Page 13 of Frozen Star (Star Touched: Fae Bound #7)

As I wait for Aerix to return, I curl up on the bed, pulling the silk sheets around me like armor.

This can be fixed, I tell myself. The doctor will figure out what’s wrong. Then, she can fix it. It will be okay. Aerix won’t let it be anything but okay.

Still… worry twists in my stomach so intensely that I have to run to the bathroom to be sick again. I stay in there for a while, sitting in front of the toilet, staring down into the bowl even though there’s nothing left in me to expel.

“In here.” I stand up, take a deep breath, and walk back into the tower quarters with my head held high.

Aerix hurries to my side, his hands on my shoulders, looking me up and down as if he can diagnose what’s wrong with me himself. When his eyes meet mine again, they’re troubled, as if he doesn’t like what he’s seeing.

I don’t blame him. I don’t like the pale, sickly version of myself I saw in the mirror, either.

Eventually, he turns around and focuses on the thin, tall, redheaded woman standing in front of the closed doors, clutching a leather bag. Her wings are retracted, although from her midnight eyes, I can tell she’s fae.

“This is Dr. Lennox,” Aerix introduces her with a curt nod. “She’ll examine you.”

“Okay,” I say, my voice wobbling as a wave of dizziness overcomes me. I press my fingers to my temples, and Aerix wraps his arm around me, concern flashing in his eyes again.

“You need to sit down,” he tells me, and I follow him to the bed, since sitting down sounds wonderful right now.

Once I’m situated, he keeps his arms wrapped around me, as if he’s afraid to let the doctor touch me.

Dr. Lennox keeps her focus on Aerix. “Will Your Highness be staying during the examination?” she asks.

“I’m not leaving her side.” Aerix doesn’t hesitate, his arm tightening around me.

Dr. Lennox nods and approaches us cautiously, setting her bag on the bedside table. “Zoey,” she says to me, her voice professional despite the tension in the room, “I’ll need to ask you some questions.”

“All right,” I manage, although another wave of dizziness makes me lean more heavily into Aerix’s side.

He rests his forehead against the side of my head and closes his eyes, as if he can wish this all away if he wants it badly enough.

The doctor pulls out a small notebook and a pen, looking ready to go. “Have you been experiencing persistent nausea?” she asks me.

“Yes.” I wrap my arms tighter around myself, suddenly feeling more vulnerable than ever. “It started about a week ago. Blood started tasting terrible, and it’s gotten worse every day. Even the smell of it turns my stomach now.”

Aerix’s jaw clenches, his wings shifting behind him, but he remains quiet.

Dr. Lennox notes something down, then glances back up at me. “What about dizziness or fatigue?”

“All the time,” I answer quickly. “I’m so tired I can barely get out of bed sometimes. If I stand up too fast, everything spins.”

“Sensitivity to scents or tastes? Vampires experience heightened senses, but have you been having any aversions to foods you enjoyed as a human?”

I think guiltily about the cookies Aerix brings me daily. As a human, I loved those cookies. Now, I can barely stomach them.

“Zoey?” the doctor presses.

“Yes,” I answer, not giving further details.

She notes that down as well.

“One final question,” she says. “Have you noticed any physical tenderness—particularly in your chest area?”

I blink, surprised. “Actually… yes,” I admit. “I thought it was just part of being turned—of being able to feel everything more intensely.”

Dr. Lennox sets down her pen, her face growing pale as she looks at Aerix, then back at me.

“What is it?” Aerix demands, his voice sharp with barely contained tension.

The doctor’s focus remains on me. “I’d like to perform a physical examination,” she says. “Could you please remove your bottom undergarments and lie down?”

Aerix stiffens beside me, his wings flaring in a protective gesture that makes Dr. Lennox step backward.

“Is that really necessary?” His voice is edged with warning, his eyes darkening as he stares the doctor down. “She’s already answered your questions.”

Dr. Lennox holds her ground, remaining surprisingly calm.

“Your Highness, I understand your discomfort,” she says carefully.

“But some diagnoses can’t be confirmed through questions alone.

If you want answers, I need to examine her directly.

I’ll refrain if you don’t allow it, but for both your sakes…

” She trails off and focuses on me again, as if asking me to handle this.

