"Wake up little girl," Ulric whispered into her ear. She groaned and shoved her face further into the pillow. "Wake up," he whispered again.

She shook her head. "I'm tired and pregnant," she whined. "Leave me be."

She heard Ulric quietly laugh against her ear. "I know, but you've been in bed for hours and you need to get up and walk around some because if you don't, your back will start cramping soon."

She rolled her eyes, knowing he was right. She often complained about back pain due to her pregnancy. Ulric helped her sit up and then pulled her off the bed. "I'm so ready for this baby to come out," she said. She wanted more than anything to be able to sit up without struggling.

"You are adorable pregnant," he said.

"I'm glad someone things so."

"Don't talk badly about yourself, Amaryllis."

"Sorry, sorry," she said.

They walked downstairs and Amaryllis made a few laps around the house before sitting down at the kitchen table. "I'll make you some lunch. Do you want anything specific?"

"Popcorn with peanut butter on it, please."

Ulric sighed. "That's not sustainable food, little mate."

"Please," she begged, giving him a puppy dog face.

He turned his back to her and flicked the burner of the stove on. Then he put a pan on the stove and started to butter some bread. Then he put cheese on the bread and placed it into the pan. That wasn't popcorn.

He made her a grilled cheese sandwich and placed it in front of her. "Eat," he said. She groaned, but picked the sandwich up anyway. He'd been extraordinarily pushy about her eating, about how much she ate, when she ate, what kind of foods she ate. He was practically fattening her up and she hated it, but she knew he was doing it to make sure the baby was getting everything he or she needed. He was paranoid about that.

After a few minutes, he placed a bowl of popcorn with melty peanut butter drizzled on it in front of her. Her eyes lit up. "Thank you!" She exclaimed. Popcorn with peanut butter on it had become one of her pregnancy cravings, one she wanted all the time.

"You're welcome," he said, taking a seat beside her. He reached over and tucked some hair that had fallen in front of her face behind her ear. "I love you," he said.

"I love you too." Her words were muffled because she had a mouth full of popcorn.

After she ate, she stood up and walked around the house some more before stepping out on the front porch. A hawk flying above the trees caught her attention and she barely noticed the water running down her legs until she heard a sound similar to water leaking from a spicket.

She looked around, trying to find where the noise was coming from. Then a breeze blew by and her legs felt cold. She looked down only to realize that her pants were soaked. Her mouth fell open as she saw water dripping from her pants, falling onto the wooden porch.

She opened the door to the house and walked through. "What's that noise?" Ulric asked as he walked down the stairs from being upstairs in their bedroom changing his clothes. He made eye contact with her and noticed her soaked pants.

"Oh shit," he said. "It's time."

Amaryllis nodded her head. "Um, what do we do?" She asked. She really wasn't sure. Does she change first? Does she go to the hospital right now? Shower? She wasn't sure.

Ulric disappeared for all of five seconds before appearing in front of her. He carried a bag of comfortable, stretchy clothes in his hands. When he got to her, he reached to pick her up, but she swatted his hands. "No, I don't want you to carry me to the hospital. I want to go in a car," she said.

"It will be much faster, Amaryllis," he pointed out.

"I don't care. I want to sit in a car. I don't want to be practically flown all over the land. I just want to sit," she huffed and crossed her arms. Ulric glared angrily at her, but he could see her will was not budging. "Fine," he said with clenched teeth.

They walked into the garage and Ulric quickly helped her into the seat before starting the car and pulling out of the driveway. He had the pedal to the floor, much to Amaryllis's dismay. She yelled at him, but he told her that since she got her way with the car, he'd drive it however he wanted to.

When they got to the hospital, there was a nurse and a wheelchair waiting at the front entrance. Ulric told her they wouldn't be needing the wheelchair, but Amaryllis fought that as well. She didn't want to be carried down the hallways. She just wanted the nurse or Ulric to push her while she sat.

He finally relented and allowed her to use the wheelchair, only on the agreement that he had to be the one to push her. The nurse directed them to which room they would be in and Ulric wheeled his mate in. When she stood up from the wheelchair with Ulric's help, she felt an achy sensation in her lower back and pelvis.

