Twilight Embrace (Completed)

Chapter 20

Alexandria woke early next morning long before the sun came up.  Her movement startled Wolfe and he immediately woke and looked into her eyes as they searched his face for answers. And so he began telling her everything from the time they made love amongst the roses to now, when he held her in his arms.  She visibly flinched when he recounted the episode with Diego, but he reassured her that he had not taken her in that way and that the baby she was carrying inside her was definitely his.

“As soon as you feel stronger, I need to mark you, so that everyone you come in contact with will know instinctively you are my woman now, my mate for life.”

Alex looked at him confused, “It will only hurt for a moment, after what you have been through it will seem like a drop in a bucket.”

She smiled and kissed his cheek, trusting him without question.

Hugging her close he said, “Do you think you would like to get up now and see if your legs are strong enough to hold you up?” Smiling, he looked at her huge belly, “Remember you’re carrying a lot of extra weight right now.”

She punched him playfully, “Mhmm, come on baby. Let’s see if Mom can stand up carrying you?”

Wolfe helped her slide off the bed and putting a protective arm around her, helped her stand up.  Her legs felt weak and wobbly to begin with, but leaning heavily on Wolfe, he helped her take her first few steps, the first she had taken in four months.  She felt shaky and nervous, but Wolfe coaxed her gently to keep trying.  By the time the family woke and came downstairs Alex and Wolfe were settled together on the huge comfy sofa in the conservatory talking quietly together.

One by one the family came in and hugged Alex, patting, squeezing or punching Wolfe on his shoulder. 

“I have never seen him look so happy,” Layla remarked.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Monica commented smiling.

Dnate hugged them both and Lucas kissed the top of Alex’s head.

Vampuric, Amanda and Cedric arrived early that afternoon to see how Alex was doing.  Wolfe sat protectively by her side with his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders.

Vampuric knelt beside her, looking into her eyes ‘I am so, so sorry’ his wordless thoughts poured from deep within him. ‘Can you ever forgive me?’  Alex smiled at him, “There is nothing to forgive. It wasn’t your fault.”

Amanda stepped forward, “It was my fault, I should never have left you. There is no excuse for my actions, I do not expect you …….. I do not ask for forgiveness. I am just so glad you are ok and that you woke up before the baby is due to be born.”

Alex reached out and took Amanda’s hand and placed it onto her stomach. “We are okay now, thanks to you. Everything is going to be okay.”  Amanda looked at Wolfe who nodded, and she gently hugged Alex.

As the days went by Alex grew stronger under the ever watchful eye of Wolfe and his family.  She was never left on her own and even when she went to the bathroom, Wolfe sat outside the unlocked door, his ears alert to the slightest sound or hint of trouble.

Nine months came and went and still Alex carried her unborn child.  The family’s concern was evident in their eyes as Alex seemed too large to give birth naturally now .In a week’s time she would be well into her 10th  tenth month.  Feeling irritable and bad tempered, she paced restlessly through the castle, when Wolfe suggested she go for a walk outside, but not to venture outside of the castle gates. 

Alex noticed the gates were unlatched and heard the stream bubbling happily in the distance, under the mountain.  She knew it was close by and looking back at the castle; she slipped through the gates and headed off towards the stream.  Nearing the stream she suddenly felt very heavy and extremely tired and decided to rest under the old oak tree where the moss grew thick like a carpet. She must have fallen asleep only to wake to rain falling all around her, the tree creating a shelter over her.

In her mind she heard Wolfe calling and knew he was going to be angry she had left the castle grounds. Soothingly she answered him, “I am here by the stream, I am okay, please don’t be angry.” Her thoughts touched him and he ran towards her. As she came into view the dark sky burst forth a brilliant searing white light that seemed to pierce through the leafy branches and completely bathe Alexandria in a ball of light so bright he lost sight of her for a moment.

He sprang forward growling and angry that yet again he had left her side and she was being taken from him. Surely she could not survive such a powerful blast of energy as a lightning strike, with such force as he had never seen before.  No sooner had the lightning engulfed her body than it disappeared and Wolfe was holding her unconscious body in his arms. She had stopped breathing and he knew he had to bring her back to life and started filling her lungs with his air.

Screaming into his mouth, with fear in her eyes, Baby!” was all she could cry out as she collapsed.

Alexandria had regained consciousness, but only to realize the baby was coming. She screamed again as she felt the baby struggling to leave her body. Wolfe stunned by what was happening, immediately changed his kneeling position over her body to between her legs. As he saw the baby’s head crown, he let out a howl that resounded painfully through the air.  His call for help was heard at the castle and family came running, not knowing what they would find.

Alexandria lay bleeding, shocked and dying at the foot of the mountain, her baby girl in her father’s arms. She smiled at him and whispered, “Take good care of her, she is special.”  Struggling to keep her eyes open she let them close.

Suddenly a loud booming voice echoed in her ears, “Oh no you don’t! Open your eyes!” Vampuric shook her violently. “You will not die on my watch. I did not come all this way to see your child born, only to have you die on us.”  He forced an eyelid open. “Alexandria, look at me.” She slowly opened her eyes. “That’s better, now keep them open.” He looked across at Wolfe holding his new born daughter, blood on his lips and chin from where he had torn the baby’s cord with his teeth to release her from her mother, and with a knowing look Wolfe said, “Yes, please do what you must to keep her alive.”

Vampuric lifted her lifeless body and cradled it against him. Moving her damp hair aside, exposing her neck, he held her close and still and buried his teeth into her vein. As gently as he could he brought her back to life, knowing full well when she woke she would be furious. She had never wanted this, but for the sake of Wolfe and their daughter, she must see there was no other choice.  This was now the second time Vampuric had brought Alexandria back from the brink of death. This time not only did he do this for Wolfe, but also for Alexandria and baby Annjelica.

~~~

And so Alexandria lived to hold her daughter and watch her grow into an amazing unique child, a woman now, whose birth had brought together two very different families, estranged by events passed.  Now at peace at last, all the past was forgiven and forgotten as Annjelica took her first breath in the world.  Would she be human, vampire or wolf, and what damage had she suffered in that lightning bolt?  Only time would tell as she grew older.