Bloody dreams of you

@ katahdin
Cassia smiled as he looked so needy. She ran her nails down his chest and nodded. He was so good to her. she leaned up and whispered in his ear. "I am very sure." she purred and nipped his earlobe before her mouth met his hungrily. She was always just as hungry for him as he was for her. She would never leave the bed with him in it if she didn't have a hobby and a mission.

---

Zane nodded and was about to head out then stopped. He smiled as she started to try to back track again. He leaned down smiling and kissed her lips. "I was thinking the same thing." Zane said then caressed her cheek before he headed out of the room. He went to meet up with Celtin. "Hey man." he called. Celtin turned to Zane. "Hey twice in one day." he joked and Zane nodded. "I blame Rose, she makes me talk to you." he teased back and Celtin chuckled. Zane clased Celtin's shoulder. "We got the paternity results. Rosemarie opened them." Celtin looked up at him a little worried. "The baby is mine." he said and Celtin grinned. "Aww." he clapped his friend's back. "Congratulations man." he said and Zane chuckled. "Thanks. Rosemarie wanted me to be sure to tell you hi, and that you can be the godfather and to call Harriet." Celtin laughed. "That girl." Zane nodded. "She wants you happy." he said and Celtin nodded. "Thanks man." he said. After a little while Celtin headed towards his room to get his board. He had to think of how to invite Harriet out now.

@ Jinx...

Thibault kissed her deeply, lifting her up and into his arms to carry her back to their room. He knew she'd said earlier that she wanted to wait for tonight, but he wasn't sure if he could wait that long. Shutting the door he carried her over to their bed, kissing down her neck as he laid her down on the mattress.

---

Rosemarie blushed a bit and returned his kiss, waving a little as he left before finishing her meal and returning to their room once she was finished. The laptop had already been brought, and once she settled down in bed she opened it up and began to look for things they could use for the nursery.

When Celtin returned to his room another of Harriet's origami birds was just fluttering into the room through the open window, settling on his board. The note was pretty short, written in Harriet's neat handwriting: Dear Celtin, I hope you're well. I promise I don't know where you live or anything like this note might imply, I just sent it to wherever your board was, since I knew you probably wouldn't be too far from it. Anyway, my mother said it would be a good idea for me to learn how to swim, after my little sister mentioned to her that I nearly drowned, and would like for you to give me lessons. She said she doesn't want me going in the ocean again until I learn, which is fair, and she said she'd be willing to pay you for your trouble. You have my number from earlier, so just send me a message or call or whatever if you'd like, and then we can figure out how to set up the lessons. Best, Harriet.

@ katahdin
Cassia gasped as he lifted her up and carried her off. She chuckled. "Thibault." she laughed as he closed the door to their room. When he laid her down she looked up at him seeing him hard in his pants and her eyes roamed over him until he came down to her kissing her neck. She moaned feeling his body pressing against hers. "Is it just that I have been so busy that has made you want me so bad that you can't wait?" she asked her hands roaming up his back under his shirt.

---

Celtin looked at the bird and knew who sent it grinning. He took the note and opened it reading through it and smirked. She sounded just as nervous as he felt. He didn't know about not going in the ocean, he just thought she shouldn't go alone or in a storm but he thought there were some lessons that the ocean could teach. They should start in a pool anyways. The first thing she needed to learn was to float. He rubbed his neck and zipped up his wetsuit and grabbed his phone heading towards his car. He just needed a couple hours in the water. As Celtin was driving he called Harriet. "Hey." he said when she answered. "I got your note."

@ Jinx...

It didn't take long for Thibault to shed his clothes, moving over her naked as he kissed down her neck and began to tug at her clothes. "I never like waiting for you, my dear. I do it though because I know you like to make me wait." He said, ripping her shirt away as his lips found her nipple.

---

It took a moment for Harriet to answer the phone, but when she did she sounded surprised. "Oh, hi Celtin.. I didn't think you'd get it that fast." She admittedly, heading to another room so she could have some privacy. "Are you calling about the swimming lessons? Or is it something else, since I know you said you'd call if Rosemarie needed anything." She rambled a bit, clearly nervous.

@ katahdin
Cassia moaned softly pushing her clothes off to help him. She chuckled as he told her he waited for her even though he didn't like to. She gasped as he ripped her shirt off and took her nipple into his mouth. She arched her hands roaming over his body. "I just like that I can drive you to the point you forget your control." Cassia scrapped her nails down his back. "It's how I know that I am your most prised possession." she ran her finger over the bond ring on her finger and smiled as she felt her body bending o the desire he elicited from her.

