Chapter 54

                                    

                                          
Raven's POV: 
The carriage ride took a few hours. We had to stop here and there for bathroom breaks for both the children and I. I had the baby kicking on my blatter and the children couldn't seem to hold it, so we slowed down our travel time. 
No one seemed upset though. 
Instead, they enjoyed the slow pace back to the castle, talking and laughing with each other. Damian never left my side (besides when I had to go to the bathroom) and I didn't mind it. We were only an hour away from home when Damian finally shut his eyes. 
The kids were already fast asleep and I slowed my breathing to make it seem like I was sleeping. I wasn't though. I couldn't. Thoughts of my father's visit kept me up as well as the constant kicking from the little one. 
I sat up and looked out the window, enjoying the view as the sun went down. The sky was purple and pink and lit up the word with color. I don't know how long I watched out the window, but I was suddenly jolted to reality when the carriage stopped. 
Damian's head snapped up and he looked out the window to scan our surroundings. I looked too. We were outside the main entrance of the castle, which caused me to sigh in relief. I slowly woke the children, careful to make sure they didn't scare them awake. 
"Hey guys," I shake them gently. "We are here. You have to wake up now." 
Their eyes popped open and they soon realized what I had said. They flew out the door faster than lightning and ran outside to get a better view. "Wow,"  I heard them gasp, causing me to smile. 
Damian then got out, holding out his hand to help me down the first step. When I got to the last one he picked me up and gently set me on the ground. "Welcome home, Beloved," he whispered sweetly in my ear. 
"It's good to be home," I smiled. 
"Shall we go inside?" He offered me his hand once more. 
"Yes," I groan. "I need a shower more than life right now," I overexaggerate. This only causes him to chuckle. He leads me inside and orders the staff to take care of the horses and carriage. We open the doors to our room and everything looks back to normal. 
I walk straight to the bathroom and undo the zipper of my dress. Damian walks behind me and helps when he notices I am struggling. "I guess you really meant it when you said you needed a shower." 
"I feel dirty and disgusting," I explain. "The carriage was sweaty getting down there and back. I haven't showered since I was kidnapped." 
He nods with a smirk, "I will wait outside for you. Is there anything you need?" 
"Um..." I think about it but come up with nothing. "No." 
He nods and walks out of the room. He leaves the door open a crack to be able to hear in case I need anything and I slip into the slower and turn on the warm water. I scrub the dirt and grime off of me and use soap to make myself smell like fresh lavender. 
Once I am finished, I dry off and wrap a robe around myself. My belly sticks out and I notice that I no longer fit in my own robe. I frown, but then a thought pops into my head. I turn and grab Damian's robe off its hook and wrap it around myself. 
It fits me much better. 
I walk out in it, getting Damian's attention right away. He was sitting at his desk roaming through paperwork that seemed to have piled up. He instantly drops what he is doing and leans back in his chair. 
He smirks and says, "wearing my robe I see." 
"It is the only one that fits," I frown. 
"You look gorgeous in it," he stands and walks over to me. "If you want to wear it then by all means, please do." He kissed my cheek. 
"Good," I smile. "Because I was going to anyways." He chuckles and goes in for a kiss, but I hold him back. "I am sorry, but I can't kiss you. Not until you wash up." 
He looks disappointed. "Why?" 
"Because I can smell blood off of you and it has been making me sick all day. I have cleaned up and so must you," I kiss his cheek and then walk over to the bed, undoing the covers. 
"If I was making you sick you should have told me something," he turns to me with shock. "I could have ridden on a horse so you didn't have to go through that." I could tell he felt bad about it, but I just shook my head. 
"I knew you would have and that is why I didn't tell you,"  I explain. "I wanted to ride with you." 
He sighs and nods in understanding, turning to the bathroom. He walks in and closes the door and a few seconds later I hear the shower turning on. I pull out the book on the top of my dresser and start to read it while I wait. 
Because of this pregnancy, I have not been able to do much, so reading has been my go-to thing ever since. I have always loved reading and it has a way of calming me, and right now that is exactly what I needed. 
I need to escape from the thoughts of my father's impending visit. I need to stop thinking about Slade's gruesome death which kept replaying in my head. I just needed to escape into my own little world of fantasy. 
I hear the shower turning off but I don't care too much about it. I continue to flip through the pages, enjoying a good book. It wasn't until I heard someone clearing their throat that I looked up to see Damian. 
Not only that, but I looked up to see a NAKED Damian. He smirked at me, which made me blush red. I closed my book, forgetting to bookmark it because I can't seem to care anymore. Right now all I want is him. 
And by the looks of his aroused penis, he wants me too.