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The baby was growing though. Her heartbeat was strong and she was thriving. She was taking all of me to live and, in a way, I thought that was right. I could have died to let her live and I would have but I couldn’t do that to Jack.

The doctors wanted to wait as long as possible but Jack had a neo-natal station installed in the room next to mine and when the time came, I was induced and the baby was born. I knew little about it, regrettably. By this time I had almost no energy left.

I saw them lift the tiny body and place her in the glass cage. I heard the beeping and the medical devices and then Jack’s face came closer.

“Are you ready?” he asked me. “Are you sure?”

I couldn’t respond except to squeeze his hand as hard as possible as I felt him lying down next to me, kissing my neck. Then I felt the cold, sharp edge of his fangs as they touched my skin.

I must have passed out then because when I woke up next, I felt completely different. I blinked my eyes and Jack was there in the room, rushing towards me.

“Kaya?”

“Where is she? Where is my baby?”

I couldn’t think of anything else. “Is she okay?”

The doctor appeared behind Jack with our little girl, beautifully wrapped in the softest baby blanket.

“She’s perfect,” Jack said, placing her in my arms.

Our baby looked up at me with beautiful brown eyes, the same as my mother’s and I knew I was going to give her the same name. Jack sat down on the bed and looked at both of us with a look of adoration and love.

“It worked then?” I asked him.

He nodded. “As all your plans do, my darling. I don’t think I will ever doubt you, ever again.”

He kissed me and I felt a rush of enthusiasm for our new life, together, the three of us. I felt the strength in my new body, the energy that was flowing through me, like light. I was stronger and I felt more alive than ever before. This was what I had been meant to be all along, I thought. I no longer felt broken or sad about my family and what had happened to me.

I had been transformed from that sad little girl into this, a mother and a lover, my best self. I had finally become what I was meant to be all along.

Happy.

Bonus chapter

Jack

I had everything, well, almost everything.

In many ways, my life was perfect now. I had a family; a beautiful daughter and a woman who loved me. We had more than enough money. The business was thriving in my absence and I was doing work that I truly enjoyed as a Special Advisor to the president.

But I did not have a wife. Kaya and I weren’t married.

“But it’s like we’re married!” she’d laugh whenever I raised the point. She was right of course. It wasn’t about our relationship either.

Since she had become a vampire after giving birth to Monica, our life together was wonderful. She was stronger and all the issues that had plagued her as a human were gone. There were no more headaches or nightmares. She was born to be a vampire, truly, the lifestyle suited her. She became more vital and energetic. She became even more athletic and chose to hunt animals for her blood supply. Our estate was overrun with deer and she kept the numbers down.

Kaya was more beautiful than ever.

She was a great mother and Monica was so much like her. She had the same willfulness and the stubborn streak that I’d loved in Kaya from the beginning but Monica also had a watchfulness about her that did not come from Kaya, who was too impetuous and impatient.

Now that Kaya was no longer human, Monica was the last of the female bloodline on her mother’s side. She was the last sho’qa’i of the tribe. Monica had Kaya’s dark hair and heralmond eyes. Her Native American heritage was evident for anyone to see.

We had to protect her from those who would try to kill her, as they’d tried to kill Kaya and murdered her mother.

The sho’qa’i were powerful protectors and in times of danger they came into powers that helped them protect their tribe. Kaya had been able to tap into it when we needed to take down the evil New York Governor Leo da Salle. Since then, there had been no drama at our castle but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t come. Some uber vampire could want to get their hands on the occillite that we had sealed away in the hidden chamber at the back of the castle. Someone could want to kill Monica because of her lineage.

Zoran kept a tight hold on security and we monitored all visitors. Kaya and Monica never came with me when I left for Washington.