CHAPTER THIRTEEN

STEFAN HAD BEEN searching the island for Bobbie for over an hour. The fog was making it impossible to see two feet in front of you. As a result, it was impossible to see if any tracks had been left in the damp soil that would have pointed to the direction Sorel had taken Bobbie. Most of the men wanted to give up the search and return to their warm quarters. What was the big deal in saving a mortal from a vampire. But Stefan had given his word to protect Bobbie and he was determined to keep it to her.

Suddenly someone came out of the fog towards Stefan. “Barbara?” He called hopefully. As the person got closer he could see it was Sorel.

“Hello, Witch.” Sorel smirked. “I’m afraid your a little too late to save the day. One more time and she’ll be mine completely.”

“I warn you, Vampire.” Stefan snarled. “Barbara Spencer is under my protection. Give up your plan to enslave her or pay the consequences. Don’t even attempt to come to her a third time. If you try to carry out your insidious goal, you’ll die in the trying.” He added in a menacing tone. “I’ll make sure of that.”

“You don’t scare me, Witch.” Sorel put his face close to Stefan’s and Stefan made a face of distaste as he saw blood dripping down the sides of Sorel’s mouth and could smell the scent of blood on his foul breath. “Bobbie Spencer is mine now. She’ll tear you apart to get to me when I call her to me tomorrow night. “

“Where is, Barbara.” Stefan demanded. “What have you done to her?”

“She’s back there.” He signaled behind him. “I only did to her what she wanted me to do. What she craved for me to do to her. She’s far more sated now than she ever was when she was married to you. I can assure you she reveled in every moment of it. She couldn‘t get enough of me and what I was doing to her.” He walked past Stefan. “Tell her when she awakens I’ll be back for her tomorrow night.” And with that he disappeared in the fog.

Stefan rushed in the direction Sorel said Bobbie was. He found her sprawled on the ground nude looking like a broken doll. He rushed over to her. “Barbara?” He patted her face trying to revive her. “Barbara, can you hear me?”

Bobbie was out cold. She was no doubt suffering from a loss of blood. Sorel had practically drained her dry. Stefan put his coat around her and picked her up in his arms. She was boneless and as light as a feather. He would have to replace the blood she’d lost and try to think of a plan with how to deal with Sorel.

“WHY ARE YOU so convinced doing this thing will be good for our child.” Sonny protested. “What about the effect on the baby of having all his blood drained from him. Don’t you think it’s going to have an adverse effect on him.”

“I think it’s a risk worth taking. “ Carly declared as she rubbed her stomach. “Sonny, this baby is growing inside me and not you, and I just have this awful feeling the baby will suffer the consequences unless we do this. It’s bad enough for our child grow up a vampire like we did, but what if we don’t do this and the baby grows up as something worse. Do you want our child to feel like an outsider with us the way we did with our own parents.”

“I’m just looking at the other side of the coin.” Sonny explained. “Vampires do not feed off each other. It’s because of the toxins we carry in our blood that we need to constantly consume a fresh supply of mortal blood. There’s no telling what could happen to us if we were to consume vampire blood. It could be deadly to the both of us.”

“You’re right. “ Carly conceded. “But since by being together we’re breaking all the rules and doing things together that have never been done before why don’t we find out what happens if a vampire feeds off another vampire .” She suddenly ripped open Sonny’s shirt, bared her fangs and lunged for his throat.

Sonny’s reflexes were quicker than hers and he managed to hold her at bay. “You are not feeding off me, Carly.” Sonny told her. “Don’t even think about it.”

“What’s the matter, Sonny.” She sat back as docile as a kitten. “Afraid that if I take a nip of you I might enslave you.”

“In case you haven’t noticed. “ Sonny replied. “I’m already enslaved to you body and soul and you didn’t have to do anything to make it happen. It just happened all on its own.”

“Are you saying you love me?” She asked hopefully.

“No.” He answered. “That’s not what I’m saying. To be honest I don’t really know what I feel for you. I just know you’ve become an integral part of me and I don’t think I could survive if I ever lost you.”

