by Annie Buff
"Nay, I'm thinkin' we should keep this under wraps until we need it, and I've got a feeling we're goona need it. Please tell me ye have those papers?" The maniacal laughter started again, the Ancient really was a scary son of a bitch.
"Of course I have them.” Mehmet told him, and then to her, “Annalese have you told Vlad yet?"
She looked at the ancient Turk like he was off his rocker, and maybe he was a little. "Um didn’t we just decide to keep things to ourselves like ten seconds ago? Did the rules change and you guys forget to let me in on it?”
Lachlan was first to speak, "She hasn’t figured it oot yet, but I was pretty sure and ye knew the second ye saw her. Didn’t ye?" Well of course he did, Mehmet had a knack for these things, plus her scent had changed. There was absolutely no doubt.
"Yes of course I did. How she hasn’t figured it out yet I am not sure." The Ancient replied with a secretive smirk.
Oh how she hated vampire riddles, and every damn one of them spoke that way. "Holy Hell guys, what are you two talking about? You're both making me nuts!" The men just stared at each other for a moment and Lachlan gave him the nod.
"Well my lovely Annalese, you may want to keep this to yourself until we finish with the council, and it is very early in the game, just a few days, maybe a week, but you are most definitely pregnant." Mehmet’s smirk broke into a genuine smile as he imparted this knowledge.
She almost fell over; Lachlan was there to catch her. "Oh holy shit! Are you sure? Oh God how am I ever going to know who the father of this baby is? Oh my God, oh my God!" Annalese was in a panic; both men could see she was on the verge of a major freak out.
Lachlan saved the day. "Angel, calm down, tis ok me love. Ye did in two tries what Sophia couldn't do in twenty years. Ye know it's T's baby, and I am as happy as if it were mine. Michael needs siblings, doona fret angel. T's gonna shite a brick though, so let's wait until after the council meeting, ok?"
Annalese was still in shock, she couldn’t believe she had gotten pregnant. She had just assumed with Vlad never having children before that he couldn't. "Um yeah wow, is it too soon to tell me what I'm having? I hate saying it." The old Turk said nothing, laying his hand on her middle and staying silent. The look on his face made Annalese think he was having some deep conversation with the tiny fetus. He smiled, removing his hand.
"Can ye tell Mehmet?" Lachlan was tense in anticipation.
Still grinning he spoke to them," This baby is a very happy child, knowing how it was created out of so much love. I was told to expect violet eyes like daddy and red hair like you Annalese." He was intentionally trying to drive her crazy, she knew that for sure. Mehmet loved to toy with people, humans especially.
"God Mehmet, yes or no!" Annalese was about to really loose it.
His grin had turned into a cackle, Mehmet was enjoying himself absolutely. "Ok enough fun for me, you are having a girl, and she says to tell you she loves you and cannot wait to meet her daddy. Are you going to be able to keep this to yourself Annalese?"
A girl, oh wow! Dresses and pigtails and tea parties and a million other things she couldn't think of now. "Yes, I'll be fine. Let's go get the Prince of Wallachia so we can finish this chapter and we can all start anew." She took Lachlan's hand, interlacing her fingers in his and walked through the garden to the house to escort Vlad to the council meeting.
They went by limo, Annalese curled up next to Lachlan but held hands with Vlad. A second mate, by law. How would she ever make this work? Could she give them both what they needed? Enough time for each of them, and another baby. Vlad’s baby, a daughter. Annalese even had a few names in mind. Vlad’s mother was Lillian. So Annalese had thought maybe Lily or Lyla. Oh holy shit fire, if they could just get through the council, everything else would fall into place.
The council room looked like a courtroom. They sat in what could be described as the gallery. Vlad took the "defendant's" chair. A table set up front and center. Everyone stood as the five members of the council filed in. After they sat, so did everyone else, aside from Vlad.
"Vladislaw Basarab Dracul, you have been summoned tonight to show cause why we should dissolve your mating and side with you. We have already spoken with Sophia prior to this hearing. We have her testimony, would you like to speak or let us pass judgement now?" Vlad took a very deep, cleansing breath, slowly exhaling and then addressed the council.
