80. Hello there, baby girl.

Eve was left alone unless you counted the hundreds of Watchers following her every move. A couple of women approached her by the day- not too close though, they made sure to stay hidden in the shadows.

"Not to scare the Queen," they said.

"Yes, unnecessary stress is bad for the baby," others would say. Her life was boring- surrounded by hundreds, yet alone. Eve decided to start a little flower garden next to the tiny house. The Watchers helped by providing plants and seeds. After time, she would be invited to come closer to the shadows; the women distracted her while the men got a crib and other furniture into the house unnoticed. They were fast and within minutes, the tiny, seemingly empty room was turned into a lavish nursery. A pink sign was placed above the crib- "Princess".
Eve cried as soon as she saw the sign, a few Watcher women stood by the dark windows.

"Are you in pain, my Queen?" one of them asked.

"It must be labour cramps, we must call for Michelle," another woman blurted.

"No, no, it's not that. I'm just happy; I didn't know that I was expecting a girl. This room, it just makes me a bit emotional. I wouldn't be able to give my child even a half of it, if not you guys. Thank you." Eve sobbed, holding onto her belly. The women giggled and left their Queen alone. All of those eyes still watched the little house intensively, yet none went near without feeling a hint of danger. Anto was gone, and his absence was the thing which upset Eve most. The only Watcher, who spent time near her, was out of the territory. To make matters worse- nobody knew when he would be back or why he left.

"Watcher?" Eve called out, hoping that at least one of them would come closer.
The same group of women rushed closer, whispering something to each other.

"When will Michelle be back? I have a bad feeling about some of the things in here," she asked, her eyes roaming over the neatly made bed but there some things that seemed to be out of place. Even though the room looked like a nursery, it also had the hint of a hospital room about it.

"Don't fear us, Queen, we would never harm you. We were made to serve and protect you; our instincts would never let us go against our main purpose," one of the women spoke again. Eve assumed she might be the leader of their group since she always spoke first.

"I'm not afraid, just wondering when Michelle will come back and why the bed is looking like someone will have to cut me open. I mean, it's pretty hard to ignore all those instruments and scalpels next to the bed, right?"

"Michelle will arrive soon; she's less than an hour away from here. She is bringing some medical staff with her- one’s we can trust," another woman jumped into the conversation. Eve assumed that she had told her too much since the one she saw as a leader punched the woman.

"Medical staff? What for?" Eve furrowed her brow.

"To cut you open," a loud, deep male voice sounded from behind Eve. She turned around and saw a smiling Anto standing next to the crib.

"I came here for support. I had an idea that you would need me around," he opened his arms, inviting Eve for a hug. She gladly hugged him, tears of happiness streaming down her cheeks. No matter who he was or what he was created for, the man was nice to Eve. He helped and took care of her. Therefore, Eve cared for him.

"I'm so happy to see you again. But, please, don't lie- what are they going to do to me and why? Are they coming to harm my baby? If so, please tell me, I might as well run back to Eros and right into his mother's murderous hands. I have to keep my baby safe!" Eve grabbed her hair in both hands, jumping away from Anto's warm embrace. The panic took over her as she frantically looked for weapons or bags. She was defending her child or running away- there was no in-between.

"They are going to perform an emergency C-section on you," Anto sighed. By the tone of his voice, Eve knew that he was speaking truthfully.

"Why? Is there something wrong with my baby? I thought that everything was going great; I've been extra careful to avoid stress or too many physical activities." Eve sat on the bed, shocked; she couldn't understand why they suddenly decided that she couldn't keep carrying the child until the due date.

"The blood moon. Honestly, I thought that was just some bullshit, and there was no reason to be worried, but I was wrong. I left to find some of my friends- pretty old ones; you'd even call them ancient. If you give birth on the blood moon night, one of you has to die. Either your baby or you. We can't let that happen. The blood moon will come after two days, around the time your labour might start. You have to understand that you're not carrying a human. It's a child of a Lycanthrope- a mighty one, at that. The pup is ready to see the world." Anto sat next to Eve, kindly offering a shoulder to cry on.

"You need to stay strong. The child will grow fast; within a couple of months, your daughter will resemble a four-year-old human child. They are very different from any other werewolf you have ever known; I know that it will be alright. I promise, you have got so many to look after you and the child- no danger can creep up behind your back."

"Okay, I get it. I guess I'll have to get ready to meet my baby for the first time," Eve smiled sadly.

"Are you still scared?"

"No, I'm not. Just a little sad that the day has come, and Eros isn't here. I'm not even sure when or if he will ever meet our child. He should be next to me as she is born."