"Oh," she said. "Pretty sure labor is starting."

"Do you think you might be having contractions?" The nurse politely asked.

"Yeah, I think. I feel some slight achiness in my back and pelvis."

Amaryllis changed into a hospital gown and then laid down on the bed. The nurse then attached a monitor to measure the heartbeat of the baby. After the nurse checked how long her contractions were lasting and if she was dilated, she concluded that Amaryllis could be sent home.

"It appears, my king and Queen, that your contractions aren't occurring close enough together and you aren't dilated enough. You could return home, if you wish, and come back when your contractions are five minutes apart and stronger," she said.

That did not go over well with Ulric at all. He yelled at the nurse, telling her she was an imbecile for even suggesting that the Queen of her kingdom be sent away and the future heir to the throne be disregarded.

"Ulric!" Amaryllis exclaimed, finally gaining his attention. "That is enough! She's simply doing her job, you jerk! Quit yelling at her!"

The nurse looked as though she was about to cry, and almost immediately, Dr. Lucius walked into the room. "My king and Queen," he greeted with a bow. "My apologizes for not greeting you earlier, I was in an emergency surgery," he said.

"It's perfectly fine, Dr. Lucius," Amaryllis said, still gripping Ulric's wrist in her hand.

The doctor was aware of the obvious tension in the room and asked what was wrong. Ulric explained that the nurse was an idiot, and Amaryllis spoke up for the nurse and explained what she had said.

"I can go home-"

"No," both Ulric and the doctor said at the same time. The doctor dismissed the nurse from the room. "I do apologize, King Ulric. This is normally what we tell patients if their contractions are not intense yet, but I think she failed to realize who she was speaking with. I am immensely sorry."

Amaryllis shook her head. "It's fine, I'm not mad. I don't care that my husband is mad, this isn't about him," she said. She saw Dr. Lucius smile just slightly before it quickly disappeared when he remembered Ulric could see his face.

"Well, until your contractions start to intensify, you're free to stay here. I recommend walking around and not lying too dormant, as you'll be lying around quite a lot. I'll have a different nurse come in to check-in on you occasionally and if you need anything or if your contractions start to intensify, hit the red button beside the bed," the doctor said.

"Thank you," Amaryllis responded.

Once he left the room, Amaryllis turned to glare at her mate. "You were so rude," she chastised.

"Maybe she shouldn't have been so incompetent," he growled. Amaryllis rolled her eyes at him but continued to run her thumb up and down his wrist. She got up to walk around for about half an hour, then laid back down when her feet started hurting.

They were lounging around the room, really only wasting time at that point until she was ready to start pushing.

Ulric pulled a chair up from the corner of the room and sat next to her. His hand traced down her cheek, feeling her soft skin. "We are going to be parents," Amaryllis said.

"Yeah," Ulric replied as he sucked in a deep breath of air. She'd never seen him look so... nervous before.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

Ulric rubbed his chin with his free hand. "No, I don't think so. But how can you be? This is completely foreign," he said. "But I'm going to try my best."

Amaryllis smiled at his response and pulled his head down to kiss him. "I love you."

"I love you too, Amaryllis. I know you're uncomfortable right now, but I'm going to miss the pregnant you."

"Why?" She asked with a laugh.

"Because you're so beautiful. Not that you aren't beautiful not pregnant, but I just like seeing you carrying our unborn child."

"Well it's a good thing for you that I want at least thirteen kids," she answered.

He sucked in another breath. "Thirteen?"

Amaryllis laughed. "Maybe over the entire span of our existence- which happens to be forever."

Ulric leaned down to kiss her once more. His tongue just pushed through her lips when her face scrunched up slightly in pain. Ulric pulled away and placed her hand in his so she had something to grip on to as a contraction wracked her body.

"Are you okay?" Ulric asked as he gently stroked her cheek once the pain was gone. "Yes, I'm fine. It's not really bad yet."

