Chapter 71: Chapter Seventy-One

Valerie and I sat in silence for a few moments while she was thinking about our conversation, trying to accept the reality of what she'd just learned. I tried to be patient but found it hard to do so, waiting for her human brain to calm down long enough for us to move past this.

*'Give her time, Sam. She's human. Her brain doesn't work as quickly as yours does.'* I told myself, swallowing my impatient anger. Sometimes I had to remind myself that a human's brains didn't work as quickly as a vampire's does. I listened to her heartbeat as she sat silently, lost in her thoughts, monitoring to make sure she was keeping calm about the situation. The last thing we needed was for her to have a meltdown or panic attack, thinking about a situation she had no business knowing. I only told her because Sinclair thought a human's input would be helpful.

"How in the hell will a human's input help us at all? Valerie's just learned about recreants, and is still quite clueless about the situation altogether." I'd argued to Sinclair, Damien, and me sharing a look of amusement at the very idea.

"A third party input is what may be what helps us here. Despite how much she knows about recreants or not. We cannot tell Bast for a multitude of obvious reasons. We need to find what could be causing this. We are all too close to the situation, and need someone who can take a step back to look at all the facts." Sinclair said with a sigh, looking at Damien and me as if we were kids, waiting for us to agree then nodded curtly to Damien, before walking away.

The sound of Damien's car pulling into the driveway pulled me out of my thoughts as I went to the door to peer out. Damien noticed me and nodded solemnly before walking from the garage to the main house. His look of self detestation clear to me even from the guest house as he disappeared around the corner.

*'Fear naught, brother. We will find out what this is, and we will fix this.'* I thought as I went back to the kitchen where Valerie hadn't moved an inch, still lost trying to sort out her thoughts. I chuckled as I lifted her, and set her back down on my lap.

"Lucifer is back," I said to her, listening as her heartbeat quickened, her eyes going wide in shock and horror as she stood with a jump, looking down at me.

"So nothing is stopping him from losing it, and killing Bast?"

"He wouldn't do that, Val. You know this already." I said, pulling her back to me with a shake of my head.

"You just said he was going, recreant. Which means he's losing control of himself, so how do you know what he will, and he won't do?"

"The one thing we know without a doubt about this entire situation is that Bast is the only thing keeping Lucifer connected. She is the reason he hasn't gone, recreant. That always has, and always will be the case."

"That confuses me. What about her dad or mom? One of them is a descendant of Damien's wife, right? So why aren't they connected to Damien too?" She asked, furrowing her brows as she cocked her head slightly to the side as she waited for my response.

*'God damn, you're so cute I just want to devour you.'* I thought as I watched her, but dismissed the thought as quickly as it came.

"Remember what Bast said about an emotional connection?" I asked, waiting for her nod before continuing. "The emotional connection that Damien had with Jennifer was severed when he found what she was willing to submit her daughter to, for her selfish reasons. No love remains for her, which makes the connection null."

Valerie nodded her understanding, then bit her lip as she returned to her thoughts. "I'm so confused at how he could be going recreant, while she's perfect-" She started to say, then stopped as she turned around in my lap to face me, her face frozen in a look of shock. "Sam... How long has she been pregnant?"

"A few weeks, but we didn't know for sure until yesterday. You know this." I said slowly, trying to figure out what had her so worked up but had no choice but to wait until she voiced her thoughts.

"And how long has Damien been losing it?" She asked, turning her hands in a circle, waiting for me to catch on to what she was trying to say. I shook my head in confusion, then stopped, staring at the floor.

"Oh my god," I mumbled, then looked back up at her in shock, finally understanding what she was trying to say. I stood and set her down in the chair, pulling out my phone to call Damien, but thought better of it and set my phone down. "I can't right now. It's best to give them time to themselves." I said with a sigh, turning to face Valerie, who was waiting eagerly.

"Why?" She asked me incredulously.

"The last thing he needs is to be bothered while he's finally able to spend time with Bast. It's best to leave them be for now." I said as I pulled out my phone and dialed Sinclair's number, growling as the call went to voicemail. 'What is the point in this fucking recreant having a phone, if he will only answer Bast's calls!' I exclaimed internally as I typed out a message and sent it to him. "I hate waiting games." I sighed, setting the phone back down, turning to face Valerie once again, the same look of pained suspense on her beautiful face.

"Fine then, what are we going to do while we wait?" She asked me, her body deflating in defeat, her eyes downcast as a shadow of doubt appeared around her.

"I've got a few ideas," I said with a smile, looking down at her. She raised an eyebrow and stood, closing the distance between us, then draped her arms around my shoulders.

"Do share." She said with a giggle, but pressed her hips against me, swaying back and forth slightly, the impish glow in her eyes showing that she knew exactly what she was doing to me.

