Amaryllis ran down the stairs toward the front door. Luca and Darrien were visiting and she hadn't seen them in quite a few months. She was so excited!

"Luca!" She exclaimed when she threw the door open and saw her brother standing on the front porch. Luca wrapped his arms around his sister's back and hugged her close. "Hi, Ames," he greeted.

She turned and hugged Darrien as well. "How are you doing, Amaryllis?"

"Good! I've been working on knitting a blanket all morning while Ulric's been at the castle. How are you guys?"

"Tired," Luca answered. "I'm happy I'm somewhere familiar for the night." Darrien and Luca had been visiting different werewolf packs that Darrien had alliances with and they'd been moving around for about two weeks. Their last stop was to visit Amaryllis and Ulric before heading back home.

"Well, I'm glad that you guys came to visit. I've missed you."

Darrien and Luca stayed with them for two nights before going back to their pack. They were supposed to stay for three, but Luca was tired after all their traveling and just wanted to go home- which Amaryllis completely understood.

Not only that, but there was also a pack member's death the night before they left to go back home, which is mainly why they went back home. The woman who had died killed herself because her mate found out she had given birth to another man's child and didn't want her anymore.

She saw him attempting to break their bond by being with other women and whatnot, and it broke her. She killed herself, leaving her seven-month-old set of twins to fend for themselves. Luca and Darrien were going back to one - pay their condolences and have a ceremony for the woman, and two- see about adopting the children, a boy and a girl. They can't have their own kids, obviously, so they've been looking into adoption, but they haven't had much luck, until now.

Amaryllis looked up when Ulric walked through the door. He had been at his office in the castle all morning. "Hi, baby," she greeted.

"Hi, sweet girl," he said as he laid his body on top of hers on the couch. His head rested on her chest as his arms went under her back. She lifted her hand and ran it through his thick hair.

"How was your day?" She asked.

"Fine. Better now that I'm with you," he replied, making Amaryllis smile.

"I'm glad I can make your day better," she said quietly.

Ulric stilled against her, his body going completely rigid. "What?" She asked, worried by his movements. "What is wrong?"

Ulric moved his head from her chest to her belly. He pressed his ear against her stomach. What is going on, she thought to herself. "Ulric?"

He didn't respond again, just continued to press his ear against her belly. He pulled back and looked at her with surprise in his eyes. "You're pregnant."

Amaryllis's mouth fell open slightly. "Pregnant?"

Ulric nodded his head. "You can hear?" She asked.

"Yes, it's a faint heartbeat," he responded, pressing his ear to her stomach again.

"I'm pregnant?" She asked again. They hadn't been exactly trying for a baby, but they also hadn't been taking any measures to prevent getting pregnant either. And boy did it happen fast. It had only been a few weeks since they stopped using protection and if there was already a heartbeat, she must've gotten pregnant the first time they hadn't used condoms.

"You're pregnant," he confirmed.

A smile graced her lips as she stared down at her husband. Yes, her husband. She'd mentioned wanting to get married to him three years ago. So, he went out and bought ring and proposed to her a few nights later. Vampires didn't get married as they thought the mate bond was much more valuable than marriage, and marriage was a human construct so it didn't exactly pertain to them, but Amaryllis wasn't a vampire and still wanted to take part in the human tradition. Ulric must've wanted to as well, and she knew he was so proud that she had his last name.

Ulric looked up at her and then pulled his weight off of her as he had been laying on top of her. He smiled as he reached his arms out and pulled her body against him in a hug. "You're pregnant!" He said again like he couldn't believe it was finally happening.

Amaryllis hugged him back, squeezing him tight. She never wanted to let go. "What does it sound like?" She asked. Did it sound like a normal heartbeat? She didn't know.

"It sounds like a healthy heartbeat," he said. He bent his head and kissed his mate's lips.

"What do we do now? Do we go to the doctor yet?" She asked.

"I'll take you to his office tomorrow morning," Ulric said.

"I'm okay, Ulric, I promise," Amaryllis whined.

"No, you're not. I'm taking you to see the doctor right now." He picked Amaryllis up and cradled her to his chest like a man would do to his wife when he carried her from the altar.

