Ache

The days following Morgan's visit marked the beginning of a truly unexpected journey. Samantha discovered that being a pregnant vampire was nothing like the medical textbooks or human pregnancy guides she'd ever imagined.

At first, the changes were almost amusing. Her supernatural senses heightened to ridiculous levels. She could smell Kai's last workout from three rooms away, detect the exact age of a blood bag by scent alone, and her organizational skills became legendary - and slightly terrifying.

"I'm going to alphabetize the entire universe," she announced one morning, brandishing a label maker like a weapon.

Marcus watched her with a mixture of fascination and mild terror as she reorganized their entire kitchen. Spice jars were color-coded, utensils arranged by size and function, and the pantry looked like it belonged in a military research facility.