Doctor Martin was one of the oldest vampires I knew; he had been my mother's doctor when she was pregnant with Lucien, almost sixty years ago. By now, he must have been pushing a hundred.

However, the age didn't show on his face. He looked like a man in his forties, but it was mostly due to the way he dressed and the authority he oozed. He wore a brown tweed suit with a wide lapel, hidden behind the doctor's scrubs, a fedora and oxfords on his feet. His shoulder-length hair was tied in a ponytail on his neck and his sharp blue eyes narrowed as he gazed at Lucia's flow sheet.

I sat on the couch, my elbows on my knees, as I waited for his professional opinion.

Despite being unconscious mere minutes ago, Lucia was in a good mood. She ignored the doctor looming above her and searched something on her laptop, eyebrows furrowed and eyes focused.

"Her vitals are fine." Doctor Martin's melodious voice reached me. "The baby's vitals are fine, too. Her blood pressure dropped during the night, so she felt dizzy."

I gritted my teeth, "She was unconscious when you arrived."

"Yes, it tends to happen when the blood pressure drops." Doctor Martin's voice held no emotion. "I want to increase the number of visits in the last months of pregnancy."

My stomach twisted in a knot. I barely managed to pay the visits we were having now, twice a month. But I knew things were about to get far worse. The closer Lucia was to labour, the more dangerous she became.

"How long until labour?" I asked, trying to figure out whether I should just start selling my body or dealing drugs.

"The baby is growing at the vampiric rate." Doctor Martin put the flow sheet down and looked at me. "It would be best if she could postpone the labour as long as possible. But I don't think she'll make it to the eighteenth month."

"How long?" My voice sounded gruff. "Two months, three months?"

"If we made it to the sixteenth month, the baby would have better chances of surviving." The doctor said. "So, two, two and a half months."

"And how often would you visit?"

My words bathed in hate, even though I understood him. If someone found out about this, they'd kill us all – me, Lucia, the baby, and everyone else who knew about it. I wouldn't risk my life for nothing either.

"At least once a week." Doctor Martin answered. "Leaving this to chance doesn't make me feel good."

Passing on an opportunity to make more money also didn't make him feel good.

"I'm fine with once a week." Lucia murmured, her eyes on the screen.

Two grand per week. Eight grand per month. And the labour, which would cost me more than I dared to imagine. The cost of living in Brooklyn, because Lucia couldn't move, four grand per month. The money I owed the good doctor because I haven't had a job in six months – thirty grand.

I had to come up with at least one hundred grand in the next two months, or we'd pay the price with our lives.

How I still had dignity was beyond me.

"We can stop anytime." Doctor Martin said. "You can try your luck without a doctor."

A brittle laugh left my lips, bordering on hysterical. If it weren't for me needing him, I might cut his throat right now, and see if money mattered once one was staring at the gates of Hell.

Lucia's sharp intake of breath made me reconsider my actions, though.

"Once a week is fine." I said. "Now, if this appointment is finished, I'd kindly ask you to leave."

"I'll see you next week." Doctor Martin gathered his stuff. "Oh, and Odette?"

I looked up.

"I'll send a receipt."

Oh, how I longed to make him stare down the barrel of a gun.

"No problem." I forced a smile.

Without another word, he left my apartment. Despite his questionable morals, Martin was the best in his field. There was a reason why I reached out to him when I realised Lucia experienced complications.

If there was anyone capable of delivering a vampire baby from a human body, it was him. I couldn't afford to lose him, but I also couldn't afford to keep him.

"Time to start my career as a sex worker." I sighed, and proceeded to download OnlyFans when Lucia began to cry.

"I'm going to die, aren't I?" She sniffed. "There is no way I'll make it two more months! I already feel like I'm not going to wake up one morning-"

"It's going to be fine." I interrupted. "We'll figure it out."

Her mood swings were getting to me.

"You better swallow your pride and beg Dorian for money." Lucia's tears dried almost momentarily. "I truly don't understand what's your problem with him."

"I'd rather sell my body than beg Dorian for anything." I glanced out the window at the sunrays creeping towards out mouldy window-sill.

"He didn't know." Lucia whispered, making me look at her.

Stranded to the bed, thin and dry, with her dark hair falling loosely over her shoulders, and her eyes appearing too big for her gaunt face, she looked younger than seventeen. She sucked her cracked lower lip and met my gaze.

