squeeze tiny moans out of her. Embracing the feeling of hunger kept his fangs extended and he scraped them along her tender nipples before lightly biting them. Marina let out a little yelp. When she felt  the fangs she assumed this was it; the moment he would bite her. She was surprised he didn't. Instead, he licked the sting away and kissed a path up to her ear. 'Not yet', he whispered. 'We can make it even better…' Raven lay down on her with his full weight and made thrusting motions while suckling her neck. He felt her body heat up with every second that passed.

Marina protested when he rolled over to the other side of her and pulled her up with him. Softly caressing her face, he waited for her to open her eyes before he spoke. 'When a vampire drinks blood, the victim's life flashes before their eyes. I don't know if the same will happen with you now, but if that's the case... There's a lot in my past that I can't change. Please, don't judge me too harshly, my love'

Raven made a cut on his neck with one of his fingernails and a drop of crimson spilled from it. He cupped her face and brought it up, lifting his own head to give her access. Lapping up the spilled blood, she winched when the metallic taste hit the back of her throat. The thought alone that it was blood from another being made her want to gag really. How a vampire did this regularly was beyond her.

Then something happened… Marina could actually feel the liquid spread through her entire being like fire; setting her ablaze. Noticing her irregular intakes of breath Raven concentrated on her heartbeat. It was out of control. Beating faster and faster… 'Easy', he whispered, lowering her back to the bed. Marina arched her back at his touch. Where there once was a slight chill to his touch, now it burned on her skin. A delicious burn that complimented the one inside her. She clamped herself to Raven and kissed him wildly. At first he thought she wasn't herself, but the clearness of her eyes told him differently. She was as lucid as ever. 'What did you see?'

'Nothing', Marina whispered out of breath. 'I see nothing, just hot… hot inside of me. Take me Raven. I need you…right now'

And just like that the thoughts of easing her into it were gone. Right now this vixen was boiling his blood. He had to have her. It was need that was driving them now. The need for completion.

Turning her around on all fours, Raven groaned when Marina wantonly pressed herself against him. He stroked her back like a kitten before grabbing her sides and pulling her into him. Leaning over her Raven clamped down on her restricting her movement. Like a prey ready to be devoured. And devouring her he would. Marina couldn't move. He had her arms locked at her sides and his chest flat against her back. This was torture… she had never been restrained before. Then again, she's never had anything this intense before. Was it his blood or just him? 'Ohh…', she moaned, feeling him slowly push inside of her. With the intensity that had been building, she expected him to ravage her; wanted him to ravage her and here he was going agonizingly slow. Being restrained and unable to touch him wasn't torture she now realized. This was. Him pulling out after every inch and then slowly going in more and more.

Every time Marina tried pushing back, he stopped and pulled back. Over and over again. She was getting frustrated. This is not what she wanted. She was on fire and this wasn't cutting it for her. 'Raven, please… this isn't what—' She swallowed the rest of her sentence when he thrust into her. All that came out was a gasp. Fully inside of her Raven stilled and whispered in her ear. 'This isn't what, love?' Marina said nothing, just shook her head slightly from left to right. 'Tell me… this isn't what?' Another thrust. This one jerked her body, propelling her into the comforter. 'Perhaps it isn't enough. Let me make it better…' 

Raven pulled out all stops after that and it became a vigorous dance between the two of them. Moving in sync like they've been together for years. Meeting each other in the middle. Raven was surprise she was able to take his attacks and pushed to see how far he could take her. After a while it all became a blur for Marina. She was on top, then he was again. They'd seen the north and south of the bed. Even made it to the floor next to it… She couldn't even remember how many times she came, having stopped after the count of 3. And still they were going at it… would their stamina ever run out?

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Lying next to each other Marina tried to catch her breath and wondered just how much time had passed. Was this how it would always be between them? -'Yes'

She turned towards him with a frown. 'Are you reading my thoughts?'

'Yes'

'Have you… always?', she asked, thinking about all the thoughts she had about him. Some normal, some she couldn't share without blushing.

'No, just after the exchange. Perks, I guess'

'Can I read yours?'

'I don't know… can you?'

'Are you thinking something right now?'

'Yes'

Marina sighed defeated. 'I'm not getting anything'

'Maybe in time. Let me try something else'

Raven supported his head with his arm and looked down at her. –Are you thinking something right now?

Marina huffed. 'Please, you can read my mind. You know exactly… what… I'm--Raven? Your lips aren't moving'

-No, they're not. It's some kind of mind-link that I've only ever been able to do with my brother- Raven smiled, -You try…

'How?'

-Try saying my name. Only don't speak it, think it!

