Heir of Night (The Thorne Hill)

“You can talk through Braxton Hicks. You stopped talking both times.”

“Maybe I’m just a wimp when it comes to my pain tolerance.”

“For some reason, I don’t think that’s true at all.” She laughs. “Penny just woke up from her nap, so I’m gonna go. I’m off tomorrow so I’ll bring by the blanket and, ya know, help you have a freaking baby!”

“Abby, I swear to god, if you jinx me.”

She laughs. “Just keep me updated.”

“I will. Give Penny a kiss for me. Take care, Abby.” I end the call, finish my water, and have to pee by the time I walk back into the kitchen. I use the bathroom and then watch TV in the family room. I end up falling asleep, waking when the doorbell rings. Binx is curled up next to me and makes no attempt to get up and answer the door for me.

It’s Kristy and the twins, arriving a little early for our state of the union meeting, as Kristy is calling it.

“Can someone get that?” I ask out loud to my familiars. Pandora and Freya are sleeping on the back porch and have no interest in getting up. Scarlet is waiting by the door, wagging her tail. I can hear it thumping against the floor from all the way in here. “Fine,” I grumble and give Binx a kiss before moving him so I can get up. I was asleep for about forty minutes and am a little disappointed I didn’t get woken up with a contraction in that time, because I am secretly hoping to get this baby out of me ASAP so I can go back to kicking ass and taking names.

And I cannot wait for Lucas and me to meet our daughter.

The family room connects with the living room, and I slide the pocket door back. My hand slips off the wood, and I lean forward, reaching for the doorframe. A cramp starts low in my abdomen, but this time it feels tight, like my entire middle is being synched—and it fucking hurts.

“Lucas,” I pant through gritted teeth, unable to breathe. His office is on the other side of the house. “Lucas,” I call again, a little louder that time. He gets to me right as the pain starts to fade.

Thinking it’s a pain from using magic, he wraps his arm around me. It’s different this time; instead of feeling like the baby was pushing against my womb in an attempt to make more room for herself, it’s like my body is pushing her this time.

“Did you use your angel powers?” He smooths my hair back, needing reassurance everything is okay.

“No,” I tell him. “This was different. I think…I think that was a contraction.”

Chapter 43

Lucas’s blue eyes widen, and he goes completely still for a moment. Then he smiles excitedly, shakes his head, and rushes me to the couch.

“Can someone get the door now?” I ask my familiars, knowing better than to tell Lucas to stop fussing over me as he puts my feet on the coffee table.

“Should we call the midwife?” he asks, looking more than a little panicked. It’s so freaking adorable. If there was any one thing to get my big, bad vampire nervous, it’s his baby girl.

“It was one contraction,” I say, putting a hand on my stomach. As much as that hurt me, Juliet had to feel it too.

“Contraction?” Eliza echoes, speeding down the stairs. “Are you having contractions?”

“What?” Kristy’s voice comes from the foyer. Her bag drops, and she rushes in, followed by Nicole and Naomi. “Are you in labor?”

Everyone gathers around me, eyes wide with excitement.

“Guys,” I start, feeling like I’m about to tell them Santa isn’t real. “I think I had a couple of contractions earlier in the day and one just now. That doesn’t mean I’m in labor. This can go on for days, which would be awesome,” I add sarcastically.

“You felt a couple earlier today?” Lucas is still on his knees, one hand on my stomach.

“Oh, and you didn’t say anything,” Naomi quips with a smirk on her face.

“I didn’t because I didn’t want to get you all worried for nothing. You were the one who showed me that article last night about how strong Braxton Hicks can be and how you can get a rogue contraction here or there and it doesn’t mean you’re in labor.”

“You were really restless last night,” he goes on. “And your stomach was upset which made you use the bathroom several times. Those are more signs of labor.”

I press my lips together and look at him. “They don’t need to know my bathroom habits.” Taking a deep breath, I prepare to get up. “No one wants to have this baby more than I do, but let’s not get our hopes up, okay?”

“Okay,” Kristy says right away. Lucas stands and helps me to my feet.