Vampire King Chapter 58

Mothers and Daughters
Mothers and Daughters
Emory
+25 BONUS
I am so sick of bed rest. I’m bored out of my mind, and miss the outdoors. As I’m about to enter my second trimester, I feel worse by the day. Helga and Nellie hover and ply me with calming teas. They fluff the mountain of pillows I lie on and cater to every food craving I have no matter how absurd.
Lola has taken to following Nellie around the castle when she’s not spending time with Willow in the library. She’s made herself a favorite of the castle staff, who sneak her candy and snacks. She’s been paying attention to the castle gossip as the staff is even worse than the nobles, and they know far more juicy information. Lola tells me about the gossip she’s overheard in the afternoons as we have lunch at the small dining table in my suite.
Lunch today is light with a mixed fruit salad of strawberries, grapes, pineapple, and kiwi garnished with mint leaves and honey. There is a cheese platter with a selection of brie, camembert, aged cheddar, and gouda accompanied by prosciutto on baguette slices. For dessert, we have fruit tarts, a délicate pastry crust filled with cream and topped with fresh berries. We have a pitcher of fresh lemonade to drink.
“I heard that Thomas is planning to propose to Helga,” Lola says as she takes a bite of the prosciutto and cheddar sandwich she’s made. “He got a ring and everything.”
“Don’t talk while you’re chewing,” I tell her. “And who’s Thomas again?”
Lola chews and swallows the large bite before answering. “He’s one of King Kane’s footmen. He’s the tall one that looks like a bird.”
“What?”
“He has a sharp nose. It looks like a beak.”
1 have no recollection of who she’s talking about. “I hope you haven’t said that to his face.”
“I haven’t,” Lola counters. “Nellie says it’s rude to point out how people look.”
“She’s right.”
Lola takes a sip of lemonade then asks, “Are you going to get married too?”
That makes me pause. “Why do you ask?”
“Isn’t that what people do? They get married when they like each other?”
“Liking each other is a start,” I answer. “But there are other factors, like if you’re compatible.”
“Compatible how?”
“Lifestyle, values, interests-you could have all of those things in common and still have reasons not to marry.”
I think of Darius and how we had everything in common growing up. I thought he would be my mate. The two of us together made sense on paper, but there was always something missing. This undefinable thing 1 didn’t know I was searching for until I met Kane.
“Why not?” Lola asks. “How can you be compatible in all of those things and still not ‘click’?”
Mothers and Daughters
“I don’t know. If it’s with the right person, it just works. You don’t have to force it.”
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Lola looks thoughtful. Her grey eyes stare into her fruit salad as she mulls things over. She looks up and asks, “Is that what it’s like with you and King Kane? Easy?”
“Nothing’s ever easy, especially relationships. You have to work to keep things going.”
“So it’s hard work?”
“It is. It takes a lot of work.”
Lola’s blonde eyebrows furrow in confusion. “Then why do you want to be with him or in any relationship?”
I don’t think I’m explaining things right. As Lola is getting older, she’s asking more questions, and they’re questions that are getting more difficult to answer. I don’t want to lie to her,or not tell her anything at all, but I’m also aware of just how young she is. There are certain things I don’t think she has the capacity to understand yet.
“It’s nice to have somebody there, a person you can lean on so you’re not so alone.”
“Were you lonely before?”
“No, but things were different before,” I explain. “I’m different.”
“You’re the Alpha, and you’re pregnant.”
I nod and reach across the table for her hand. “All of it can be really scary, so just having someone else there to go through it with me is a relief.”
“You have me.”
I smile. “Yes, but your job is to be a kid. That’s all you have to do. I take care of you.”
“King Kane takes care of you?”
“He does,” I reply. “He’s the king. He is supposed to take care of everyone.”
I know that Lola still feels wary of Kane. I can’t blame her, and I expect it’s going to take time for her to be comfortable around him. I don’t want to rush her. I want her to see that Kane is a good man without me forcing the idea on her.
“Does he love you?” she asks.
“He does. And I love him too.”
“And you’re having a baby together.” She pulls away from my touch to continue eating. “Have you picked a name for the baby?”
“Not yet. Kane’s been busy. Being a king takes up a lot of his time.”
She bites into a strawberry. “The baby needs a name.”
“I’ll talk it over with Kane.” Curiously, I ask, “Do you have any ideas for names?”
“Me?”
you’re going be the baby’s aunt. Do you have suggestions?”
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“Is it a boy or a girl?”
“We don’t know yet. We’ll find out at the next appointment with Dr. Martin.”
“I hope it’s a girl.”
“Why?”
“Because boys are yucky.” She makes a face. “Colt was always messy, and sometimes he smelled bad.”
“Do you have any girl names in mind?”
I stifle a laugh
“I’ll think about it.” There’s a pause before she asks, “Who picked my name?”
