by Eve Langlais
“Going vegan?”
“What? Never!” she exclaimed, turning in his arms. “I noticed a family of rabbits in the field behind our place.”
“You going to feed every stray you find?”
“Yes. But I’ll only share my chocolate with you.”
“Now I feel special.”
“You should.” She laughed. “I love you, Big.”
“I love you more, Enny.” And when people teased Derek that his wife was tougher than him, he reminded them she could beat their ass using their own arm. He even had it on video.
Epilogue
The screaming killed everything in a several-mile radius. Good thing Gene had conjured siren-cancelling headsets. Lana would have probably felt bad later if she’d killed all her friends.
The birth of her first child wasn’t an easy one. Lana took to the water, the giant tub in her house made for two. Her mother, Bella, was on one side holding her hand, Jory on the other looking tense.
The poor man endured a lot of abuse during those few hours. Especially when it came time to push and Lana blamed him for giving their child a gigantic head.
I was kind of with her on that. Something that big shouldn’t come out of a hole that small.
With much blood, cursing, and death—the insect and rodent population decimated during those cruel hours—a child was born. The screaming ended. Jory recovered—after a few slaps administered by his mother-in-law—while Lana smiled and crooned a happy song as she cradled her baby daughter.
I stood by her head and grinned like a lunatic. “She’s perfect.”
Neptune and the other guys were allowed to crowd into the room to stand by their respective mates. Beth still looked shell-shocked, which, given the way her hand rested on her abdomen, was for good reason. As for me, I was on the pill. No babies for me. Not yet.
Derek and I had come to the decision it was best if I had more tests run first. See exactly what kind of manipulation was done to my genes. Although, I did have to say, seeing the way Lana and Jory beamed at their green-haired daughter with the stubby wings at her back, I did feel kind of warm and mushy.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad…
Then the baby opened her mouth and wailed.
When I stopped drooling on the floor, I revised that opinion. I also resolved to not volunteer to babysit unless my goddaughter was asleep.
Tottering on unsteady legs over to Lana, I placed a hand on her while Beth did the same on the other side.
We might have been misfits brought together by chance, but that only made our bond stronger, and our family had just gotten bigger. Together we could face anything.
Even the fact that cocoa had a bad crop year and the price of chocolate would be rising.
The grainy video footage of the birth, taken via a telescopic lens from a distance, vanished, replaced by the golden icon of a lion with a spiked tail and wings.
Those at the table remained silent, waiting for the man in the suit to speak first.
“It would seem congratulations are in order for the success of our project. The child appears to be in perfect health. I see the payment to the midwife was delivered.”
A woman in a white coat nodded. “The placenta has been packaged and will reach our labs before the end of the day.”
“Excellent. I want regular progress on the pregnancy of the Nephilim. Do we know yet which of the subjects impregnated her?”
“No.”
Not that it mattered. They’d gather samples of the new hybrid.
“What of the subject in the basement? Any change?”
“Still in a coma, sir.”
Which was probably a good thing. The last time Subject Z woke, he’d tried to destroy the world.
* * *
The End?
If you know me by now, then chances are no, it’s not. Because who the hell is chained in their basement?!
* * *
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