CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN
Turns out I am and while everyone was screaming their heads out in excitement, all I could was manage fake smiles here and there.

I was turning 27 in two months. Alaric even wanted our wedding to be a day after it so we could always have double celebrations forever, and I didn't feel a tiny bit ready for this.

“I can't wait to meet him,” Kora gushed, hugging me tightly, and I hugged her back, not as bone-crushing but as performative as I'd been to every one.

“Me too,” I whispered and let go.

“You've brought so much goodness to his life, Aria,” she confessed, a sense of honesty in her tone, and was that tears in her eyes? “I'm sorry for being a bitch all this while; you didn't deserve it.”

“Hey! There's nothing wrong with bitches,” I scolded her jokingly, trying to lighten the environment.

“Of course,” she giggled with me, “but for real, I was projecting my own helplessness on you. I have these powers, yet I'm scared of endangering my people if I use them. I might love my brother; in fact, it's because of him I know what my emotion is, much less one so intense, but I'm torn between my responsibility to my den and protecting him from my father's cunning ways. I've tried in times past but it's never enough. But you? You're blazing through his life, willing to fight for him with everything you have even at the cost of your own life. With the little power you once had, you gave him hope, and now, you are the first of us all to welcome the next generation of demon rulers, and I can't tell you how much this excites me. But I'm making you this promise, I'm going to get my den out of their sluggishness and train an army strong enough to come through for you and your family no matter who the enemy is, alright?”

“Oh Kora,” I croaked, hugging her, with all intensity this time.

She'd broken the ice in my heart towards her and all I felt was warmth now.

Being torn between the people sworn to you and your brother wasn't a light choice to make and I remembered all the times she was in the middle, helping as much as she could without pitting her demons against the rest down in hell.

I guess I focused on all her bad sides because I was frustrated.

Like she said she'd done, I was projecting as well, my fear of losing him was more potent than I thought even if it wasn't physically. His life, his joy, and his presence were perfect for me, and I couldn't comprehend him losing that light in his eyes.

I watched him bounce from one person to the other, excitement and joy radiating off of him.

I guess that was one thing I loved about this.

I might not feel ready, and I'm still shocked that we had sex yesterday, and today it's already obvious to everyone that I'm pregnant, but if it made Alaric hug everyone like that, I'll do it over and over again.

“Guys, I want to take my woman inside and thank her properly okay? Close your ears, we're not going to be quiet,” he added jokingly, and I could tell all the Fallen gathered around were shocked at his expressiveness.

He came to me, kissed my forehead for the umpteenth time again, and began leading me inside.

“Ari?” I heard Kiara's voice and I turned around to see her dressed up.

I was wondering where she'd been off to. She was part of the celebrations for about thirty minutes before she ran off to take a call.

“What's up? Are you good?”

“Yes, but, um, I need to go back to Russia; everyone is asking for me. You know we kind of left things in a hazy state,” she replied.

“Oh that's true,” I extricated myself from Alaric and went to her. “What do you need? Transport? Extra support? My demons are yours too you know?”

“Oh you're going to make me cry,” she sniffled, hugging me. “I'm going to see what the fuss is about and be back here in a week, I promise. Also, don't worry, we're strong enough to protect ourselves.”

“If you insist, but don't go with everyone, leave Malakai and Grace with me okay?”

“Oh that's fine, I'll come back with more men if you want.”

“We'll discuss that later over the phone. Leave now before the weather gets dramatic,” I said finally, hugging her tightly.

I finally let her go, and at that moment, I realized I wasn't really angry at her anymore.

She has really come a long way and although I'll not trust her completely ever again, I was fine having her in my space.

I decided to open my heart to her but my mind as well, if any of this was another performance for whatever reason, I'll find out before she gets a chance to pull the rug off my feet.

But for now, she's a friend and I'll treat her as one.

I felt Alaric's hand wrap around my waist as she left, everyone else following her.

The main house was left for us and my mother-in-law, who made me feel like her daughter, a feeling I'd sought all my life.

I followed my demon into the bedroom, although I was on the opposite spectrum of his excitement.

This pregnancy was shocking and terrifying and I didn't know what to expect.

He was gushing about several things as we lay on the bed together but my mind was far away.

I was about to birth a literal demon, what if his mom's weak leg was from giving birth to him? He'd said he was going to tell me about it last night, but he never did, and now I'm wondering if he intentionally didn't.

Maybe he didn't want to terrify me.

I wasn't immune to pain like them, I couldn't regrow an arm like him, and damn, what if I gave birth to a demon who didn't have his kind heart?

That part scared me more; raising a child that wasn't human.

They'd be volatile for sure, I was a handful even as a human so I can imagine how a mix of my gene and his could end up like.

“Penny, for your thoughts, baby?” Alaric's voice pierced through my mental torture of imagination, and I could tell that wasn't the first time he was trying to get my attention.

I couldn't help it, I broke down in tears, unable to form words to explain how I felt for a moment.

“Talk to me Darling,” he sounded broken, making me feel worse. Today was one of the happiest days of his life and I was ruining it with my crying. “Remember we promised to always say it no matter how it was?” He reminded me but how do I tell him I'm scared of creating a child like him? I mean, Alaric is awesome, but Damon is also a demon, and so are the rest of his family, who don't pass the vibe check.

What if it's a woman and I can never truly be a mom to her? She'd have to rely on her aunt more than me, the useless human.

“Baby,” he grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. “Don't think it, the next thoughts that are coming to your mind, say it out loud. Let's start with two words, okay? Let's go,” he encouraged me.

With tears in my eyes and a small voice, I told him how I felt.

“I'm scared.”