The question catches me off-guard. I try to remember when I first held Lola in my arms. I was not that much older than she is currently. I had been told her name and given no explanation for the name choice. I don’t even know if Bernard had been the one to pick it
“I’m not sure. It might have been your mother.”
Lola has asked about her birth mother over the years, curious about the woman that gave her life but she never got to meet. I had been honest that Lola’s mother had died shortly after she was born and no one ever wanted to speak about her.
“Who gave you your name?” Lola asks..
“Our father picked it, actually. It was his mother’s name, our grandmother. She died before you were born.”
“Oh.”
She doesn’t look upset, but she’s become quiet. I wish knew what to say to make her feel better, but I struggle with the words. “What are you thinking, Lo?”
“I wonder what my mom was like. Do you think I was like her?”
“Maybe. I know she had blonde hair like you.”
Lola reaches up to touch her hair, running her fingers through it absentmindedly. “Do you think she would have loved me?”
“Lo, of course she would.”
“Dad didn’t really like me, so…”
“Your mother loved you before you were even born. And I loved you instantly when I held you in my arms. Lots of people love you, Lo.”
Her eyes get glassy. She reaches for a napkin and wipes the tears away. “I don’t want to cry. Bables cry. I’m not a baby.
“Don’t grow up too fast,” I tell her, trying to hold back my own tears. “Just be a kid as long as you can.” She blows her nose into the napkin. “I don’t want to grow up yet. Everyone says it’s not fun.”
“There are more responsibilities to be sure,” I agree. To cheer her up, I add, “You can pick the middle name for the baby, something that could work for a boy or a girl.”
Mothers and Daughters
Her gray eyes light up in excitement, and she smiles. “Really?”
1 smile back. “Absolutely, Lo. I’m sure you’ll find the perfect name.”
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Kane.
I haven’t told Emory about what happened at Sardonia with the other vampire royals. I don’t want her to worry, especially after Dr. Martin advised against stress during her pregnancy. There isn’t anything Emory can do to help with the situation. She would blame herself for the opinions of people she doesn’t even
know.
Queen Olga wants to meet her. The old queen is fascinated with the woman that has managed to ensnare my heart. I’ve managed to hold off the vampire woman until after Emory’s gives birth as the trek. up to her kingdom is a challenge for most people. I know I can’t hold her off forever, but I will try as long as I can.
King Cyrus is a safer option. He’s family, and Emory is going to be one of us if I have anything to say about it. She’ll enjoy Cerise Port and what the smaller kingdom has to offer. My mother might want to come with us, and it will be nice to be away from court for matters outside of business.
I long for an escape outside the familiar walls of Castle Graystone. My allies are split, half of them not wanting to support me after finding out that I’m having a child with a wolf shifter, and the other half are waiting out whether I can still be useful to them. They don’t know the dire circumstances of my resources and how I lay awake wondering where I can find more blood and gold to fund this war, Queen Olga is right that I need allies more than ever, and I have come home with even less than what I started with.
All thoughts of war leave me when I enter Emory’s room just as she’s coming out of the ensuite bathroom. She looks a little green and more tired than I’ve ever seen her. Even after her father attacked her, she didn’t look this exhausted. Concerned, I ask, “Are you all right?”
“Hey,” she answers, weakly. She goes to take a seat on the bed. “It’s just morning sickness. Dr. Martin says it’s normal and should stop soon.”
I walk over to the bed and sit beside her. “Is Dr. Martin sure this is normal? He hasn’t treated that many
shifter women.”
“Thare aren’t many shifter healers around here,” she points out. “I’d have to get someone from my pack, and they’re all still terrified to step foot in the castle.
I gently wipe the sweat from her brow, “Have you asked your mother? Were her pregnancies this difficult too?”
Emory’s face crumples. “I don’t know. She won’t talk to me.”
“What do you mean?” I question. “Why won’t she talk to you?”
Emory sighs deeply. I can see the dark circles under her eyes. Her skin is sickly pale, showing the blue veins underneath.
“Coit says that my mother won’t talk to me until I release Bernard from the dungeon, but I can’t set him free because I’m afraid he’ll just go off and cause trouble again. I can’t trust him not to go back to his old ways.”
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“He’ll try to start another war,” I agree. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”
“I know, but my mom is still loyal to Bernard even after everything he’s done. And she’s upset with me.” Her voice cracks as she continues, “I really miss her. I have so many questions about all of this, and I wish she was here with me. I just want my mom.”
I can’t stand seeing her so upset. I pull her closer to me, and she cries into my chest. I stroke her hair and murmur reassurances into her ear. I’m reminded of how young she is. Strong, brave Emory who selflessly put her pack’s well-being above her own is being punished by her own mother. It doesn’t sit right with me.
“It will be all right,” I tell her. “I will fix this.”
“How? She won’t even get on the phone with me.”
“I will fix this,” I repeat, determined. “She can’t ignore me.”