Ami stroked Slim’s fur. “Slim doesn’t like smelling other cats on him.”
Étienne suspected there was more to it than that, but didn’t say anything. Marcus had been giving off all kinds of stress vibes lately.
“In fact, I’m going to take Slim out for a jaunt until you’re finished in here. I think he needs a break.”
Slim chose that moment to emit a peculiar howl.
Chuckles circled the room as she passed through the kitchen, then exited through the back door.
Stepping out into the brisk wind, Ami set Slim down on the back deck and gave his skinny little butt a pat. “All right, you crazy kitty. Have fun.”
Perking up, he meowed and trotted down the steps into the darkened yard.
Ami stood still for a moment, enjoying the night.
Quiet engulfed her. Since she didn’t have the superior hearing of immortals, the conversations of those within couldn’t reach her out here. Only the rustling of leaves that fluttered in the breeze broke the silence.
Retrieving the lightweight aluminum ladder kept on the deck, she descended the porch steps and walked around to the side of the house. The ladder was just tall enough to reach the roof. Ami leaned it up against the gutters and gave it a shake to ensure it was steady before she placed her foot on the first rung and began to climb.
At the top, she peered over the edge of the roof, already knowing whom she would find seated upon it.
As usual, he wore black leather pants and nothing else. A pair of beautiful wings, as tan as his skin at their base and darkening to black at their tips, were folded against his back. His shoulder-length, wavy, black hair danced in the wind.
Hi, she greeted him mentally.
He shook his head. How do you always know I’m here? Rising, he strode silently across the roof, took her hand, and helped her the rest of the way up.
I know your energy signature now.
His brow furrowed. I’m glad Seth can’t detect me so easily. I doubt he’d respond well to learning I’ve been . . . visiting.
She thought he might be right on that one. Her husband Marcus wouldn’t either, if he knew.
Seating herself, Ami waited for Zach to reclaim his spot, then withdrew two lollipops from her jacket.
His lips tilted up in a faint smile. Which one do I want tonight?
She offered him a green one. Apple.
The smell of fresh fruit—Granny Smith apples and ripe strawberries—filled the air as they unwrapped their treats and let the flavors coat their tongues.
This was the sixth or seventh time she had met him up here. She alone seemed capable of detecting his presence.
She still didn’t know who he was, but sensed he posed no threat to her.
He rarely spoke. That didn’t bother her though. She hadn’t been much of a talker either after Seth and David had rescued her from her torturers. And the first time she had met Zach he had been riddled with wounds and trembling with pain.
Ami understood pain.
She also understood a reluctance to trust.
Wind buffeted her, rocking her on her perch.
Zach unfurled his wings to shield her from the breeze.
So, he drawled, surprising her, how are you?
She turned her head and found him studying her intently. You know? she asked.
About your pregnancy? Yes.
Only a handful of people had been told, so either he had overheard it or he had detected the baby’s heartbeat and, unlike the others, knew it didn’t belong to one of the kittens.
Dr. Lipton said the baby has a strong, healthy heartbeat.
I didn’t ask about the baby. I asked about you. How are you doing?
Shrugging, she lowered her gaze to the lollipop wrapper and began to fold and unfold it. The nausea is pretty bad. Lollipops are the only sweet things I can stand to smell or eat. Anything else makes me throw up. As did most foods. Marcus was worried that she wasn’t getting enough nutrition, because almost everything she put in her stomach came right back up again.
Are you afraid? he asked softly.
Ami’s throat thickened. Her vision grew hazy as tears welled in her eyes. Raising her head, she met his gentle gaze. Terrified.
Zach’s chest constricted when tears spilled over her lashes and trailed down her cheeks. Ami was the kindest, gentlest mortal he had encountered in his long existence. Ironically, she was also one of the fiercest, most determined fighters. To see her so vulnerable made his heart hurt.
And Zach hadn’t even realized he had a heart.
I wish I could see the future, he said, so I could tell you how this will turn out.
She smiled and brushed at her cheeks. At least you didn’t tell me everything will be all right.
Is that what your husband does? he asked curiously.
She shook her head. Marcus never lies to me. A sad smile tilted her lips. So he says very little. He asks how I feel and does everything he can to make me happy, help me feel better, keep me from stressing over what might happen, all the things that could go wrong. More tears welled. And tries to carry all of the burden himself.
Zach swallowed. There really wasn’t anything he could say to ease her mind and steal away her despair. It surprised him that he even wished to try.
Did you know, she asked, sniffling, that before I came here I had never seen a pregnant woman?
No. He couldn’t imagine it, and sometimes forgot that she was from another planet.
She smiled. The first one I saw had a belly so huge I thought something was seriously wrong with her.
She must have wondered what the hell was in that belly. How is that possible? he asked. Don’t people on your planet reproduce the same way we do?