Amaryllis had just fainted. She was upstairs changing into her clothes for the day when she felt a wave of dizziness. Black spots appeared in her vision and the next thing she knew, Ulric was calling her name while she laid against his lap.

"Ulric I'm fine. We can just wait until the twelve-week appointment," she urged. She didn't want to bother Dr. Lucius when they had been there two weeks previous the day after they found out she was pregnant. She wasn't supposed to go back for two more weeks for the twelve weeks appointment.

"Amaryllis, there's something wrong and I'm not taking any fucking chances with you or our baby," he growled. He didn't even bother taking them to the castle in a car, he just sped across the land with Amaryllis in his arms, careful not to jostle her.

Ulric arrived at the medical wing of the castle and banged on the door to Dr. Lucius's office. The doctor opened the door, his eyes darting around to see what was wrong.

"She just passed out a few minutes ago," Ulric said, urgency in his voice.

The doctor nodded. "Follow me." He left his office, walking down the hallway. He opened the door to an examination room and let Ulric pass through. Ulric placed her on the table and stood next to her as Dr. Lucius took her vitals.

"Have you been eating properly?" He asked.

"Yes," Amaryllis said. "I've been taking the vitamins you recommend." The vitamins weren't for the health of the baby, but for Amaryllis rather since she was carrying a child of a different species. Dr. Lucius hoped the vitamins would help keep her strong and healthy as her body adapted.

"And you've been drinking enough water? Staying hydrated? No strenuous physical exertions?"

"I've been drinking water and I only do some yoga in the mornings," she answered.

The doctor nodded and asked her a few more questions. "Well, I think I know what's happening here," he declared. He removed the gloves from his hands and threw them in the trash.

"It appears that the baby is feeding on you. As in they are feeding on your blood. I was hoping the vitamins might curb those instincts for quite some months, but I was wrong. You'll need to start introducing blood into your meals. Just three to four drops with every meal will suffice for now to ensure that they're getting blood from what you are eating and not from you. Since the baby has been feeding on you for some time now, that, along with stress, caused you to pass out."

"So, I have to implement blood into my diet?"

"Yes," Dr. Lucius said

"Great," Amaryllis replied sarcastically.

"I know that's not ideal for a human, but if you don't, I'm worried the baby will continue to feed on you which is unhealthy for both of you. If it continues feeding on you without getting a supply to quench their hunger somewhere else, I'm afraid they will become too dependent on your blood which could harm you and we will have to wean them off of it when they are born."

"Is that all? No other ailments?" Ulric asked.

"Yes, my king. She appears to be healthy everywhere else."

"Okay. She should continue taking the vitamins, yes?"

"Correct. I think they will help make sure she stays healthy during the pregnancy."

"Thank you, Dr. Lucius," Amaryllis said.

"It's my pleasure, my Queen. I do hope and believe that this will solve the issues, but if you do start to feel lightheaded again or have any other issues, don't hesitate to come in. I want to make sure that everything is going perfectly for you." He said.

When they got back to their house after seeing Dr. Lucius, Ulric pulled his phone out and dialed a number. "Hello, Luca," he said into the phone. "I would be appreciative if you would come to my home as quickly as possible. The baby is feeding on Amaryllis and she needs to start taking blood with her meals. I'd like you to be the donor."

They spoke for a few more minutes before Ulric thanked him and hung up. "Your brother will be here within a few hours to fill some blood bags for us," he said. Amaryllis crinkled her nose. The thought of tasting blood made her ill.

"You have to Amaryllis," Ulric said.

"I know, but that doesn't mean I'm excited about it."

Amaryllis reached for her mug of tea she'd made, but couldn't grab it before Ulric snatched it from the table. "Hey!" She exclaimed.

She watched him extend his fangs and rip his hand open, dripping a few drops of blood into her tea. The wounds healed in microseconds, but it still pained her to see him inflict harm upon himself. "Why would you do that?" She asked, not liking seeing him bleed.

"You need blood and your brother won't be here for a few hours, so this will have to work for now," he said as he mixed the blood into the liquid.