“I feel exactly the same about you.” She smiled as she caressed his chest. “If I ever were to lose you, I feel I just might curl up and die. It’s like we already have become one entity and we need each other to survive.” She added. “But if that’s the case, why won’t you let me feed off you.”
“Because it could be dangerous.” Sonny held her face in his hands. “We don’t know what could happen if you were to consume my blood. I won’t have you and the baby put at risk.”

“Then you feed off me.” She ripped open her blouse and bared her neck to him. “Let’s find out for sure what happens when a vampire consumes vampire blood.”

“I’d much rather do this.” He caressed her bare breast and she sighed in pleasure. “Your breasts are getting larger. I have every curve and shape of your body burned on my mind and I knew you felt different when we were making love. I could feel the slight changes taking place in your body when I touched you, but now I can see them, as well.”

“That’s because my body is preparing itself for the birth of our baby.” She trailed kisses down his chest. “My breasts are already starting to fill with milk so I can feed our child when he’s born.”

“I love watching the way your body is changing every day.” He caressed her protruding belly as he trailed kisses up her neck. “I love knowing it’s because my child is growing inside of you.” He added as he began to remove the rest of her clothes from her body. “It really turns me on.”

“I can see that.” She unfastened his pants. “I’ll just have to do something about that, won’t I?” In seconds all thoughts of vampire marriage rituals and vampires consuming vampire blood were forgotten as they satisfied their ever-present hunger for each other.

ALEXIS RUSHED INTO Wyndemere. Stefan had summoned her there. He told her there was something important she had to know about her baby. Alexis knew, or at least she thought she knew that Ned wasn’t a full-blooded witch. He was the product of a mortal father, Lord Larry Ashton, and a half-witch mother, Tracy Quartermaine, so there was no fear of her and Ned’s child be born a vampire. So she couldn’t even comprehend what Stefan had to tell her about her child.

“Stefan, why did you insist I come over here in the middle of the night.” Alexis asked. “It’s just lucky Ned was summoned up to the main house by his grandfather so he couldn’t question me on why I was coming out here in the middle of the night.”

“Things have happened.” Stefan declared. “Things you need to know about. Things that concern your child.”

“What things?” She asked already feeling dread fill her to the marrow.

“To the best of my knowledge Helena hasn’t managed to conceive a child with Faison.” Stefan told her. “Faison has dropped out of sight. He tried to murder Mother and she’s out for his blood.” He added. “And I’ve decided to give up my plans to breed a full-blooded witch child, so that just leaves your child.”

“What does this have to do with my baby?” Alexis wanted to know.

“When your child is born both Edward and Helena will try to gain possession of it.” Stefan informed her. “So when the child grows-up he can mate with the vampire child.”

“What are you talking about, Stefan.” Alexis asked in confusion. “Why would Edward and Helena want my child. My child won’t be born a full-blooded witch. My child will be as worthless to them as a mortal child would be.”

“Alexis, there’s something you don’t know.” Stefan replied. “Ashton is as much a full-blooded witch as you are.”
“What are you talking about?” She exclaimed in shock. “Ned can’t be a full-blooded witch. It’s impossible. His mother Tracy is only half-witch.”

“Tracy isn’t Lila Quartermaine’s biological daughter.” He explained. “Her mother was full-witch. Just as Ned’s father was. The reason Mother and Faison had a falling out was because he finally learned he was Ned’s biological father and that mother had been keeping that little fact from him.” He added. “There’s a possibility Faison my try to claim your child as his own, as well, since the child you carry is his grandchild.”

“You bastard!” Lightning bolts shot from her finger tips and Stefan went flying backwards against the nearest wall. “You urged me to get pregnant with Ned’s child and all along you knew I could be bringing into the world the child Helena and Edward need to go through with their plans.” A lamp went hurtling towards Stefan’s head.

“Alexis, calm down.” Stefan ducked out of the way of the flying lamp. “You know my powers are far stronger than yours. Don’t make me use them to subdue you.”

“Fine.” Alexis tamped down on her temper. “But I want to know how you could do this to me and my child.”