Mind-linking? This bond was proving more incredible every minute. A bit overwhelming, but incredible. Marina concentrated; trying to project her own voice into his head. So hard that her face scrunched and her eyebrows were applying for a unibrow license. Raven had to laugh at the thought, but he admired her determination. –Don't hurt yourself.

-Shut up- Marina rolled her eyes and went back to concentrating.

'Atta girl', Raven smiled.

'I did it?'

'Yes, when you told me to shut up. That's how it started with my brother too. He was annoying me…', Raven sighed when she scrunched her face again. 'Don't force it. None of our abilities develop that fast. Give it time'

'Speaking of time, and I'm not complaining, but where did Iden get a witch so fast?'

'She's Chase's sister'

'Oh…Did he kidnap her too?'

Raven stopped kissing her shoulder and smirked at her. 'Is that the idea you've formed of my brother? Yes, he can be a bastard when he wants to, but he's really not that bad. Trust me'

'I'll trust it when I see it… Oh, uhm, don't you need to drink some of my blood?'

'How very animalistic of you'

'I don't know any other way to say something like that', she whispered. Really, she thought about a few ways to bring it up, but they all sounded rude.

'There isn't, because it's not something one normally speaks of. Maybe 'sustenance' sounds a bit better', he smiled, ' And no, I don't need to, because I already have'

Marina looked at him confused and tried to remember when during their mating, how very animal indeed, he drank from her. It was hard to rethink what they did when he was staring at her like that. A blush crept up to her face and colored her cheeks. There she was; his shy blue-eyed beauty. Who knew she would turn out to be a freak in bed? Raven smiled, but kept his eyes on her, unblinking, waiting for it to set in. Then it finally registered on her face. 'Your eyes… they're brown again'

'Yes, I feel very sated. And yet… not', he leaned over and pulled her up. Marina squealed at the fast movement and held on to his shoulders for support. Kissing her with renewed passion she moaned when he settled them in a sitting position. Sinking down to a comfortable position, another blush crept its way up her body. Because comfortable made it so that her thighs were spread wide as they rested on his. She felt exposed despite having been naked for quite some time now.

'I love that color on you,' he breathed against her skin, 'I might have to produce it more often'

'Hmmm'

'What you do to me, woman… I do believe I will never tire of you'

That was the last thing he said before talking was deemed unnecessary. Raven possessed his mate again, settling a bit more of that lust he knew now he would always have for her… and for her blood.

If it wasn't for him licking off the drop that had spilled from his lips, Marina wouldn't have registered the second bite either. She was going to ask him exactly when and how he was doing it without her noticing, when he got up and pulled something out of his dress pants.

She scooted over to the end of the bed  when he opened his hand for her to see. It turned out to be a red ribbon choker necklace with a pendant. The pendant was made out of gold, with the most intricate detail, and had the biggest ruby she had seen in her life set in the middle. It looked sophisticated and old. Considering Raven experienced the Victorian era, she knew that it had to be old. Which raised another question she had to add to her list; his age.

'This is for you! You're not my property and I don't want you to think you are, but this is a mark nonetheless. I could've left the bite mark on your neck as a sign of our mating, but I don't want to damage your beautiful body, so I healed it. This necklace represents your mated status to all other vampires. It will keep them away from you on the fear of death. The colors in it will let them know who you linked to and at the same time demand the respect that they now have to give you.

I know you are not the jewelry type, but wear it for me tonight. It is part of a set that is now yours. There's a ring and a bracelet, which you can combine, and earrings. You can decide for yourself what part of the set you want to wear if wearing the necklace all the time becomes irritating'

It did sound irritating having to parade with it all the time, but the way he explained its purpose sounded serious enough not to discard it all together. Perhaps the earrings would be a better solution in time.

'So red is your color', Marina mused, letting him fasten the necklace around her neck. 'Hence tonight's decorations and your and Iden's outfit. Tell me something else, do the red eyes mean that you're hungry? I was wondering, because yours just cleared up, but Iden…'

'Hungry, hurt, lustful, angry, ready-to-attack… There are different reasons for being in that state. Ones I will tell you about later. Including Iden's story'

Raven got up and redressed in record time. Marina sighed, thinking about all that time it took her to remove all the different layers of his outfit. She let herself fall back on the bed and stretched lazily. She was going to be sore later. That was for damn sure.

'You could've taken them off way quicker, instead of letting me do it'

'True', Raven smirked, 'But then I wouldn't have enjoyed that beautiful frustrating look on your face'

'Mean! As punishment I'm going to stay here'

'Not really a punishment for me! I'm very much okay with it! We can stay in this room forever if we can survive Iden's wrath'

'Oh, right. That guy!', Marina half-faked annoyance, 'What's his color? Let me guess, probably green… I can so picture him as the wicked witch in that Oz movie'

'As it so happens,' Raven mused, 'his color is indeed green'

Marina threw her hands in the air in a 'I called it' sort of fashion and shook her head.