"I thought vampires drank human and animal blood," she said. "Not other vampire blood."

"That is what keeps us from desiccating, but vampire blood can help ease some hunger temporarily," he said, handing the mug to her. She looked down at the liquid and noticed it had gotten darker in color.

She gulped and lifted the mug to her lips. It didn't taste necessarily bad. She couldn't tell for certain that there was blood in it, but she did taste an unusual iron flavor. "Well, it doesn't taste horrible," she commented.

Ulric stepped toward her and placed his hand on her belly. She wasn't showing yet, but he caressed her like a baby bump was there anyway. He leaned his head down and placed his lips against her forehead. "I'm sorry for being grumpy about drinking the blood," she said, running her nails down his back. "I've just been grumpy lately."

"I know. I'm not upset with you, sweet girl. I was just worried." His hand slipped under her shirt to rest in her bare skin.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you, too."

A few hours later, Darrien and Luca arrived. "Are you okay?" Luca asked in concern when he ran into the house. He hugged his sister and looked her up and down to make sure she was okay.

"Yes, I'm okay. I just had a little accident."

"What happened?" He asked. Amaryllis told him about her passing out incident and what the doctor told her to do to alleviate that.

"God, Ames. Ulric had me so worried when he called me."

"I didn't mean to worry you," Amaryllis giggled.

Cameron walked through the door a few minutes later carrying a bag of supplies. She was trained in drawing blood from people from her time working at the blood bank, so Ulric asked her to draw blood from Luca.

"How much do you need?" Cameron asked Ulric.

"Two pints will be good for now," Ulric said.

Cameron nodded and prepped Luca's skin. She rubbed his arm down with alcohol and wrapped a band around to feel for the vein. The whole process was very quick and they were finished within just a few minutes. Ulric then took the bags and stored them in the fridge to keep them cold.

"Thank you, Luca," Amaryllis said.

"No problem little sister. Make sure to listen to your doctor. I don't want anything to happen to my little niece or nephew."

"I'll listen to the doctor. Don't worry," she said. "Speaking of your little niece or nephew, where are my little niece and nephew?" Amaryllis asked as she stood up from her chair. Ulric was beside her immediately, making sure she didn't get dizzy from her quick movements or pass out again.

"Out in the car with Darrien. You can go see them if you want."

"Obviously I'm going to go see them, Luca," she said like he was stupid.

She walked out to the driveway, with Ulric's arms wrapped tightly around her to make sure she was steady, and saw Darrien sitting in the car. She waved to him and he waved back before stepping out of the vehicle. "Did you come to see me?" He teased.

"No," Amaryllis laughed. "I'm here for the babes."

Darrien opened the back seat of the car and gently pulled Harlow from her car seat. Harlow was a precious little girl with almost white blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. Her twin brother, Ezra looked very similar to her. He had the same white blonde hair but his eyes were a darker blue than hers, and his hair was shorter as well. They were both so beautiful.

Amaryllis took Harlow from his arms and held her. "Hi, Harlow," she cooed. The baby didn't do anything, just stared at Amaryllis. It made sense though because neither of the babies were used to her. Darrien and Luca had only had them for two weeks and this was only the second time the babies had seen Amaryllis.

Harlow moved her gaze from Amaryllis to Ulric, who she smiled at. Amaryllis couldn't help but be a tad offended. Harlow reached her arms out toward Ulric, indicating she wanted him to hold her. "Are you kidding me," Amaryllis mumbled. She was so much nicer and welcoming than Ulric was. Why did this little turd want him?

Ulric made no move to take the baby and Harlow started to get fussy. "It seems like she wants you, Ulric," Darrien said, who was holding Ezra in his arms. Ulric sighed and reached out to take Harlow. He hadn't held the babies the last time they had seen them. He had no desire to, which made Harlow's desire for him to hold her completely ridiculous. It wasn't like he'd never held a baby before, he had. He had four younger siblings so he was accustomed to babies. It was just that he didn't care for other people's babies.

