Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Bracelet

Four months later...

I was serious when I said I wanted to keep my pregnancy a secret. I isolated myself in my room for the past few months. Luckily, I had a mini library here, and the books kept me company. The only Paragonians—members of the Esparago Clan—who knew about it were Lady Melendez, Abel, and his father, the clan leader, Lord Bermudo.

Back to the books. I had learned a lot—especially about vampires, the history of the clans, how everything began, who the first rulers were, and more. I also discovered things about wolves and witches.

But there was one thing I’d been wanting to learn for a long time but still hadn’t found a specific book about—vampire pregnancy. There were no books on the topic, at least none here.

“Fascinating how life can form inside another life,” Abel said when he visited me after weeks of being away.

I just smiled while staring at the distant lands. From this balcony, I could clearly see the tall trees outside the towering walls. This had been my only good view—aside from the books and my growing belly—that I kept looking at.

“You’re back,” I said as I caressed the bump on my belly.

“Just now. You were the first person I came to,” he replied. “I was only gone for a few weeks, but I’m surprised how much your belly has grown. How have you been, Astra?”

I let out a heavy sigh, shifting my gaze from the trees to my swollen tummy.

“Nothing new,” I mumbled.

“You miss him, huh?”

“Not a day passes that I don’t,” I chuckled softly as I looked at him. “Any news about Brix?”

Now it was his turn to stare into the distance. “No. I’m sorry. No one’s heard from him since he disappeared. The Nightfall Clan has been unusually quiet, too.”

I nodded. Still, I could feel that as my belly grew, so did the time draw closer for his return. There will be war when he comes back. Though I don't want him to start one, I can't blame him either. They took everything from him.

Sometimes, the best way to ease the pain someone caused us is to make them feel the same. It gives us a twisted sense of peace—at least they’ll understand what they did to us.

“Are you hungry?” he asked after a moment.

I shook my head. “I just had dinner. You should go get some rest too, Abel.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, but he didn’t move from his spot. “Have you picked a name for your baby, Astra?”

I smiled. “I have.”

“If you wouldn’t mind—”

“I don’t want to say it yet,” I cut him off.

He just laughed and nodded. “Got it. I’ll go check on Tegan for now.”

He was about to leave when I called out, “May I ask something?”

He turned back. “Yeah?”

“Is there any book about vampire pregnancy?” I asked, curiosity evident in my voice. “I’ve read almost every book here, but I haven’t seen anything about it. I just want some information.”

I could tell that question caught him off guard.

“Abel?”

“Ah? I don’t know either,” he answered, but I knew he was lying. “I’ll talk to Lady Melendez. If I get anything from her, I’ll let you know right away.”

A few days passed without Abel returning. Most likely, he still didn’t have an answer for me—or maybe he didn’t know how to say it.

That made me even more curious.

Something strange is going on.

Even though I knew the answer wasn’t in this small library, I still tried to search again. Just like before, I found nothing.

I sighed and sat down, reaching for the glass filled with blood. Lately, I’d only been drinking animal blood. Lady Melendez said it’s better to consume low-grade blood. Human blood is the highest kind—its effect is three times stronger than that of animal blood.

A lot had changed since I found out I was pregnant. I got tired easily even with minimal activity. I was often thirsty for blood and always sleepy. What’s more surprising was how heightened my senses became.

I could sense if someone was about to knock on the door—and even who it would be. I could smell things from afar. I also couldn’t control the heat in my eyes anymore.

I had been tempted many times to jump off the balcony. Even if I was several stories high, I could survive it—if I wasn’t thinking about my child.

“Astra...” Abel knocked on my door one night.

I lazily got up from the bed and opened the door. He smiled at me, and I immediately noticed the thick jacket in his hand.

“You can go out for a few hours. I’ll come with you. It’s nighttime, anyway.”

“What if someone sees us?” I asked, worried—even though half of me already agreed. I had been wanting to go out for a while.