'Emerald to be exact, but not because he's wicked. Though that word can be applied to him according to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary's second definition of the word. But tonight's not about him. It's about the respect we show towards everyone. By presenting you, we include them in all evolutions of our race. We don't just receive their respect because we're powerful, but because we respect them in return. Now quite stalling and let's go. The sooner you do this, the sooner it will be over and you can come back here if you wish'

'Hmmm, fine'

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'A new wind has blown in our direction in the form of this woman. I, Iden O' Connor, Head of the TriCon, present to you, Marina Astor;  'mate' to my brother, Patrick 'Raven' O' Connor. She is the acknowledged first of her kind and has brought with her, strength and stability for the O' Connor family. And of course, for those of you interested, also the idea of a mate of your own', Iden smirked. Some vampires in the crowd managed a weak chuckle at the Elite's words, before it was silence once more. 'Mates are so rare that they have, for a very long time, even been considered a fabled story. But not anymore. Tonight, we celebrate their union and accept her into our midst… as one of our own. Though not a vampire, she has been blessed with the gift of a long life that equals that of her mate. Treat her with the respect she is owed for the symbol she wears is proof of their mating. Now, brothers, raise a glass and let us drink to her and the future'

Iden raised his own glass and downed the contents in one gulp. 'Took you long enough brother. I almost believed you had no intention of presenting her at all'

Raven chuckled at Iden's projecting thoughts. 'Whatever gave you that idea?'

'The fact that it will be sunrise in a few hours', Iden threw Raven a look that screamed annoyed. He was bored out of his wits hosting a gathering, when the ones it was for weren't even present for most of it. Iden lifted another glass off the table and bend down to Marina. 'Welcome to the family, my dear'

Marina shook her head. 'Is this your way of apologizing for kidnapping me?', she whispered. Not really knowing why, since everyone in the room probably still heard what she said.

'I seldom apologize for the things I do, Marina. And this isn't one of those times…', Iden chuckled. He took her hand and led her towards the members of the council for introductions. 'We have company', he projected, catching Raven's gaze.

Raven slipped out of the hall when Marina was distracted by Iden and went to the back patio. He could make out Chase, Lubinnia and several others who had been here, but nothing out of the ordinary. There was a vague smell of something else, but those damn roses made it impossible to find out what. He never did like the Rosetta Estate and now he had another reason not to. There was no wind, yet a strong whiff of roses drifted past him. But this time it had the soft hint of feminism and he knew exactly who was here.

'Hello lover'

Angelica. Raven turned around exactly when she uncrossed her legs and sashayed over to him. 'You're going soft if I can sneak up on you', she smiled seductively, 'No, I get it. You should probably tell your brother to take down the roses since I'm practically wearing the same scent. If I was here to kill you, you wouldn't stand a chance'

'We were well aware of your presence, if you must know. And If you're not here to try and kill me, Angelica, then please enlighten me as to what I owe the pleasure of your visit to'

'You knew I was here, but where I was… uh-uh. Why? Can't a girl miss you? You ARE quite the lover! Maybe I was feeling nostalgic and wanted to see you. Take a trip to the other side again', she whispered, moving closer. She snaked an arm around his shoulders and played with a lock of his hair.

'Raven?'

Angelica turned at the soft voice calling his name. 'Oh, my! Isn't she a pretty one and so innocent… You still have a thing for long flowing hair I see. Now I wished I had kept mine', she said flicking one of her locks to the side. Marina frowned sizing the woman up. Was this Chase's sister Preston? She knew the vampires were all men and that, apart from Binny and herself, there were no other females present. Except for Preston who did the spell. Marina thought she had left already… and why was she standing so close to Raven?

'So this is the little witch that got away. Does she know about her sister yet?'

'Still a bitch after all this time'

'That's what you liked about me or don't you remember?'

'You're not Preston are you? Chase's sister?'

Angelica laughed. 'No, sweet one, I'm what you call an ex. Or I would be… if we ever broke up. But don't worry, I'm not the jealous type. I'm all for ménages. You, me, Raven… and my gun. Or is it knife-play that you prefer?'

-Marina, could you go back inside please-

 'You're a hunter?'