---

Celtin chuckled. "Rosemarie is fine and in good hands. I'm calling for you. And I would be happy to teach you to swim but we're gonna need a pool and I don't think Zane's ready to share his." Celtin smirked. "And I think your mom should let me worry about when you're ready for the ocean and trust me. I did save you once already. I think I'm pretty trustworthy." he teased. "I'm headed out for some surf but I was thinking afterwards did you want to come get a burger with me and we can talk about swimming more?" he asked her as he pulled into the parking lot by the beach.

@ Jinx...

Thibault hummed needily as his tongue swirled around her nipple, hard member pressing against her thigh as he hovered over her. He kissed back up to her lips to kiss her deeply, tugging her close. "Tell me how you want me to take you, my love."

---

"Yes, I'd rather risk drowning in a pool than the ocean." Harriet agreed, humming a little in thought. "I think that the mermaid whose baby I delivered has a pool at their house near the beach, but they're almost never there, so I could ask if we could use that." She suggested, blushing when he invited her out for burgers. "Oh, sure.. I could meet you at the beach, if that's easiest?"

@ katahdin
Cassia smiled as he spoke and she ran her hands up his chest. She hummed knowing exactly what he wanted to hear. She had been teasing him all this time and there was one hole he had yet to claim and she wanted to give it to him as much as he wanted it. "I want you to flip me over and fuck my ass. I want you to claim my last hole." she kissed his lips that hovered over hers.

---

Celtin chuckled. "You won't drown. I think I already proved I will keep you from that." he smirked. "I'll come by the clinic and pick you up. If your mermaid client is okay with us using their pool then great we can do that too if you like but burgers first." he said and smiled. "Okay well then I will see you then." he smiled. He was excited to see her again and that she was letting him take her out.

@ Jinx...

Thibault growled needily at her words, kissing her deeply as he squeezed her hips. "Are you sure, my love? Are you sure you're ready?" He asked as his hands ran down her sides, peppering kisses along her jaw. He wanted to her to be sure about this, since it was such a big step.

---

"Alright. See you." Harriet said, tucking her phone back into her pocket before heading upstairs to the little apartment she lived in above the clinic, sending a message to her mermaid friend a message asking if they could use the pool at some point. When Celtin arrived at the clinic her sister came upstairs to get her, teasing her relentlessly about her handsome vampire date, earning a glare from Harriet as she hurried downstairs with her bag, smiling sheepishly at Celtin. "How was the beach?"

@ katahdin
Cassia kissed him softly. "Yes just make sure to use lots of lube." she blushed softly and let her body arch to his as he touched her. She moaned softly as his hands and mouth moved over her. She loved how he needed her, how he wanted her. "I love you and I want you to have every part of me." she said.

---

Celtin smiled. "It was amazing." he said as he watched her come down to him. "You hungry?" Celtin lead her out to his car and opened the door for her. "So what did the mermaid say?" he asked and smiled as he got in the car. She was so beautiful and he was really excited he got to take her out now.

@ Jinx...

-skip-

A few months had passed, and now Rosemarie was only a month or so away from her due date. There had been a few scares where her blood pressure had suddenly dropped, but Harriet had promptly ordered her on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy with weekly checkups, and she'd been healthy ever since. Zane had agreed that Harriet could come to the house for the appointments as well, especially after Rosemarie's first health scare, and even though it was obvious he was still nervous and anxious about everything, he was also excited. Rosemarie had spent a lot of time before being confined to bed rest helping Zane with the nursery, a room they'd picked out together which was right down the hall from their room. She'd been helping him clear out the room and picking out wallpaper and decorations before she'd been told to remain in bed, so now she did her best to tell him how she wanted the room decorated. Today she'd convinced him to let her sit in the comfy nursing chair that had been delivered yesterday along with a bunch of the other furniture, wanting to be a part of the decorating even if she couldn't actively help.

"The crib should go across from the window, and the dresser and changing table over on that wall.. Do you need me to read the instructions again?" Some of the furniture needed assembling, and she'd been put in charge of reading the directions to her bond while he assembled everything.

"I think he's got it." Harriet smiled from where she knelt at Rosemarie's side, finishing taking her vitals and scribbling the notes down in her records. "Everything is happy and healthy, as usual. Have you been doing the stretches I told you about? And eating healthy, right?" While it seemed like a perfectly healthy pregnancy, at some point they'd had to incorporate blood pills into her diet so that the baby wouldn't feed on Rosemarie, and there was also the concern that the baby would be delivered early. What was worse what's that the council had found out about the pregnancy a week ago, although Rosemaire hadn't been told about the letter yet, only Zane, Celtin, and Harriet aware that a representative from the council would be coming to investigate the situation.

