ROMANCE: Paranormal Romance: The Valley (Book One) (Fun, Sexy, Mature Young Adult Vampire Shape Shifter Romance)

by Charlotte Swanpol

  Bella brought Lara morning tea on a tray. She stood in the middle of the room looking around until she heard a groan coming from the bathroom. Rushing over, Bella pushed opened the door and found Lara bent over the sink.

  “Lara, what’s the matter darling?” asked Bella.

  “Mom I feel awful. My whole stomach is churning inside and I’ve thrown up twice,” groaned Lara. Bella helped her to wash her face and then took her to the bed.

  “Do you want to see Dr. Wilkinson?” asked Bella.

  “Let’s wait and see until afternoon and if this doesn’t settle then it’s probably best that we give him a call,” Lara replied as she climbed into bed.

  Surprisingly by afternoon Lara felt better and put off going to the doctor.

  “Are you alright now sweetie?” asked Bella looking rather suspiciously at her daughter.

  “Yes Mom, I feel fine. It must have been something I ate last night,” said Lara and she smiled at her mother.

  By evening Lara felt lethargic and lazy as she climbed into bed with a book.

  “What’s the matter with you Lara? I told you if you were not feeling well that you should see Dr. Wilkinson.”

  “Oh Mum, please leave me alone will you?” asked Lara as she put the book down and shut her eyes.

  The following morning was no better as Lara began to throw up once again and this time the vomiting did not stop with one turn, which scared Lara. She dragged herself to bed and flopped down exhausted. Bella entered the room and found Lara sprawled across her bed.

  “Lara, I’m taking you to see Dr. Wilkinson,” exclaimed Bella authoritatively.

  Dr. Wilkinson had been their family doctor ever since Lara was a baby and he knew the Parks family for years. The old doctor smiled kindly as Lara explained to him her symptoms. He nodded and rubbed his chin.

  “When did you have your last period Lara?” asked Dr. Wilkinson. Lara looked alarmed as she thought for a while.

  “The last time I had my period was about a month ago,” said Lara softly.

  “Okay, I’m going to have you take a urine test and that should hopefully give us some answers?” said Dr. Wilkinson as he summoned his nurse. “Take Miss Parks for a urine test please Melanie,” said Dr. Wilkinson.

  After Lara had left with the nurse, Bella looked at Dr. Wilkinson. “Do you think she is pregnant?” asked Bella. Dr. Wilkinson nodded.

  “It’s sounding likely Bella,” said the old doctor. “Is she in a relationship?” Bella shook her head. “Not that I know of,” she said.

  Lara and Bella sat in the waiting room until the report was ready. Half an hour later the nurse called them into Dr. Wilkinson’s consulting room.

  “As I predicted, Lara it appears that you are pregnant,” said Dr. Wilkinson.

  “Pregnant, Oh my God,” said Lara as she sank into her chair.

  Bella looked in shock at Lara as she was not aware that she had been sexually active recently.

  Well Lara, are you going to inform the baby’s father?” asked Dr. Wilkinson. How on earth was Lara going to tell Dr. Wilkinson that she did not know whether the father was Ricardo or James? “Oh my God why did I get into such a mess?” she thought to herself as she massaged her temples.

  Lara nodded. “Yes, I will inform him,” she said softly. Dr. Wilkinson wrote out a prescription for the initial medication of a pregnant mother and gave it to Lara. “See me in a month’s time Lara. These things happen,” said Dr. Wilkinson kindly as he tapped Lara on the shoulder. Somehow Lara felt tears sting her eyes as she walked out of the consulting room.

  Bella took Lara’s hand in hers. “We shall see this through Lara. When you are ready you could tell me who the father of the baby is,” said Bella.

  Lara turned to look at her mother and hugged her tightly. “I am sorry Mom,” she cried openly in the car park.

  “Like I said, we will see this through. You and I have been through much worse than this Lara,” said Bella as she took the car keys from Lara’s hand and opened the passenger door for her daughter.