"Dorian didn't know." She said. "He doesn't know about any of Edmond's girls. Edmond thought Dorian wouldn't understand, and, well, he kept us a secret."

For some ungodly reason, pain burst through my chest.

"Just like you didn't know before I came to you." Lucia shrugged.

The underlying suggestion was clear enough, "You think I should tell him."

"Maybe he'll understand you." Lucia shrugged, and I realised how difficult suggesting this was to her. "I know you hate him, but we need help. I need help, Odette."

When I said nothing, she continued.

"This baby is not what I wanted, that much you know. But you and I agreed the mere existence of this little creature could change the entire world. Can you imagine? Vampires and humans, capable of living together, procreating, making a whole new species-"

"I don't trust Dorian." I cut in.

"But why?" Lucia's palms dropped on the bed. "Why? What has he done? All I keep hearing is how you two hate each other! If he's an ex boyfriend, I swear to God I will find the strength to strangle you."

I had no friends.

In the past ten years, I told no one what happened between Dorian and me. No shoulder to cry on, no one to hold my hand – only my own rage to keep me company. The only people that have even asked were a pregnant teenager and a vampire hunter.

But hearing that Dorian didn't know what went on in Edmond's chambers cracked something inside me. Some badly sown wound began to bleed again. And I desperately tried to patch it up again, putting the thousandth Band-Aid on, pretending the way I handled that relationship at fifteen was still the right way to go.

"I need you to find someone for me." I changed the subject, swallowing the pain in my throat.

"Seriously?" Lucia squinted. "Are you not going to tell me?"

"Sergeant Joe Bender." I ignored her and stood up. "The vampire hunter I met was discharged from the military after breaking the guy's jaw-"

"You sure know how to pick them."

"Says the girl who hooked up with my forty-year-old brother when she was fifteen."

"Low."

I sighed, closing my eyes, and pinched the bridge of my nose. I had a habit of putting my foot in my mouth.

"I'm sorry." I murmured. "I know that wasn't your fault."

Lucia said nothing; her eyes glued to the screen and she blinked her tears away.

"Goddammit." I cursed. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, I sold my soul to the Devil for some diamonds." Lucia wiped her eyes and typed something on her laptop. "What do you want me to find?"

"Sergeant Joe Bender." I repeated, not knowing what else to say. "I want to find out why Jax broke his jaw."

"Anger issues?" She suggested.

"Please." I whispered. "I'm trying to figure out if the vampire hunters truly are at our heels."

"And where are you going?" Lucia looked up. "The sun is rising."

"Ain't no rest for the wicked."

"You're not sleeping enough." The girl closed her laptop, and when I looked at her, I saw genuine concern in her eyes. "And you're not eating enough. I can see you're on the brink of collapse. You're going to implode."

"I'm fine." I mumbled as I walked to the fridge and threw the blood bags from my bag inside.

After that, I put on the single black dress I owned, grabbed the longest coat I could find and a pair of large sunglasses.

"Odette." Lucia's voice sounded strained. "Where are you going?"

"To work the corner."

I closed the door behind me and rushed down the stairs. I'd probably prefer working the corner to what I was actually about to do, but I doubted I'd find clientele rich enough to earn enough money in two months.

The sun blinded me the moment I stepped out, causing nausea in my stomach. Cold sweat washed over me, but I ignored it and pulled out my phone. Worried that someone would find my address, I hurried down the streets, and dialled only when I figured I was far enough from Lucia.

The phone rang two times before the line cracked.

"I'm only answering because maybe you put your ego under control and I'm a big fan of personal growth." Dorian Darascu answered.

My stomach twisted into a knot.

"I need you to send a car to pick me up."

"Oh?" He laughed. "And why would I do that?"

I leaned against the building wall, trying to hide from the sun, and closed my eyes for a moment.

"Because we need to talk."

Dorian's silence pounded in my ears. I could hear music in the background and someone giggling by his side, but I knew viscerally that I had his complete attention. When he spoke, his voice sounded different, like something had settled in his throat and blocked all amusement.

"I'm not in the Den. If you want to talk, you'll have to come to my place."

Coming to his place was the last thing I wanted or needed, but Lucia was right. There were no other options. I needed to beg for money.

"Okay." I whispered. "Just send the car."

"Send the location." Dorian said. "The driver is on his way."