Chapter 146 FAMILY
Chapter 146 FAMILY
The bright morning sun shined through the white canvas of the large tent, and the warm light woke me up from my deep sleep.
I opened my eyes slowly, and I noticed the soft blankets beside me were empty because Vladislav was already awake.
I stayed in the warm bed for a few minutes to process my magical dream about the Moon Goddess and the silver forest.
I placed my bare hand flat against my stomach, and I felt a very real and warm magic resting inside my core.
The Moon Goddess did not just show me a random illusion in my sleep last night.
She gave me a true divine blessing, and the tiny sparks of new life were already growing safely inside me.
I threw the heavy blankets off my legs, and I stood up from the raised wooden platform with a huge smile on my face.
I pulled my leather boots on, and I walked out of the quiet tent to find my mate in the busy camp.
The northern wolves were already awake, and they were busy cleaning the main dirt clearing after the massive bonfire celebration.
The pack mothers packed the leftover food into wooden baskets, and the young children ran through the wet green grass.
I heard the loud sound of heavy wood cracking near the edge of the blue river, and I knew exactly who was making the noise.
I walked toward the loud sound, and I saw Vladislav working hard in the bright morning light.
He swung a massive iron axe, and he chopped thick pine logs into perfect building blocks for our future home.
He worked with incredible speed, and he wanted to build our new wooden cabin as fast as possible so we could move out of the canvas tent.
"You are awake very early today," I called out to him over the loud rushing water of the river.
Vladislav stopped swinging the heavy axe, and he turned around to face me with a very bright and happy smile.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his pale hand, and he walked over to greet me in the grass.
"I wanted to cut the foundation logs before the hot afternoon sun sets in," he explained his early start to me.
"You needed the extra rest after the battle, so I did not want to wake you up when I left the warm bed," he added softly.
"I slept better than I have in a very long time," I told him, and I stopped walking just a few feet away from him.
"You look incredibly happy today, and your silver magic is glowing much brighter than usual," he noticed my good mood right away.
"I have a very good reason to be happy, but I need you to put the heavy axe down first," I requested gently.
Vladislav immediately dropped the heavy iron tool onto the grass, and a brief look of worry crossed his handsome face.
He stepped much closer to me, and he reached out to hold both of my hands in his firm grip.
"Are you feeling sick from the dark dungeon magic?" he asked me, because he always worried about my health after a fight.
"I am not sick, and the dark magic is gone from our valley forever," I reassured him quickly so he would not panic.
"Then tell me what is on your mind, because you are making me very nervous," he admitted with a small sigh.
"I had a very powerful dream last night, and the Moon Goddess visited me in a glowing silver forest," I began my explanation.
"The pack Elders say the Moon Goddess only visits the most honorable Alphas in history," Vladislav said with deep respect for the divine ruler.
"She wanted to thank us for saving the green valley, and she wanted to give us a very special reward for our sacrifices," I told him.
"We do not need a reward, because having you safe by my side is more than enough for me," he answered with pure honesty.
"She told me the universe listened to my honest wish last night," I continued the story, and my heart beat very fast inside my chest.
"What did you wish for by the bonfire?" he asked, and he tilted his head in genuine confusion.
"I told you I wanted to build a real family with you, and I wanted our children to run safely in this grass," I reminded him.
Vladislav stared at me in silence for a very long moment, and his bright blue eyes widened in sudden realization.
He looked down at my flat stomach, and then he looked back up at my face to search for the absolute truth.
"Are you telling me we are going to have a child?" his deep voice shook with raw and heavy emotion.
"We are going to have two children, Vladislav," I corrected him with a massive smile, and I squeezed his strong hands tight.
"She told me I am carrying twins, and the tiny sparks of life are already growing inside me," I revealed the big news.
Vladislav let go of my hands, and he took a stumbling step backward in pure shock.
His broad chest heaved with heavy breaths, and he covered his mouth with his hand as the reality of my words hit him.
He spent a thousand years fighting in endless wars, and he never believed he could create innocent life in this world.
The ancient vampire fell to his knees in the soft dirt, and he did not care about the wet mud ruining his dark pants.
Genuine tears spilled from his bright blue eyes, and the wet drops ran down his scarred cheeks.
He cried right in front of me, and he showed me the very vulnerable human soul hiding inside his powerful body.
"How is this possible?" he whispered through his tears, and he looked up at the clear blue sky with sheer wonder.
"I am an ancient creature, and I thought my blood could only bring death to the mortal world," he questioned his own nature.
"Your blood is strong, and our love is powerful enough to break all the old rules," I told him, and I dropped to my knees right beside him.
I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders, and I pulled him into a very tight and comforting hug.
He buried his face against my neck, and he let himself cry happy tears for a very long time in the morning sun.
I rubbed his back gently, and I waited patiently for his initial shock to settle down.
He finally pulled his head back, and he used his thumbs to wipe the wet tears away from his own face.
"I do not know how to be a good father," he confessed his hidden fear, and his large hands trembled slightly.
"I never had a good family when I was a young boy, and the southern courts only taught me how to hold a sword," he explained his doubts.
"You know how to protect people, and you know how to love me with all your heart," I listed his amazing qualities.
"Those two things are all you need to be the greatest father in the world, and we will figure the rest out together," I promised him.
"I will never let anyone hurt them," he swore a solemn vow, and his voice grew very strong and certain.
"I will build a massive wooden fence around our new cabin, and I will teach them how to be brave," he started planning our future.
"We will teach them together, and the entire northern pack will help us raise them," I reminded him of our loyal community.
Elder Silas walked past the river, and the old wolf stopped walking when he saw us kneeling in the dirt.
"Is everything okay over there?" Silas called out, and he sounded a little bit worried about Vladislav's tears.
"Everything is perfect, Silas!" I yelled back to the Elder with a joyful and loud laugh.
"We just received some very happy news, and we will tell the pack tonight at dinner," I promised the old wolf.
Silas smiled and waved his hand, and he continued walking toward the mountain trail to leave us alone.
Vladislav reached his hands out, and he placed both of his palms very gently against my stomach.
He closed his eyes, and he focused all of his heightened vampire senses on the new life resting inside me.
"I can feel them," he whispered in absolute awe, and a fresh tear slipped down his handsome face.
"Their magic is very small, but it is incredibly warm and bright," he described the feeling to me.
"They are going to be very strong pups, because they have our combined magic to guide them," I agreed with his words.
"I will build two wooden cribs tonight, and I will carve the forest spirits into the wood to keep them safe," he told me.
"You need to finish building the walls of our cabin first," I teased him gently, and I pointed at the loose pine logs on the grass.
"I will finish the cabin in three days, and I will not stop working until you have a perfect home for our babies," he promised with intense dedication.
He leaned his head forward, and he pressed his face gently against my stomach.
He stayed there for a long moment, and he treated me like the most precious treasure in the world.
He looked up at me with tears in his bright blue eyes, and he showed me his true heart.
"I spent a thousand years destroying things in the dark... and now I get to help you create a family."