I chuckled and pulled her into my arms, lifting her so our faces were even. I carried her into the bedroom and tossed her down on the bed, taking off my shirt before climbing on top of her, kissing a line from her lips to her throat. I nibbled for a moment at her throat, before sinking my fangs in, growling in pleasure as her sweet blood flowed into my mouth, bringing my body alive with blissful warmth. She whimpered softly when my fangs pierced her throat but moaned once the pain subsided, reaching between us to loosen my belt, then pushed my pants down. I released my hold on her to remove her panties, lifting her dress over her head, tossing it carelessly to the side. "Turn around," I commanded, standing to take off my pants, watching her as she obeyed and turned towards the wall, spreading her legs as she gripped the headboard. I could see her body shaking as she waited in anticipation, her breathing ragged.

I stood back for a moment, enjoying the sight of her sensual fear as she waited. Her long blonde hair cascading down her back like a waterfall, her soft porcelain skin striking against the all-black sheets and comforter. I found it hard to tear my eyes away from her painstakingly beautiful figure as I finally climbed in bed with her, positioning myself behind her, pressing my body to hers. She shuddered as I began running my hand softly from her perky breasts, stopping only long enough to tease her already hardened nipples, down her flat and toned abdomen, until I found the wetness between her legs. I chuckled as I pulled my hand back, causing her to whimper before I pushed her hair over the left side of her shoulder, running my hands down her curves until they fell just beneath her ass.

I put my hand on the small of her back, pressing her down as my free hand grabbed a handful of her hair. I yanked her head back to my shoulder while thrusting inside her, reveling as she screamed out in a mixture of pain and pleasure. I guided her right hand to grip the headboard, while I bit into my wrist, guiding it to her mouth. She happily accepted it, moaning out as I started thrusting hard, much too hard for her to take or survive, without my blood healing her before the injuries could be noticed. I waited until her tightness had accepted me, before bringing my mouth back to her shoulder, sinking my fangs in without hesitation. I placed one hand on the wall in front of us, the other still against her throat as she drank as quickly as my blood could flow into her mouth, thrusting as hard and deep as her little body could withstand without causing irreparable damage.

She moaned out as her core began milking me, spilling her sweet nectar over my cock as I continued to thrust, unceasingly undeterred by her climax as it tore through her. I chuckled as she came again, whimpering out as I continued, uncaring how many times she came, but enjoying her pleasure as it milked my shaft.

"Please, Sam. I can't again!" She exclaimed as she panted, finally tearing herself away from my wrist, clearly ready to collapse.

"So don't," I growled in her ear, then brought my mouth back to her shoulder, lapping up the blood that had spilled when I detached from her. "But I'd suggest you keep drinking, otherwise this pain will be unbearable," I said before latching back to her shoulder, moaning as her blood began to fill my mouth again.

She cried out as her body began to register the pain from the harshness of my thrusts, and quickly brought my wrist back to her mouth, not relaxing until the healing wave came.

I continued to thrust until I couldn't hold myself back any longer, and wrapped my hand around her waist, keeping her still as I thrust as deep inside as her body allowed, moaning out as rope after rope of my seed spilled inside her. I didn't release her until the pulsing stopped, groaning as I reluctantly pulled back, and chuckled as our juices spilled out of her, watching for a moment as they flowed down onto the black sheets, and down her thighs. I stood and went into the bathroom, turning on the shower before stepping inside, waiting for her to join me.

"S-"

"Did I give you permission to speak?" I snapped, cutting her off before she could get a word out, hiding my smile as it fought to be shown.

She shook her head but obediently remained silent as I motioned for her to join me, and pulled her under the water. I silently washed her clean, then handed her the sponge, taking a step back. She nodded silently as she poured more body wash on the sponge before washing me.

"Now you may speak," I said once we'd finished our shower, and dressed. I took her hand and led her back to the kitchen, looking through the cabinets for something to make her eat.

She smiled softly, looking down at the ground for a moment, biting her lip as she finally brought her eyes to meet mine. "How do you turn someone? I thought it was with blood, but we drink each other's blood every time."

"No, blood is only half of it," I answered as I made her a sandwich, as the cabinets were mostly bare, but she needed to eat after the amount of my blood she'd just consumed. I waited until I handed her the plate, and she'd begun eating before I continued. "You'd have to be drained mostly of your blood and replace as much of it as possible, with the vampire's blood. Then you'd need to be injected with the vampire's venom. If you consumed enough of the vampire's blood, it will fight off the venom, and induce the change."

"What if I don't consume enough of the blood?"

"The venom will kill you," I said, shaking my head.

*'Seem's pretty obvious seeing as how it is called venom for a reason.'* I thought.

"So Bast could die, rather than be turned?" She mumbled, trying to say it low enough so I couldn't hear, but didn't seem to realize just how strong a vampire's hearing was.

"Damien is the vampire king. That gives him two abilities that only the king has. He could drink the venom back out, keeping her from dying if she hadn't consumed enough of his blood. And his blood is more powerful than any other vampire. So, no. She wouldn't die, as he can try as many times as he wants. Although, nearly any amount of his blood is strong enough to fight the venom and induce the change." I said, motioning for her to continue eating.