'Ding… ding', Angelica answered, pausing between the words. 'She's a smart one too. Now maybe you know the answer to this. If I kill y-ou…', Angelica choked on her words unable to finish her sentence, when Raven's hand shot out to her throat. 'I'm sorry, I can't hear you. Say that again'

'Ahh', Angelica struggled to make out, 'Delicious f-foreplay… Are you g-going to show her… h-how we did it?', she managed a sly smile in her choking state. Raven looked down at the small gun she had to his abdomen. Anti-vampire bullets no doubt. 'Take the shot. Let's see who has a better chance at surviving'

'R-right… K-knife play, it is t-then', Angelica wheezed out, pulling out a knife and sending it flying in Marina's direction. Raven let go of Angelica and managed to catch the knife before it reached its destination. Angelica only let out a small cough, even after having been choked that severely, and stood up straight again. 'Don't do this Angelica. Unlike others, I still hold true to the treaty. I won't say I didn't provoke this between us, but it has nothing to do with our kind, so don't do anything rash, or I will kill you'

'Treaty? What treaty? That ended the day your kind, as you put it, killed that hunter. She was weak as fuck, but a hunter no less. So go on! Kill me if you will, I've been dying for some action ever since I came back. Come on then!'

Raven growled; his eyes turning a bright red. He expected no less from her. Didn't matter what she was doing here, she would never turn down a fight if it stared her in the face. It was one of the things that attracted him all that time ago. Sure he was suicidal back then, but he had to admit it was still alluring to have a worthy opponent in front of him. They had a wild time together and even tried various ways to try and kill him, but that also gave him the opportunity to size her up. And killing her would be far too easy.

He took a stance, but Marina gasped and grabbed the back off his jacket. Her hand was a bit shaky and he could feel her in his mind. She was trying to tell him something, but he only got little bits he couldn't make out. He looked at her from the corner of his eyes and she shook her head. 'Raven…'

She was scared and he should've thought about that. Now was not the time for this. She had to be safe first. He turned back towards Angelica and his eyes turned back to their usual brown self.

Angelica's sly smile disappeared and her eyes darkened at his reaction. 'She's tamed you', she whispered, 'You're not what I want. I want the beast; the vampire Elite I used to know. Not the tamed version standing before me. But make no mistake, I WILL have him again… by killing you first!' The words were like venom spewed in Marina's direction. 'Don't worry, lover, I'll save that for later… I'm here for your brother', she said walking past Raven, rubbing her neck along the way. 'Oh good, the marks will fuel my anger until then!' She made a whistling sound and two other hunters followed her inside.

Suddenly the air turned very traitorous and every attending vampire turned with teeth bared as the hunters entered the hall. 'Ladies, I'm honored you decided to join us', Iden mused, watching Angelica approach him. Kat and Charlotte stayed behind keeping an eye on the rest. They took a risk coming here. Not even sure if what Lillian said would really happen? After all, why should the leader of the vampires receive them if the treaty was void. Charlotte looked around counting how many were in the room. Weighing their changes should things go sour. She counted 40 heads; a little more than one of her average nests. Nothing she couldn't handle, if it wasn't for the 3 Elites in the room. One of them was even more dangerous than an entire nest and she knew that. But, so far so good, none of the vamps even made an attempt in their direction.

'Stay, have a drink. We have O+, AB, pick your poison! We're celebrating a marvelous event-'

'Save it', Angelica cut him off.

'Ah, foul mood? Is this your normal state of mind or did something not go as planned Miss-', he looked to Raven and then added,' Angelica Hudson?'

'I'm not here to celebrate anything or accept your fake hospitality when you killed one of our own without reason-'

'Correction… There was a reason, but not one that you would understand. And my hospitality is real, or it was. You thought you were sneaking up on me when in fact I have known of your presence for quite a while, but since you made no move, I did not either. I have even opened my door to you and allowed you access. No one will lay a finger on you as long as I'm here'

'Let them, I don't care'

'Angelica, what are you doing?', Kat said, frowning. She was baiting them. If she wanted to get herself killed, fine, but Kat wouldn't go down tonight because of her.

'In respect of the mission you were sent on tonight and what you carry, I'll disregard that comment. But you are wearing out your 'welcome' so to speak. Do what it is you came to do and be on your way'

Angelica was still scowling at him, but reached underneath her dress and removed the piece of paper from her thigh-belt, handing it to him. Iden held on to one end and Angelica to the other.

'Iden O'Connor, Leader of the TriCon Vampires. As the proxy of Lillian Lewis, of the Lewis Clan of Hunters, I hereby serve you a declaration of war for the killing of a fellow hunter for reasons unaccepted by the hunter standards. The time, date and place where this will conclude are written within this document signed by Lillian Lewis of the Lewis Clan. May you die a most glorious death'

'Likewise', Iden smiled.

Angelica answered with a smirk, letting go of the document. She turned on her heels, ignored Raven and Marina completely, and followed Kat and Charlotte, who already had their hands on their concealed guns, out the door.