“I thought I was protecting you from Mother.” He said in his own defense. “If you were pregnant by Ashton then she couldn’t use you as her brood mare. I never thought your child would be a consequence. That’s why I intended to breed with a full-blooded witch and produce a child of my own.” He added. “I intended for my child to mate with the vampire child and to have complete control over the situation myself.”

“What’s changed?” She snarled. “Why have you suddenly changed your plans.”

“Because I found out Carly Benson is my daughter.” Stefan told her. “The demons trying to overthrow Damian Smith are planning to kill her and Sonny Corinthos to make sure Damian doesn’t succeed with the plan he has with Mother and Edward Quartermaine.” He added. “She’s my daughter, Alexis. I have to do whatever I have to do to protect her and my future grandchild. That’s where you come in.”

“How?” She growled.

“You need to get rid of your baby.” He informed her. “If you ingest certain herbs it’ll bring on a miscarriage.”

“What!” Alexis exploded in horror. “You expect me to murder my own child to save yours!”

“Alexis, you’ll never know a moment of peace if your child is born.” Stefan replied. “Edward and Helena will constantly try to get control of him.”

“Ned and I will deal with them.” Alexis retorted. “Without sacrificing our child to save yours. Don’t try to pretend you suggest this out of concern for me, Stefan. If my child is gone you think the demons will leave your vampire offspring alone.” She added as she headed for the door. “I’m afraid you’ll have to find some other way to save your daughter, because it isn’t going to be by sacrificing my child.” With that she stormed out vowing never to darken the doorway of Wyndemere, again.

Stefan’s revelations gave Alexis a lot to think about as she made her way back to the boat that had brought her here. So Ned was a full-blooded warlock and he’d never told her. Well, she was a full-blooded witch and she’d never told him, either. Still, she knew how power-hungry Ned could be. If he’d purposely gotten her pregnant in some bid for power there was going to be hell to pay. She knew Ned was once best friends with Damian Smith, the Dark Master. He could have struck the same deal with him that his grandfather and Helena had.

She placed a hand over her stomach protectively as she climbed into the waiting boat. No one was going to harm her child. She was going to protect her child from all she deemed a threat to him. If necessary she’d even protect her son from his own father.

“ALL RIGHT, GRANDFATHER.” Ned sighed as he stared at Edward in suspicion. “Just why did you insist I come up here at this late hour.”

“I thought you needed to be put on guard.” Edward said. “There’s a strong possibility Stefan Cassadine might want to hurt your and alexis’ baby.”

“Why would he want to do that.” Ned asked.

“There’s a lot you don’t know. “ Edward informed him. “I think it’s time you knew the whole truth.”

“What truth?” Ned sensed he already wasn’t going to like this.

“For starters,” Edward began. “Alexis is a full-blooded witch. Her mother as well as her father was a witch. Do you know what that means?”

“Oh, yes, I know exactly what it means, you miserable old buzzard.” Ned snarled. “You manipulated me into getting Alexis pregnant because you wanted a great grandchild that was a full-blooded witch. You used my rivalry with AJ to get me to do what you wanted.”

“Ned, you mated with Alexis for power.” Edward reminded him. “You wanted to be ruler of the Quartermaine empire some day. You just had no idea that the power you were playing for was far more immense than you could even dream about.”

“What are you talking about?” Ned asked.

“Supreme ruler of the witches.” Edward smiled lasciviously. “The witches that produce a full-blooded witch child will be made ruler of all the witches. It’s as close as a witch can come to ruling the world. And Damian Smith has promised to bestow that title on the witch who accomplishes this deed.” He added. “When your child is born Damian Smith will make me supreme ruler of all the witches. A title I will pass on to you one day.”

“And just why would Damian do that?” Ned responded. “I know Damian. Why would he care if two full-blooded witches had a child. What would be in it for him?”

“He needs a full-blooded witch child to mate with a full-blooded vampire child.” Edward admitted.

“The child Sonny and Carly are having?” Ned guessed. “Never! No child of mine will ever mate with a child of Sonny Corinthos’.”

“Ned, be reasonable.” Edward tried to cajole him on to his side.

