The next day was Saturday, and Donna woke up feeling refreshed, madly in love, and frisky.
“Hi,” she winked seductively at Hunter, who sprawled against a stack of pillows, watching cartoons.
“Good morning, sweetheart.”
“You're looking hot enough to melt the sun,” Donna whispered. Before Hunter could respond, she crawled on top of him and planted her mouth on his. She pulled off her clothes, then his, and had her way. Then they rested. Within a few minutes, Donna was ready to go again. Hunter was happy to oblige. After that, she dozed in his arms for a short while and when she woke up, tackled him again. The fourth time was on the floor when Donna threw Hunter down after he attempted to rise and get dressed. Back in bed, after the fifth time, Hunter finally said, “Sweetheart, even for a vampire, there are limits.”
“I admit you do look pretty tired.” Donna lay back on the pillow and frowned. “I wonder what's wrong with me.”
Hunter brushed aside a strand of her hair and chuckled. “Pregnancy hormones.”
She sat up. “Hormones?”
“After you fell back asleep, Dante explained that although such a thing is extremely rare, you're following the exact pattern for a normal and healthy vampire - mortal pregnancy.”
“What's normal and healthy for this?”
“Apparently, insatiable cravings for exotic food combinations and lots of sex.”
“Oh,” Donna nodded slowly.
“And, in the last couple of weeks before the baby comes, hemorrhoids.”
“Ew,” her lip curled. Then she pulled him close and kissed him again. They tangled in the sheets another time. After that, Donna had to pee and Hunter looked almost ready to run outside to the broad daylight just to get a break.
She got out of bed and fumbled for her clothes, which were tied in knots around the bedposts and strewn haphazardly across the room. She grabbed the bedspread, wrapped it around herself, and hurried from the room and into the moth ball hall. In her mad dash, Donna almost tripped over something set in front of the bedroom doorway. She pushed it aside, rushed to the bathroom door and pressed the latch. It was locked and the shower was running.
“Hey,” she hollered. “Who's in there?”
“It's just me,” Samee cheerfully called back.
“I have to pee.”
“Okay, I'll be out soon.”
“I don't have to pee soon,” Donna danced in the hallway. “I have to pee now.”
“I'll only be a few more minutes.”
“I'm the mortal half of a vampire – mortal pregnancy, Samee. I don't think my bladder's going to wait a few more minutes.”
Samee sighed loud. “Fine, hold on.” The shower curtain snapped back and a few seconds later, the door latch popped up. “Come on in.”
“Thanks.” Donna opened the door and steam belched out at her. She tiptoed through Samee’s footprint puddles and over to the toilet. Samee was already back in the shower.
“So it's true then,” she said from behind the curtain. “I'm going to be an auntie.”
“It's true,” Donna removed the bedspread then sat on the toilet.
Samee squealed loud enough to make Donna jump. “I'm so happy!” She poked her head out from behind the curtain and giggled. “I've never seen anybody naked on the potty before.” Then she snapped the curtain shut again. “I wonder if it's going to be a little girl. Wouldn't that be great? Or maybe a little version of Hunter. Aw, how cute. Speaking of Hunter, he's giving me driving lessons tonight. I'm so excited. He's going to make me take the stupid DMV test like a regular mortal, even though his contract killer friend makes really incredible fake IDs. I think he’s just being that way to make me live in a mortal world, you know, since I am one and all. And anyhow, I can pass the test even though I'll be really nervous.”
Dante's healing indeed works like magic because Samee’s even more impossibly chipper than before.
Donna wondered how quickly Trent could get after a second bathroom if she begged him. She wrapped back up in her blanket, hollered thanks to Samee and headed to the bedroom. It turned out the object she'd almost tripped over on her mad dash to the bathroom was her suitcase.
I won’t have to wear yesterday's clothes or try to squeeze into something of Samee's after all.
She smiled at Trent's thoughtfulness.
It wasn't until after she'd waited for the hot water heater to re-fill, had her own shower and was sitting in the kitchen with her hands around a warm coffee mug that it occurred to Donna.
“Hunter, I'm supposed to meet my dad for lunch in a couple hours and the Mustang's at my parents' house. Will you give me a ride?”
