With Vlad gone, Erinna took a bath and changed. She took extra care with her appearance, choosing her white gown that Vlad seemed to appreciate. It looked obscene however with her changing body so she switched it for something looser and conservative on the chest area.

Leila brought her some food whilst she was brushing her hair and Erinna nearly kissed her because her stomach was growling loud enough to scare the dead. For all her enthusiasm, something in the meal did not agree with her and she ended up in the bathroom, emptying all the contents of her stomach. She sat back on her heels, her throat hurting from the forceful projectile and her knees weak.

"Something you would like to share?"

Erinna closed her eyes, unwilling to turn around to face him because the tight anger in his voice chilled her. Obviously the happy mood they had enjoyed before he left was gone and something had angered him. How was she going to tell him about the baby when he was already in such a foul mood? With Vlad, everything was about timing.

"No," Erinna told him, rising to her feet and washing her face.

She rinsed her mouth and tied her hair back, all so she could avoid looking at him.

"I was with Alexander just now. Whilst you were in Ellingsdale, I unknowingly carved a symbol into a tree. I thought it was a coincidence but Alexander was interested in it. Tonight he finally discovered it was a rune. And guess what rune it was?"

Erinna did not answer. She had no idea where the conversation was going but she knew when she was being baited. Somehow, she had done something to make him angry and he was on a war path.

"The Berkano. The symbol of new beginnings, renewal, recovery, rebirth, growth and I don't know, motherhood and fertility?" Sarcasm dripped in his cold voice.

Erinna stilled and turned to face him.

He knew.

Of course he knew, Vlad knew everything. The sooner she got that in her head, the better for her.

"I thought nothing of it at first," Vlad continued, "But then I remembered how much your body has changed. You lost a lot of weight when you arrived in Ellingsdale but then you regained it and more. Your breasts are fuller than they have ever been and the last time I touched them whilst you were in Ellingsdale, you cried out because they were tender. Your hips are wider, your appetite is out of sorts and now you are throwing up in our bathroom. So I will ask again, Countess, is there anything you want to tell me?"

Anger vibrated in his voice but it was his eyes that scared her. They were a shade she had never seen. They were not red and they were not black. Instead, it was a mixture of the two, dark murky swirls that moved restlessly and breathed pure fire and malevolent fury.

"I was going to tell you, Vlad," she said but even to her ears, it sounded like an excuse but she had to let him understand, "It was just never the right time. We were fighting and then you were having nightmares."

"And somehow you thought this meant that you shouldn't tell me about our baby? That I wouldn't want to know?"

"I wanted to give you the chance to recover plus I wasn't sure you would even believe me."

She eyed him carefully as she said the words, wanting to see his reaction. If Vlad even dared suggest the baby was not his-

"Why wouldn't I?" He frowned as if what she was suggesting was ludicrous. In a way she was relieved but he was not completely forgiven.

"Because you accused me of cheating on you," she glared at him.

"Don't put words in my mouth. I never accused you of anything."

"You might as well have. You said I didn't know my own feelings. Do you know how much that hurts, that even up till now you don't believe I truly love you?"

His anger seemed to immediately deflate and he closed his eyes. When they were open again, they were the sparkling black she was used to.

"I believe that, angel. I want to. It's just- I don't understand it sometimes."

"Do you have to? Isn't it enough that I love you? You once told me there is no science to love. It just is. I'm not trying to make you into a saint because you are not and that's okay with me. But you are noble, you are kind, you care for those under your protection, you are strong, you are loyal, you listen to me, you put me first, you always protect me, you always take care of me, you fight for me, you defend me, you respect me, you love me and you care about the things that mean something to me."

"You really believe that?" Vlad closed his eyes, taking a deep breath she knew he did not need.

"I don't believe that, I know that."

"So I'm only left with integrity and honor then," he said, almost to himself.

"What?"

"Deacon- someone said I should be all those things if I wanted to deserve you."

