AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Air. I need air.” Chiara laughed.
“Sorry. This is so great. Brother, why didn’t you tell me?”
“Congratulations, new mommy. Dax.” Matty held out a hand to his friend.
Chiara glanced at her mate, who stood frozen, staring at Matty’s offered palm. His skin, normally darker than hers, was ghostly white. He stumbled backward, saved from an ass-plant when his shoulders crashed against the wall to hold him upright.
“Are you okay?” Chiara asked.
His head took a slow turn left. A slow turn right. Repeat. “I need a minute.”
Everybody eyed Dax, expecting him to sink to the floor.
“Did you say my mother was gonna be a grandma?”
“I did.” Chiara smoothed a hand over the fuzzy sweater where it covered her belly.
Dax gawked as if looking for a bulge. “You’re gonna be a mother?”
When Chiara nodded, Dax swallowed hard. “I’m gonna be a father?”
Both women laughed while Matty narrowed his eyes. “He’s smarter than he looks.”
“Yes, Dax, you’re going to be a daddy.”
He stiffened his legs as if getting control of his body would manage the situation. “How? No. I don’t mean that. Why? No. Not that either. You’ll be an incredible mother.” Her shaken vampire combed trembling fingers through his long dark hair. “This is a terrible time to bring a kid into the world. What if Cerberus wins? No. Never happening.”
Chiara laced her arm through the crook of his elbow, stroking him with tenderness. He was everything to her. “We’ll manage.”
“I need to train my guys harder. Step up our game to defeat Arisen Dawn.” His gaze flicked to Matty, to Bounty, and back to Chiara. “We will crush them. I’ll snap Cerberus’s neck with my own two hands. I’ll rip his head off. I’ll…”
She patted him. “Of course you will.”
His midnight eyes turned impossibly darker. “What if I’m a terrible father? It’s not like I’ve had good role models. We gotta put in for a bigger apartment at the stronghold and buy shit. I don’t know what a baby needs. Do you? Diapers. Tiny clothes. A cradle. Blankets. We need to talk to Skyler and Kole.” He came up for air. “Shouldn’t you be resting? No more spells. Damn. No more portals.” Dax snarled. “How will I get you home?”
Chiara cocked her head to the side. “This whole pregnancy thing is going to be a problem for you, isn’t it, vampire?”
Matty and Bounty nodded in agreement.
She stroked her mate’s shoulder as his dark eyes swirled with worry. For such a brave warrior, he was a hot mess. Only seven months to go.
Chapter Nineteen
With so much going on, Harley was finally available to help Indigo in her search for a sword. Something about Cleopatra. Brak insisted he accompany her to Egypt. Was insisted a strong enough word? No. He crossed his arms over his chest and arched a brow, refusing to allow her to travel without him. She agreed because she was still inexperienced with portals and because her demon was so damn sexy when he worried about her.
Having arrived at the Alexandria National Museum when it opened, Harley was now scouring through ancient documents for any mention of a sword with a ruby-studded hilt and Cleopatra.
She sat on the edge of her chair at a table, flipping through ancient books, documents, and scrolls, using her new skills as a knowledge absorber.
The Blood Coven descendant was excited with her gift, comparing herself to a speed reader on amphetamines. Not only could she go through reams of material in mere moments, but she could decipher words in any language. Her newly attained power fit. As a lawyer, she had enjoyed researching legal documents before trying a case.
While she did her thing, Brak and Roark played the intimidating muscle, leaning against the wall, bulky arms crossed, alert for any attacking books or artifacts. Indigo fiddled on a cellphone in the chair beside her.
Despite Amani’s initial refusal to allow them access to original sources, Indigo persuaded the museum’s historian to open the archives. Harley suspected a spell was involved.
With gloves on as required, Harley relaxed in her chair, sticking a finger in the current book to keep her place. “This is an account of the Battle of Actium, September 2, 31 BC. Mark Antony had fewer but larger ships than his adversary. Octavian, who later ruled the Roman Empire as Augustus, commanded better trained crews who outmaneuvered Antony’s fleet. Cleo’s lover retreated, burning the ships he could no longer man. He transferred to a smaller vessel and escaped to face an army at Alexandria in July of the next year.”
“What’s it tell us about Blood’s Kiss?” Indigo set her phone on the table. Brak and Roark perked up.
