Two weeks passed swiftly, and the arrangements for my family's new residence were completed. After settling in, they began adjusting to their unfamiliar surroundings. My mother, known for her kindness, managed to convince Leuca to hire her as a maid.
Now, in addition to being a mother, she took on the role of a maid to feel deserving of staying in the guest house. "Mom, really, it's okay," I reassured her.
"No, it's not. I've been tasked with laundry duty!" She insisted, attempting to enter the room as I relented.
Leuca was still getting dressed, raising an eyebrow at the intrusion. I attempted to intervene, but my mother persisted. "Oh, my apologies," she exclaimed.
"It's fine, that's why I said it's okay," Leuca responded, pulling on his dress shirt. "Usually, my room is tidied by noon, Ms. Hayes."
Embarrassed, my mother apologized profusely, turning red as a tomato before hastily exiting the room. Leuca chuckled while I scolded him, emphasizing that embarrassing my mother wasn't funny. "She just..."
"Shhh," Leuca silenced me, looking confused.
"Don't shush me, Mr. Vampire with super hearing," I teased, crossing my arms. However, his demeanor was serious, lacking any humor.
Suddenly, he rushed towards me, forcefully pinning me against the wall. "Are you cheating on me?" His anger was palpable, his eyes blazing with fury.
His actions frightened me, causing pain from the impact against the wall. "What? No, of course not!" I protested, but he pushed me back again.
"Don't lie to me! Fuck, Riley!" He released me, striking the wall beside me with his fist, effortlessly piercing through the concrete.
I was paralyzed with fear, not having seen him like this in a long time. Memories of a past incident flooded back, where he had restrained me after rejection, leaving me with bruises and using a whip. "What's happening to you?" I whispered. "How could I cheat? I'm always with you; you'd know if anyone else touched me."
He paced around, noticing my tears. "I hear another heartbeat," he admitted, his anger still evident. Now I made sure no fucking witch gave you anything or even touched you while magic was being used."
Shocked, I placed a hand on my stomach. "What?" I murmured, approaching him, desperate for him to calm down.
"Which human touched you?"
I took hold of his hands, urging him to pay attention. "Listen to me!" I gently pulled at his hand. "Just listen to my heartbeat." Meeting his gaze, I spoke deliberately, "I did not and will not ever cheat on you." He concentrated on my heartbeat, so I reiterated my words, repeating them until his eyes returned to their usual bright blue hue.
"Never." I pressed my forehead against his, reassuring him of my fidelity.
"How?" He whispered, pulling away from me. "How can you possibly be pregnant again?"
"Maybe I have special eggs?" I tried to lighten the mood with a giggle.
"This isn't funny, Riley! I already have my sister to look out for, my son, and you. I cannot handle more liabilities!"
His words hit me hard. "Liabilities, huh?" It was a low blow. Instead of retaliating, I chose to be the mature one. I slowly turned around, deciding to walk away before things escalated further.
"I didn't mean it like that!" He reached out for my hand, but I pulled it away, fighting the urge to slap him.
"No, just no."
"It's unnerving how calm you are," he muttered, almost to himself. "We need to discuss who could have betrayed me and figure out what to do about this."
"What are we going to do about this? What do you mean by that? I'm not going to take any action, and neither should you," I expressed, feeling puzzled by his implication.
The expression on his face conveyed enough, though. "You want me to terminate the pregnancy..." I whispered, before anger surged within me. "Are you insane?! I would never consider such a thing! How dare you!"
He rolled his eyes in frustration. "You don't grasp the predicament I'll be in, Riley!" He cursed, his tone laden with frustration. "I'll go insane trying to protect all of you." His grip on my wrist tightened, causing me pain.
Our heated argument had drawn Damian's attention, and he hurried into the room, positioning himself protectively in front of me. He even hissed at his father, "What are you doing to mom?" His eyes widened as he noticed Leuca's anger and the tight hold on my wrist.
Leuca responded with a hiss of his own, and they glared at each other with glowing eyes. "Your mother has a small issue growing in her belly, so go away. This is grown-up business," Leuca attempted to push Damian aside, but Damian skillfully evaded his father's attempt.
"So it worked? Yes! We knew it would work!" Damian's enthusiasm interrupted our tense moment, catching both Leuca and me off guard.
We stared at our son in stunned silence.
What?
...
"Damian, what did you do?" I questioned, trying to comprehend his actions.
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Just whipped up a love potion or whatever Rayna called it, had you bake cookies with her, and made sure you ate them." He grinned mischievously. "So now your dream of having more kids can come true."
I groaned, and Leuca echoed my sentiment with a deep sigh. We both muttered "fuck" under our breath. Despite my frustration, a small smile tugged at my lips. Deep down, I couldn't deny that the idea of a big family had always appealed to me.