"Whatever Sophia told you is probably fairly accurate." That got a few raised brows from the members. "I loved her, I still do but not the way I should. That is impossible, I love another. How is that possible you ask, well I myself am not even certain, only that I do. My only explanation is that during our bonding ceremony she would not drink from me. Sophia did take my blood, but from a chalice, not a vein. Because of that I believe we never fully bonded. It is the only answer that I can give to you. As for the other, I love her heart and soul. She is beyond perfection and I am humbled by her every day."
They all sat in silence while notes passed back and forth. "Vladislaw why was the council not informed of the blood rituals at the time?" Asked Cyrus, who was in charge of the council.
"It never occurred to me that it was an issue,” Vlad testified, “She took it so I never thought it was a problem."
More notes went back and forth, and there were whispers among the panel. "Now that you've found another, you will need permission to take a mate again. Tell the members why we should grant you such permission."
Vlad was deciding how to answer. He wasn't sure he was ready to tell the world about their love triangle. It was an odd situation that worked for them. Then he straightened his suit jacket, stood tall and looked directly at them. "There will be no need for that. I could never take her as a mate, she may hold my heart and soul in her hands but she will never be mine."
Lachlan stood up, along with Mehmet. This made Vlad’s already excited sense of self preservation and dignity more agitated. He had no idea what to expect. Lachlan began, “I’d like to speak if I may Cyrus. I know the woman he speaks of and I think he needs the permission. He's a good man. I doona know what he was like with Sophia in private, but I have seen him with the other. No one could mistake it for anathing other than pure and unconditional love. I know she loves him exactly the same way."
Cyrus sat thinking before he asked his next question. "How do you have these facts, Lachlan McCain? Do you speak with this woman?"
Lachlan knew this was going to raise a few eyebrows, but it was going to come out sooner or later. Now seemed like as good of a time as any. "Aye Cyrus I do. Every morning when we climb into bed together. See, she's my mate and she loves us both. Before ye ask, she's human. Both Vlad and I love her madly. So ye see he needs those documents signed." Cyrus spoke again, this time addressing Vlad, who was in shock after listening to Lachlan spill it all.
"I believe we all agree the dissolution was not your fault and yes we will give you the permission that you need to mate again. However since the human is already mated, you must choose another." Cyrus passed his judgement.
That’s when Mehmet, still standing, addressed the court. Vlad felt his stomach sink, fearing what the old Turk could possibly have to say. "Cyrus, if I may, Vlad can mate with Annalese should she choose him. Here," he pulled the ancient scrolls from his satchel, "are the Iscariot Parchments. Second to the last page reads 'And as a second mate is chosen to keep safe the home the first built, so as it is written, so it will be law'. Meaning not only can Annalese choose a second mate, but she can by law. A very old law, but law just the same. And you as the council must abide by the written law."
Floored by what he was hearing, Vlad turned to see her; Annalese was smiling with tears running down her cheeks. He knew they were happy tears, but Vlad hated seeing them, no matter what, her tears would always upset him.
Cyrus had one more round of questions, this time for Annalese. "Stand mate of Lachlan McCain and step forward." She did as she was asked, but before she was addressed Annalese was going to make s
ure they knew just who they were dealing with. "Tepes!" She said, loudly enough that they all could hear her clearly.
"Excuse me? You do realize you are speaking with the Vampire Council!" Cyrus spoke down to her, like she had no idea where she was or what they represented. That pissed her off. "Yes I realize, you think you're important, but guess what? I am important also. My name is Annalese McCain Tepes. Did you hear that last part, let me repeat it… Tepes! I am the Princess of Wallachia, mate to Lachlan, heir to the Dracul legacy, mother of the future Prince. Let us not forget future mate to Vlad Tepes who is honestly your King. That is who I am, now when you speak to me, address me properly and I will gladly answer your questions." Vlad, Lachlan and even Mehmet stared at her in shock. None of them had expected her to be quite so vocal.
The only female on the panel stood up. Oh shit, Vlad thought to himself. "Your highness,” The standing council member imparted, “please forgive my colleague, he tends to forget his manners. I have only one question for you if I may?"