Two hours later, Amaryllis was pacing in front of the bed. "Ulric, can we please go home? I'd rather be at home and comfortable right now. This is taking forever."

"Absolutely not. We are staying right here where the doctor will be able to take care of you immediately if you need something or if something goes wrong."

"But this isn't necessary."

"Everything is necessary if it's for you, Amaryllis. I've told you many times that I won't put your life or our child's life at risk. I meant it."

Eight hours later, Dr. Lucius came into the room to check on Amaryllis. She wasn't fully dilated yet, only about five centimeters at that point. The contractions were getting more intense and closer together, but still not time for the baby.

"Queen Amaryllis, I would suggest an epidural for you being that this is a supernatural birth. The baby is larger than a human fetus. Luckily for you, as we have discussed before, being a mate to a supernatural being transforms your body, so you are equipped to vaginally birth this child, but you are still human. You aren't as equipped as a vampire female would be. So, I do suggest an epidural for the pain," Dr. Lucius said.

"Okay, do I need it now or can I wait?" She asked.

"You can still wait until you feel like you need one. You're only five centimeters right now, so you still have time."

Amaryllis nodded at his answer. "Okay. I think I'm ok right now. I might get one, just in a little bit."

"Alright. Whenever you're ready for one, if you opt for one, if myself or a nurse isn't in here, just hit the red button."

Six hours later, the contractions were so bad that she could barely speak through them. She didn't want the epidural though. She wanted a natural birth, no matter how badly it might hurt. While Ulric was upset with her for not getting an epidural, he was so proud of her. He couldn't imagine the pain she was enduring, yet she was handling it with such admirable strength. By that time, she was almost ready to start pushing, she only needed to dilate a little more.

Finally, it was time for the new baby to be born. "Alright, Queen Amaryllis, push," Dr. Lucius said. Amaryllis's grip tightened on Ulric's hands as she used all of her force to push. After several grueling pushes, a new life was brought into the world.

A sharp cry rang out through the air right after and Dr. Lucious placed the baby directly onto Amaryllis's chest. "My King and Queen, it's an honor to meet the prince and next heir to the throne," he said, respect and pride lacing his voice.

"It's a boy?" Amaryllis croaked, her throat sore.

"Yes it is," he said. The doctor showed Ulric where to cut the umbilical cord, and he did so with a freshly sanitized claw. Then the doctor placed a heated blanket around the baby. He stayed by the edge of the bed while he watched the baby breathe for a few minutes, making sure his respiratory system was working properly. Then he said he'd return shortly to clean him off and measure him.

Amaryllis looked down at her son. She felt immediately protective over him like she'd lash out at anyone he even looked at him the wrong way. She felt through their mate bond that Ulric felt the same way.

"He's so precious," she whispered as she stared at him lovingly. He'd stopped crying and they could see his eyes moving under his eyes lids.

"Yes, he is," Ulric replied with a gentleness she'd never heard from him before.

The baby opened his eyes and Amaryllis was stunned. His eyes were pitch black, just like his father's. She wasn't sure why she wasn't expecting them to be black, but she'd never seen a baby with completely black eyes before.

It was amazing though. His eyes suited him well and made him look even more like his father than he already did. He was absolutely beautiful and his eyes amplified that.

"Do you see his eyes?" She asked her mate. Ulric nodded his head as pride rushed through his veins. His son would be strong and powerful, just like him.

"He looks so much like you, Ulric," she said in amazement.

"Yes, he has your hair though," he said as he caressed some of the strands between his thick fingers.

The baby's hair was a light blonde color, not strawberry blonde like Amaryllis's, but not brown like Ulric's.

"What should we name him?" Ulric asked her. They'd thought about names before, but they hadn't decided on one yet.

"Bartholemu," Amaryllis teased. She knew Ulric hated that name. He scrunched his face up in disgust.

"What about Clayton? We could call him Clay for short?" She asked.

"Clayton. Clayton. Clay." He repeated, tasting the words on his tongue. "It's perfect."

Amaryllis smiled. "Okay, you pick the middle name."

