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“Woah, Ash. You sound a little grumpier than usual, my love. I sense that matters aren’t going well in the Corpus empire?”
I tensed. “What makes you say that?”
“I hear rumors, even out here in the boonies where cell reception is poor,” he chuckled. “I thought I would call and offer my assistance if you need it.”
“I don’t. And don’t call again unless you have information on that lineage I asked you to find.”
“That seems like an exercise in futility, Ash.”
“Then I won’t wait on your call.”
I hung up and threw my cell phone with such force, it landed on the opposite end of the desk and clattered to the floor. Warily, Rachel eyed me, leaning down to pick it up. Sliding it back over the surface, she exhaled.
“Who are you mad at, Ash?”
Furiously, I splayed my hands on the table and glowered at her. “I don’t pay you to be my therapist, Rachel,” I hissed. “What do you want?”
“You’re going to be a father.”
At first, the words didn’t register, and I merely stared at her, my anger still pulsating, the conversation with Avalon lingering in the back of my mind.
“Did you hear what I said, Ash?”
“What?”
“You are going to be a father. Briar is pregnant. With your child.”
Blood drained out of my face, pooling into my legs to steal all my essence for half a second. I shook my head in denial.
“That’s impossible,” I scoffed. “How the hell could this have happened?”
Rachel rolled her eyes and sat forward, also placing her hands on the table to show that she was not hiding anything.
“It’s basic biology. You put your cock in her, and the two of you created life.”
I balked at her crude language, unaccustomed to hearing my assistant speak in this manner.
“You’ve been misinformed,” I told her flatly.
Huffing, Rachel jumped up and began to pace around the room.
“No,” she corrected me. “You’ve been avoiding the reality of what’s going on while you sulk in your office and your mate is off dealing with this pregnancy on her own.”
Every word smacked me exactly where she intended, but her face immediately softened to contrition, as if she realized she might have gone too far. Abruptly, Rachel stopped her pacing and hurried around the desk to look at me, taking my hand. I wrenched it back, but she was firm.
“Ash, I saw her. Today.”
“You did?” I choked. “How is she? Is she okay?”
Rachel sighed. “She’s definitely pregnant. I suspected something was up when she left here, and I wasn’t surprised when she told me today. You have to go to her and—”
I yanked my hand back again and turned away in my chair.
“It’s impossible,” I said tersely. “I can’t.”
Rachel scoffed in disbelief.
“I can’t, Rachel. I can’t be with her.”
