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Mostly. The red comes and goes. So does the tail.

Personally, I'm a fan of the tail.

Belinda has threatened to hex me every time I've mentioned that.

Worth it.

Her magic hasn't sputtered once since our mutual claiming. Gold still burns red around the edges, stronger every day.

Turns out my Little Witch was never a no-talent. There was something powerful sleeping inside her all along.

Something old.

Something her family never understood.

And something about our bond woke it up.

But she woke something inside me too.

Hope.

I didn't know what the fuck to do with it at first. I spent forty years preparing to die. Now I'm preparing to become a father.

Jesus fucking Christ.

I'm going to be someone's dad. My gaze drops automatically to Belinda's stomach.

There's nothing to see yet. She's barely pregnant. Nobody would know unless she told them.

But I know.

I know there's a tiny life growing inside my mate.

Part her. Part me. And if the little creature inherits her magic and my Devil?

Arrhythmia is completely fucked.

I grin. Belinda catches me staring.

Her eyebrow rises. The bond warms between us.

What?

Whether she deliberately sends the question or I'm simply getting better at reading her doesn't matter.

I cross the room. Her eyes narrow.

“You're doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“Staring at me.”

“I'm allowed.”

“Are you?”

“Pretty sure it's in the mate contract.”