Ulric thought for a moment, scratching the stubble on his chin as he did so. "Avery. Clayton Avery Posillico."

"I love it," she replied. "Just like I love you, Clayton Avery Posillico," she said as she stared directly into the freshly opened black eyes staring back at her.

Dr. Lucius came in a few minutes later to clean Clayton off and measure him. Ulric, having a new surge of protectiveness wash over him, followed behind the doctor and watched his every move. Once Clay was cleaned up and swaddled in a blanket, Dr. Lucius handed him to Ulric.

Amaryllis watched Ulric's eyes widen as the doctor handed him their son. He hesitantly reached out and took Clay in his arms, his movements extremely careful and calculated. Dr. Lucius left the room, leaving the couple and their newborn alone. Ulric's eyes were still wide as he approached the chair beside the bed and sat down.

"You're fine, Ulric," Amaryllis said as she reached out to squeeze his thigh. Ulric's eyes snapped to hers. "I know, I'm just... nervous."

"I know, baby. You know what you're doing more than I do though," she said, attempting to calm his anxiety. He both held and looked at Clayton like he was a thin glass sculpture who could break at any second.

"Yes, but those were my siblings. I've never been responsible for my own child," he said.

Amaryllis giggled some, but stopped when Ulric glared at her, making her feel bad for laughing. "I'm not laughing at you necessarily. It's just adorable that you are so worked up."

Ulric sighed and tried to relax in the chair, but he was still as stiff as a board. Amaryllis slid across the bed some, wincing at the soreness. "What are you doing?" Ulric asked, upset that she'd intentionally hurt herself.

She patted the spot on the bed next to her. "Come sit," she said.

Ulric slowly stood up from the chair and sat next to Amaryllis. She reached out to run her hand under his shirt and up his back, gently rubbing his back. She could feel his body become less and less tense and he finally held Clay like he was a father with an actual child in his arms, not a piece of glass.

A couple of hours later, Clayton laid in his clear bassinet beside the bed. They had also been moved out of the delivery room and were in a different room to spend the night in. In that room, there was a larger hospital bed that would fit both Amaryllis and Ulric.

Once he had checked on Clayton to make sure he was perfectly fine, Ulric switched the light off and slid into the bed beside his wife. "I don't know why you won't let me heal you with my blood, Amaryllis," he said while he pushed his arm under her neck to cuddle her.

A light smile appeared on her lips. "I want to have human experiences, Ulric. Even painful ones, and especially this experience. Giving birth. I want to experience all of my humanity."

Ulric sighed. "Your bullheadedness will be the end of me."

She laughed at his response and shifted her body some to see him better. "I'm so proud of you, little mate. You're so strong. I can't even imagine the pain you just endured, yet you came out on the other end with a smile on your face. You are the epitome of grace," he said.

Amaryllis blushed at his words. Even after all their years together, his words still had a gargantuan effect on her.

"Thank you, Ulric. That means a lot to me, knowing that you are proud of me."

"You are perfect, my love," he said, kissing the top of her head.

SEQUEL ‼️

Clayton, the son of revered King Ulric and Queen Amaryllis has reached the age to find his mate. The day he tracked her scent, he expected to find a gorgeous vampire attached to the scent. However, a small human child stood in place of his expectations. He felt an intense need to protect the little girl and to love and provide for her as an older brother would for their younger sister. Although he was expecting a mature female to complete his mate bond with, he is prepared to raise his young mate, who was unfortunately abandoned by her parents. He is determined to provide her a life full of happiness and love.

***

"What difference does it make how old I am? I'm not a little kid, Clay. If it's about me being 18, six months doesn't make a big difference."

"You're making this very difficult for me," he said, his jaw clenched.

"Please tell me," she whispered.

Clay tilted his chin up and closed his eyes. He couldn't handle looking at her face. If he looked at her for one more second he would break. She was the only person in the world who held enough power to weaken him.

"Please," her sweet voice whispered again. And there his resolve went. Completely out of the door. He grabbed her hips and pushed her against the wall. "You want to know, Hadley?" He asked, his voice dangerously low.