Calum chuckled. 'So much for a celebration…'

Chapter 45 - Where I Belong Pt. 1

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*Note*

I know I said that I wouldn't cut this chapter, but I did. Only because it seems that the longer I make 'em, the longer you guys have to wait and that doesn't seem fair.

Jane's bump is bigger in certain pictures, but that happens in Sims 2 when you take a pregnant woman to a community lot. Just flow with it! J

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Getting used to sleeping on her side had been a challenge. Jane often found herself turning onto her stomach practically pressing her baby into her back. It was the uncomfortable pressure that made her turn back to her side. If that didn't make sleeping difficult enough, now with all this entity stuff going on she'd been tossing and turning most of the night and seemed to be dragging throughout the day. Damian took it upon himself to make sure she took better care of herself and temporarily moved in. Not that there really was anything for him to go back to in BC. Demi, the manager at the DiGorgio Auction House, proved more than efficient to run the business for him. All he had to do was go there twice a week to keep an eye on everything and return as quick as possible to his new family.

Jane tried to turn around, but his hand on her waist prevented that. It was his way to keep her from turning at night; only this time she was trying to get away from him. 'Damian', she whispered opening her eyes. She tried to slide away from under his hand, but he didn't budge. 'Damian', she said a bit louder, 'Your hand is pressing into my stomach'. Still half sleeping he moved his hand immediately and Jane felt his fingers move against her back. Turns out his hand was nowhere near her stomach.

But there it was again; a dull pain in her underbelly. Jane turned and sat up so abruptly her movement alarmed Damian to wake up. The concern on his face the same as hers. "What's wrong? Tell me what's wrong?!" She had a hand on her stomach and he saw her wince. Damian got up from the bed and kneeled in front of her. Fear took hold of him as he watched her face contort every other second.

Before he could ask again she took one of his hands and placed it on her stomach where hers had been. He felt a tiny bump push back against his hand and frowned. Did that really just happen? There it was again; the slightest bump and he couldn't help but smile at his baby's gentle kicks.

The smile disappeared when he looked back up at Jane. Did she wince every time that happened? Perhaps they weren't gentle at all. "It shouldn't hurt that much Jane". "I know… but I don't want to think about something being wrong. What if I've done someth—". "Don't! You don't want to think about it and then that's exactly what you do. Listen-", he took a quick glance at his watch, 'It's almost 10:30. Why don't you get dressed and we'll take a quick drive to the ER to get a checkup". "You know why we can't do that. How are we going to explain that our baby is kicking after only two month—Oh no, no no no", Jane wept at the sight of a little bit of blood on her pajama pants. She was going to lose her baby.

"No time to change. Put on your coat; we're going now!"

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"I'm doctor Carson, I hear there's been some spotting during your pregnancy"

"I'm sorry, spotting?"

"It's when you bleed during pregnancy. It's not that rare for pregnant women to experience spotting now and then. The bleeding has stopped, so that's good. Has it happened before?"

Jane shook her head and the doctor nodded. "Okay. I'm going to do an ultrasound just to be safe", Dr. Carson said, squirting a clear gel onto Jane's stomach. "Tell me what you felt exactly"

"I was sleeping when I felt a bit of pressure in my stomach area. I thought it was my fiancé's hand, but it wasn't. It happened every time the baby kicked and then there was some blood"

"It's a good thing you came in. Some people read about spotting and think they know about it. They stay at home instead of contacting their doctor, when what they have could be a serious complication. You'll feel a bit of pressure when I move this, but bear with me"

She moved the device over Jane's stomach and listened for irregularities and other signs that something could be wrong. "Does it hurt when I press here?". "No". "Have you been under stress lately? Or in a stressful environment?". Damian squeezed her hand and Jane immediately thought about the trip to see the council. Maybe the supernatural journey had caused her body to react? Or the presence of a reaper in the house? All the things she couldn't exactly tell a doctor about. "I've been taking care of my grandmother; she's sick and I worry sometimes. Are you saying that's been too much?". "Worrying about someone isn't exactly something you can do anything about, but along with your grandmother you do have to take care of yourself as well. Don't overdo it, okay? Is this your first pregnancy?"