  “I will drive. You are in no state to drive now,” Bella instructed as she slipped into the driving seat and started the engine.

  On their way home Lara’s cell phone vibrated in her pocket. Flipping it open she saw that it was James and then realized it was Monday morning and she had not reported to work.

  “Hi where are you Lara?” asked James.

  “I am at home,” said Lara. James knew right away that Lara was lying.

  “If you are at home, how is it that I hear noises of vehicles and horns?” asked James.

  “Sorry James, I am not well and just returning from the doctors,” said Lara.

  “Oh I’m sorry to hear that. Is everything okay?” he asked casually.

  “I will let you know tomorrow. In the meantime can I take the day off?” asked Lara praying that James would agree.

  “Certainly, no problem. I’ll swing by to see you in the evening,” said James and even before Lara could protest he had hung up.

  Bella drove in silence as she glanced at Lara now and then. The girl was in deep thought. “What would you like to eat Lara?” asked Bella as she stepped into the apartment.

  “Something like a sandwich would do Mom,” whispered Lara as she walked toward her bedroom. Lara walked to the window and looked out at the New York skyline. Her eyes grew moist as she thought of Ricardo. “The baby cannot be James’s as after I had sex with James I got my period,” said Lara to herself. “It has to be Ricardo’s,”

  Although James said he would drop in that evening he was stuck at the Hilton with his lawyers trying to iron out the process of getting Mark from the Greece office to hand over the money he had pilfered. Lara switched off her cell phone and got into bed, telling her mother that if anyone called, to say that she was asleep.

  Although Lara got into bed, sleep was farthest from her. She tossed and turned and wondered how she was going to put this issue before Ricardo.

  Hours later, Lara finally fell asleep. When she woke up in the morning she felt fine. Upon arriving at the office she was told by Sarah that James had left for Australia that morning.

  “James had tried to call you, but your cell phone was switched off and no one answered your landline,” said Sarah.

  “When will James be back?” asked Lara. “Next Sunday,” Sarah replied as she prepared to leave Lara’s office.

  Lara walked into James’s office and as she arranged the papers that were scattered across his desk she came across an email. Picking it up she began to read it. Her eyes grew large as she dropped into the nearest chair.

  “Darling James, Mom and I tried calling your phone last evening but it was switched off. I had a baby daughter last night and she is the picture of her Dad. I know the sooner you read this email you will be on your private jet flying to Australia to welcome my baby. I think it is high time you gave over your New York branch and returned to Australia to be with your family. We miss you so much James. Little Aaron is overjoyed with his baby sister. Can’t wait to see you James,” Love Natalie,”

  Lara blinked rapidly as she dashed the tears from her eyes. “The bastard – he has a family back in Australia and still he goes around screwing every woman he comes across,” said Lara to herself, as she put the stack of papers in order and then walked back to her room. Sitting before her computer she rapidly types her letter of resignation and left it on James’s table. Lara had a few more matters to attend which James had left on her table with instructions attached. It was her duty to finish her work as she was paid for it.

  Lara left D’Frank Financiers that evening with no regrets at all. She knew very well that the baby she was carrying was Ricardo’s and not James, but how was she going to let Ricardo know that she was carrying his baby?

  “Would Ricardo say that the baby is not his?” thought Lara as she drove home. Albert the doorman greeted Lara with a smile as she walked into the lobby. When Lara entered her apartment Bella was seated by the window sewing.
r />   “Hi Mom,” said Lara.

  “Hi sweetheart how as work?” asked Bella.

  “Mom I’ve decided to leave D’Frank Financiers today. I won’t be going back to the office again,” said Lara.

  “Oh and why is that?” asked Bella calmly. ”

  Do you mind Mom that I have no job for the moment?” asked Lara.

  “Of course not, like I said we will see this through,” said her mother as she dropped her sewing into the wicker basket and got up to go to the kitchen.

  Surprisingly James did not even call Lara and it hurt her to think how much of an asshole he was.

