“Why?” I grinned at the back of his head. “Are you too scared?”

“Fucking terrified,” he answered.

I laughed, Nico grinned, and Kane shook his head as he took Locke from me.

“These are the rantings of a madman,” I said to Nico. “Right?”

“You can just say Alec. It’s another term for madman.”

I bumped fists with him and chuckled.

“I’m fucking delighted that you’re both finding this funny, but I swear to God that Keela just made the sign of the cross and pointed over at me. What the fuck does that mean?”

“Maybe it means she’s plannin’ on you meetin’ God sooner than you think,” I teased.

“That does it!” Alec announced suddenly and loudly. “I’m not leaving this damn house. Alannah, go over and make sure Keela is okay. And Nico?”

“Yeah?”

“Lock the door behind her.”

I laughed harder than I had in a long time, and I practically skipped out of the house and across the road. When I entered Alec and Keela’s, I walked into the sitting room and said to Keela, “Ye’ have Alec terrified that you’re possessed.”

“I knew I’d scare ‘im by just standin’ ‘ere.”

“Come with me.” I chuckled. “Alec thinks the house needs to be exorcised.”

With a laugh, Keela and I left her house and made our way over to Branna’s.

“All is well,” I announced. “She just wanted to freak the man-child out.”

“I resent that,” Alec said, drawing a grin from me as he focused on Keela. “Why did you say I could come over here if you didn’t really want me to?”

Keela shrugged. “I wanted to see if ye’ could figure it out yourself.”

“Clearly, I can’t.”

“I just find it interestin’ how—”

“Retreat.”

Keela stopped speaking to listen to Nico mutter to Alec.

“What?”

“It’s a trap.”

Alec looked confused. “How?”

“She doesn’t find anything interesting; it’s a trap. She’s closing in on your fuckup.”

“But you said it’s only when she says, ‘I find it funny,’ that it’s a trap.”

“Funny. Interesting. Either word is lethal.”

Alec groaned. “I can’t keep up with all these stupid rules.” He looked at Keela. “I’m so sorry for leaving when you didn’t want me to. I won’t do it again, just please don’t make me spend the next eight hours wondering how I can make it up to you while you ignore me. Please. I can’t deal with it.”

He sounded like he was going to have a nervous breakdown.

“Honey, stop.” Keela frowned. “It’s okay.”

I blinked.

“Son of a bitch,” said Nico. “You just cheated the system.”

“What?” Alec asked.

“You broke down like a bitch … but it worked. She’s not mad at you no more.” Nico shook his head. “Bro, new chapter to The Man Bible.”

That fecking Man Bible.

Alec ignored his brother and focused on Keela.

“I lust you,” he practically growled at her.

Keela grinned. “I lust ye’, too.”

I looked back and forth between them.

“What the hell was that about?”

Keela laughed. “When he is hot for me, his new thing is to tell me he lusts me.”

I looked at Alec, who was still watching Keela with hungry eyes.

“You’re like a dog in heat.”

Keela snickered as Alec turned his gaze towards me. Slowly.

“You’re a plague,” he told me.

I smiled a toothy grin.

“Upon your house,” I finished.

Alec rolled his eyes. “You were definitely put on this Earth to mess with me.”

“I’m serving me purpose well then, bitch.”

I screamed like a banshee when he suddenly lunged at me, wrapped an arm around my neck, and pulled until I was bent at the waist. I gripped his arm with one hand, then fisted his shirt with the other.

“Alec!” I screamed with laughter. “Don’t even think—”

I cut myself off screaming when he gave me a noogie. I tried to break his hold but couldn’t, so I used the only weapon I had. My teeth. I chopped down on Alec’s forearm, and he yelped and released me instantly.

“She bit me!” he stated, then to me, he said, “You bit me!”

“Ye’ squeezed me so tight me boobs were about to pop.”

Alec’s eyes dropped to my chest, and I instantly threw my hands up in the air.

“Really?”

He grinned, his eyes returning to mine. “You mentioned them.”

“There is somethin’ really wrong with you.”

“You say that like it’s new information.”

I shook my head and grabbed Keela’s hand.

“Let’s join Bran and Bee out back,” I said, tugging her out of the room. “I need ye’ to have your demon spawn today just to start Alec’s turmoil for the next eighteen years.”

“A plague!” he shouted after us. “You are a plague!”

And that was Alec Slater basically declaring his love for me.

Two days later…

“What do ye’ think the doctor is goin’ to say?”

My da squeezed my hand tightly. “It’ll be good news.”

I stared at him. “What if it’s not?”

“It can’t be anythin’ other than good news,” Da replied, his voice tight with emotion. “She can’t be anythin’ other than healthy. Not after what she’s been through. Life can’t be that cruel.”

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