Chapter 84

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Bayne, Ulrich and I hopped into the car. There was resistance from Romulus at first. He told us to get in line for our injuries to be checked out. But there was no time to spare.

The hospital was white and air conditioned. It smelled like hand sanitizer. My father marched to the desk, asking for Nadine and our other friends.

"Floor three. Left wing." The receptionist said.

We trailed behind my dad as he powered up three flights of stairs. He pushed past the heavy doors and rushed into the first room in the left wing. The door was open.

Nadine's room was first, then followed Raven, Jaxson, and a youngling that I wasn't too familiar with.

Her eyes were closed. An oxygen tube was stuck up her nostrils. Her face looked like someone had kicked it in. She was covered up in a white sheet. Bayne and I hovered near the doorway. I remembered how when I was a youngling I sent her to the hospital. Now, she was a youngling.

My father made his way over to her. He gently stroked her face and began to sob on her chest. His big tears landed on her like hail in a rainstorm.

"I'm sorry... This wasn't supposed to be the life for you." His weeping face was as red as a tomato.

Her eyes flickered open. She tilted her head down to see my father.

"Ulrich?" She said weakly. His head shot up off her chest.

"Nadine! Are you alright?"

"I don't know. I'm in pretty rough shape." She examined her scraped up arms.

He wiped away his tears with his thick fingers.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I let them hurt you. I'm sorry I couldn't get to them in time before they...Before they bit you."

"Lift up the blanket. Maybe it wasn't strong enough to take." Nadine said.

Ulrich reached down and pulled the blanket up, exposing her legs up to her knees. On her ankle laid a deep bite mark. It was still bright red.

"Never mind." She said, staring in shock at her massive bite.

Ulrich covered it back up.

"I'm so sorry. I should've done better. I'll never make that mistake again. I never thought I could love again, until you. I love you Nadine. And I let you slip through my fingers once... I don't have a ring on me. But Nadine. Please. Make me the happiest man alive. Will you marry me?"

Mine and Bayne's eyes widened and jaw dropped instantaneously. They were broken up only five minutes ago. Nadine's eyes filled with excitement and pure joy.

"Yes! Ulrich. I would love to marry you... If Erin is okay with it."

Everyone in the room turned and looked at me for an answer.

"Of course you can. I owe both of you an apology. I'm sorry about trying to keeping you two apart before. I won't make that mistake again. I can see how happy you are."

He was smiling and gave Nadine a big kiss on the forehead. Her smile faded fast.

"Ulrich. There's something you should know before you decide if marriage is what you want." She said.

"What is it?" He said.

"I'm...It's so hard to say out loud. Pregnant."

My father's jaw dropped to the ground. We exchanged side eye glances.

"Is it mine?"

"Yes, it's yours. I was suspicious of it before I left the lodge. That's why I was so excited that I thought you were going to propose then. But then I found out you weren't, and the whole fight with Erin, I thought that leaving would be best. I thought of you constantly. I thought I'd stop in to Bayne's party, but I had no idea what I was going to say if I saw you... I know we didn't plan on kids, but we didn't plan on me being bitten, either. But if that changes your mind about getting married, I understand."

His face didn't retreat to anger or happiness. He was glowing, as if he were the one carrying a child.

"Nadine. I love you so damn much. I can't wait for you to be my wife, and the mother of my child." He kissed her hand.

"Erin, I know it's a lot to take in. How are you feeling?" Nadine asked.

"That my best friend is going to give birth to my baby sibling? No big deal. Aha."

There was a knock on the door. It was the doctor.

"Wow, you have plenty of visitors."

"I have a pretty big family."

"Glad to see you're awake. Your friend dropped you off here pretty late last night. Said you were in a bar fight?"

"Yeah. A pretty big bar brawl." She lied.

"Is that bite on your ankle related to the bar fight?"

"Yeah. A big dude bit my ankle. Crazy stuff, isn't it?"

The doctor didn't even seem slightly convinced, but he proceeded anyway.

"All of you will have to step out of the room for a bit. Going to check her vitals." The doctor instructed.

We did as he commanded. We all were booted out to the hall, the door closed behind us.

My head was racing with all the new information. Nadine? An engaged, pregnant, youngling?

After the doctor had finished with Nadine, Ulrich returned to her side. Bayne and I checked on Raven, Jaxon, and the youngling. They were all in much better shape than Nadine.

Bayne and I stopped outside the hospital floor to check on Ulrich and Nadine. We peaked inside to both of them sleeping. My father was sitting upright on the edge of the bed. Nadine fell asleep on his shoulder. We slowly crept back to avoid disturbances.

"I guess we have a wedding to plan for. And a baby shower. And an initiation. Wow, we're going to keep busy." Bayne said.

"Tell me about it." I said, reaching for Bayne's hand. We stood across from each other. I gently played with his ring finger.

"Are you sure you're okay with all that? It's gotta be pretty weird." He asked me.

"It is. But I'm happy for them. They deserve happiness."

Bayne looked up into my eyes. The fiddling with each other's fingers slowly came to a stop.

"I love you. And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

My heart twitched. I hadn't expected Bayne to say something so open.

"Sorry, was that too mushy? Must be that truth spell. Hasn't warn off yet."

I kissed him in the hospital hallway, knowing very well that truth spells only work on questions.

A/N: Who is excited for part 4? I am! Part 4 will be the last part of the book, and it will be coming out soon! What's your favorite part of the story so far? Who's your favorite character?

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