In Between by Rizonne Alexander (the reading strategies book .TXT) 📕

to the toilet crying. Chad walked in and knelt next to me. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you” he whispered. I screamed, I couldn’t stop. I can’t loose him, not now. I can’t. “Chad!” I screamed further. “Please you can’t leave me.” I sobbed in his arms. He pulled me further to him and tighter. “I’m telling you this because it has become terminal Amber.” He said, and he burst out in tears too. “I’m sorry amber, I just wanted to spend my last few months with you, without the worries.” he cried out to me. “today they ran some test and it has spread.” He said again and we both cried. There was silence between us as if everything was busy sinking in. “Chad, I can’t loose you.” I said after a while. “I don’t want you to loose me either, fuck I don’t want to loose you too.” He said to me. I took his hand and slowly placed in on my stomach. “What are you doing?” he asked confused. “I’m pregnant.” I said and with a weak smile. Chad got up and helped me up too. “I’m going to be a father?” He asked, “Yeah.” I said laughing and crying again. He grabbed me and kissed me, I was so caught up in his kiss that I did not realise he was undressing me. “Oh baby.” He moaned in my ear and I responded in pleasure as he kissed my neck. Our heartache turned into a fiery passion that none of us could stop. He placed me on the bed and embraced my body. Kissing me down from my neck right down to my wetness. I grabbed his hair, but my fingers slipped as the hair broke away from his scalp. He immediately stopped. “It’s okay, we are okay.” I whispered to him. He took a deep breath and continued. I arched my back with pleasure and moaned his name to not stop. He lifted himself on top of me and pushed himself inside of me. He thrusted until both of us released and we fell into deep sleep.

The next morning, I woke, and Chad was still fast asleep, we both slept for more than ten hours and I feel very much relaxed. My heart is aching for the man I love, the father of my child. Yes, I said it, the father of my child. Chad still had me wrapped in his arm with his hand placed on my stomach. I slowly got up and put on my robe when I heard the door, I sniped the time on the wall; 07:11 am. I walked downstairs and opened the door. “Bastiaan.” I mouthed shocked. He looked at me, I saw his smile turn into nothing but pain. He kept his gaze and I stepped outside, closing the door behind me. “You came back?” I said, but I knew that he was on his way. “You’re with child?” He asked and looking at my stomach, “I can hear her heart beat.” He said, he tilted his head with a shocked looked on his face. “Bastiaan, please.” I said trying to take his hand. He flinched and disappeared.

Bastiaan’s POV – Chapter 12

 

The moment we entered the court yard, the fight began. Half of my kingdom perished that day. It’s a day that I do not wish to remember. It brought me a lot of heart ache but joy too. My parents did not run, they came back and all four of us fought as a unit. Nora fought too and most of our young vampires. I remember catching the chamber glass in the air that Rhamaz threw across the crowd and I cut so deep into Dregicht’s neck that even after he died his face still had the shocked expression. Once he died, the creatures of dark ran away however, we had them all executed, and my father had the entire forest burnt down to ensure that this never happens again. It was something that my father wanted to do a long time ago, even in his time of reign. That forest has just brought too much pain as well as plenty of conflict. Neriah was executed by my mother, she hates a woman that messes with her son. I actually laughed when the execution took place, my mother’s words and facial expressions was priceless. The war brought goodness too, Rhamaz has forgiven our parents and we now live in peace. The war lasted about seven months including the cleanout. I could not wait to see Amber again, she was all I could think about. I tried speaking to Rhamaz about my love for her, but he would hear nothing of it, he was not ready to accept it. My parents were thrilled but they too knew that it was wrong. How do I love knowing that there is a chance we can’t be together? During the whole process of the war, I felt her heart beating through my veins and that gave me the courage to keep on fighting, I swore to myself that I will return to her no matter what. Rhamaz is the rightful King but it took some time for him to accept it, that makes Alyssa his wife Queen and their daughter Amber a Princess. Rhamaz explained that it is not what he wants for his wife and daughter because he cannot drop everything that he built for something that he did not ask for, yeah, I feel the same brother. We decided to split Kingship duties, he has majority of rights upon the Kingdom and may come and go as he pleases, I will then oversee when he is not here.