Harlow stopped fussing when Ulric took her and even griped his shirt in her tiny hands. Amaryllis was slightly jealous but still thought it was precious. "She loves you," she commented.

Ulric held her for a few more minutes before Luca and Darrien had to leave. They were going to visit Luca and Amaryllis's parents that day for them to see their newly adopted babies for the first time. Ulric and Amaryllis thanked them again, and then they were on their way.

After Cameron left, Ulric and Amaryllis stood on their front porch together. Ulric had his hands placed on her hips and her arms were wrapped around him while her head rested against his chest.

"You're beautiful, sweet girl," he said to her, his fingers raking through her long hair. "I know I'm not as... emotional as most men are with their mates, but I want you to know that I love you. And I appreciate you for putting up with me."

"No, you aren't as open with your emotions as other men, but I don't care Ulric. You put forth the effort to tell me how you feel and communicate and that is just perfect," Amaryllis said. "I love you too and I'd choose you over anyone."

"Thank you." Ulric pressed his lips to the mate mark on her neck and peppered small kisses against it. "I'm going to have to find a different blood source for the next couple of months," he said.

"Why's that?"

"You're pregnant. I don't need to be taking the blood from your system when our child seems to be doing a good job of that," he said.

"I don't want you drinking someone else's blood." Amaryllis felt a wave of jealously wash through her at the thought of him consuming someone else's blood. She knew it was a bit ridiculous, but she wanted to be the only one he fed from.

"I don't want to drink someone else's blood either, little mate. But I don't have a choice."

"Yes you do," she said, sliding her hands up his abdomen to his chest. "You can feed from me. Dr. Lucius thinks I'll be fine once I start taking Luca's blood."

Ulric grabbed her hands and lifted them to his face, kissing over her knuckles. He shook his say saying, "No. I won't take the chance of you passing out again or hurting yourself in some other type of way."

"Fine," she grumbled, still not happy about it.

"Stop it you mean vampire," she giggled. Ulric laughed behind her and continued tickling her sides, making her squirm tall over his lap. He finally stopped, and she rested her back against his chest as she sat in his lap. His hands rested on her small baby bump.

They didn't know what the gender of their little vampire baby was yet, they were waiting until the baby was born, but both of them knew they would love their child so much no matter what the gender was.

Amaryllis knew that her husband wanted to know the gender, but she wanted to keep it a surprise. She told him he could ask the doctor himself, but he respected her wishes and didn't ask, so neither of them knew.

"Ulric?"

"Hmm," he mumbled against her neck.

"I want to have so many beautiful babies," she said. Their home was massive and they had more than enough room for a family full of children.

"It's a good thing the box of condoms is empty then."

She laughed in his arms at his comment and turned her body so she could see his face. "You're going to be such a good daddy."

"What makes you say that?"

"Are you kidding?" She asked, appalled that he'd asked such a question. "Because you're perfect, that's why. You love me and I know you love our little baby so much already. I know you'll do everything in your power to protect them and keep them safe and I know you'll love them so much and provide for them as much as possible."

"Yes, I will protect them, and provide for them, and love them, but I'm worried they won't like me."

"Why do you say that?" She asked, cupping his face.

"Amaryllis, you didn't particularly like me when we first met either. I'm a harsh man; not easy to love."

Amaryllis shook her head sadly. How could he possibly think their babies wouldn't like him? "Our babies will love you so much. Get that ridiculous thought out of your head. You are not hard to love, Ulric. Yes, you are a harsh man, but not to me. You are gentle, and caring, and loving with me, and you'll be even more so with our babies. They will know how much of an amazing father you are and they will love you so so much."

"Thank you," Ulric said, a beautiful smile on his lips. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Amaryllis locked her arms around the back of his head, keeping his lips pressed against her. "You're going to be a wonderful mother."

"I appreciate that. I hope I am."

She could feel his lips stretching into another smile against his skin. "I love you so much, little mate," he mumbled.

"I love you so much too, Ulric." Her hands ran through his thick hair.

He pulled his lips away from her forehead and she leaned her head against his chest, feeling completely cherished as he gently massaged her baby bump with his large hands.