  Chapter 5

  *** Two month later

  When Lara bumped into Sarah at the mall, she was shocked to see that Lara was pregnant.

  “Lara?” said Sarah looking directly at Lara’s protruding tummy.

  “Hey Sarah, how are you?”

  “I am fine and you?” replied Sarah.

  “Well, as you can see I am pregnant,” smiled Lara.

  “When did you marry and who is the lucky guy?” Sarah said in an upbeat tone.

  “You will see sooner or later,” Lara responded.

  Sarah drove back to D’Frank Financiers and rode the elevator to James’s office room. James’s had hired a new personal assistant, Grace Parkinson, who was forty-five years old and very efficient at her work. Natalie and her mother had insisted that he get a middle-aged personal assistant and that his days of playing around were now over.

  Grace looked up when Sarah entered the room.

  “Is James in?” asked Sarah.

  “Yes he is,” said Grace eyeing Sarah suspiciously. Sarah smiled and whizzed past Grace before Grace could stop her.

  “James I saw Lara at the mall this morning,” panted Sarah.

  “Sarah sit down and catch your breath before your drop dead,” grinned James.

  “James you will not believe what I am going to tell you. Lara is pregnant.” “She is what?” asked James in surprise.

  “Lara is pregnant,” repeated Sarah.

  “Are you sure?” asked James and then realized what a stupid question he had just asked Sarah.

  “Is she married?” asked James.

  Sarah shrugged her shoulders. “She didn’t tell me anything, but she still looks very beautiful,” said Sarah.

  James sighed and looked out of the window. Picking up his cell phone, he dialed Lara’s number. His call immediately went to voice mail. “Damn it,” he screamed as he threw his phone across the table.

  Lara drove home very sure that Sarah would convey to James that she was pregnant and she knew that he would try to call her, so she put her phone on voice mail and stuffed it into her handbag. She was not going to answer any calls from James.

  *** One month later

  Walking through her apartment lobby, Lara stopped to check whether she had any mail. There were two letters from the bank. Putting the two letters into her handbag Lara hopped into the elevator up to her apartment.

  Bella was seated in the living room when Lara entered. Lara sniffed the air. Was it her imagination or was it the smell of a man’s cologne, which wafted across the living room.

  “Mom the living room smells wonderful,” said Lara as she put the groceries down on the table.

  “I agree,” smiled Bella. Lara looked at her mother and wondered why she was so happy and sort of energetic as well.

  “Mom what’s up? You look years younger today,” said Lara as she entered the living room. Bella smiled and nodded her head.

  “I should be,” she said smiling and nodding toward the far end of the living room. Lara froze where she stood when she saw Ricardo sitting there. He smiled his usual lopsided smile and walked toward Lara. Bella made a discreet exit closing the door of the living room quietly as she stood in the corridor and wiped a tear from her eye.

  “Ricardo?’ whispered Lara. “Yes sweetheart it’s me,” said Ricardo spreading his hands out.

  “So how is our boy doing in here?” asked Ricardo looking down at Lara. As if the baby knew something was going, on it stretched a limb and Lara smiled.

  “How do you know?” asked Lara.

  “James, he called me last week and told me that you were pregnant,” said Ricardo.

  “Don’t even talk about that bastard James,” said Lara her eyes spewing flames of fury.

  “Lara why are you angry with James. He did the right thing by calling me,” said Ricardo looking confused.

  “Well your boss James has a family back in Australia and he screws every woman he comes across here in New York,” spat Lara.

  Ricardo began to laugh and he hugged Lara. “Sweetheart James is not married and it is his sister Natalie and mother who live in Australia,” said Ricardo. Lara looked at Ricardo in surprised and shock.

  “Natalie is his sister?” she asked. Ricardo nodded. ‘Yes, Nats is James’s sister and she had a baby recently. Her husband Tom Hammond runs the Australian arm of D’Frank Financiers,” said Ricardo.

  “Well then how does James know that the baby is yours?” asked Lara.

  “Sweetheart can we sit down for a while. It is not good for you to stand in the state that you are now,” said Ricardo as he and Lara sat on the sofa.

