Prologue
I watched Raiden's chest rise and fall with every deep breath he took. I had laid awake for some time now feeling unusually restless but the moonlight shining on Raiden's face had always put me at ease. I did not want to disturb his slumber but the pout on his lips as he slept made it almost impossible not to steal a kiss.
I leaned in gently and as softly as I could, brushed my lips against his. I felt the corner of his top lip rise into his signature smirk. I couldn't help but to smile back as I mumbled, my lips still against his. "I thought you were asleep?"
He smiled a bit wider, his eyes remaining closed. "Well I would have been but some creep kept watching me like some weirdo."
I gawked at him, acting as if I were offended and gently pushed against his chest. We both laughed as he suddenly rose up and pushed me underneath him, caging me with his arms. "What are you doing awake at 3 am?"
I shrugged my shoulders, my hands finding their way up between us to his face where I could brush his light brown hair away from his dark, almost auburn eyes. They looked back at me with a bit of concern, his brows a bit furrowed.
"I just couldn't sleep is all."
He looked down and slid his hand between us covering my little bump of a belly with his large hand. "Our little son keeping you awake?"
Somethings stirred inside me and my heart skipped a beat at 'our son' escaping his lips. "No, just awake is all. . . And stop calling the baby a son, we don't know what it is yet and won't know for weeks!"
He chuckled as he laid back putting his arms behind his head in a confident manner. "I know exactly what we are having. Trust me, I have a good feeling and I'm hardly ever wrong."
I shook my head at him with disapproval as I rolled out of bed. "You can keep telling yourself that but in about 6 months you may be very disappointed!"
He reached out grabbed my wrist to pull me back over him and lock me in an embrace, his arms making me feel small and protected. "Nonsense Ember, I will be delighted either way!" He laid a million kisses on my cheeks and jaw, his stubble tickling me as he made his way down to my neck.
I giggled at every kiss, each one feeling more ticklish than the last. "Let Go!" I tried to push against him but it was no use as his kisses continued their assault. "Raiden please! I will pee for sure if you don't quit!"
He laughed against the crook of my neck and shoulder before giving me one last squeeze and letting go. "Alright fine you wimp." He chuckled completely satisfied with himself as he stood out of bed and slid some sweatpants over his boxers. He grabbed one of his shirts out of his drawer and threw it at me. "How about 3 am waffles?"
I slipped his shirt on basking in his scent and nodded. "Sounds like the perfect plan to me."
He walked over to me and smiled down at me, one of his arms wrapped around me firmly squeezing my lower back as the other caressed my cheek. "Anything for you Darling. . ."
I face warmed against his hand as he leaned down to give me a deep kiss. I was certain that waffles would be forgotten and we'd end up back under the covers until he let go suddenly and walked away with a low chuckle.
I rolled my eyes in annoyance as I watched him walk away and muttered "Tease!" Loud enough for him to hear. I was certain he knew exactly what he was doing to me.
In the bathroom, I watched myself in the mirror as I finished washing my hands. The girl looking back at me glowed brighter than ever, no sign of lack of sleep showing. My blue eyes shined and almost glittered in the light as I smiled back at myself.
I turned sideways and lifted my shirt to admire my growing bump. It was still hard to believe that I was about to have a baby with the love of my life. Raiden and I hadn't been together long when I fell pregnant but it all felt perfectly meant to be.
I had been hanging out with a couple friends at a graduation party outside of our city. I had originally refused to go but something had convinced me to make an appearance. There were many strange faces I had never seen and none had caught my eye until a strong presence demanded my attention.
The moment I laid eyes on Raiden, I knew that he was it. He had said the same to me the minute he walked up to me to introduce himself. I had never been so quick and careless before, especially when it came to preventative measures but with us it never crossed my mind. Perhaps love at first sight could be destiny after all.
I had only known him a few weeks when symptoms appeared but there was no doubt in my mind what the results were going to be. When the double lines confirmed my worries I wasn't sure how I was going to tell him.
To my surprise he had asked me to marry him as soon as I told him I was pregnant. I was so afraid he was going to abandon me that the shock of his response had made it almost impossible for me to answer with words. I remember nodding and jumping into his arms, no words spoken for the rest of the night, my decision clear.
At first he was all ready to go get hitched but then he decided to tell me to wait because he wanted me to be able to have the dress of my dreams and the wedding I've always imagined filled with friends and family.
I was anxious. I couldn't wait to change my last name from Bordeaux to Aldair.
"November Amora Aldair."
I blushed as I spoke the name out loud and imagined our future together.
Suddenly all thoughts came to a halt with the sound of a loud crash coming from the kitchen. I paused my thoughts and stood there silently waiting for some sort of affirmation that everything was okay.
I peeked out of the bathroom door and saw no sign of anyone or anything out of the norm. I opened my door a bit more and walked out into the hall.
"Raiden?"
I listened quietly and got no response. I went into complete panic mode and ran to the kitchen. I stopped in my tracks when I saw that it was empty and untouched other than a bowl of waffle batter spilled onto the floor.
My breath hitched and my voice quivered as I called for him once again. I was about to run out of the room to grab my phone and call for help when I turned and crashed into a bare chest. I sighed in relief and wrapped my arms around him.
"Raiden? Oh thank goodness, I—"
I felt him tense underneath my hold and it made me let go and step back to look at him. I knew something was wrong just by the worry painted on his face. His eyes seemed regretful and I swore I could see tears begging for release.
I whispered his name, not sure what to feel at that moment. His worry in his eyes quickly turned to fear. His voice clipped in a sorrowful tone as he spoke the last words I'd ever hear from him.
"I'm sorry."
I backed away in confusion and was about to question him when I heard something behind me. I had no time to react as I felt something hard hit the side of my head. I couldn't speak as a ringing filled my ears and my vision blurred. I tried to scream but silence was all I could muster. I reached out towards Raiden but couldn't make contact.
A cloud of shadows enveloping Raiden's face was the last I saw before everything went dark.