"Yes… everything is so very new and it feels like it's going way too fast to get used to the changes" Way, WAY too fast!  "I get that from a lot of first-time parents. It's scary and exciting at the same time", Dr. Carson smiled and continued the ultrasound. "Okay, from what I hear and see, I can safely say everything seems fine. Listen". She held the device to Jane's left and turned up the volume. A steady heartbeat sounded through the built-in speakers. "Beautiful isn't it?", Dr. Carson smiled and moved to Jane's right, "And here's the other one"

"I'm sorry, did you say another one?", Damian frowned. Dr. Carson turned the screen towards them and sure enough he was able to make out two heads. "You're six months pregnant and you've just now learned that you're carrying twins?", Dr. Carson said unbelieving, "Have you had any checkups before this one?" –Six months—Jane stiffened a bit. Her two month pregnancy  equaled 6 months. That only meant she would be full term next month. "We have", Damian lied, "but it seems we're adding incompetence to the list we're suing our last doctor for. We're really having twins?"

"Yes, twins", Dr. Carson said pointing at the heads on the screen, "They both look alright. A little small perhaps, but since you don't have a large bump either, I'd say that their growth is normal"

Normal, she said. If only she knew."But if you weren't aware you were carrying twins, you've surely not received the right pre-natal care. Which could also be the reason for their size. Are you allergic to anything?" Jane shook her head, still fascinated by the outline picture of her two babies. TWO! "Are you being treated for an illness right now? No? Alright, I'll prescribe you some vitamins that you have to take twice a day. It's late in the pregnancy, so I'm giving you a higher dosage. Take it easy, try not to tire yourself out or you might spot again. If that happens anyway, contact the hospital or your regular doctor again", Dr. Carson warned, writing down the prescription.

"How did you know I was 6 months along? I never said anything and like you said, I have a small bump", Jane wanted to know. Dr. Carson smiled at her. "The development of the babies. Yours have everything already, so you're very close to or over the sixth month and in your third trimester. All they have to do now is grow a bit more in the coming months and we're ready to bring them into the world. I can even tell you what you're going to have. Would you like to know? Or has your doctor already told you?"

"No, he hasn't. Do you want to know Jane?"

Jane was smiling at the screen. Did she want to know? Yes, but part of her also wanted it to be a surprise. So she said no. If there hadn't been any spotting, she wouldn't be here now and it would've been a surprise as well. "Very well. I would advice to stock up on greens and yellows then", Dr. Carson printed out a picture for them to have and handed Damian the prescription. He could wait until morning to hand it in at the apothecary, but he opted for immediately. Even with the doctor explaining that the vitamins would be more expensive coming directly from the hospital. He wanted Jane to take them as soon as possible. Now that they knew it was twins, she needed to be taken care of even more.

Jane waited for him near the nursery as he went to pay for the check up and the vitamins. She smiled at the babies through the window. It was a little over eleven p.m., but they were very lively. The nurse had settled down one of them, but before she got to the next one, he or she started to fuss again. She couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl, because the baby was wearing yellow. Jane rubbed over her stomach and for the first time since she learned she was pregnant she couldn't wait to hold her babies. Two babies; twins, just like her and Julie.

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Iden's Residence

Marina checked herself out in the mirror again. Tonight was the night and she felt a bit strange. Was it nerves? Probably. She had changed her hair 10 to 15 times from being pulled up to braids to just letting it loose. Before deciding she didn't like it again, she shifted her attention to something else. The dress Raven picked out  was amazing. It was elegant and sophisticated. A deep v-neckline covered, or didn't cover, the front. It showed some cleavage, but not enough to make her feel like she was on display. Completely backless, so a bra was out of the question. She hated not being able to wear one, but even she had to admit it would ruin the dress. Her long hair did a good enough job to conceal her a bit. She turned from side to side watching the satin fabric move around as if caught on the wind. The dress reminded her of something a Greek goddess would wear. She didn't feel anything like a goddess though…

"You could stand there looking at yourself, or you could let me in"

Raven knocked on the door again; waiting for her to let him in. He leaned against the balustrade a good while before he knocked the first time. Following her heat as she moved around on the other side of the door getting ready. She stopped in front of the mirror and stayed there a long while and he knew she was feeling insecure about herself. That's what he took as his cue to go in. She was so deep into her thoughts she didn't even hear the first knock. "Marina?"

A soft voice told him he could come in. She was nervous, he could tell.

The dress on display had been beautiful to say the least, but nothing had prepared Raven for what it would look like on her. It was breathtaking. "I don't know why you're second guessing. You look beautiful; gorgeous even"

"You think so? I'll be honest, I've never worn or even owned something like this, so… I don't know". She started pulling on various parts of the dress and he had to grab her hands to make her stop fidgeting. "Come on, stop, the dress is fine!", he lowered his head a little searching for her eyes. "Is it really the dress that you're worried about? Or is there more?"

