Darkness Chapter 30: Baby

**Tara**

Several days have passed, and we have finally settled into the safe house. I have been keeping my distance from Aaron ever since his hurtful comment. I decided to visit the local doctor to address my fears. Oh, please, God, let me not be pregnant. Aaron would never forgive me, and then he would kill me. But it wouldn't even matter if I were, because it would be Alec's child. Aaron knew the risks when we infiltrated Vincent's horde as part of our plan.

I was supposed to be the mole that led to the downfall of the hordes, along with Nelly. Vincent was meant to kill her, not fall in love with her like everyone else. And now this! The chances of conceiving with a vampire are less than 1%, but even that slim possibility terrifies me. I never should have agreed to go with Nelly and my foolish brother when we were captured.

The nurse beckons me to follow her and requests a urine sample. After what feels like an eternity, the doctor returns with a smile on his face and congratulates me. Tears stream down my face uncontrollably. This can't be real! I can't be pregnant. I protest, insisting the test must be incorrect, but he simply chuckles. He prescribes me prenatal vitamins and dismisses me. As I make my way to a serene park overlooking a tranquil pond, I observe ducks gliding gracefully and families enjoying each other's company. The sight triggers a wave of despair within me. I will never have that. I am as good as doomed. With a heavy heart, I mutter, "I am fucking screwed."

Suddenly, a chilling voice echoes in my mind, reminiscent of the man who assaulted me at the club. "Yes, you are beautiful. You belong to me." In an instant, darkness envelops me.

**Aaron**

It had been over two hours since Tara had left. She mentioned she might visit the doctor because she still wasn't feeling well. As time passed, my worry grew. I quickly gathered a few of my most trusted men and set out to find her. We had received information that most of my rebel forces had been eliminated, and the remaining few had gone into hiding. My circle of trust had dwindled to just a small group.

My informant within Vincent's group informed me that they had buried Nelly today. He even sent me photos of the funeral. Vincent appeared shattered, and I found a twisted satisfaction in his pain. Even Brandon seemed lost without her. A part of me resented the fact that she was gone, as she was our most skilled member. She was quick, clever, and resourceful. Honestly, I had considered pursuing her myself before Brandon beat me to it. Perhaps I should have made Brandon disappear and claimed Nelly for myself. I could have kept her by my side and sent Tara off to face her fate. But alas, what's done is done. The dead cannot be brought back to life, can they?

I let out a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of my emotions pressing down on me. Tara is a decent fuck, no doubt about it, but that's all she is to me. I don't have those deep, passionate feelings for her. It's more of a one-sided affection. I'm drawn to her because of her strength and determination, her killer instinct. But she sees me in a different light, as someone she wants to spend the rest of her life with. I'll continue to play along with her feelings for as long as I can, but deep down, I know it's not fair to either of us.

I do care for Tara, there's no denying that. But it's difficult to truly love someone when they remind you so much of someone else. Tara's resemblance to Nelly haunts me, a constant reminder of the mistakes I've made. I can't shake the feeling that I missed my chance with Nelly, that I should have made her my queen instead of treating her like a pawn in my game.

If Nelly had been by my side, leading our army against the Dark Ones, we would have emerged victorious. But now, all I can do is dwell on what could have been, haunted by the ghosts of my past decisions. Tara may be a good fighter, but she will never be the one who holds my attention like Nelly did.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, our search for her continued to yield no results. Frustrated and anxious, we made our way back to the safety of our hideout, only to be greeted by a chilling sight - a note ominously attached to the door.

The message was short and to the point: "We have her. If you want her back, we demand $100,000. Meet us at the farmhouse just outside the city." Signed simply by the letter "Q."

Questions raced through my mind. How did they discover our safe house? Could Tara have betrayed us? And most importantly, why would money matter to the Dark Ones? It became clear that the culprits behind her disappearance were likely human, possibly even members of my team. Betrayal and deceit hung heavy in the air as we prepared to confront the unknown forces at the farmhouse.

I look at Michael and say, “Pull the funds. We get her and then we kill those who took her.” I don't know who Q is, but I will show him what a grave mistake he has made.

When my men and I arrive at the farmhouse, we see a man standing outside. He nods for me to go in and that the rest of my men were to remain outside. Little did the shithead know I had men lining the tree line ready to storm in if I wasn't out in 10 minutes. Once I was inside, I saw Tara strapped to a chair. A man was standing behind her, holding a knife to her throat.

“I've got your money. Let her go.”

“Oh, I will. But I want to have some fun first,” the man says with a smirk. Who does this fool think he's messing with?  I kick the bag with the money in it over to him. He opens it and smiles. “Nice. I have a question for you, Extraordinary Mr. Rebel Leader of the Resistance. How does it feel to be played?”

“Excuse me?” The guy laughs. He removes the knife from Tara, who's starting to hyperventilate. Something is off. She's usually calmer in these situations. Does she know who this guy is?  He walks around Tara, playing with the knife. I look at Tara, whose eyes are pleading with me. I can see she's freaking out. “So are you gonna tell me who supposedly played me?”

He smirks wolfishly, “Oh, you thought I was gonna tell you?” He laughs. “Oh no. She is…"