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I slung an arm around his shoulders.

“This stays between us,” I said, answering his unasked question. “No one need to be told. Please refrain from doing this in the near future. Allow them to become familiar with Christa before introducing someone else.”

Nathan grinned in the darkness before kissing me on the mouth and nipping my bottom lip. “That’s the reason I adore you,” he expressed before strolling away into the night.

I laughed at Nathan’s cockiness. The bugger knew I wouldn’t spill the beans to the others, and so did I. Let Nathan have his slave to admire him. I did not care. Nathan would bore of Christa eventually, and she would have to make her way without him, but that was her choice.

Or was it? I didn’t remember Nathan saying he gave Christa one. What the hell!

That was Nathan all over.

Now I knew how we could create others and was going to keep the knowledge to myself. Although it could cause trouble in the future, the three in the know kept quiet.

???

Over the next few months, Har’ches healed, but we had buried over half the population before the cure was found. Har’ches would never recover from this loss. Life was not a struggle for them, but having children became one. It took two years for the first birth to occur after the disease struck, and it was just one.

Har’chen health wasn’t affected, but our spirits were low as we wondered what else we would have to go through. It was a fact that we thought that we’d fallen out of favour with the Creator, and we tried even harder to live the life he wanted us to.

Next, the side effects of the serum became evident. Those women who’d had it were barren, and finally, we accepted that Har’ches would not be what it once was.

Accepting this heavy blow was incredibly tough. That ruled out over half the surviving women from having children, and it was decided that any multiple births would be shared out if the parents agreed.

A decision was made that any woman encountering her Phases would have to birth a child for Har’chen to survive. The women agreed readily and searched out prospective mates for that reason.

???

Then came the day I changed Mihal into a Vam’pir—and all hell broke loose.

On his way back from a meeting, Mihal chose a route through the forest to give himself some time for reflection. He had fallen into a hole.

The way Mihal fell was twisted; the hole was not that deep, but he had broken his spine and was dying. This time, Inka was calmer and prepared to meet his death, only I wouldn’t let Mihal die.

That night, I went to Mihal and offered him eternal life. Mihal refused it bluntly, just wanting to go and join Cleo.

“What about your mother?” I asked.

“What about her?” Mihal demanded.

“She’ll take this badly.”

“No, Mother has prepared herself that I’ll pass one day, and this looks like the time, Father.”

Mihal was so calm that I wanted to shake him. Yes, Inka might have prepared herself, but she would still take it horribly.

And I refused to endure the accusations.

“Sorry, son, but this time, I’m going to give Inka what she wants.”

Mihal twisted his head to look at me and frowned. “You can’t give me eternal life, Father. That is not possible.”

I leant forward to breathe in his ear. “Oh yes, it is, and I’ll be giving it to you.”

I gathered Mihal carefully in my arms, not wanting to hurt him unless absolutely necessary.

Mihal turned his head weakly, trying to escape, but he couldn’t move, and I bit into his neck.

Dear Creator, I can’t find the words to capture the euphoria I experienced.