Marina licked her lips which felt suddenly felt dry for some reason and shook her head, but Raven wasn't born yesterday. 'I have a feeling there is. Marina if you're not sure about this, I can call the whole thing off without even thinking twice"

"No, this has nothing to do with that. I want to be with you. It's a bit scary since I'll the first, but I want to do this. For you. Okay, for us!', she quickly changed her words when he frowned and clearly was going to say something. "You already heard me when I was talking to Binny, don't deny it, I know you heard. So I'll say it again. I'm doing this because I love you. That's why I'm not second guessing us. I'm just a bit thrown off by Lubinnia. I didn't think she would be so quick to refuse, especially when she's sees how happy you make me. It just hurts… a lot'

'Do you want me to talk to her', Raven caressed her hand, drawing little circles over it with his thumb.

'No, I don't really think that will help right now. But thank you', she whispered putting her hand on his face. A loving and trusting gesture.

'Are you ready to do this, love?'

She nodded and took his arm. Yes, she was ready. She was a bit jealous of what he told her he shared with his late wife, but now they would share something different. This was one of the things she longed for and now she would have him completely. He would be hers and she, his. The thought made her heart beat faster and Marina had to take a deep breath…

'Wait…'

"I don't want to be rude, but how much longer is this going to take? Plus, we're losing the strength of the full moon. The spell might not work properly if we pass midnight and I'm sure you'll blame me for it"

Iden glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. That much was true. Even if it was common knowledge that most witches harvested their powers from the full moon; he would need someone to put the blame on if it failed. And who better that the witch casting the spell… Where the hell was he? Marina wasn't on the other side of the world for him to take that long in escorting her here. Something was up… Did she change her mind?

Iden sighed and got up from his chair. Asking her to follow him, he excused himself from the packed hall of invitees in search of the East Wing. If the mountain doesn't come to Abraham…

"Please tell me that something dreadful has happened to explain your absence, and not that you were in a cuddling mood". Iden stepped onto the fly-over bridge that connected the "Queen Rosa" bedroom to the house.

"I wish I could, brother,  but I am indeed in a cuddling mood", Raven answered enclosing Marina in a tight embrace. His stubble tickled her cheek and she had to giggle.

"You can have at it as much as you desire AFTERWARDS. It is in poor taste to keep your guests waiting. The entire council has gathered to witness your union. Surely you will not deprive them of it"

"Surely I will. You see, my gorgeous mate here, while still willing to go through with it, has developed a sense of stage-fright. It's only fair to accommodate her and complete the ceremony in private"

'In private? The first ever mating-ritual and you wish to keep it to yourself? My, how very selfish"

"I am in everything concerning her. Do not fret brother, she will be presented to the council as my mate after the ritual. But until I feel like it, she is for my eyes alone"

"We have to start now, Raven", Iden said in a more serious tone, "The spell might not work well enough after midnight, or so I have been told". "Let her proceed with the incantation then. We can hear her well enough from here. Can't we, love?"

Iden made himself as comfortable as possible leaning against the rose overgrown balustrade of the fly-over bridge and nodded his head in agreement. 'Might as well do it here. Please go ahead, Preston'

She looked up at the sky. The moon was in the right place to bathe herself in its light and she started the incantation. There were a lot of words Preston didn't understand, but that didn't matter to Iden. All she had to do was say them and with her powers, they would work.

After repeating the long incantation for what felt like forever, Preston felt a fierce surge of power that made her shiver. Iden noticed it, because her voice trembled saying some of the words. And then her power started to fade. She looked up and noticed the moon had reached the top of the sky. It was midnight. The surge she'd felt was the moon reaching its peak. Had she been fast enough to finish the spell in time? 'I believe that's it', she told Iden, 'It's after twelve and I'm not getting anything anymore'

'Well, did it work?', Iden gave her a questioning and think-before-you-answer stare.

'To be honest, I don't know. All that's left is the blood exchange', Preston answered truthfully. He'd know if she lied.

'Well, you heard her', Iden said to the closed door. His eyes were still fixed on Preston. 'The blood exchange, Raven'

It was silent for a long time and Iden knew that even Raven was hesitating.

You won't know until you try, brother.

Shut up!

'What's going on?', Preston wanted to know. 'Did it work?'

Iden heard a growl come from inside the room and he grinned. A faint metallic scent coated the soft breeze that came from under the door. "Hmm, that's a nice smell". The scent of her blood was fast making its way to his head; making his fangs lengthen as the intoxication hit him. He had a few doubts the spell would work, but now that it had, her blood, no longer toxic, was making it hard for him; and he was outside the door. Raven should be having a frenzy. Preston saw his reaction and folded the piece of paper with the spell and handed it to him. 'May I go now?'.