Aerix’s jaw tightens even more, and the temperature drops, frost blooming across the windowpane.

“It’s okay.” I rest a hand on his thigh, hoping to bring some reason to him. “We need answers. I need answers. I don’t want…” I swallow, hating the words that need to be said, but also knowing they might be what he needs to hear for me to get through to him. “I don’t want to die up here.”

His expression crumbles, the protective fury replaced by sheer terror.

“You’re not dying,” he insists, his voice strained. “I won’t let you die.”

“Then let her check,” I say, praying he’ll agree, since all three of us in this room know what happens when anyone touches me without Aerix’s permission. “Please.”

The doctor and I hold our breaths as we wait for Aerix’s response.

“Fine,” he says to Dr. Lennox, although his tone makes it clear that this isn’t a concession—it’s a command. “But I’m staying right here. Touch her with anything but the utmost care, and it will be the last thing you ever do.”

Dr. Lennox nods quickly. “Of course, Your Highness.”

“Turn around while she undresses,” he adds, which strikes me as a bit illogical since she’s going to see everything anyway, but I keep my mouth shut. If this is what Aerix needs to feel more comfortable, then it’s the least we can do.

Once her back is fully turned, I remove my undergarments and lie back against the pillows. Aerix immediately takes my hand, and the sire bond pulses between us, carrying both his protective fury and his desperate concern.

“She’s ready,” he says, his gaze not leaving mine as the doctor approaches.

Her expression remains focused and professional, despite the intensity radiating from Aerix’s body. “This won’t take long,” she tells me, positioning herself between my legs to begin the examination.

My breathing speeds up. Why does she need to examine me there? Shouldn’t she be checking my lungs, or my throat, or my ears, or something other than this?

Aerix leans down close, whispering softly, “I’m right here. You’re safe. With me, you’re always safe.”

True to Dr. Lennox’s word, the examination is brief and gentle—well, as gentle as it can be, given what it is.

Finally, she finishes and withdraws, stepping back to give us space.

“Well?” Aerix demands after I’m fully clothed again.

Dr. Lennox wipes her hands, then looks between me and Aerix with an expression I can’t quite read.

“What I’m about to tell you defies every law of supernatural biology,” she begins, sounding so shaken that she’s not exactly giving me high confidence in her abilities.

“As you’re likely already aware, the transformation that creates a vampire halts mortal fertility.

The undead body becomes incapable of sustaining new life.

In all recorded history, across centuries of vampire existence, there has never been a single documented case of vampire conception. ”

My grip tightens around Aerix’s hand. “What are you saying?” I ask, my voice sounding muffled to my ears.

She takes a shaky breath. “I’m saying that even though it goes against every natural law I know... you’re pregnant.”

The room tilts dangerously, and I can’t seem to draw enough air into my lungs.

Pregnant, the word echoes in my mind, over and over, impossible and terrifying.

“What?” Aerix’s voice is a whisper beside me, his grip on my hand tightening to the point of pain. “That’s impossible.”

“I know.” Dr. Lennox shakes her head, clearly stunned herself. “But it’s unmistakable. Zoey is with child.”

I force myself to breathe, the room feeling like it’s closing in around me. “But you just said vampires can’t?—”

“I know what I said,” she tells me, sharper now, more confident. “But the physical signs are unmistakable. The cervical changes, the uterine positioning... there’s no doubt in what I saw during the examination. You’re pregnant.”

Fear curls in my chest. Because this can’t be true. It just can’t. I can’t be…

Just the thought of the word sends another wave of panic crashing through my body.

“Are you sure?” Aerix asks, strangely calm.

“I’m certain,” Dr. Lennox replies, her expression earnest as she focuses on me. “Your symptoms are consistent with early pregnancy. Morning sickness typically begins around six weeks, and judging by the onset and severity, I’d estimate you’re roughly around that stage.”

My head spins with confusion. “This doesn’t make sense,” I say, unable to grasp my thoughts. “Aerix turned me three weeks ago. How can that?—?”

“Either the onset of symptoms is faster for vampires, or you conceived while still human,” Dr. Lennox says, watching Aerix’s reaction. “Were the two of you intimate before Zoey was turned?”