He tried to quickly cover up the first word but she had heard.

"You talked to Deacon about me?"

"Bad decision, I know. I shouldn't have but you seem to admire him so-"

"So what?" She asked when he broke off.

"So nothing," he looked away from her, glaring at the wall.

"Vlad."

He sighed.

"I wanted pointers okay? There, I've said it. Now quit torturing-"

A part of her wanted to tease him but really she was just happy that he cared that much about her so she silenced him with her lips. She had never thought he would go as far as asking for advice from someone he loathed so much. She couldn't express her feelings in words so she used the kiss to tell him all she could not say.

The negative feelings of their argument were washed away, leaving their familiar closeness and oneness. Erinna closed her eyes and reveled in it. Vlad kissed her tenderly, his hand playing with the ends of her hair in a way that was both ticklish and exciting. When he pulled back, his hands went to her belly, almost reverently.

Her nerves jumped as his palms made contact, and a warm flush spread from her face down to the peak of her breasts. He caressed her slightly rounded belly, his eyes watching, as if he expected the baby to come right out and say hello. A soft smile played on Erinna's lips as she regarded him in amusement. When he finally lifted his head, his eyes were filled with awe, disbelief and pride.

"We're really having a baby?"

Erinna nodded, still smiling. This was how she had wanted him to react and she was so happy that they had come this far. She was grateful that he had trusted her and gladly received this gift that they had been given.

"How long have you known?" He asked.

"I found out on the night I came here."

"It's what made you come back?"

"I was already planning to return but yes, this made me come back earlier. My father and the others...they were not pleased to learn I was carrying your child."

Vlad stilled and his eyes cooled.

"Define not pleased."

Instinct wanted her to protect her kinsman and filter the events so as not to upset Vlad but they had already kept so many secrets away from each other in the guise of protecting the other. If she wanted Vlad to always be honest with her, then she had to do the same. Besides, she did mot owe them a thing after what Eric had done to Vlad.

"They are convinced that the baby will bring more trouble and bloodshed. They wanted to-" She broke off and shook her head because she could not say the words.

She was still outraged and disgusted that her kinsman had wanted to rid her baby of its life before it was even born.

Vlad's hand cupped her jaw, making her look up into his eyes. They were dark and closely on their way to red. Violent emotions were stirring underneath the surface but neither was driven by revenge. All of the things Vlad was feeling, the anger and the need to rip someone's throat out, she had felt it all. It was protectiveness.

"Did they hurt you?" He asked.

"No."

"The baby?"

"No, Deacon got us out in time."

Vlad's body shuddered in relief and he finally let go of her neck.

"So now I have to be grateful to the bastard too," he grumbled, walking into their bedroom from the bathroom.

Erinna laughed and followed him.

"He is not as bad as you make him out to be."

"The man kissed you, I am allowed to think what I want about him."

"Does it make a difference if I say you are much much more handsome than him?"

He put his hands on her hips, pulling her to him.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Countess. What else?" He smirked wickedly, the action killing a few of her brain cells.

"You have dimples," she smiled.

"And?"

"And I love you," she laughed, kissing him sloppily.

"That's what I want to hear," he said, deepening the kiss whilst his hands explored her body at leisure.

"Wait," Vlad said when they got to their bed.

"What?"

"I have better hair than him, right?"

**********

Later as they lay in bed with Erinna's head resting on his chest, Vlad traced her spine with his fingers, moving them up and down the fragile column. A pleasant silence settled around them even though there were still a lot of unsaid things between them.

"Do you know what my men do when they have bad news to tell me?"

Erinna shook her head, the action resulting in her soft hair tickling his skin. It was damp in some areas because of all the exercise he had given her but it still emitted the soft, feminine fragrance that he loved. It was a combination of all the spices and herbs she used in her bathing water and something that was purely Erinna. The scent was heady and Vlad couldn't help himself from inhaling it.

"What do they do?" Erinna prompted and he came back to the present which did not involve getting high on her scent.