'Yes, Preston, you may go! Your help has been much appreciated. I believe I am in your debt'

She politely lowered her head before leaving the bridge; passing Lubinnia, who was standing a few paces behind them. Her eyes were fixed on the door. "What's a nice smell?", Lubinnia asked.

Iden turned towards her and involuntarily licked one of his fangs, before he regained his composure and just looked at her. Waiting for it to sink in. Her eyes widened. "He bit her already?". She motioned for the door, but before she even got close to it Iden grabbed her hand and turned her around with little effort.

"If he had, the neighbors would have heard her", Iden said, moving her away from the door, "Good thing we do not have any neighbors". She turned around, but he was in front of her again in the blink of an eye. "She never should've gone along with this. Get out of my way!", she yelled, "He's hurting her!"

"Do you honestly still believe that?", he frowned. "True, there will be some discomfort since this is her first time being bitten. But believe me-", Iden's voice dropped low into a whisper, "by the time he slowly sinks his fangs into the small of her beautiful and tender neck... pain will not be the reason for her screams, Lubinnia"

Lubinnia's cheeks colored at the meaning of his words. She had heard rumors of the sensuality in a vampire's bite and Iden just confirmed them. However, it was the way he spoke to her just then and the way her name rolled off his tongue that warmed her from the inside out. She took a step back and watched him follow her movement with his eyes.

He said nothing and just looked at her. Lubinnia noticed it was his thing. Silent communication. Any other day, he was intimidating and creepy, but right now his stare was doing things to her stomach. Was it because of what she knew was happening on the other side of Marina's door or was he glamouring her? Either way, she was falling for it. The feeling left her stomach and was making its way lower to the apex of her thighs. One corner of his mouth rose and she knew at that moment he was very aware of what he was doing to her. The bastard was glamouring her. She squinted her eyes at him in annoyance and walked away quickly.

Binny couldn't believe his nerve. Telling her he didn't give a damn about her safety and then glamouring her to make her think she wanted him. Was she angry? Yeah, but her anger didn't at all bring down her arousal. She needed a drink, a strong one! But... that meant returning to the big hall occupied by God knows how many vampires. Without Raven or his bastard brother there, she'd be the next best thing on the menu and decided against it. Surely there had to be a bar or something somewhere...

Lubinnia took a chance and slipped past the double doors leading to the big hall and entered the back patio. As luck would have it, there was a bar right there. Champagne already poured, but no way was she drinking those.

She took an unopened bottle from behind the bar and  poured herself a glass. Lubinnia downed it all in one gulp. Did nothing for her at all. Iden must've glamoured her up pretty good. She set a few empty glasses on the tray and filled those up along with her own glass. She would drink the entire bottle if it meant getting control of herself.

"Undo the spell, NOW!"

Lubinnia almost swallowed the entire glass at the angry growl coming from Chase. When did he get here? "What the hell?", she coughed, putting down her glass. "What are you talking about?"

She reached for another glass, but he swung it against the one of the pillars. "The spell, Lubinnia, undo it NOW!"

Why did everyone insist on saying her name tonight? And what a weird name her mother gave her… Lub-inn-ia. Sounded a lot more like 'lube in ya—". Wow, shooting back champagne like tequila shots may have taken it to her head a bit too fast. "I'm getting sick of vampires telling me what to do. Buzz off"

Chase blocked her path when she tried to leave. Blocked again. Name saying and blocking her path seemed to be the theme tonight. "You think all of this is funny, don't you?'

'Funny? FUNNY?', she actually laughed, 'My best friend just made herself available to be vampire chow. However unreasonable it sounds, she surely hates me for refusing her. I'm stuck in this vampire infested place with no idea how to get home. I can't leave this side of the mansion or risk being attacked. I didn't complete the ritual, so Iden has no reason to keep my alive and once again I am completely on my own. You seem to the great know-it-all, so I beg you to tell me which part of all of this is funny, because I seem to have missed it'

'Be careful witch', Chase growled, his voice hoarse with irritation. 'Raven may have asked me to keep you out of harm's way, but that was before he had his mate. He probably won't care what I do to you now. Undo the binding spell you put on me or it's going to get ugly'

'Whatever… mutt! You know you talk real smug, but when shove becomes push, you turn back into Raven's lap dog. You're nothing but a wuss!'

That was enough to tip the scale and sent him over the edge. Within the blink of an eye he had her pinned to the wall. Fangs prying through open lips and bloodred eyes. For a brief moment fear crossed her face. Looking at him now she actually regretted pushing him so far...

'I will rip you apart where you stand! Call me a wuss again... I DARE you!!' he snarled dangerously close to her throat. A shudder went through her body and a staggered breath left her opened lips as she looked into his bloodred eyes...

'Wuss!'

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-To Be Continued-