"Of course, please ask anything you'd like." What she asked was the question of the century, and the entire room fell dead silent.
"When are you due? Never has pregnancy looked so good."
Oh crap, Annalese was hoping to save this for after, but now she had no choice. "I just found out before we arrived so the estimate is the end of October, I was hoping for Samhain."
Vlad looked at her, choking out his words. "Annalese, is it…?" He couldn't even finish his sentence, Vlad’s voice escaped him.
Annalese addressed the council, “May we be excused for a few moments? I need to speak with Vlad, I can return if you need." Annalese left her seat and grabbed Vlad’s hand and pulled him to the door as all council members nodded to her request. Leading him outside to have some privacy, "Vlad, I'm sorry. I had a plan on how I wanted to tell you and this was not it." His head hung down, he knew Lachlan was going to be a father again. They were probably already choosing names. Vlad was sure there would be no second mating after this bombshell.
"Give me your hand big guy," she took it so his palm would be on her middle. "Tell me what you feel?"
Vlad closed his eyes and let his senses work, then after a few minutes he spoke. "A girl, you are having a girl."
Annalese shook her head, "No Vlad." He looked at her like she was losing it and did his eyebrow raise.
"No is a word I seem to hear a lot lately, and I do not like that word. I felt a girl Annalese. Is there something I do not understand? Please explain it to me. I feel this whole thing must have dulled my senses."
This was going to be her favorite moment ever, getting to tell Vlad about the baby. "I am not having a girl. We, as in you and I are having a girl. Vlad, meet your daughter." His eyes filled with tears, Vlad tried so hard to hold them back but they spilled down his cheeks. He dropped to his knees, aware they were being watched, but not really caring. The entire council along with Mehmet and Lachlan stood just thirty feet away, watching the scene unfolding before them.
"How?" Vlad choked out, the words stuck in his throat. "I tried for so long with Sophia. I wanted a baby so badly! Are you saying it wasn't me, this is really my daughter?" He was still on his knees, his hands on her middle. Vlad laid his cheek on her belly and just cried.
"Yes baby, this is really your daughter. Mehmet said she wanted to meet her daddy, and to expect your eyes and my hair."
"Oh fuck!" He was still sobbing, this was the miracle he had hoped for, prayed for over the years, and it had finally happened. "Gods, thank you. Annalese thank you." Vlad was still on his knees, hugging her, kissing her tummy ever so softly.
"Aye Cyrus, doona ye think ye have seen enough? Sign off and let me take me King home." That was it for the council. Lachlan went over to where Vlad and Annalese were. "Aye T, congratulations dad. Now ye want to get up before yer reputation is truly destroyed."
Vlad gave his nod and stood. Silently they made their way back to the limo. They had been riding for some time before Vlad decided the silence was killing him. "This is why you needed Mehmet." It wasn't a question, just a stated fact. "Lachlan, why would you do this for me?" That was the question; the one Vlad desperately needed an answer to.
"Aye, well T, t’was only right. I've told ye before, I may have loved her first, but that doesn't mean she doesn't love ye too. And it makes our family complete. Now we were always a bit unconventional, so why the bloody hell not. T'will make everyone happy, including me self. Anathing that makes her happy ye know. Just enjoy it. Plus yer having a baby. That should make you verra happy. Yer daughter spoke to Mehmet, maybe she will talk with her daddy." Vlad placed a hand on a sleeping Annalese's middle and closed his eyes. He didn’t open them for quite a while, but the smile on his face told them he was communicating with his daughter. His eyes finally opened, still sporting the Cheshire cat grin. He kept his hand firmly in place and just kept grinning.
"So T?" Lachlan asked his King.
"Well, I would like to sit in the library, by the fire, with a bottle of that emergency booze and then I will tell you both what my daughter said to me. At the moment I would just like to revel in the fact I am going to be a father." And that’s exactly what he did. Vlad’s mind was racing a million miles an hour. The tiny fetus growing inside Annalese spoke to him. She had told him she loved him and that she would see him in October. All of his mature life he had yearned for a child of his own. Someone to keep the Dracul bloodline alive. Someone who could love him no matter what he had done. Somehow it had happened; Annalese had given him a gift, the one thing he could ever want more than her, a child. A daughter, Vlad was already aware he would move mountains for her, just as he would for her mother. She had said her mommy had a name for her already. Vlad sat imagining what it would feel like to hold her, to look into the eyes that he helped create, to feed her. To protect her from the world she would be born into. “Well,” he thought, “I'd better find my warlord side again. If she looks anything like her mother I will be impaling teenage boys at an alarming rate.”
