CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Present Time

VINCENT PACED THE ROOM as Kate let out another loud cry. God, he wished she’d stop that. Not because he was an unreasonable asshole but because there was no one to blame but himself for the pain she was suffering.

He had done this to her.

He had put this baby inside her.

Yet, he loved this child more than his own breath.

And so the torment continued.

KATE PUSHED ONCE AGAIN .

Push, push, fucking push.

Vincent squeezed her hand. “You’ve got this, baby. Push.”

Fuck you.

“Say that one more time, Vincent Moretti, and I’ll push this fucking baby inside you via your asshole.”

“That makes zero sense,” he said. “Ouch, fuck, those nails. Push again, baby.”

“ You fucking push.”

“Okay, you really aren’t making any sense. Just do as the midwife says,” Vincent instructed her.

Kate threw back her head and let out a really long, loud cry. Mostly because she knew it was driving Vincent crazy and...no, mostly it was that. If she was suffering, he needed to suffer too.

“One more push, Kate,” the midwife urged.

For some reason, the female wasn’t as irritating as her mate.

The poor vampire had been with them for nearly ten hours. Vincent had called for her despite Kate’s assurances, and then the midwife’s, that she was hours away from delivering.

In true Vincent style, he’d pointed to a chair and told Vanessa to sit.

“Let’s go, one more push,” Vanessa encouraged again.

Kate gave it everything she had before collapsing. She was done. The baby could just stay inside her forever. She didn’t care.

But then she pushed again, and Vincent leaped to his feet. “Oh my God.”

A huge cry let out across the room.

Kate watched as Vanessa handed the baby to Vincent, who stared down at his child, face full of awe and love. She knew that look well.

He glanced at her and placed their child on her chest. “Meet your mamma , little one. She’s the most incredible female in the entire world.”

“Hey, baby,” Kate said, brushing her fingers across it’s cheek. “Nice to meet you.”

“Congratulations, Your Highnesses,” Vanessa said before creeping out of the room.

VINCENT SAT AT THE head of the bed and wrapped his arms around Kate as they both stared like idiots at their child. They both ran their fingers over every little inch of its body, gently touching its nose and tuft of dark hair, playing with its feet and tiny fingers. Poking at its little mouth.

As if he were the most miraculous thing ever made. And to them, he was.

“He has your hair.”

“He does,” Vincent agreed, his voice thick. “But your eyes.”

“Yeah,” Kate said. “He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“He truly is,” Vincent replied. “We made this little vampire.”

Kate let out a small laugh. “We did.”

“Made with love,” he added, grinning. Vincent felt like the gushiest father on the planet, and fuck yeah, he would wear that stupid baby scarf. In fact, he couldn’t wait to carry his son around and show him off to the entire world.

“Welcome to the world, Prince Lucas Vincent Moretti,” Kate said.

“One day, Lucas, you are going to be a king,” Vincent told him, kissing his son on the nose. “Like my father, I am going to teach you everything I know. But I promise you, son, I am going to be by your side as you take the reins. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I swear I will.”

“Vincent. You don’t know if you can make that promise,” Kate reproached quietly, placing a hand on his cheek.

“I will, Kate. I promise I will.”

She smiled at him, a sparkle in her eye.

Neither of them wanted to leave this world. They wanted to meet their grandbaby vamps and watch their family grow as neither of his ancestors had. Vincent wanted a big Moretti family full of Christmas nonsense and annoying reindeer.

“Now, let’s get the rest of the family in here to meet you, Prince Lucas.”

“Ho, ho, ho.” Kate grinned, and tweaked Lucas’s nose.

Keep reading the series. Ben & Anna’s steamy romance is next in The Vampire Assassin . Turn the page to read the first chapter now.