"They try to hide it, then when they realize they can't contain it, they start throwing the duty at each other. No one is ever brave enough to come to me and say it right out yet I always catch them. I know something is up the moment they start freezing up when I enter the room or they suddenly shut up or tense when I pass by."

"Can you blame them? You don't take bad news well, Vlad."

He was honest enough with himself to acknowledge that that observation was accurate so he did not argue with her. He had a mild case of kill the messenger but it was usually because the damn messengers always waited until the very last minute to tell him bad news. It was only when they realized something had gone completely out of hand and that they could not fix it that they wanted to drop the mess into his lap so he could act fixer.

"True," he agreed, "But there are some things I can prevent from happening if people told me sooner, things that could end up affecting all of us."

Erinna tensed in his arms.

"Is this about the baby? I know I should have-"

"It's not just about the baby. It's about us. I don't want you hiding things from me, no matter how angry you think I'm going to get. I'm not saying I won't get mad because I probably will but I won't stay mad forever."

It made him sick inside to know that she had not been confident in his trust for her that she had hesitated to tell him about their baby. He had reacted badly to the Demon issue admittedly, but it was not because of her. It was because he knew what people were capable of. There were a lot of monsters out there who would take advantage of Erinna's trust and use her.

Demon had protected Erinna from her father and other elves but what he had failed to do was protect her from himself and as soon as Vlad found a way to penetrate Ellingsdale, he was going to pay for that. Sure he had apologized and helped him see things from a new perspective but in Vlad's eyes penance was not earned by word of mouth. Demon was going to earn his at the end of Vlad's whip, on his knees in front of Erinna.

Erinna put her forearms on his chest and used them to anchor herself up so she could look into his eyes. His heart lurched as he looked into the fierce green of her emerald orbs. They did not have little flecks of light or yellow like most people. They had dark shadows in their center, a promise of things hidden and things to come. But despite that, they shone brighter than anything he had ever known. They sparkled with a light of their own and Vlad always felt rejuvenated just by gazing into them.

"You want no secrets between us," she said.

Her voice, low and husky from all the screaming that had happened in the room in the last few hours, was a punch to his gut. As a vampire, he had guaranteed stamina but he had never been as ravenous for anyone before as he was for her. It shouldn't be possible after the way she had drained him from his very core, literally and figuratively.

"No secrets," he confirmed.

"I can do that. But it goes both ways. You can't keep things from me because you want to protect me and you definitely can't ever mute our bond again."

Her eyes were narrowed, her expression telling him she was not going to back down.

"Alright. I will not shut you out again," he promised hoping the words he was saying were true.

He did not know if he could keep their bond completely open if there was a chance of it causing pain to Erinna. Allowing their bond to run both ways meant allowing her to feel the things he felt and sometimes even he didn't want to feel the things he felt.

She cupped his jaw. "I was worried about you when you did not come. Deacon thought it was by choice but I knew something was wrong."

"Demon seems to have a lot of opinions about me."

The man annoyed him but Vlad was glad she could talk about him comfortably around him. It meant she felt no guilt or need for secrecy where the elf was concerned.

Erinna shook her head, "Only mine counts."

And that was true, for him anyway. Anyone else could think whatever the hell else they wanted as long as in Erinna's eyes he remained redeemable. His only task was working to make sure he remained worthy of the faith she had in him because Erinna believed in the man he could become.

Her thumb moved and traced his bottom lip, the scent of her skin hitting his nose full force. Vlad opened his mouth and sucked that adventurous finger right in. Sweet flavor burst on his tongue and spread all around his body in shock waves that he welcomed. He did not break eye contact and as he looked at her, he could see his eyes reflected in hers.

They were turning scarlet and he could feel his fangs itching in his gums insistently. He was hungry for her but after finding out about the baby, he was hesitant. If the baby was a Dracula, surely it needed her blood more than him? Even if it was not, he wanted her to be in the best of health and that did not involve him sucking at her neck every other time. So reluctantly, he let her thumb go before his fangs did exactly what they itched to do.