They arrived home and Lachlan woke a sleeping Annalese, she kissed both of her Vampires, giving them a sleepy smile as she headed up to lay in the tub. To soak away some of the stress of the past few weeks.
The three vampires adjourned to the library. Lachlan, deciding to be a smart ass, used his gift of fire to light up the fireplace just as Mehmet was stacking logs in it.
"Mother Fucker!” Mehmet roared. “You are such an asshole McCain!" Lachlan was laughing so hard no sound came out. Tears were streaming down his face and he was slightly purple from lack of oxygen. Finally a burst of air hit his lungs and then the sound came in the form of a snort, and more laughter. Lachlan waved a hand and walked out trying to rein himself in.
Vlad just kept grinning. He handed the slightly charred Mehmet a glass and settled his long frame into his favorite leather chair. He chose to keep the bottle rather than refill a glass. Tonight he was celebrating something - an event in his very long life he never thought would come to pass. The gift of life; created by himself and the woman who was everything to him.
Lachlan returned having finally gotten control of himself. "So T, tell us what happened in the car. Did ye hear your baby girl?"
He gave the nod. It was classic Vlad, just like the eyebrow raise he did so often he should put a patent on it. "She did speak with me, and I will tell you… but first, whatever possessed you two to look into the second mating? And what the fuck got into our girl? She is usually a bit quieter than that. When Cyrus called her McCain, he knew it would piss her off, but holy mother of the Gods that woman has fire we have yet to discover."
Lachlan could only agree, "I'm thinking yer rubbing off on that sweet lass. Our quiet little angel grew a damn big pair tonight, doona ye think?" All three laughed, she had grown a big pair all right. Not one of them expected her to be as vocal as she had been towards Cyrus. But with Annalese, Vlad was beginning to expect the unexpected.
"She may be able to handle both of you no problem.�
� Mehmet said, and then inquired, “So my old friend, how does it feel to have your oldest comrades putting Cyrus and the council in its place? I must admit I did enjoy watching him squirm. It was most pleasurable. And speaking of pleasure, how are you both going to handle sharing?" It was something the old Turk was quite curious on. He himself could never share a woman with another man, let alone a brother. He had no idea how Vlad and Lachlan did it.
"Well Mehmet,” Vlad explained, “we have been doing that for almost a year now, but I suppose our sleeping arrangements will probably change now. That's all up to our lady; she'll decide what she wants. We are just along for the ride."
Lachlan gave a short laugh. Both he and Vlad would be happy with whatever she decided. "So T. Are we ever gonna hear what happened when you were communing with that baby girl of yours?"
Vlad was still sporting his grin, and it felt good to have something to smile about. "Ah yes, my daughter. It still sounds so surreal to say. She gave me an explanation of why I was finally able to create life. She said it was because her mother is my 'the one'. Even though she is your mate, she is mine too. That Sophia was not my destined mate, it is Annalese.
“She also seemed to be of the understanding that she and Michael are not the only children we will be raising in this house. It may be time to remodel." Vlad was chuckling and that too felt good.
About that time Annalese appeared in the doorway. "Hey, can I join the party?" That woman could light up Eastern Europe with her smile, at least that’s how Vlad thought.
"Aye angel of course." Lachlan held out his arms and she went to him, kissing and hugging. Then to Vlad with the same affections.
"I feel quite forgotten. You should spread a little love my way." Mehmet said laughing. He knew she had no intentions of affection towards him but the teasing was fun for him.
The best part was she gave it right back. "Nope, none for you. I like you Mehmet, but not that much."
The old Turk laughed out loud, she was definitely spunky. He had been hoping over the centuries to find one with that kind of spunk, but so far Mehmet had not met his ‘one’. He still held out hope, even being as old as he was that she was out there somewhere.