Today we leave for France, I’m supposed to wake up excited and happy that I’m going to see Amber today, but I am not. I woke up with heart ache, with so much pain that in fact I wanted to stay here and not go to France. During the night, a shock happened. Along with Ambers heart beat that I always felt in my veins, another heart beat was alongside hers. It came through faint but then it became stronger. Amber is with child. I became so upset that I made sure she understood my hurt through the bond we share. Amber moved on, I thought that she would wait for me. I needed to see it myself, I need to process this and heal so I chose to go and see her. The day went on by very slow, nothing exciting. I have not told Rhamaz yet, it’s his daughter and I’m sure she will tell him. I wish we never shared the bond. During the day I then started to blame myself, maybe it’s my fault. Maybe I should have not left her some lousy letter, maybe I should have been in proper contact with her. Finally, it was time to leave, we greeted our parent’s goodbye, they wished us well on our departure and a safe return. “Bastiaan, are you okay?” Rhamaz asked me. “I will be fine, don’t worry.” I replied coldly. That is how I feel, cold. “Look, I know the fights was bad. The war was bad but if you need some more time I would understand.” He said. “Can you just stop?!” I snapped at him. He looked at me in shock, I was shocked myself, but emotions are running wild right now. By the time we get to France it should be around 06:30 am. We are about seven hours apart, so jetlag can be bad at times. Once we arrived, me and Rhamaz went to the hotel he booked for us, breakfast was being served already and I was famished. Once we settled into our rooms, we both hurried down to the breakfast bar and took our seats. “Bastiaan, are you okay?” Rhamaz asked. “Look, I’m sorry about earlier but I will be fine. Don’t worry big brother.” I replied. “Very well.” He said and we both digged into our breakfast. I finished up quickly and decided to go and face the truth. “Brother, I’m going to run some errands. See you tonight.” I said and excused myself from the table. “Bastiaan, if you go to Amber, tell her I will see her shortly.” he said, I nodded and left the hotel. I decided to take a walk to her place which was not far away. The country was starting to wake up now so there were not much people in the streets. Down the boulevard there were many newspaper and magazine stands, majority of them had Amber and her so called new lover on the front page. Another dagger to the heart. How stupid of me to have so much faith that our connection would mean something to her. I approached her home and the lights were still off, both heart beats became stronger as I walked up to her door. I rang the bell and gave a slight knock on the door. After a few minutes I heard her coming to the door and I braced myself. She opened it and stood in shock looking at me. I kept staring at her stomach, at the unborn child’s whose heart I could hear beating. I felt raged, sad and alone. I did not even hear her say my name, the child’s heart beat deafened me. She came outside and closed the door behind her, I could sense that she was bare under her robe, he must be here. I looked at her, “I can hear her heartbeat.” Is all that I could mouth. She tried touching me, but I left. It’s over, never will I love again. Never will I become weak again and never will I ever show my insecurities to a fucking woman! I need something fresh, yes. I escaped into the far end of the forest, I awaited and then I smelt them. Two female hikers, I sped to them and grabbed them both. I bit into the ones neck. All the terror and screaming pumped more adrenaline into their blood. Once I drained the first one, I dropped her dead body to the ground and kept hold of the other. “Now now, Missus. Shhhhhhh. I promise you the bite will not hurt okay.” I said smiling to her, I then embraced her neck and drained her body. I dropped her, and I wiped my mouth. I looked up at the sky and dropped to my knees out of breath from all the adrenaline. I wept, I wept for the hurt, for opening to another and for being a weakling. I let it all out. Just me and the two dead bodies. After releasing all of what I felt, I rid the bodies and went back to the hotel. Rhamaz was not there so decided to take a quick shower, dispose my bloodied clothes and hop down to the bar.

I did not notice the time but before I knew it, Rhamaz was next to me. “Is this your errands? Getting drunk?” He asked sternly. I tried to focus but I was wasted. “No, whhhy would this (lifting my glass to him) be an errand?” I said sarcastically. “So why are you here getting drunk?