  “Listen to me Lara, James cannot have children at all. He was involved in a very bad motor accident five years ago and after that the doctor told him that he would never be able to have children,” explained Ricardo.

  “Oh dear, that’s so sad,” said Lara feeling ashamed for having lashed out at James the way she did.

  “Listen, enough about James. I have spoken to your mother and asked for your hand in marriage. Ricardo proceeded to get down on one knee. Lara Anastasia Parks, will you marry me?”

  “Oh Ricardo, Yes, yes, yes!” exclaimed Lara flinging her arms around him and hugging him so tight that the baby insider her womb gave one big shove that even Ricardo felt against his stomach.

  “We’ve got one hell of a guy in there. Perhaps he’ll be a soccer player one day, just like his father was,” said Ricardo as he kissed Lara passionately on the lips.

  THE END

  Back to Table of Contents

  The Wanted

  Lexi Summers

  The Wanted

  Chapter 1

  Kalisa slammed the front door of the house shut and determinedly stopped the tears that threatened to spill from the corner of her eyes. She didn’t look back as she walked away, but was only half way down the wide gravel driveway when the doubts began to surface. She was now twenty years old and she had grown used to the sheltered and cosseted lifestyle her parents provided. The thought of living without their help wasn’t something she’d ever considered, but it seemed she might now need to. Previous disagreements with her strict parents typically ended in her caving in and doing what they wanted, but she knew it needed to be different this time. It was her life and her choice, so for once she wasn’t about to be railroaded into something she didn’t want to do.

  That thought made her keep going as she stepped through the gates at the bottom of the driveway. There was still the slightest of hopes that a shout might call her back, but it didn’t happen and she walked away from the house. There was only one place she knew to go so she went to the stop at the end of the street to catch a ride.

  The bus was almost empty of passengers when it arrived and Kalisa just dropped down on the first seat she came to. She stared out of the window as the journey progressed, but didn’t really take in any of the passing sights as she thought about what she was doing. In truth, she knew it would be difficult, if not impossible, to go through with her plans. That didn’t stop her walking out on her parents in a fit of anger, however, and she was in no mind to return.

  As the bus approached the stop she wanted, she got up to walk to the door and rang the bell. She stepped down to the sidewalk when the vehicle came to a complete halt then walked the rest of the way to her friend’s apartment.

  “Argued with your parents, did you?�
�� Destiny said with a rueful smile when she opened the door.

  “Can’t I just visit a friend?” Kalisa replied.

  “Carrying a case?” Destiny pointed out as she glanced down at the bag her friend was holding.

  “Oh yeah,” Kalisa said and gave an embarrassed smile. “OK…, I argued with my parents.”

  Destiny shook her head as she moved out of the way to let Kalisa step inside. The door was closed and they walked along to a small lounge.

  “So…, what happened this time?” Destiny asked.

  Kalisa dropped her bag on the floor and moved to throw herself down on the sofa.

  “They told me which university I was going to.”

  “And you didn’t agree with their choice, I take it?” Destiny replied.

  “Things have been rumbling on for weeks, but came to a head this evening. My mom is set on me following in her footsteps and going to the university she attended to study accountancy. She sees it as a stable career that will serve me well.”

  “Oh shit,” Destiny said and put a hand to her mouth to stop the laugh coming out. “Accountancy sounds so dull.”

  “Tell me about it,” Kalisa said and made a show of shuddering. “In fact, I can’t think of anything worse. They know my preference is for English literature and creative writing, but they don’t see that as a sensible subject that will get me a good job. I ignored their opinion and put in for the course I wanted to do at a local college and got the news today that my application was accepted.”

  “And your parents didn’t take the news very well,” Destiny said.

  “They went ballistic,” Kalisa said and grimaced. “We had a massive argument and they said if I was old enough to apply for the course without telling them then I was mature enough to see it through on my own…, without their help.”

  “They threatened to cut you off,” Destiny let out in an incredulous voice.