“I love you.” My heart swells in my chest.
“And I love you, always and forever, Callie.” He puts his lips to mine. “You gave me the sun, and now…now you’re giving me a child.”
“A child,” I repeat, and the word is like a slap to the face. It’s sobering and scary. “A real human child.”
“Well, part human,” Lucas says. “And he gets his nonhuman part from you.”
“We think.” I raise my eyebrows and bring a hand up to cup Lucas’s face. The stubble on his chin is rough against my palm. It’s taken several months to grow this tiny bit, and I like it. “Wait, he? You think it’s a boy?”
Lucas shrugs. “It’s too early to tell. Isn’t it? This will come at quite a shock, but I don’t know much about human pregnancy. It’s been a long time since I had to worry about it, and back when I did, well, we both know things have come a long way.”
“Yeah, it’s too early. I…I can’t even be very far along.” I sit up. “Where’s my phone? Or yours?”
“Downstairs. Would you like me to get it?”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll figure out how far along I am later.” I put my hand over my mouth, feeling sick again. How far along I am.
I’m pregnant. Closing my eyes in a long blink, I slowly exhale. And when I open my eyes and look at Lucas.
And then it suddenly hits me in a whole new way. Lucas and I are having a baby. It’s part of me and part of him, and for the stars to align in such a way for this to happen…it’s nothing short of a miracle.
Lucas spoons his body around mine, and I relax against him, trying not to think about anything, but my mind is spinning a million miles an hour.
“June,” Lucas whispers, moving my hair off my neck.
“For a name?”
“I suppose, but that’s when the baby will be born,” he says, and I roll over, twisting in his arms so I can look at him. “You’ll be pregnant for nine months. And that’s where my knowledge of pregnancy starts and ends. You like the name June?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think I’d put it on my list.” Lists. Lists of baby names. Things to buy. Things to do. Things not to do.
And now I’m feeling overwhelmed again.
“Breathe,” Lucas says, able to sense my discomfort. “It’s going to be okay.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because if anyone can handle this, Callie, it’s you.” He kisses me, and desire washes over me. And then Scarlet barks, making Lucas fly out of bed, fangs drawn.
“That’s her excited bark,” I huff, but he’s already down the stairs.
“Callie?” Julian calls, voice echoing through the foyer. Letting out a breath, I wipe my eyes and get up. I grab the cup of water from the bathroom on my way downstairs and finish the rest of it.
“Did you find out anything?” I ask, coming into the living room.
“I did,” Julian says, turning away from the window. “If we—you’re upset,” he cuts off, brows furrowing. “Did something happen while I was away?”
I look at Lucas, heart in my throat. He gives me a small nod. There’s no reason to keep this a secret. And in a matter of months, I won’t be able to.
“I’m pregnant,” I say and feel like I’m going to pass out. Saying it out loud makes it more real, and I’m just as scared shitless now as I was when I saw those two pink lines. “I just found out.”
Lucas hurries over and wraps his arm around me. It’s nice, but annoying, too. He’s already overprotective. How am I going to deal with this for nine months?
Julian’s eyes narrow, and he looks at my stomach. “I thought there was something different about you. Your aura felt…stronger.” His eyes go from me to Lucas and back again.
“Yes,” I say, answering his question. “Lucas is the father.”
“He’s a vampire.”
I motion to the couch because I need to sit down. “The curse,” I start. “It was bringing Lucas back to life. His heart was slowly beating. He breathed in his sleep. He was thirsty for water. And I guess, other parts of his body started working again, too.”
A few seconds of silence tick by, and Julian holds out his hand to Lucas. “The customary thing to say is congratulations.”
Lucas gives him a blank stare and then smiles, shaking Julian’s hand. It’s such a strange moment, and I’ve lived through some crazy fucking time. I lean back on the couch and run my hand over my face, forgetting I put makeup on and smear my eyeliner down my cheek.
“What did you find out?” I ask Julian. “About how to track Ruth?”
Julian’s eyes narrow again as he looks at me quizzically. He has absolute no poker face. “You’re concerned about that right now?”