Hunter scoffed. “Of course not. It's daylight out there.” But then he winked. “How about you just take my car?”
“The Ferrari?” Donna shook her head. “It's too nice. I mean, I can't. I shouldn't. Okay, I will.” She jumped from her seat, ran to Hunter and kissed him generously.
“You're so cute when you're happy.” He took her face and kissed it back. “Have fun with your dad today. Just don't get a speeding ticket and make sure you're home before nightfall.”
“I will, promise.” Donna refilled her coffee mug and rubbed Hunter's shoulders. Her phone rang.
“Hi Mo,” she said. Hunter rolled his eyes.
“Donna, are you okay?” Mo didn't wait for an answer. “Because the last ten – or is it eleven - times I’ve called and texted, you didn’t answer. Your blood-sucker did once, and he insisted you were just really tired. Why does he have to answer your phone?” Again, without waiting for an answer, Mo continued. “For another thing, I just stopped by your house and your mom answered the door in absolute hysterics.” Mo burped. “I thought she wasn't coming home until Monday. She went crazy on me, Donna. She screamed, 'You're to blame for this nightmare, aren't you?' I had no idea what she was talking about. Then she yelled, 'He looks like the kind of freak you'd be responsible for bringing into my daughter's life.'” Mo snorted. “As if I'd ever set you up with a blood-sucker. Your mom's lost it. So where are you?” Mo finally waited long enough for Donna to reply.
“I'm at my new house with Hunter.”
Mo gasped. “You moved in with the creature feature?”
“I moved in with Hunter,” Donna emphasized his name. “We're living in the house at the end of Autumn Lane.”
“The haunted one?”
“Wait until you see it, Mo. It doesn't look haunted any more. Trent's fixing it up.”
“Trent? The cute one?” Mo's tone perked up. “I knew it. Damned miracle worker. Too bad he's...Well, anyway, your mom said there was a huge hole in your bedroom wall and that she intended to file charges against blood-sucker for it. She said she called the police last night, but surprise, they didn't show up. So she was going to call them again today. She pointed to where your room is – well, I guess now it's where your room was...and said, 'Just look at what that asshole did.' Well, I have to admit, Donna, I agree that your blood-sucker’s an asshole, but I didn't see any hole in the wall and I told her so. So she looked up and said in a surprised voice, 'It's gone. But how?' Well, here's how. It never was there in the first place. She's losing it. So anyway, what about the bundle of joy?”
“Hunter knows about the baby,” Donna said.
“And?” Mo persisted.
“And he's happy about it,” Donna smiled when she said that. Hunter winked.
“He damned well better be,” Mo snapped. “That's my niece or nephew growing inside you.” She laughed. “So here we are, your milestone birthday's tomorrow and I can't take you out and get you drunk.”
Donna laughed. “You couldn't have anyway. You're not old enough until December.”
“All our lives, you've been rubbing it in that you're the oldest,” Mo pretended to complain, but it was halfhearted. Anyway,” she added, “I gotta go to work. I just wanted to know you're okay.”
“Thanks for checking on me, Mo.”
Donna spent the next couple h
ours chatting with Samee, investigating online college options and downloading programs to improve the Organization's computer capabilities. She also sketched Trent and Dante. Samee bubbled over when she saw the likenesses.
“They say vampires have no soul, but you captured theirs perfectly.”
Trent grinned at his sketch. “Damn, I'd forgotten how good-looking I am.”
Dante thanked Donna and hung his picture where the mirror above his dresser should have been. Hunter wouldn't let himself be sketched. He said he'd spent a lot of time forgetting what he was and didn't particularly care to be reminded. Donna kissed his cheek.
“You're half of me, Eternal Partner.” He searched Donna's eyes and then agreed to let her sketch him. When he saw the finished product, a grin twitched across his lips.
“Yeah, I remember that guy,” he said softly. “He used to be a pretty decent man.”
“He still is,” Donna placed her hand over his and nuzzled his spice-scented neck.
A little while later, Donna sat behind the wheel of Hunter’s fast car, turned the engine and smiled.
“I feel like I'm ready to take on the whole, wide world,” she winked at Hunter.
He winked back. “I'm glad sweetheart. But let's not tempt fate.”
chapter twenty two