"Have you thought about what the baby will be?" He asked her.

Erinna furrowed her forehead as his random question but answered anyway.

"You mean a boy or a girl?"

Vlad had not gotten that far. He didn't think it mattered anyway. A girl would probably be nice because of the overload of testosterone in his castle but he got stomach cramps as the vision of killing a thousand vampires so they could get it in their thick heads that she was off limits, fleeted through his head. No, a daughter simply would not do.

"I mean vampire or elf."

"Or angel or human," she smiled.

"Why would they be a human? Neither of us are."

"But you once were. There's no reason for the baby to carry the curse."

Except of course the universe was one vindictive bastard.

Could he live with a baby who was human and weak? Hell yes, even if the baby was crippled with no eyes or mouth, he would still love it because it would be his baby. His dreams of fatherhood had died with his curse. Erinna had given him this gift and though he did not understand the how and why of it, he gladly took it with both hands.

"My brothers did, but it doesn't matter either way," he told her honestly.

If the baby was a vampire, then his heart would rest easy because he would know they would be able to protect themselves. If they were human, he would be glad that they did not have to live with the burden of his curse. What pleased him was that no matter what came from the half of his side; his baby would be guaranteed to have its mother's essence inside it. It would carry Erinna's gentleness, honor, love, kindness, strength and all the power entrusted to her people, although the last one was a gamble.

"How do you think it happened? Me getting pregnant?" Erinna asked.

A wicked smirk broke over Vlad's face, how could she expect him to resist.

"The usual way I would imagine. Unless you want me to demonstrate again?"

"Oh Vlad, shut up, I'm being serious."

Her rosy cheeks were charming and he found out her blush could still stimulate him when he had thought he was sated for the night.

"Look at you blushing," he teased her.

"I'm not," she said, getting flustered which of course made her blush to spread down to her neck and chest.

"Sure you are."

"Just because you are a vampire and vampires don't blush doesn't mean you get to make fun of me."

She pushed off his chest and lay next to him with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes glaring at the ceiling. Vlad turned on his side to regard her, supporting his head on his elevated palm. The blush had gotten darker and she looked cute, even with her bottom lip poking out in mock anger. He could not resist leaning down and biting it playfully. The action drew out a long moan out of her.

"I'm not making fun of you. And vampires do blush," he said, still zero distance away from her face.

"They do?" His wife said with a scatterbrained look on her face. He loved that he was the one who had that effect on her.

"If we didn't, how would this be possible?" He asked, resting a possessive hand on her stomach where evidence of just how much the blood in his veins flowed lay.

"What?"

Vlad laughed and decided to get out of her face before she lost all her brain cells. He looked at her when he was back on his own pillow.

"The blood might not be ours, but it still flows."

She immediately shut up and he had to bite his lip to keep back his laughter otherwise she would never forgive him. He could not blame her, most people assumed a lot of ridiculous things when it came to his kind.

"Have I scandalized you?"

"Yes and distracted me too. I was asking you a question."

Vlad sighed as they got back to business. Did it matter how they had gotten the baby? What mattered to him was that they had; the rest he didn't care about. But his wife liked things explained and frankly, that was wise considering their history. Nothing came out of the blue and there were no free gifts, everything came with strings attached. Unless they figured out what those strings were, they were going to dance to them without even realizing it.

"I don't know; I'm still surprised honestly."

His people had been sterile for as long as he had known. No other vampire had ever gotten pregnant or impregnated a woman. You simply did not make life from something that was dead... but then again he had not died to become a vampire. He had been cursed into it.

"Maybe it's different with you."

He shook his head, "If that was the case, I would have known by now."

"Did you ever keep anyone long enough to find out?"

"Only..."

He trailed off because that was not a name he wanted in their bed.

"Ingrid," Erinna finished for him.