He shook his head and draped the jacket over me. “I told my father. There will be guards around. No one will get close to us, and even the guards will be too far to see us.”

“Really? Let’s go!” I said excitedly.

Abel assisted me as we went down from my room. We passed through the back area—the same path Brix and I took when we did the ritual.

I inhaled sharply as the cold breeze touched my face. It reminded me of that night. Who would have thought it would lead to all this? All I wanted that night was to belong to Brix—but that wasn’t all I got.

We walked slowly under the night sky, entering the woods. That’s when I realized how much I missed this. I’d been fooling myself into thinking I was happy locked in that room. But I preferred freedom.

“Did I get fat, Abel?” I suddenly asked.

Abel looked at me and laughed. “What do you expect? You’re pregnant.”

I pouted. “So I’m not sexy anymore?”

“Uh...”

“Okay,” I said and started walking faster.

He quickly followed me. “Hey, it’s okay not to be sexy. I don’t even understand why people judge beauty based on body size.”

“No need for that, Abel. I get it.”

“I’m telling the truth!” he insisted, but he chuckled, which made him sound like he wasn’t. “You have a gorgeous face. I’m sure your baby will inherit that. That’s what matters the most.”

“Heh. What if Brix sees me?”

“So?”

“So?” I stopped and turned to him, crossing my arms. “What if there are sexy girls in the Severus Clan? What if Brix falls for one of them? What if he sees me looking unattractive?”

Abel scratched his head, unsure of what to say.

I pouted even more. “What if they had sex too?”

“You really think you were the first one Brix ever had sex with?”

I froze. His words stabbed me. A moment later, tears welled in my eyes.

“Shit.” Abel panicked. “I didn’t mean it that way—”

“What if Brix has a child with someone else?” I sobbed. “Does that make me the mistress?”

“You didn’t even plan to tell him about your child, right?”

“Even so!” I stomped in frustration and wiped my tears. “I will never forgive him if I find out he liked another woman. I would rip her heart from her chest in front of Brix and feed it to the wolves!”

Abel’s eyes widened. “Y-you would do that?”

I smirked. “Should I eat it instead?”

Abel swallowed and shook his head. “Damn. You’re freaking me out.”

“W-what?” Tears came back to my eyes. “You’re scared of me now? Is it because I’m getting fat?”

“Oh, shit!” Abel rushed to me, but I pushed him away.

“No!” I yelled.

“What I meant was…” He searched for the right words. “Your bravery is what’s freaking me out. You’re hard to replace and even harder to fight, Astra. That’s why Brix fell for you…”

“Wait.” I gasped and wiped my tears again. “Brix liked me?”

“You didn’t know?”

I shook my head. “He never told me.”

Abel sighed deeply before speaking. “He wouldn’t. But think about it, Astra. He claimed you as his slave officially. He never hurt you—”

“He did!” I cut him off, remembering the first time I was introduced to Lord Severo. “He once throttled me, Abel. In front of his dad and sister. He never liked me!”

“He did!”

“Really?” I gave a bitter smile. “If that were true, then why didn’t he take me with him, Abel? Why did he leave me here?”

It would have been better if he brought me with him.

But no—he left me here in the Nightfall Clan, in the middle of conflict. After everything, he still chose to leave me alone.

“He would never take you with him, Astra. You were there when it all happened. You witnessed how blood spilled from his hands. How furious he became. You saw firsthand just how ruthless he was.”

“What’s your point?”

“He was scared for you.”

I went silent after what he said.

“He was deeply hurt, Astra. Do you really think his suffering ended when he left? No. That was just the beginning. He thought about your safety, so instead of dragging you into his miserable life, he left you here with us.”

I had thought about that too. But I was willing to be with him no matter what. He needed someone during that time, but he still chose to be alone.

“He loved you more than anything, Astra.”

A smile escaped me without even realizing it. That sounded so good. He loved me.

