Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 131708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Ella went very still, startled by the question. “I’m not pregnant,” she breathed.
“When was it?” Mia gently persisted.
“Well, it was … ” Ella frowned, struggling to recall the last time she’d had her period. Her belly began to churn. “Shortly after I slept with Viper at the Red Rooms the first time.” She scrubbed a hand down her face, feeling the blood drain from it. Her demon wasn’t one to panic. Ever. But its unease was amping up with every second.
Mia gave her a gentle smile. “I think you should let me check you over, just in case.”
Ella’s pulse started to kick up. “I can’t be pregnant.”
“It’s possible that I’m wrong. Let’s be sure, though.”
Swallowing, Ella rubbed her palms over her thighs. “Okay.”
Her sister gave a satisfied nod. “Just relax. Stay nice and still for me.” She rested a splayed hand on Ella’s stomach and closed her eyes.
Her nerves winding tight with anxiety, Ella worried her lower lip. She fought the urge to tap her foot restlessly, impatience battering at her. Finally, her sister’s eyelids lifted. “Well?” Ella all but croaked.
Clasping her hands again, Mia smiled. “Congratulations, sis. You’re going to be a mom.”
Oh, fuck.
Ella’s ability to think coherently promptly went right out the window. She sat there in stunned silence, her mind whirling; her thoughts jumbled; her hearing tinny.
Mia kept talking, but Ella didn’t take in a single word. Couldn’t. She was stuck trying to absorb what she’d just heard.
Ella barely registered her sister disappearing from her side. What could have been minutes or hours later, a warm cup was pushed into Ella’s hand.
“Drink this,” her sister coaxed. “It’s just herbal tea. Safe for pregnant women, I promise.”
Pregnant.
Maybe it was the sensation of warmth from the mug that snapped Ella out of her panic. Maybe the word ‘pregnant’ hit hard enough to make the entire situation sink in. Whatever the case, she felt her brain begin to slow its roll.
Her demon’s shock swiftly became buried beneath the avalanche of parental protectiveness that had rained down on it. The wellbeing of the child now its sole concern, its sense of hypervigilance shot into the stratosphere.
“Do you know what you want to do?” The careful question from Mia was empty of judgement.
There was a lot that Ella didn’t know, but she felt certain of one thing. Setting down the cup, she said, “I want to keep the baby.”
Mia cast her a supportive smile. “I’ll be terribly surprised if Viper doesn’t feel the same.”
Her child wouldn’t be the first half-celestial-half-demon to be born. Some of the Fallen had bred with demons when they first fell eons ago—the eventual result being the creation of the breed of demons known simply as descendants.
It was believed that some archangels had also fallen back then; that they, too, had reproduced with demons. In fact, some thought that Raini’s mate Maddox had archangelic blood. But Viper was the incarnation of a deadly goddamn sin, which made this situation a little different.
Ella wouldn’t care if her child was half rhino—she’d love it no matter what. But she feared for it. The demon world wasn’t even kind to descendants; considered them mutts. They weren’t going to welcome her baby.
Mia gently squeezed her shoulder. “You need to tell Viper.”
“Tell me what?” he asked, striding inside.
Ella jumped, almost knocking over the cup of tea; her palm flying to her belly in an unconscious protective movement.
Viper’s brows drew together. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” her sister quickly assured him. “Ella just has some news.”
He frowned. Squinted. His gaze dropped to the hand on her stomach. Then his blue eyes widened, his broad shoulders turned stiff, and his facial muscles went slack.
Viper’s gaze slammed back on Ella’s, disbelieving. “You’re pregnant.”
“Yeah,” she rasped. “Yeah, I’m pregnant.”
Holy shit. Viper could only stare at her, stock still. His gaze again dropping to her stomach, he felt a fierce surge of possession rise up inside him. His woman was pregnant with his baby. He swallowed hard, his throat growing tight; emotions burning brightly in his chest.
And, inappropriate though it might be, he had the visceral urge to take her to the floor and bury himself inside her—which his equally pleased entity was all for.
What they weren’t pleased about was the fear in her expression.
Protectiveness dancing around his system, Viper walked straight to her and caught her face in his hands. “You’re going to be fine,” he firmly stated, refusing to consider any other possibility. “Both of you will be.”
“I love how you think that the force of your will alone is all that’s necessary to ensure that,” she said, mirth playing over her face and chasing away some of the fear.
Mia smiled at them both. “This is so awesome!”
“Also slightly terrifying.”
Viper moved a little closer, hugging Ella to him. “When did you find out?”
“Just now. Mia suspected it, so she did a little magickal scan to check.” She looked at her sister. “Thank God you did.”