However, Leuca's reaction was less than enthusiastic. "My dear son, you have two seconds to run before I show you every fucking corner of this house!" Leuca's eyes flashed red again, steam practically emanating from his ears.
Sensing the seriousness of the threat, Damian darted away, clearly understanding his father's anger. Leuca moved to pursue him, but I intercepted, blocking the doorway. "He doesn't understand..." I pleaded, placing my hands on Leuca's chest. "Please, Leuca..."
Instead of listening, he gently pushed me aside and swiftly restrained me on the bed using his vampire speed, using his belt as a makeshift restraint. "Leuca! Don't you dare lay a hand on my son!" I screamed, feeling panicked.
He gripped my chin firmly, meeting my gaze. "I'm just going to teach him a lesson. He needs to learn that his reckless actions have consequences." With that, he vanished from the room.
I struggled against the belt, desperately trying to free myself, but it held tight. All I could do was cry out for help, hoping someone would come to my aid.
...
Leuca's POV
"Get your ass over here Damian!" I yelled out to my son. What the fuck was he thinking? I called out for my trusted nobles, relieved to see them swiftly assemble before me. "Find my son, bring him to me now!" I commanded, my voice dripping with urgency and anger.
With a synchronized response, they chorused, "Yes, my lord," and immediately dispersed to carry out my orders. I joined in the search, scanning every nook and cranny, but Damian was a master at hiding, and I suspected he wasn't alone. I relied on my heightened senses, particularly my keen sense of smell, to detect any lingering traces of witchcraft in the air.
As I caught a faint whiff of lavender, a knowing smile tugged at my lips. "Find Rayna too!" I instructed, my determination driving me forward. Some of the servants trembled in fear as I stormed through the halls, demanding information about my son's whereabouts. However, their loyalty to Damian surpassed their fear of me, leaving them tight-lipped and unwilling to divulge any information.
Frustration simmered within me as I realized their unwavering loyalty to my son. It seemed they adored Damian more than they feared me, a realization that only fueled my determination to find him and put an end to his reckless actions.
The hint of lavender led me outside, toward the greenhouse at the back of the estate. "How predictable," I muttered, my frustration mounting. I grabbed a handful of pebbles from the ground and hurled them through the air, shattering the glass of the greenhouse.
Inside, I found two pairs of terrified eyes staring back at me. My son, Damian, and Riley's bonus child stood before me, fear evident in their expressions. "Face your punishment now, or she faces the same fate," I growled, my anger palpable.
I couldn't handle the thought of more human children. This one already tested my patience regularly. He struggled to control his emotions, couldn't even feed properly, and often became overwhelmed by his instincts. Despite resembling a vampire, he failed to understand our body language. "Don't fucking push me, Damian," I yelled, my voice filled with frustration.
Reluctantly, he stepped out of the greenhouse, inching closer to me. I glared down at him, delivering a sharp slap across his face. "Your actions put this entire family in danger. You, your mother, your human relatives, and my sister are already vulnerabilities I must account for. Do you want to add more?" I struck him again, this time on the opposite cheek. "Your mother now dreams of another child, despite my warnings. A child I cannot afford to also protect," I seethed, raising my hand for another blow.
But before I could act, a woman stepped forward, shielding Damian with her body.
No human on the property, except for two courageous souls, dared to stand in my way. One was Riley, whom I had securely bound upstairs, and the other was her mother, Anne. "Anne, step aside," I demanded, my frustration mounting.
She held Damian protectively in her arms, refusing to yield. "I'm sorry, my Lord, I don't understand what's happening, but I cannot allow you to harm a child. Please," she pleaded, her tone respectful yet firm.
More human behavior. I was growing weary of it. "Believe me, he has endured worse. Don't impose your human beliefs on me," I sighed, feeling my anger escalate. Killing Anne now would surely incur Riley's wrath, and I couldn't afford that. There was only one option left, whether anyone liked it or not.
"I'm leaving. Ensure Riley receives the message that both he and Rayna are to be punished. She can choose whatever idiotic human method she desires."
As I made my way toward my car, Wyatt appeared at my side, kneeling beside me. "Are we going to have some fun?" he inquired, displaying his protective instincts.
Christina and Lazarus soon joined us, ready to accompany me. "I'm down as well, brother," Lazarus declared, brandishing the keys to the car.
I nodded in agreement. "I need to blow off some steam. Christina, Jillian, you're in charge of the house," I instructed, knowing they would heed my command.
In my enraged state, it was better for Lazarus to drive. I intended to head into town, perhaps indulge in feeding on a few humans and maybe even take a life or two to quell my anger. I yearned to hear the screams of those who dared to cross me.