"So if you drank one vampire's blood, but another injected you with their venom..." she trailed off after eating a few more bites of her sandwich.

"You'll die. A vampire's blood is an individual like a human's DNA. It has to be the same vampire. That is why a newborn is inevitably connected to the vampire who created it until their venom takes over." I explained, then sighed when I saw the confusion on her face. "It's not a law, but it's a well-known fact that none can fight. The vampire who creates you has every right to claim you as their own, as long as they do so while you're newborn. Because it was their blood and venom that created your new life. That is one of the reasons Sinclair and Lucifer were at odds for so long. Sinclair thought that because he created Lucifer, that he should be the king, rather than Lucifer. But by the time he found Lucifer again, he was no longer a newborn and had his venom. Making it impossible to prove that he was indeed the one who created Lucifer."

"It's kind of weird picturing Damien drinking Sinclair's blood." She said with an amused chuckle, shaking her head. "When you say his own venom, how does that work?" She asked as she finished her meal, and washed her plate.

"Once a vampire is created, their body starts to create its venom. That venom takes however long it takes to overpower the original that changed it. How long it takes, depends on how strong the vampire will be. So if they were going to be weak, it could take years. But if they were going to be strong, it could only take mere days. Do you understand?" I asked, trying to explain it the best I could, but found it hard to do so. I'd never had to explain something so in-depth about vampires to a human before, and honestly never thought I would have to.

*'Now I get how Lucifer feels about answering Bast's neverending questions.'* I thought with an eternal chuckle.

"I get it, thank you. I know this has to annoy you, trying to dumb things down for us." She said with a scoff, sitting on my lap. She smiled softly before bringing her lips to mine, kissing me softly.

I began to kiss her back but sighed as my phone started ringing. She stood and grabbed it, looking at the caller ID before holding it out to me. "It's Sinclair."

I quickly took the phone and answered it; "Sinclair, Valerie may have thought about something we hadn't considered." I said, then rolled my eyes as he chuckled in my ear.

"Hmm, seems like I was correct." He said with a smug I could practically see through the phone.

"Save it." I snapped with a snarl, "Come to the guest house."

"I'm already here," Sinclair said, then ended the call. Only moments later he walked into the house and nodded softly to Valerie.

"What if I was naked, or we were in the middle of doing something?" Valerie asked him, holding her hands up, shaking her head.

"If that was the case, it would be your fault for answering the phone. If it wasn't a good time, why answer?" He asked, raising his eyebrow as he sat with a shrug. "So what did you find out?"

Valerie scoffed and rolled her eyes, then took a deep breath "He's been slowly losing it, the entire time Bast has been pregnant, right?"

"Yes, that sounds about right." Sinclair agreed, waiting for her to get to the point, his gold eyes brightening as he realized what she was saying. "The child is killing her." He exclaimed breathlessly, letting out a breath as if he'd been holding it. "Why did we not consider this?" He asked me incredulously as he stood and began to leave.

"It would be in our best interests not to disturb him," I said quickly before he could close the door.

"Fine, let's think about this more than. Maybe we can figure it out before we bring it to him," he said, sitting back down.

I nodded and began thinking about how this could be possible, or what we could do to try to fix this.

We sat in silence for a while, until Valerie jumped up quickly, her heartbeat erratic as she began bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Venom!" She exclaimed, then shook her head. "I mean what you were telling me about the individuality in the venom, and how it's like DNA! So the baby isn't killing her, it's changing her." She corrected herself, then groaned when she saw the confusion on Sinclair and I's faces. "Okay, stay with me here." She said as she motioned for Sinclair to move his chair so she could sit, facing both of us. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down before speaking.

"So the witch said the baby could come out hybrid or human, right?" She asked, waiting for us to agree, before continuing. "What if the baby is hybrid, and it's creating its venom? And that venom is like affecting Bast. What if... ah, I can't get the words to come out correctly! So what if: the baby is super slowly, like creating its venom, but it's like spilling out into Bast, and affecting her? You know cause the baby is literally in her, and they share a body right now."

"You're on to something here!" Sinclair exclaimed with a smile, then shook his head. "That sounds like it could be the cause of it. The baby isn't killing Bast, because if it was, his eyes would be turning gold. Instead, the baby is altering little Bastet's DNA, but how do we stop it from happening?"

Valerie let out an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes as she stared at us, shaking her head. "Jee, I don't know. If only Bast had access to the most powerful vampires blood to drink, and probably keep the baby's venom at bay." She said sarcastically, narrowing her eyes at us as if she couldn't believe how stupid we were. "oh, wait a second!" She exclaimed, feigning shock. "That's Damien! A regular dose of his blood would probably make the baby stay human, come to think of it." She said, cocking her head to the side as she considered thoughtfully.

"I think we may need to interrupt them, despite how upset Lucifer is by this," Sinclair said, turning his attention to me.

"He'll get over it once he hears what we've found." I agreed, standing and holding my hand out to Valerie. "Let's go."