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Ian’s POV

For months, we had managed to keep Sophia away from the vampire realm, a feat that required a delicate balance of planning and luck. It wasn’t easy to keep a secret like hers, especially when the council had eyes and ears everywhere. But somehow, we did it. And as the days stretched into weeks, and the weeks into months, her belly began to swell with the undeniable proof of our secret.

It was surreal, watching the changes in her. Every time I looked at her, my heart clenched with a mix of awe and fear. Her skin seemed to glow, a warmth radiating from her that I hadn’t noticed before. And her belly—her growing belly—was a constant reminder of what we were trying so hard to protect.

Sophia was standing by the window of our condo, her hand resting gently on her stomach, staring out at the skyline. The sun filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over her, and for a moment, she looked completely at peace. It was a rare sight, given everything we were going through. I walked up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and resting my chin on her shoulder.

“How are you feeling?” I whispered, pressing a light kiss to her neck.

She smiled softly, leaning into my embrace. “Tired, but good. It’s weird, you know? I never thought this would be my life. A few months ago, I didn’t even know if we could have a baby, and now… here we are.”

I nodded, tightening my hold on her. “I know. I think about it every day. But we’re making it work.”

She turned to face me, her eyes searching mine. “What about the council, Ian? How much longer can we keep this from them?”

That question had been haunting me for weeks. The council was still focused on rebuilding the realm after the attacks. The damage had been extensive, but the renovations were nearly complete. Yet, despite the chaos, I knew it was only a matter of time before they turned their attention back to us. Back to me.

“I don’t know,” I admitted, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “But we’ll figure it out. We always do.”

She sighed, her hand resting on her stomach again. “I just want our baby to be safe.”

I kissed her forehead, wishing I could offer her more reassurance than just words. “I’ll protect you both. No matter what.”

In truth, I was terrified. I wasn’t just worried about the council discovering our secret—I was worried about what they would do once they found out. The council had never approved of Sophia, not fully. And while they respected my leadership, I knew that their loyalty only went so far. If they saw her pregnancy as a threat to the stability of the realm, they could act, and that was a risk I wasn’t willing to take.

But for now, I had to focus on keeping her safe. Keeping her away from the realm was the best option, and so far, it had worked. Sophia hadn’t set foot in the vampire realm since we found out about the baby, and the council remained in the dark. They were preoccupied with the renovations and the aftermath of Aldric’s death. The traitor, whoever they were, had gone silent since then, but that didn’t make me feel any better. Silence could be just as dangerous as action.

The realm itself was slowly returning to its former glory. The castle had been rebuilt, the walls fortified, and the streets cleared of debris. It had been a long, grueling process, but I had to admit the progress was impressive. Still, the scars of the attacks were there—hidden beneath the surface, waiting to resurface. The sense of security that once permeated the realm was gone, replaced by a lingering unease that settled in the bones of every vampire who called it home.

I visited the realm regularly, checking in on the progress, speaking with the council, and making sure everything was on track. Every time I returned, I was reminded of how fragile our world had become. But I couldn’t let it show. As their leader, I had to remain strong, even when the weight of it all threatened to crush me.

On one of my trips back, I met with the council to discuss the final stages of the restoration. The meeting was tense, as always, but productive. They seemed pleased with the progress, which was a relief. They still didn’t know about Sophia, but their questions about her absence had become more frequent. I told them she was away handling personal matters, which wasn’t entirely a lie. But how long would that excuse hold?

As I sat in that meeting, discussing the future of the realm, all I could think about was the future I wanted with Sophia and our child. A future where we didn’t have to hide. Where we could be a family without fear of the council’s interference. But I knew that future was far from guaranteed.

After the meeting, I returned to the human world, back to the condo where Sophia was. As soon as I walked through the door, the weight of the day lifted, if only slightly. Sophia was sitting on the couch, her feet propped up, flipping through a book. She looked up when she saw me, smiling.

“How did it go?” she asked, setting the book aside.

“Fine,” I said, taking a seat beside her. “The renovations are almost done. The realm will be back to normal soon.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Normal? I don’t think anything about our lives is normal anymore.”

I chuckled, though there was no humor in it. “Yeah, you’re right. But at least the council is still focused on the realm for now. They’re not asking too many questions.”

“For now,” she echoed, her expression thoughtful. “But that won’t last forever, will it?”

“No,” I admitted. “It won’t. But we’ll deal with that when the time comes.”

She rested her head on my shoulder, and I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. For a few moments, we sat in silence, the weight of our situation hanging in the air between us.

“Ian,” she said quietly, her voice trembling slightly. “What if they find out? What if they try to take our baby away?”

I closed my eyes, my heart clenching at the thought. “They won’t,” I said firmly. “I won’t let them.”

“But what if you can’t stop them?” she pressed, her voice barely above a whisper. “What if—”

“Stop,” I interrupted, turning to face her. “Sophia, listen to me. I won’t let anything happen to you or our baby. I swear it. We’ve made it this far, haven’t we? We’ll get through this too.”

She looked up at me, her eyes filled with worry, but also with trust. She trusted me to protect her, to protect our family. And I would do everything in my power to make sure that trust wasn’t misplaced.

“I believe you,” she said softly, leaning in to kiss me. “I just… I want our baby to be safe. I want us to be safe.”

“We will be,” I promised, though the truth was, I didn’t know if I could keep that promise. But I had to try. For her. For our child.

We were walking a dangerous line, but for now, we had managed to stay ahead of the danger. The council didn’t know. The realm was nearly restored. And as long as I could keep the two worlds from colliding, there was hope.

Hope that one day, we could live without fear. Hope that one day, our child could grow up in a world where they wouldn’t have to hide.