"Yes, Harriet. I follow all of your instructions, right Zane?"

---

Thibault didn't really want to leave his home for who knows how long to do the council's bidding, but he didn't really have a choice. Besides, a vampire pregnancy was a rare thing indeed, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't excited about the prospect of seeing the child himself. He'd told Cassia about it only a day or so ago, and she'd asked to come with him, which he appreciated, especially since it would give her a chance to travel and her presence would help to keep him at ease."Cassia! I'm all packed, are you ready to go? The plane leaves in an hour."

@ katahdin
Zane looked up from the crib he was building. "Yes love you do very well." he said not mentioning how he would remind her if she slipped. Zane was nervous to be a father but excited to meet his child. He stood and picked up the crib. "Which wall again love?" he asked and smirked as she told him where. He set it down and looked over at Harriet. "Thank you very much. We'll see you next week right? Or is Celtin bringing you to dinner again some night?" he asked her. Celtin spent a lot of time with Harriet now a days. Zane was trying to figure out how to tell Rosemarie that the council had discovered her pregnancy and that council members where coming. There would be one higher ranked individual and a few lower ranked. If Zane didn't take Rosemarie to them then they would come here and that would almost be worse. This entire situation was awful there was no way to spin that.

---

Cassia popped out of the closet. "Almost almost relax we'll be there on time." she said and disappeared again. A few moments later she came out with her bag and kissed his cheek. Cassia had been training like crazy and she had learned so much more than Walter had expected in such a short amount of time and she had just about burned through his knowledge and resources. It was at the point she was teaching herself new things in her little cabin were she did all her magic because she still refused to bring it into the house. Cassia had packed a few things to bring with her earlier though because she didn't want to be unprepared. This was the first time Thibault was letting her around other vampires other than his sister. She was not only excited to travel but also to see the world he had hidden her from for so long. She had told him this wasn't going to get him off the hook for that honeymoon he still hadn't taken her on. Cassia kissed his cheek as she moved past him looking back at him with a smile. "Come on love." she took his hand her vibration of delight obvious.

@ Jinx...

Rosemarie smiled at Zane, pointing to the wall where she wanted the crib. "There, please. I don't want the crib in the sun, in case it would hurt the baby, or in case something happens and you have to wake up to help with the child." Rosemarie explained. They'd decided to not find out the gender of the baby ahead of time, wanting it to be a surprise, although she knew that Zane had his preferences.

Harriet blushed when Zane asked if she would be coming over for dinner with them and Celtin sometime this week, shaking her head as she stood and packed up her things. "I don't think so. I have a busy schedule this week, and I think it's rude that Celtin keeps inviting me over without asking you first, especially since this isn't his house to begin with." She smiled, giving Rosemarie's hand a squeeze. She hoped that Zane would tell Rosemarie about the council members coming soon, especially since their letter had said that they would be arriving any day now, and preparations had been made for a room for one of the representatives to stay in the house with them. She didn't like lying to Rosemarie, but Zane had insisted that she not be told, and even Celtin hadn't been able to convince him otherwise. "Well, I best be off. Have a good rest of your night, you two. Good luck with the nursery."

"Thank you, Harriet. And you're always welcome to come over for dinner, I insist." Rosemarie smiled, waving at her midwife before turning to look up at Zane, holding her hands out to make little motions for him to come closer. "Kisses?"

---

Thibault sighed as he leaned against the doorway, frowning a little as Cassia insisted that they'd be on time. He was nervous about bringing her around other vampires, but knew she'd be able to handle herself. He smiled when she finally left the closet, pressing a quick kiss to her lips and taking her bag from her hand to carry it for her out to the car. Once inside he asked the driver to bring them to the airport, squeezing her hand a bit anxiously. "I've told you about how vampires have to travel, yes? It isn't a terribly long flight, but it's still safer for me to go in the box.." He explained, hoping she'd understand. "Oh, and I've told you why we're going to this vampire's home, right?"

@ katahdin
Zane shook his head. "Celtin is family so that makes this is home too. You are welcome anytime." He echoed Rosemarie. "Bye Harriet." Zane called as she left. He put the last of the bedding on the crib and looked over at Rose grinning as she reached to him. He chuckled and moved to her kissing her tenderly. "I will never say no to kissing you love." he said and kissed her again. "Do you feel ready for this?" he asked her. He swept her up into his arms sitting back into the chair with her on top of him cradled to him. He listened to her and stroked her hair. He knew it was time. He looked down at her the fear showing in his eyes. "Rose..." he hung his head. "The council knows about you. They are sending a member to come stay with us for a while to see the child and its development." Zane sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "They will be here any day. I haven't known how to tell you but I can't keep it from you anymore." he said.