“If you really want to help Brixton, then pull yourself together. Protect his child. I know you have no plans of telling him about the baby, but trust me, Astra—one day, the beast will learn about his princess.”

I placed a hand over my belly. I knew Abel was right. I did feel a bit guilty hiding our child from him, but this was the best decision for now. He was currently at war with several powerful clans, and I didn’t want our child to become a distraction.

I don’t want my baby to get involved in the war.

This is the least I can do for him—protect his princess.

I felt lighter after my conversation with Abel. Everything I wanted to do became much clearer. I wanted to give birth to the baby first before making any decisions.

One night, Lady Melendez visited me. It wasn’t just a casual visit—she brought with her some medical items I had never seen before.

“One more month and you’ll be giving birth,” she said while setting up her tools on the table. “We need to start preparing.”

I sat on the bed and simply watched her.

“Is this really necessary?” I asked.

Then I saw the bracelet she was holding—made of small, black-colored stones. I knew that stone. I had read about it. It was called the concealer stone.

“What’s that for?” I asked, confused.

She sat beside me and showed the bracelet. “It’s a concealer stone. To lessen the pain when you go into labor. I’m putting it on you now so its effect builds up early.”

She was about to take my arm, but I pulled it away. “I know what that’s for, Lady Melendez. It’s used to weaken a vampire’s power.”

She tried to put it on me again, but I resisted.

“I’m not wearing that,” I said firmly.

“You must, Astra. It will weaken your child’s power while still in your womb. You’ll give birth as if it’s a normal vampire child. That’s the only way to keep you both safe.”

“No!” I stood up and backed away from her. “You’re going to kill my baby!”

“Trust me. I’m the one who made it possible for you to get pregnant.”

I broke down in tears. “H-how did that happen?”

“A vampire isn’t supposed to be able to get pregnant, Astra. The price for it is your life. The moment you give birth to your child, is also the moment your life is passed on to them. That’s exactly what happened to Gracia, Tegan’s mother.”

“I-I still don’t understand…” My eyes were now full of tears. “If you knew this, then why did you do it to me?”

“I gave you something to drink that night—something neither you nor Brix noticed,” she confessed, referring to the night of the ritual. “Brix knew you weren’t supposed to get pregnant—but it had to happen. It’s terrifying that no one can match Brix’s strength, but your child... your child can.”

My throat went dry. “Y-you’re going to use my child against his own father?”

“Put on the bracelet!”

I felt a burning sensation rise in my body. Anger—that was the strongest emotion I felt. I couldn’t accept that I was used as a pawn in a plan against Brix.

My child would be used against his own father.

I couldn’t accept that.

“Astra. I’m begging you...”

I looked down at my legs, then turned my gaze to the balcony. The fog began to rise from my room and was now creeping toward Lady Melendez.

“Listen to me, Astra. You will give birth safely. Nothing will happen to you or the baby. Isn’t that what you want too—to hide her? You can’t keep her hidden from Brix forever. Whether you like it or not, he’ll smell her. But with the help of this bracelet, your child’s power—and even the scent of her blood—will be dulled until the day comes when what was denied to him temporarily will be returned.”

The fog had now reached Lady Melendez’s waist, and I knew once she inhaled it, she’d struggle to breathe.

“Do you see this fog, Astra? It’s coming from your child. She’s not even born yet and already possesses extraordinary power. We need to tame that strength and train her—because if not, even she will be in danger!”

I was stunned as I saw Lady Melendez collapse to her knees, struggling to breathe. In just a few seconds, she’d lose consciousness. Her hand was still raised, holding out the bracelet.

“P-please…” she whispered.

Tears fell from my eyes.

I’m sorry, my child...

I walked up to Lady Melendez and took the bracelet. As soon as I wore it, the fog slowly disappeared. My vision blurred, and before I lost consciousness, Lady Melendez caught me in her arms.

“One day, the terrifying power of your child will return. But for now... we must let it sleep, until she’s ready.”