“Lucas?” I whisper, tipping my head up to look at him.
“Yes?”
“Are you sure you’re mad? Not at me, but that this happened? Everything is going to change, and it scares me.”
“I am not mad,” he says slowly. “Change, even good change, can be difficult. But this…this is good.”
My eyes begin to fill with tears. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” He turns my head up and kisses me. “I died over a thousand years ago and have walked the earth feeling that death deep inside me everyday. And then I met you.” He brushes my hair back. “I never knew I could live after death, but I feel more alive when I am with you than I ever did before. You are everything, Callie, everything I could ever want and so much more. And now…”
He puts his hand over my stomach. “Now part of me and part of you have come together and created a new life.” His eyes get a little misty. “You’ve given me so much, Callie. So much more than I deserve.”
My own eyes fill with tears. “You do deserve this, Lucas. You given me a lot, too. I never though I could find someone who would love me, all of me, but you do, and you’ve never once hesitated or shied away from any part of me.”
“Every part of you is beautiful.” He presses his lips to mine. “Even your petty and impulsive side.”
I smile, tears running down my face.
“And I know this wasn’t planned, and I know this was the very last thing either of us expected,” he goes on, wiping away my tears. “Which is why I think this was meant to be.”
He’s a vampire. I’m a witch. We shouldn’t even be together, yet we are. And now we’re having a child. Together. We’ve overcome the odds. Proven the centuries-old grudge needs to be forgotten.
The thoughts should bring me comfort, but it does the opposite. Because now that we’ve come so far, I’m terrified something is going to take it away from us.Chapter 37“What’s this?” I ask when I step into the kitchen. It’s after ten, and I just woke up. Pregnant or not, I haven’t gotten much sleep lately, and a good solid night’s sleep was just what I needed.
Lucas wasn’t in bed with me when I woke up, and all three of my familiars had taken his spot. I curled up with Binx, too comfy to get out of bed. But then I started to feel sick, and I remembered what Lucas said about morning sickness being worse on an empty stomach.
“A security system,” Julian tells me. He’s sitting at the kitchen table, looking through the Infernal Dictionary. Lucas is in the office, finalizing the sale of that property in California. His eyes lit up when I peeked in, and my heart fluttered in my chest seeing the love in his eyes.
“Really?” I make a face and pick up an empty box. “Lucas installed it?”
“Yes.” Julian flips a page in the book. “After you were asleep. There are cameras in the front and back of the house and motion sensors at the end of the driveway, by the shed, and several in the woods.”
“They are going to go off constantly,” I mutter, setting the box back down on the table. “And I already have a damn good security system. My wardings are impressive. You said it yourself.”
“I did, and they are.” Julian looks up from the book.
“Then we don’t need security cameras. It’s insulting.”
“It’s an extra measure,” Julian says and closes the book. “Unnecessary, perhaps, but Lucas cares deeply for you.”
“Yeah.” I can’t help but smile as I open the fridge. “He does.” I pull out a package of chicken breasts to cut up for my familiars and Scarlet. “And it doesn’t hurt anything.”
I take the chicken to the stove, knowing my familiars are spoiled and like their meat seasoned and cooked. I gag as soon as the chicken starts cooking in the pan.
“Are you feeling ill again?” Julian asks, coming over, brows pushed together with concern.
“The smell of the chicken is nauseating.” I shudder and put my hand over my nose. “How do people handle feeling sick? I definitely took being half archangel for granted.”
Julian laughs. “Humans can be rather vulnerable. But their fragility is endearing. More so when they recognize it. Life is short yet so many humans waste it.”
“They do for sure.” I turn down the burner and step away, going to the back door. I crack it open and breath in some fresh air for a few seconds before going back to the chicken. I give it a quick stir and then get out bread to make myself toast. Nothing else sounds appetizing right now, and the thought of putting food in my mouth makes me want to throw up.
But if eating makes me feel better, then I’m going to try and force myself to nibble on toast. I feed my familiars and Scarlet on the porch and leave the door wide open. Sunlight streams through, but Lucas is far enough away in the office it won’t hurt him.