---

Cassia sat in the car with Thibault her hand in his and her head on his shoulder. She knew he was nervous for her but she knew everything was going to be fine besides if the head vampire was bonded he would have no interest in her. She looked up as he reminded her about how he had to travel. "That's fine love. I would join you but I think it would make me nauseous not to mention how terribly cramped it would be." she teased. He asked if he had told her why they were going. "You had said something about his bond had a particularly odd situation that needed further investigation or something but no I don't remember you talking about why we are going other than it's a work thing." she said. She had read up on vampire law and order as well as customs so she was very much aware her place in this new vampires home. Even though she knew Thibault was the highest ranking vampire around they still had to be careful for several reasons.

@ Jinx...

Rosemaire hummed and happily kissed him back, laughing a little as he lifted her up and set her in his lap, shifting a bit to get comfortable as she rested his hand against her stomach, wanting him to feel the baby kicking. "They can't wait to meet you." She smiled, although the smile disappeared as she saw the serious look on his face, the fear in his eyes. "Zane..?" She fell silent as he said that the council knew and were coming for the baby, eyes widening and welling with tears as she panicked. "No... No, they can't take our baby Zane. They can't.. Please, please tell them it's fine, it won't hurt anyone, it's just a baby." She sobbed into his chest, holding onto him tightly.

---

Thibault offered her a little smile when she said she'd offer to be in the box with him, shaking his head a bit. "You'd hate it. The flight isn't long, and we'll be back together before you know it." He soothed, pressing a kiss to her forehead before sighing as she said she didn't know why exactly they were going. "Yes, that's partially right.. The vampire, Zane, and his bond Rosemaire have somehow conceived a child.. It should be due in a month or so, and we are to go to monitor and assess the situation, and make a proposal for what should be done should the child survive." He explained, giving her hand a squeeze.

@ katahdin
Zane's heart broke as she sobbed into his chest an he stroked her hair. "We'll show them." he said and kissed her head hoping against all odds that the council would send someone that would be able to understand. He rocked her and held onto her hating that he had to tell her that she had to deal with this. She didn't need the stress and there was no way he was going to let her have to worry about loosing their baby. No matter what he had to do he would make them see that anything that happened that he and Rosemarie could handle it. Not to mention that there was Celtin and Harriet there for them as well. He knew in the past there had been issues with the half vampire babies. Hunger was a dangerous beast after all but it was nothing he couldn't handle for Rosemarie even if it was controlling the baby.

---

Cassia frowned. She couldn't imagine strangers coming in to determine a course of action for her baby. "Why is a vampire baby something the council needs to be concerned with?" she asked him. Just because something was rare didn't mean that it was dangerous right? Cassia tried to understand just what to expect walking into this. She knew he had said we but he meant he would be making the decision. The other council members they would meet with wouldn't be old enough to over rule what ever Thibault said. Thibault listened to her often though but Cassia didn't like to use her sway with him unless she thought it was really something of value that he wasn't seeing in a particular way. She signed and leaned her head on his shoulder.

@ Jinx...

"Th-They can't take our baby, Zane.. They can't.. I-I won't let them." Rosemaire sobbed into his chest even as he reassured her, absolutely terrified of what might happen. Harriet believed that the baby would be born healthy with little complications during birth, but the thought of some stranger being there and taking her baby away right after it was born was too much. Soon enough she'd worn herself out crying and had fallen asleep, face pressed into his chest as she clung to him. Because her stomach had grown so much it had made it harder for her to sleep at night, so she was used to taking little naps throughout the day to make sure she was getting enough rest.

---

"They're very, very rare. Only a handful are known to have been successfully born, while most others die early on in the pregnancy. But the ones that have been born usually cause trouble, as it's easy for their hunger and bloodlust to get the best of them. Some don't, though, but the council has made it a policy to investigate each case individually, even if the results are usually the same." Thibault explained softly, wrapping an arm around her to pull her close as she leaned against him. "The human mother usually dies in childbirth, and usually the vampire father will kill the infant for taking his bond. But if the mother somehow survives, the council usually takes the child and disposes of it themselves, especially if it already shows the early signs of uncontrollable hunger, since it's too much of a liability."