She nodded. Visitors came to us from another solar system under the guise of friendship and used a virus as a bioweapon against us. No one died from it, so we thought it was an accident, that they hadn’t known they were carriers, and didn’t think much of it until we realized that almost every woman on our planet had been rendered infertile by it. Those who weren’t usually miscarried. Successful pregnancies that go to term are practically nonexistent now. And female children are just as likely to be infertile. It’s one of the reasons I came here. I hoped to find some Earth women who might like to either serve as surrogate mothers or marry our men and help us repopulate.
And the other?
She shook her head. To warn you that the beings who tried to eradicate us are on their way to eradicate you.
Lovely. And for that you were ruthlessly tortured for six months.
Yes. She was quiet for a long moment. I never thought I would be a mother. Another minute passed. Marcus never thought he would be a father.
The odds of either were . . .
Well, hell, he would have thought it impossible even without knowing her people’s history.
Congratulations.
She stared at him. Moisture once more welled in her eyes.
Again Zach’s chest tightened. He cupped his knees in his palms, slid his hands over the soft leather anxiously. Should I not have—?
She shook her head, lips curling into a trembling smile, and brushed the tears from her cheeks. I’m sorry. It’s just . . . you’re the first person who has congratulated me. Everyone else . . .
Is concerned.
She nodded.
He looked at her stomach, hidden beneath one of Marcus’s large sweatshirts. May I?
She nodded.
Zach leaned close. Placing a hand on her stomach, which was rounder than he had expected beneath the soft material, he concentrated on the life it sheltered. The babe seems healthy. Maybe a little large.
She smiled, her face lighting a bit. That’s what Seth said. Marcus is large, too, though, so that’s the one thing that doesn’t concern me.
He hoped that was the explanation. A mixture of gifted one and alien DNA with the vampiric virus thrown in . . .
No one knew what the hell to expect.
And all feared th
e worst. Those who knew, anyway.
You know what I think you should do? he said, drawing back.
What?
Enjoy the moment. Live like there is no tomorrow. You have a healthy babe in your belly and a husband who loves you. Let the others worry about the what-ifs. Stressing over what might happen isn’t good for the baby.
She nodded. I’ll try.
The front door opened and closed below them.
“Bon soir!” Lisette called, stepping into view as she donned a motorcycle helmet.
“Good night,” Sarah responded cheerfully.
“Good hunting,” Roland added.
A moment later, the French immortal sped away on the back of her motorcycle.
“Want to run home?” Roland asked as he and his wife strolled into view.
“Do you mean literally run?”
He nodded and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her body against his. “I know how exhilarating you find it. And I love anything that lights your beautiful eyes with excitement.” He kissed her.
Her eyes began to glow as she sank into him. “We’ll be all sweaty when we get home.”
He kissed her again. “We’re going to get sweaty once we’re home anyway.”
She emitted a throaty laugh. “Shall we make it interesting then and race?”
“How about we race naked? If I catch you, we make love wherever I tackle you.”
“And risk having vampires catch us in flagrante delicto? I don’t think so.”
He laughed. “Perhaps another night then.”
She stepped back. “On three?”
“On three.”
“Okay. One. Two.” She took off, her slender form blurring as she sped off into the night. “Three!” she called from half a mile away, laughter trailing after her.
Roland’s usually dour face broke into a wide grin as he took off after her.
Zack looked at Ami and found her smiling.
What’s it like? he asked, curious.
What?
He started to say love. Affection. Friendship. Nothing. Never mind.
She grimaced. Ech. My stomach is starting to churn again. I’d better go. I doubt David would appreciate it if I vomited all over his solar panels.
Zach thought David wouldn’t care if Ami puked all over his dreadlocks. The elder immortal just wanted her to be happy and healthy and safe.
Rising, he walked with her over to the ladder and steadied her as she found the rungs with her feet. She didn’t need his aid. She was as sure-footed as a cat. Her condition just made him feel protective.
He frowned.
Would you like to come with me? she asked.
No, thank you.
She smiled and descended the ladder.
Zach retook his position in the center of the roof. Tucking his wings in close, he listened as she returned the ladder to its hangers and went inside.
Quiet enfolded him, broken only by the occasional conversation filtering up from the house.
What the hell are you doing, Zach? he asked himself. Why was he so drawn to this place? To these people? What had changed?
Was Seth right? Had he changed?
He heard Darnell greet Ami inside as he collected kittens from immortals and returned them to whatever basket or box they kept them in. “I’m heading downstairs to challenge the Seconds that are training tonight. How much you wanna bet I beat them?”
Had Ami been the one to make the challenge, Zach knew every dollar would be placed on her. But she hadn’t sparred with the others since she’d learned she was pregnant.
“All at once?” Richart asked before Ami could respond.
“Nah. One or two at a time.”
“I’ll bet a thousand on you,” the Frenchman declared.
“No way,” Étienne said. “There are too many. They’ll tire him out. A thousand on the other Seconds.”
“You’re on.”
“Can I get in on this?” another asked.
“Me, too.”
“Where are you going to get a thousand dollars?”
“Bite me.”
They all moved down to the basement, where loud cheering and taunting erupted as the first match began.
They really did seem like one big family. How had Seth accomplished that?
Something stung Zach’s neck. Reaching up, he felt around and found three darts sticking out of it.