Laughter bubbles out of me so quickly that I snort from it. Because this place might have medieval vibes, but it certainly doesn’t have medieval morals.

“January twenty-fifth,” Aerix says softly.

“What?” I ask.

“That was the first night we were intimate.” His eyes are barely focused, as if he’s living out that night in the past instead of being here with me right now while a doctor is telling me I’m pregnant with a vampire/human/impossible demon baby.

“Wow,” I say. “You have an excellent memory.”

He gives me a soft, somewhat sad smile. “Would you expect anything else?”

“Never,” I say, and he nods in approval, his expression quickly turning serious again.

Dr. Lennox clears her throat. “That was eight weeks ago,” she says. “Which puts you well within the expected timeline. But…”

“But what?” Aerix stands up so suddenly that I flinch, his words so sharp that I’m afraid he’s about to whip out his dagger and threaten—or kill—Dr. Lennox with it.

Although, who am I kidding? If Aerix wants to hurt someone, he doesn’t need a weapon to do it. He’s deadly enough as it is.

The doctor swallows, as if she’s having the same thoughts as me.

“In every instance when a pregnant woman is turned into a vampire, her body rejects the baby when the transformation is complete.” Confused wonder returns to her voice, and Aerix begins to pace throughout the room, as if he’s trying to make sense of what she’s telling us.

“We’ve conducted experiments with this very thing throughout the years, and the woman’s body will reject the baby during the transformation every single time. No exceptions.”

Aerix stops pacing and stares at Dr. Lennox, his expression dangerously blank. “Leave,” he commands, his voice edged with a quiet, icy fury that makes the temperature in the room drop several more degrees.

She swallows hard, her eyes darting nervously between the two of us. “Your Highness?—”

“Leave. Now.” His tone brooks no argument, carrying the full weight of his royal authority. “You will speak of this to no one. If even a whisper of what you’ve discovered here reaches another soul, I will personally ensure that your death is neither quick nor merciful.”

She bows her head slightly. “Of course, Your Highness. You have my word,” she says, and in a flash, she grabs her things and retreats to the door, leaving Aerix and me alone.

He stands like a statue by the window, his profile sharp against the moonlight streaming through the glass. The silence is suffocating, pressing down on me until I feel like I might shatter under its weight.

Is he angry? Disgusted? Terrified?

All three?

Maybe he doesn’t know what he feels. After all, I don’t know what I feel, other than numb from shock. It’s entirely possible that he’s experiencing the same.

Still, I have to say something. If I don’t, I’m going to explode from the anxiety of it all.

“Aerix.” My voice breaks on his name. “Say something. Please.”

Slowly, he turns to face me, the unreadable look on his face making my heart stutter. Fear grips my chest tighter, cold and sharp, and I brace myself, sure he’s about to unleash anger or disgust. Or worse—regret.

Instead, he strides toward me, swift and purposeful, his mouth capturing mine in a kiss unlike anything he’s ever given me. It’s intense—Aerix is always intense—but this time it’s softer, somehow impossibly gentle. It’s like he’s afraid he might hurt me from even the lightest touch.

My surprise melts away, replaced by a surge of relief so powerful it brings tears to my eyes.

When he pulls back, his eyes shine with a depth of wonder that leaves me breathless.

“You’re incredible,” he says, his voice thick with awe. “A goddess. My salvation. A miracle created by my venom and blood.”

“Aerix.” I tremble under the intensity of his stare, unable to fully comprehend what’s happening. “Aren’t you angry? Or scared? Or…” I trail off, my thoughts so jumbled I can barely form words.

His fingers trace my jaw, his smile so soft it makes my heart ache.

“Scared? Yes. Angry? Never,” he says, and the worry tightening my chest immediately loosens.

“You’ve given me something impossible. This child— our child—is proof that you’re more extraordinary than even I imagined.

” His hand moves to rest over my still-flat stomach, his touch impossibly tender, as if I’m the most fragile thing in the universe.

“You’re a miracle, Zoey. And I swear on my immortal life that I’ll worship you and protect you with everything I have.

Because you are my life now— both of you.

And I promise you that I will never, ever, let anything or anyone take you from me. ”