Chapter 13
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
KRAX
SEVEN MONTHS LATER
“Well, this is unusual.”
That wasn’t what you wanted to hear when the woman you loved actually held your heart—and dick tentacle—in her hand at this very moment. We decided it was only fair that Hecto, and by extension me, received the brunt of her pain. Honestly, though, I’d take all the pain if I could.
I looked down where Doc was delivering my child—our child—in its egg sac. He was still curled in a perfect little ball, his tiny tentacles wrapped around himself as he sucked peacefully on his fist.
He was perfect.
“He’s beautiful,” Elsie murmured. I looked down at her, her hair stuck to her head, her cheeks red and blotchy from the exertion of birthing the soft kraken egg.
It wasn’t much bigger than a large human baby, and honestly, it was a lot more flexible.
Its bones would harden over the course of the first week.
“You’re beautiful. The most beautiful woman in this realm and every other. Of course your child would be the most perfect one to ever be born.” I cleared my throat and looked down at the doctor. “When you cut the cord, the egg sac will rupture, and he’ll be born in the kraken sense.”
Doc did as I said, and the egg sac melted away. Two perfect blue eyes burst open, and our newborn baby looked around, then he opened his mouth and wailed so loudly, there was no doubt in my mind that he was healthy.
The doctor placed him on Elsie’s chest, and she looked down at the little creature we’d created together—my son. Elsie ran a hand up his back, and he looked so small in her arms. In mine, he’d be barely longer than my hand.
Doc did all his checks and then smiled. “He looks good. All his vitals are what I’d hope they’d be. Congrats, you have a bouncing baby boy.”
After staying a little longer and ensuring Elsie could nurse, Doc left, and it was once again just the three of us—no, wait, the four of us.
Elsie traced a hand over the baby’s arm. “Look at this.”
Staring down, I saw a softly glowing imp squiggle. How was that possible? “Looks like he’s a little bit my son too,” Ukobach joked softly.
I wrapped my arm around his shoulders. “More than a little bit your son. He’s all ours equally, always has been.”
Two days later, we’d settled into a routine. We were sleep deprived and making it up as we went, but we were surviving.
At least, we were until Lucifer popped into the room. Elsie screeched, which woke the baby and made him cry, and Ukobach leapt over the couch and was in front of them in an instant.
Luc lifted his hands. “Relax. I’m just coming to offer my congratulations. Man, new parents are so testy.”
“It’s the lack of REM sleep,” Elsie agreed, though she was glaring at the devil as she shushed the baby. Man, I hoped Lucifer was feeling empathetic today.
“Apologies, Elsie. I was in town and thought I’d check up on my favorite Hell escapees and make sure you don’t want me to take them back.”
“Take them back?” she echoed.
“Yes, them. Krax, Uko, and the baby. Do you wish for any of them to return to Hell with me?”
She clutched the baby closer. “No!”
“Do you wish to return?” he asked me.
I was shaking my head vigorously before he’d even finished his question. “No. Please, I want to stay here with them.” I didn’t even care if I sounded desperate. I’d beg if I had to.
Lucifer waved a hand. “Stop, stop. Your desperation is giving me indigestion. Well, if that’s the case…” He waved a hand, but nothing happened. “You’re welcome.”
We looked around the room. “Uh, thank you?” Uko said politely, and Lucifer sighed.
“I created an enchantment around the infant. He looks like himself to you, but to the rest of the world, he’ll look like an average mortal boy.” Crossing his arms over his chest, he waited.
I squinted at the baby, and if I turned to the side, I could see the glamour over him. He looked like a small version of Elsie.
Ukobach gave Lucifer a grateful hug. “Thank you!”
The devil brushed the baby spit from his jacket, which must have transferred from Uko’s shirt. “Babies are disgusting.”
He disappeared from the room once more, but with a tinkle of bells and not his normal clap of thunder. He had halfway disappeared into the shadows when he popped back into the room. “Ace wants me to ask what the baby’s name is.” Ace was his consort and the Queen of Hell.
“Harvey,” Elsie told him. The devil raised an eyebrow. “Uh, Harvey Luc?” she amended, and Lucifer grinned.
“Excellent name.” Then he was gone gone, and the oxygen returned to my lungs.
Silence settled over the room, each of us waiting for the other shoe to drop, like for the Devil to return and be like, “Psych! You’re coming with me!”
The longer we waited with nothing happening, the more weight lifted from my shoulders. Finally, Uko breathed a sigh of relief. “I think that went kind of well, considering.”
I couldn’t argue.
I got the girl, the boy, and the family.
It was perfect, and it was all because I followed my dick and trusted my heart.