Pia looked at her with an introspective gaze. But Dawn passed those looks with a shrug. She didn't want to mar her lovely days with a woman as bitchy as her. 

"So what do you think is going to be next?" asked Pia, sounding mysterious. 

"What do you mean?" Dawn inquired. She started to walk back to the room. She hated the fact that Pia had come to the portico, which meant that she even came to her room, uninvited. 

"I mean how will you go forward with this pregnancy?" 

"It's not your area to think Pia," Dawn said, clearly annoyed at her question. Instead of congratulating her, she was making her uncomfortable. 

"That pregnancy is an abomination. It is unnatural," she said in a cold voice. 

Dawn gritted her teeth. How she would have loved to gouge her face. "Like I said, don't put your pretty little brain into so much thinking."

Pia smirked. "Before that baby comes out, you should abort it. It doesn't belong to this world. It doesn't belong to the purebloods."

Dawn jerked her head back. "Oh my God!" she said. "You are so fucking vicious!"

Her sister-in-law laughed. "And you are so hopeful."

"Just stay the hell away from me Pia!" said Dawn with fury rising within her. She didn't want these negative thoughts and she didn't want to be near her. 

"I am warning you Dawn. This pregnancy is not natural. Abort it else—"

"Shut up!" Dawn hissed closing her fists tight and digging her nails in her palm to prevent herself from launching and killing her. 

Pia became quiet. Then she clasped her hands at the back and chuckled. She walked over to Dawn and then went past her to the parapet of the railing. She leaned forward on it and looked in the distance at River Lifye. "Who is that boy downstairs who has come to visit you?"

"That's also none of your concern," said Dawn, feeling like going away instantly. 

"His hair is too emerald to be real. Is that Quetz?" asked Pia, turning her head and looking at Dawn with narrowed eyes. 

A sudden chill ran through Dawn's body. She stared at Pia. She appeared calm on the outside, but Dawn could sense something untoward. She was frightening. Without replying Dawn turned and walked away from there shrugging off the adverse feeling. 

Pia tittered and then looked back at the river. It was a beautiful evening.

Ever since she had heard about Dawn's pregnancy, she had been on the edge. She was married to Caleb for a long time now and has failed in conceiving time and again. She wanted to get pregnant. Sedora had been asking for constant updates about her pregnancy. However, lately even she had stopped asking her. If Dawn was pregnant, it meant that her place in the clan reduced further. The neotide was like blight in her life. Every time she saw her, she wanted to pluck her away, dump her in some uninhabited place so she never returned. Things were going exactly the opposite way. 

The voices from the dining hall came loud and clear. The men were talking about their favorite rugby teams. Cole was almost fighting with Gayle and Daryn for taking side of the United Jackals while he vehemently supported the Steelglades. A smile spread on her lips as she descended the stairs. When she reached the dining room, she saw everyone had a mug of coffee in the hands. As they sipped, they became aggressive about their teams. 

"The United Jackals are better than the Steelglades simply because that team is sponsored by us and we have some of our best werewolves in it," said Daryn, obviously enjoying the conversation. "My cousin, Ileus is in it, and he's the world's best defender." 

"You guys are cheaters! How can you put Lykae against the humans?" Cole said sharply. "This is not right! No wonder Steelglades lost past two matches." 

"Well, if it is of any solace to you, the Steelglades have vampires on their sides," said Gayle sitting on the couch and reclining back. "So the two teams match as far as power goes." 

Cole's mouth fell to the ground. "Vampires?" He looked at Gayle with wide eyes. "They exist?" His skin lined with goose bumps and he shivered. 

"They do," replied Gayle quietly. 

Quetz was also having coffee and instead of listening to them, he was enjoying coffee. Throughout the day he was there, he had been sending Dawn a constant barrage of messages about food. He loved every dish that was being cooked and had the chefs on their toes. They were continuously making something or the other for him and he wasn't just satisfied. 'This coffee is great!' he said as he sipped it. 'I love my human form. I can get used to it.' 

Dawn smiled at him and walked to sit next to Cole. "Calm down Cole," she coddled him. "It's not like you are joining their teams. Why are you so worked up?" 

"Did you hear? They have vampires in the Steelglades team," he said with a disbelieving voice. "I never— I never— thought that such creatures existed. This is crazy Dawn!" 

Dawn pressed her lips and looked at Quetz, who was now staring at Cole as if he had walked out from some alien land. And Dawn didn't know what to say. The boy in front of her was a dragon. And how could she say this to Cole? "Yeah! It is crazy," she mirrored his thoughts. 

"Why are you so quiet Quetz?" said Cole. "Who is your favorite rugby team?" When Cole asked him this question, his eyes inadvertently went to his lips and he was flustered as hell. He tried to draw his gaze away, but his efforts had to be gargantuan than what they already were. 

"None," Quetz replied in a flat voice. 

Cole became quiet. Obviously this boy didn't share his interest. "I like that color in your hair."

"Not that I can help it," came a flat reply again. Quetz shifted in his place and the fabric over his chest muscles rippled leaving Cole with a slack jaw. 

In order to divert his attention he said, "How— how old are you?" 

"Why?" Quetz raised his eyebrow. 

"I am turning sixteen in a few days," Cole said, trying to show that he was mature enough. He sipped his coffee. 

"I am five years old," Quetz said proudly. 

Cole spit his coffee out on the table. "What?" he started to cough. As if not believing his ears, he asked in between his coughs, "You mean fifteen?" Then also he looked too old for his fifteen years. 

"No," Quetz replied as calmly as possible, not understanding Cole's surprise. "I am five." 

Dawn didn't know where to look whereas Gayle and Daryn laughed uncontrollably. 

"This got to be a joke," Cole said and walked out of there to change his clothes. "What a weirdo!" 

'What's wrong with your brother?' asked Quetz, as he saw the other two men almost holding their stomachs while laughing. 'And why are these people laughing?' 

Dawn couldn't help from laughing at the funny situation. 

'You have weird folks!' Quetz came to a conclusion and went back to sipping his coffee. The chef brought another one for him. 

"Would you like to have more Sir?" he asked politely. 

"Yes, bring two more of these." 

'When are you leaving?' Dawn asked. She remembered Pia's words and quivered on the inside.