Seeing Vera smile at the mont our eyes t, sothing tight inside my chest finally loosened. The relief hit so hard that the words ca out before I could even think about them.
"I'm sorry!" I said out loud. "I'm really sorry for coming late."
My voice carried across the living room, loud enough to draw everyone's attention. One by one, my won turned their heads toward , their expressions shifting the mont they realized I had arrived. The atmosphere changed instantly, like the room itself had been holding its breath.
I didn't stop moving. I power-walked toward Vera, my focus locked entirely on her.
Before I could reach her, a blur rushed past .
"Sister!" Jill cried out in shock.
She shot straight past my side and wrapped her arms around Zamira, who had just entered behind . Jill hugged her tightly, her voice trembling as if she couldn't believe Zamira was really standing there. Zamira stiffened for only a mont before gently returning the embrace, resting a calm hand on Jill's back.
Almost imdiately after, another rush of movent passed .
Misty dashed by, heading straight for Amber. "Amber!" she exclaid, grabbing her in a firm hug without hesitation.
For a brief second, I slowed down, confused.
They all ran past .
It felt strange, almost like I had been ignored but I pushed the thought aside. Right now, only one person mattered.
I stopped in front of Vera and crouched down in front of her as she sat on the sofa, lowering myself until my face was level with hers. Up close, I could see the exhaustion in her eyes, but it only made her smile feel warr, more genuine.
"I really am sorry," I said again, this ti quieter.
I lifted my hands and gently held her face, my thumbs brushing softly along her cheeks. Then I leaned forward and kissed her.
I didn't pull away quickly.
The kiss lasted, slow, full of emotion I couldn't put into words. When I finally broke it, I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug.
"I should've been here," I muttered under my breath. "I wasn't there when you needed most."
Vera's arms slipped around my neck, and she leaned closer, her lips brushing my ear as she whispered.
"It's fine," she said softly. "I'm not angry. Not even a little. I know you were probably busy… and it hasn't even been two hours since you were told I put to bed."
I nodded slowly, pressing my forehead against hers. "Still… I hate that I wasn't here."
I kissed her again, briefly this ti, unable to help myself.
She let out a small laugh, amused. "At this rate, we'll be kissing for hours," she said teasingly. "You should look at the baby instead."
Heat crept into my face. I pulled back and stood up, slightly embarrassed.
That was when I noticed the room had gone quiet.
Everyone was watching .
So of them had their arms folded, others simply stared, their expressions unreadable. It felt like they had all been waiting for this mont, waiting for to finish with Vera before anything else happened.
I swallowed hard and turned toward the baby bed.
Stepping closer, I leaned over and looked inside.
My breath caught.
A tiny figure lay there, wrapped snugly and resting peacefully. My heart started pounding so loudly that it drowned out everything else. Carefully, I reached in and gently caressed her cheek with the tip of my finger.
Her skin was pale. Soft. Fragile.
The most surprising thing, though, was her face.
She looked like . The resemblance was unmistakable, and yet… sothing was off.
"She's…" I murmured, unable to finish the sentence.
She wasn't a dhampir.
The scent told that instantly. There was no trace of mixed blood, no conflicting aura. She slled exactly like a vampire baby, pure and unmistakable.
That shocked .
Vampire babies normally spent two years or more in the womb. It was common knowledge. Yet here she was, born far earlier than expected, and still completely vampire.
"She looks normal," I said quietly. "Like a real vampire baby."
Almost as if reacting to my touch, her eyelids fluttered.
Then she opened her eyes.
Bright crimson.
The sa color as mine.
For a split second, she simply stared. Then her face scrunched up, and she began to cry. Her tiny mouth opened, revealing small fangs, and the sharp sound filled the living room.
My heart lurched.
I glanced at Vera imdiately. "She… she seems hungry."
Vera laughed softly, clearly amused. "You really don't know much about vampire babies, do you?"
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Not really."
She smiled and explained calmly. "Because I'm a pure human, I can't feed her my breast milk. It contains a purely human diet. Our baby can only feed on a vampire's breast milk."
I nodded slowly, taking it in.
Without even thinking about it, my gaze shifted toward Misty.
She noticed instantly.
Misty folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Don't look so obvious," she said. "I knew you were going to look at ."
I opened my mouth, then closed it again.
She huffed. "I'm very mad at you," she added bluntly. "But the baby cos first."
She turned, reached for a nearby container, and retrieved a bottle filled with light red milk. It faintly shimred under the room's lighting. With a snort, she handed it over to Vera.
"Here," Misty said.
Vera accepted it carefully and brought it to the baby.
Almost imdiately, the crying softened.
Then stopped.
I watched in silence as my daughter fed, my chest tight with emotions I had never felt before. The room felt warr and quieter as everyone watched in anticipation.
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