“You can just forget it.” Ned was having none of this. “You’re not using my child to gain yourself some power.”
“Ned, if you refuse to cooperate.” Edward warned him. “The situation could be taken out of your hands.”

“Just what are you saying?” He asked in shock. “Are you threatening me?”

“I’m just stating facts, Ned.” Edward replied. “If you refuse to cooperate with us, the child could be taken from you and Alexis when it’s born. If you cooperate with your mother and I, we can make sure that doesn’t happen, but if you try to thwart us we won’t be able to protect you or your child from what Helena or Stefan Cassadine might do.”

“What does Helena and Stefan have to do with this?” Ned wanted to know.

“Helena wants to be supreme rulers of the witches, as well.” Edward revealed. “She’ll do anything to obtain that title. Even if she has to kill both you and Alexis and raising your child as her own. Stefan is just as ruthless, but for just the opposite reason. If your child is never born than his child and future grandchild will be safe.” He then revealed. “Carly is Stefan Cassadine’s daughter. The demons in hell opposed to Damian being appointed as the new Dark Master think they can oust him if they can prevent him from producing this vampire/witch child he wants to produce. Apparently, the promise of bringing this child into the world is how Damian got his father to appoint him as Dark Master over someone more qualified. The demons feel the best way to stop Damian in his tracks is by killing Sonny, Carly and their child. But now that Stefan Cassadine has learned Carly is his daughter all bets are off. He may see the best way to protect his daughter from the demons is by getting rid of your child, instead. That’s why you and Alexis must align yourselves with Tracy and me. We can protect you, Alexis and your child from Stefan, Helena and possibly even Faison.” He added. “Your natural father may have plans to get his hands on your child, as well.”

STEFAN ENTERED BOBBIE’S bedroom. Some of her color had come back into her cheeks and her breathing wasn’t as labored as when he’d found her on the grounds. “How is she, Mrs. Lansbury?”

“As well as can be expected, Mr. Cassadine.” Mrs. Lansbury replied. “With the level of vampire toxins Sorel has injected into her blood there’s really not much more we can do for her.” She looked at him. “What is your next move going to be?”

“I could take Barbara away from here.” Stefan replied. “But as you pointed out with the level of vampire toxins in her blood it wouldn’t do much good. So I’ve decided to stay here and fight. “ He looked down at Bobbie. “I’ll use Barbara as bait to lure Sorel into a trap he’ll never get himself out of.”

SONNY AND CARLY laid on the couch sated by the pleasure they had just given to each other. Carly laid sprawled across Sonny’s chest unable to move. “That was incredible, Sonny.” She sighed as she snuggled to get closer to him. An impossibility from the current position they were laying in. They were as close as two beings could get to each other. “It just keeps getting better and better. Do you think it will always be like this?”

“I do.” He sighed as only a sexually satisfied male could. “The closer we get emotionally, the better it keeps getting. I see no reason why we won’t continued to get closer and closer, especially when our baby is born.” He nibbled on her ear. “So it should just keep getting better and better between us.”

“Still.” A note of discontentment crept into Carly’s voice. “I couldn’t help wondering how much better it would have been if we had...” She looked up at him. “Sonny, haven’t you ever wondered what it would be like to bury your teeth in my throat as you’re burying another part of yourself in me. Haven’t you ever wondered what it would be like to drink of me. I have. Even before any of this stuff came up I’ve been craving the taste of you on my tongue.”

“You’re never satisfied, are you, Carly.” He caressed her hair fondly. “You know how dangerous it could be to both of us if we did what you’re suggesting. It wouldn’t matter which of us was feeding off of each other, the end result would be the same. We would both be taking in vampire toxins in one way or the other. If I were to feed off you I’d be injecting my vampire toxins into your blood and I would be consuming your vampire toxins as I consumed your blood.”

“Sonny, we’ll never know what will happen if we don’t try it.” She urged. “If you don’t feel comfortable with me feeding on you, then you can feed on me.” She held her hair away from her neck. “Come on, Sonny, taste me. Let’s see what it feels like.” She smiled as he bared his fangs and began to lower them to her throat.