@ katahdin
Zane tried his best to sooth her but there was nothing he could do at this point until the council member arrived. Zane picked her up and carried her to bed. He laid her down and kissed her head. He sighed as he said next to her on the bed his head in his hands as he tried to think of anything they could do. He had to talk to Harriet about the hunger and what she might be able to do to help the baby not show signs of it when born. He knew that would be the councils biggest concern. A baby or child with no control of their hunger could expose them and that possibility was enough that they would likely trying to kill their child. Zane looked at Rosemarie. He was really trying to believe that she cold do this and that the baby wouldn't take her life in the process of its birth but it was his greatest fear. Zane leaned down and brushed her hair back before kissing her forehead. Even his ability to heal wouldn't be enough to save her if the baby took her.

---

Cassia frowned. "That seems awful Thibault." She looked up at him. "Is there no way to control the hunger?" she asked him wondering what the vampires already knew and then she wondered if there was magic that could help this family. Blood magic might have something, some kind of transfer spell that switched the hunger of two people. Cassia was already thinking of what she knew and how it might work. Cassia had received her families journals and spell books. Everything Thibault had been able to save after her and the death of the witches that had killed her family. Cassia wondered if this vampire and his bond were worth the effort to try and safe the baby anyways. If they were not willing to go through the struggle there was no point in helping but she would evaluate that for herself when she was there. She might need to see if there was a coven in the area that had any information or at least would be willing to be her anchor in such an intense spell. Cassia looked up at Thibault knowing he had probably thought it over and known she would turn to magic for such a problem. she wondered if it worried him or if that was the reason he had allowed her to come as well.

@ Jinx...

Rosemaire didn't sleep for very long, and her sleep wasn't very restful, her eyes still red from crying when she woke up an hour or so later. She shifted a bit as she woke up, tugging the blankets around her as she hid her face in her pillow, trying not to cry again despite how scared she was. She believed that Harriet was right when she said that she wouldn't die during the birth, but she knew that she'd rather die than let the council take her baby.

---

"I know, but it's the way things are. The council won't risk exposure, and will do what they have to go prevent it." Thibault sighed, resting his head against hers. He shook his head a little when she asked about a way to control the hunger, giving her a little squeeze. "None other than an almost constant supply of blood. It's painful for the child, it often results in many deaths once they're old enough to hunt, and the risk of exposure is just too high."

@ katahdin
Zane heard Rosemarie wake and moved over to the bed running his hand over her back. "Love." he called. "I know you're scared and so am I but we're not going to be able to convince them we can handle this if we hide in our room the entire time. And we can't have you crying every time you see them so we're going to have to find some way to get you motivated." he stroked her hair. "We don't even know who these people are we might even be able to show them that we have the ability to take on anything that happens." he watched her wishing there was some way to sooth her but he knew this was going to be something she needed to process.

---

Cassia sighed. She was going to think about it more later but for now she didn't have enough information. She just relaxed with Thibault feeling him holding her. She leaned up and kissed him softly. "I know it's a short flight but I still wish I could stay with you." she said. Once they arrived at the plane she got out with him and moved inside with him. She sat down in the seat and kissed him once more. "I haven't been on a plane in years." she grinned excited to finally getting to travel with Thibault even if it was for business.

@ Jinx...

Rosemarie sniffled as he soothed her, eventually rolling over so that she could rest her head in his lap, fingers gripping his shirt. "I-I won't let them take our baby, Zane.. I can't let them, I won't let them.. Harriet is sure that everything will be fine with the birth, that it'll be healthy and happy and I don't understand why it's any of the council's business anyway." She was clearly frustrated but also scared, struggling to keep herself from crying anymore. "Please, Zane.. don't let them take our baby." She begged softly, looking up at him with watery eyes.

---

Thibault returned her kiss, offering her a small smile. "It's quite claustrophobic, I doubt you'd enjoy it. The flight is less than two hours, barely any time. I suggest you sleep, since we might have to be up late speaking with Zane and his bond, if he lets us meet her today, that is." He sighed, moving onto the plane with her after helping with their bags, squeezing her hands as she sat in her seat, waiting until it was time to take off before he got in his box. "I'm glad that we get to travel, although I wish the circumstances were different.. I'm hoping that you'll be able to help me on this trip, though. I think that you might be able to get Zane's bond to open up more than I would, and I trust your judgement as to whether they've really thought everything through. There's also a witch involved, the midwife who has been caring for her and the baby over the past few months, and it must be decided whether or not she and her family who run the midwifery clinic are to be held accountable for lying to the council, since they are required to report any patients that have any connections to vampires." He explained, hoping he wasn't asking too much of her.