Vikki

Irisk a peep over the mezzanine balustrade. Max paces below, dressed in an immaculate tuxedo. He looks incredibly handsome. The pacing is somewhat to do with the lack of his previously ubiquitous cigar. Now I'm pregnant, he has sworn off one of his favorite vices.

It has made him grumpy, but he's doing his best not to show it, which is very cute.

Tonight is the night of the Monster Mansion House ball. Max didn't want to go, but I persuaded him we should. The business community was rocked by the revelations around Vulzal and Primal Enterprises' involvement in what was essentially slavery and that it included both monster and human victims. Max is leading the drive to weed out anyone else involved.

What is needed, even for someone not interested in business like me, is stability. Max is certainly that.

Sadly, because of my cracked ribs and bruised body, the dress I'd planned to wear for the ball was deemed far too constricting. Instead the team from Harridges came to the apartment with a selection of beautiful gowns, and I eventually chose what I'm currently wearing, a floor length champagne silk column which drapes over me, clinging in all the right places and more importantly, not pressing on anything sore.

Below me, Max pulls out his gold pocket watch, snorts, and puts it back. I smile and shake my head at my grouchy troll before I take the banister and carefully descend the spiral stairs until I'm walking towards my Max.

His jaw has gone slack, blue eyes burning bright as he drags his gaze up my body to my décolletage where the massive ruby necklace sits.

"Vee." He swallows, closing his mouth with a snap. "You look…" He hesitates, and his eyes take on a hungry hue. "Like I could gobble you up."

I walk down the rest of the stairs until I'm stood next to him. Max smells delicious, with a hint of bergamot and patchouli along with just a faint whiff of tobacco.

He puts an arm gently around my waist, tilts up my face with a thumb under my chin, and gives me the most gentle, most possessive kiss.

"Later. We've got a ball to attend, and you've got a speech to give," I say, heat flowing through me.

"What do you say we run away together instead?" Max asks.

"Nope. Peter would kill me," I reply.

Max does his grunt/growl at the idea. "He'd have to come through me first."

I laugh and Max captures one of my hands.

"Vee, I love you. I love you so much when I thought I'd lost you…" He shakes his head at the memory. "I knew the world would never be right again. So I've transferred the money today. I don't want anything between us."

"The money?" For a second, I have to think what he means. "The half a million?"

Max nods his head. "It's yours, it's always been yours. I don't care about anything else, only you."

"I don't…" My words fail me, and I'm doing my level best not to cry because I don't want to ruin my makeup. "You didn't…"

"I did, Vee. And I don't want any arguments about it. The money is yours. Do with it whatever you want. Give it away if you like, I don't care. Just say you'll stay with me. Say you'll be mine."

I hiccup a sob. "That's never been in any doubt, Max. I love you. I'm having your baby. Of course I want to stay. Who else is going to look out for Olly?"

Max laughs, a deep low roar which fills me with light. In his tux jacket, his phone buzzes. I'm treated to another kiss.

"That'll be Neville. It's time to go."

"Great, I'm starving." I smile up at my big, bad troll as he links arm with me, and we make our way out of the apartment and down to the garage.

The Monster Mansion House ball is held in an ornate Victorian building right in the heart of the city. It's been held in the same spot, even when monsters were not mentioned, for hundreds of years and attracts all the great and good (and not so good) of England's monster business community. Some humans attend too. I spot the human government chancellor entering up ahead of us, and I recognize a number of members of the Human Parliament too.

There are plenty of monsters once we get inside. A few trolls, plenty of goblins and Fae. Vampires thread their way through the crowd attempting not to look at the humans like they're the buffet. Max has his arm proprietorially around my waist, holding me close without putting pressure on my sore ribs.

"Max!" a voice I recognize calls out and we both see his lawyer, John, making his way to us with a couple of drinks in his hands. He gives one long flute to Max and hands the other to me.

"Sorry, John, I can't," I say.

He looks me up and down, and the corner of his mouth quirks up, exposing a fang which is rather disconcerting.

"Congratulations," he says.

"I'm on some strong meds…" I say, looking up at Max who is smiling widely.

"Thank you," he says to the vampire. His hand spans my stomach. "We're very happy."

"I'll get you some orange juice," John says and disappears in a puff of smoke.

"Do all vampires do that?" I say, startled.

"Only John, and he only does it because it annoys me," Max huffs.

"Are you okay in telling people about…" I put my hand over his, which is still warm against my abdomen.

"If I had my way, I'd be shouting it from the rooftops." Max gives me a tusky smile. "And I certainly can't wait for you to be nice and round so everyone will know what I put in your belly."

"Max!" I growl low.

He does his level best to look innocent. He fails. "After all we did at Arcane, you're worried someone might overhear how much I love filling you with my big troll cock?" he says, not tempering his volume at all.

I shake my head and sigh at him as across the reception hall, multiple double doors are thrown open and the crowd moves towards them.

"Ah, dinner time." Max smacks his lips. "I guess if I can't eat you here and now, despite how delicious you smell, a three-course meal will have to do instead."