“Interesting,” Erin murmured as she studied me.
“I can get it,” I said as I started to rise.
Vargas waved me down. “I’ve got it.”
I started to protest, but he was already pouring coffee into a mug for me.
“How do you take it?” he asked.
“Just a little milk,” I said.
“So are you like Hawk?” Erin asked.
“No.” I took the warm mug Vargas handed me and blew on it before taking a sip. “I didn’t know, until recently, that I have a demon ancestor. The opening of the gateway activated their DNA. Then, one day, I stopped aging and started setting things on fire.”
“That must have been a surprise,” Vargas said.
“A tiny one,” I said with a smile.
“Are you returning to the Wilds with us?” Hawk asked the couple.
Erin and Vargas exchanged a look as he placed a plate of toast before me. I pulled the butter dish over and kept my eyes focused on it as I spread some on the toast. It wasn’t my place to tell Hawk about the baby, but it felt weird knowing something about his close friends that he didn’t.
“No,” Erin finally said. “We planned to see this battle through until the end, but” —her hand fell to her belly, and she grinned at Hawk— “we’re going to have a baby.”
The tick of a clock in another room resonated through the house as Hawk stared at her before laughing loudly and rising. Before Erin could react, he picked her up and crushed her against him. When he set her back on her feet, she looked like she might throw up, but Hawk didn’t notice as he turned and embraced Vargas. They slapped each other on the back as Hawk congratulated him.
“Congratulations,” I said.
“Thank you; it’s still early, and we’re a little afraid…” Her voice trailed off as she rested her hand on her belly. “We’re fourteen weeks, so we’re past the twelve-week mark; things should be okay—no, theywillbe okay.”
Her apprehension was evident in her voice and face as she rubbed her stomach. I opened my mouth to tell her the baby was a strong, vital piece of life within her, but stopped myself. It might reassure her, but I doubted anyone wanted to hear a stranger tell them how glowing their fetus was. Instead, I nibbled at my toast and tried to go unnoticed while they discussed their plans for the baby and this house.
“Congratulations to you too,” Erin said.
“I’m sorry, what?” I asked when I realized she was speaking to me.
She waved a hand at her neck before gesturing toward mine, and I realized she was pointing at the bites Hawk left on me. “We’ve been around enough demons to recognize the mark of a Chosen. Congratulations.”
“Oh… ah…” I looked to Hawk for help, but he smiled smugly at me. Determined to wipe that smile off his face, I grinned at him as I said, “We’re not so sure about that yet.”
Chapter Sixteen
Aisling
Hawk’s smile vanished while Erin and Vargas exchanged a confused look. Now, it was my turn to smile smugly as I took another bite of toast. I wore Hawk’s brand for all the world to see, but that didn’t mean we’d resolved this.
Hawk crossed his arms over his chest. “Aisling feels we may have rushed things.”
I couldn’t stop myself from snorting; that was the understatement of the year. “We’re getting to know each other better before we decide our future.”
“That’s… ah… always a good thing,” Vargas said.
“Hawk can make you want to stab him, but he’s a good man,” Erin said.
I couldn’t argue with that.
A knock sounded on the front door, but before anyone could move to answer it, the creak of it opening sounded from the other room. Something clicked against the hardwood floors, and I put my toast down. What was that?