"Have you thought of a name?" Anto tried to change the topic, seeing his Queen in so much pain was not something he wanted to see.

"Eros once told me he would want to name our daughter Allison," Eve whispered.

"Allison Frost," she added.

"That's a beautiful name; I think it will suit her," Anto nodded, appreciating the pure beauty of it.

"Hell no, it's too formal. My parents named me Evangeline, and I've hated my name since I was a child. My baby girl will be Ally Rose Frost- a gentle name for family and friends, and a more formal one for others." Eve spoke with a certain proudness in her voice. Soon she will get to see her child of love. If only Eros was here to see them, if only so many people wouldn't try to stand in between them. If only they were just an ordinary couple, enjoying the rest of their lives together.

"I like it," Anto shrugged and stood up, offering Eve his hand.

"Now, come on and follow me, we have to get you ready. What would the little princess think if she would see her mom crying, huh?" Eve followed Anto while he was choosing her clothing, and she took a quick shower to calm her nerves. By the time when she was finished, Michelle and a group of doctors and nurses stood in her tiny living room. Eve got dressed, let out a deep sigh, and joined the strangers. When she entered the living room, everyone bowed. She might never get used to that. To avoid the tense setting around them, Eve pointed at her belly and smiled like a child.
"Who's ready to get this bundle of joy out of me? I sure am!" she announced, making everyone in the room laugh.

As the nurses prepared the room, the doctors explained what would happen and how the c-section would be performed. Eve felt a lot better when they assured her that she wouldn't feel a thing, and her baby would be delivered with intense precision. Michelle kept hugging Eve, repeating how proud she was, and how much Eve made her remember the feeling of becoming a grandmother.

"Queen Eve? Are you ready?" One of the nurses joined them, nodding to Michelle that it was time. Both women spoke without words, possibly using the infamous mind-link.

"I'm a little worried, but ready," Eve smiled at the nurse, following her lead. Michelle was sent to put on the protective clothing required by anyone who accompanied surgeries. The nurse asked Eve to wear a surgical cap and told her where she should lay.
All the doctors and nurses were extremely kind to her, asking if she was comfortable every two minutes. After Eve decided to stay awake during the surgery, they could start as soon as the anaesthesia numbed the lower part of her body. It didn't take much time until Eve could truthfully tell everyone that she didn't feel anything. The doctors worked faster than wizards. A cut, a little pressure, and soon Eve noticed them holding her baby.
A loud cry invaded their ears; the Watchers outside howled in joy. The princess was born.

"Hello there, baby girl," the surgeon smiled, wrapping the princess into a pink towel.
Eve cried as Michelle tried to describe her baby. The doctors took their time making sure that Eve's inner organs were intact from the surgery or the baby's intense kicking. After a couple of stitches, more bandages, and some moving around the room, Eve found herself half resting on a bed near the crib. Her eyes travelled the room; she could see a lot of people running around, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't see her baby.
Eve panicked, doing the thing no one expected she would ever do. She tried to get out of the bed and screamed in full force.

"Anto! Watchers!" In less than a second, the house was surrounded by hundreds of creatures of the night- bound to their Queen and newborn Princess.

"We demand to see the child in our Queens' hands! NOW!" the friendly women didn't sound as friendly anymore. Eve was unsure about how terrifying they looked, but she knew the voice of a demon when she heard one. Anto came into the room, scanning the trembling doctors. He had Eve's child in one hand and a nurse in the other, who he held tightly pressed against his body.

"Eve, darling, sit down so I can let you hold the baby. Don't rip those stitches open."

Anto grinned. He was kind to his Queen, while others felt the rage and coldness in his voice.
"What should I do with this little weasel? Caught her trying to steal our little treasure. Mind if I give her to the ladies? Poor things have been starving while I was away." Eve knew what was about to happen to the nurse; she knew how the Watchers fed. But she didn't care. The woman tried to steal her child. It was time for her to understand that she can't be kind to everyone. As soon as she will turn the other cheek, her enemies will attack.
Eve extended her arms, waiting for Anto to place he baby in her arms for the first time. The nurse looked like a rag doll under the Watcher's arm. Her eyes were set on Eve, pleading for mercy.

"Have fun, ladies," Eve whispered, as she took her baby and held her little girl closely, letting Anto know what was about to happen. Her daughter was a pure copy of her father- the same blue eyes, same dark hair, even her lip shape reminded her of Eros. Eve kissed her daughter's forehead, admiring the beauty of her child, still trying to understand how she managed to do it. How was her body able to make something so breath-taking?

"If only your daddy could see us now."