The Salvatore Sister

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Her baby wasn't due for another few weeks. The pain of labor, however, came early.

It has been nearly seven months since Arabella has seen the sun. Sébastien has kept her locked in his basement for the entire duration of her pregnancy, delivering her meals and vitamins to ensure that the baby is strong and healthy.

Every month that has gone by, Arabella has grown weaker. By the end of her first trimester, she could no longer drink blood or move at fast vampire speeds. Her pregnancy has reduced her to being a simple werewolf. One that is too weak to fight off her captor and too scared to put her baby's life at risk.

She wonders if she will ever regain her vampirism, or if the baby has permanently stripped her of that strength.

Sébastien comes when her cries of pain become too loud for him to ignore. She has faked her labor before in hopes that he will grow a heart and set her free. Instead, it only gave him justification to keep her locked down here for even longer.

"Please, let me out of here," Arabella begs. She attempts to stand, but the pain of labor immediately sends her to her knees. "Don't let me baby be born in the middle of a dungeon."

Outside the bars, Sébastien eyes her. There's a weariness to his gaze. Then, he pulls out a key from his pocket and places it into the lock. "I do hope that this is not another misguided attempt to trick me," he states.

As Arabella forces herself to stand, she can feel her water break. Liquid spills out all over the cell floor, coating its surface with a sheen.

"I can't fake that," she responds shortly before the next wave of pain hits her.

The man claiming to be her brother scoops her from the floor. He carries her out of the dungeon and carries her upstairs. The light of the room they enter burns her eyes.

It takes them far too long to adjust to the lighting, making her miss significant details. If she wants to escape later, she needs to know where she is. She needs to know everything about her environment.

Sébastien carries her into a bedroom that has a crib in the corner of the room. The room is painted a lilac color and is decorated with a mix of adult and children decorations.

Two women stand on the outskirts of the room, awaiting orders from their leader. They both refuse to look in Arabella's direction, instead staring straight ahead.

Arabella cries out in pain while the lights above them rapidly flicker. Everyone else in the room glances overhead in surprise.

"Looks like we're about to have a little witch," Sébastien claims. He looks over at the two women. "I will grab whatever materials you need. Ensure that my niece is born healthy."

This is not how Arabella ever imagined the birth of her child. She thought that she would be receiving the comfort of the child's father. She thought that she would have the support of her friends and family.

After she was turned into a hybrid, she had forgotten her dream of having children. Arabella had been happy with the idea of spending eternity at the side of her soulmate.

This situation is all wrong. She shouldn't be subjecting her child to a life of imprisonment. Her child should never be subjected to the painful life that Arabella has lived.

One of the women move to the edge of the bed, peering underneath Arabella's dress. Her face is a vision of calm. "She's completely dilated and I can see the baby's head," the woman claims.

Her companion walks to Arabella's side, gently taking hold of her hand. "You're going to need to push, Arabella." Her voice is soft and soothing.

Some of her pain eases from the touch of the woman, giving the werewolf some relief. She tries her best to push the baby out, but it only brings the pain back tenfold.