Yanking them out, he stared down at them. These weren’t mercenary darts. They were the darts Dr. Lipton had fashioned for the immortals to use against vampires.
He scanned the dark scenery around him, looking for the culprit, and belatedly heard the heartbeat behind him that his thoughts had drowned out.
Casually, he turned. His own heart gave a weird little skip. Lisette, the French immortal, crouched there, her lovely face expressionless.
And her face truly was lovely. He had never been this close to her before. Her skin was pale perfection, her raven hair pulled back from her face in a braid that fell to her waist. Her slender body was clad in a formfitting T-shirt and cargo pants accentuated with holstered Glock 18s. The handles of two sheathed shoto swords peeked at him over her shoulders.
She reminded him of that woman in the Tomb Raider games he had seen Darnell and Ami playing.
And her scent . . .
He drew in a deep breath. She smelled even better than Ami. And Ami smelled better than the lollipops she brought him.
A long minute passed during which Lisette stared at him, waiting for the tranquilizer to take effect. Little did she know the drug would have no more effect on him than it would on Seth.
Zach raised an eyebrow.
Her forehead crinkled in a frown. Quick as lightning, she drew three more darts from her pocket and stuck them in his neck.
With slow, deliberate movements, Zach reached up and removed them.
She bit her lip.
“That hurts, you know,” he said softly enough that he hoped those down in the house wouldn’t hear it over the sparring noises and boisterous cheers.
A thin wire slipped over his head from behind and jerked across his neck, shutting off air.
“Not as much as this will, asshole,” a male voice growled in his ear.
It carried a British accent, so it wasn’t one of her brothers.
What exactly was going on here?
Before Zach could ponder further, a figure appeared on the roof beside him. Sarah met Zach’s gaze, took in the piano wire choking him, glanced at Lisette—who looked guilty as hell—then turned her attention to the man behind Zach.
“Hi,” Sarah said.
“You followed me?” that one growled.
Ah. Roland.
“Yes, I did.”
“Why?”
“Curiosity. You wouldn’t say why you were coming back and told me not to follow you, which left me no choice but to do so.”
Both spoke as softly as Zach had.
Roland grunted.
“So,” she said.
“So?” Roland parroted.
“Watcha doin’?”
“Lisette has some questions for this one.”
“Uh-huh. And . . . you thought this was the best way to elicit answers?”
“Yes.”
“Uh-huh. Uh-huh. You don’t think . . . maybe . . . this sort of thing might be why everyone calls you antisocial?”
“Considering the questions, I thought he would likely be uncooperative.”
“Oh.” She studied Zach, then looked at Lisette. “Ohhhhhh.” Her brows drew together. “Is this a lover’s quarrel kind of thing? Did he do something to piss you off?”
Lisette looked uncomfortable.
“He didn’t cheat on you, did he?” Sarah asked, all concern. “I didn’t realize you were seeing anyone.”
Zach watched Lisette, ignoring the pain in his throat and the burn beginning to fill his lungs.
Lisette visually consulted Roland over Zach’s shoulder. “It isn’t about me.”
“Then who is it about?” Sarah asked.
Roland must have mouthed a name, because—though Zach heard nothing—Sarah’s eyes blazed a bright luminescent green, very rare amongst immortals. “Really.” She moved, silently circling around to stand with her husband at Zach’s back. “Let me give you a little help with that, sweetie.”
In all of his thousands of years of existence, Zach didn’t think anything so peculiar had ever happened to him.
Or so intriguing.
Or entertaining.
As the husband-and-wife team slowly choked him toward unconsciousness, he pondered what to do. He could make enough noise to draw David’s attention. But David wouldn’t appreciate his presence here any more than Seth would.
He could teleport away. But anyone touching him would go with him. So he would only escape Lisette, and she was the most interesting person here. She was the reason he hadn’t yet attempted to secure his freedom.
Roland planted a boot in Zach’s back and pulled harder.
Roland had said Lisette wanted to talk to him. That she had some questions for Zach.
What kind of questions?
How did she even know about him?
How had she detected his presence when Seth and David hadn’t?
His heartbeat sounded loudly in his ears as his lungs hungered for oxygen.
Zach couldn’t seem to find the will to fight them. He wanted to know what Lisette wanted from him. Had Roland and Sarah stopped trying to suffocate him and stepped back, he didn’t think he would have left.
Hmm. He could just go with it.
The idea appealed to him far more than it should. He wasn’t supposed to care about this. Any of it. Or these people.
But his damned curiosity wouldn’t leave him be.
And Seth hadn’t been far from the truth when they had spoken in South Korea. The numbness was wearing off. Boredom had set in. Zach was drowning in it. And he would do just about anything, including allow the odd couple behind him to force him into unconsciousness, to swim his way back to the surface and leave it behind him.
A very dangerous mind-set that had already gotten him into trouble once.
His eyes locked on Lisette’s face.
Fuck it. He wanted to know.
The smile he gave her as darkness enfolded him must have puzzled the hell out of her.
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