Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-two
Phoenix
I knew it wasn’t magic, but speed. The powerful silver-skins could travel at such speeds no human or animal, even those combined, could hope to match. Luckily there were few silver-skins that had such power or the world would have already been lost.
We came to such an abrupt stop that I fell to my knees. Head spinning, guts churning, I had to breathe through my nose carefully to avoid throwing up. Alessandro kept silent, just observing. I dragged myself to my feet and then stumbled as the world spun, but I managed to stay on my feet.
Alessandro had the usual milky-white skin, the bland mask-like features, that some found attractive. I knew they could use glamor to attract victims, but Alessandro clearly felt he had no need to hide. He didn’t bother shadowing his eyes either. Cold, dark gray, almost black.
“Where is he?” I looked around for the first time. We were inside, although if I was expecting some sort of gothic castle, I might’ve been disappointed. If anything, the walls and floor reminded me of a human office space. No furniture.
“The room is hidden,” Alessandro said mildly, which made sense.
“Where is he?” I repeated more forcefully, and Alessandro simply turned and walked.
I followed immediately until we stopped by an equally bland door, and Alessandro reached for the handle, but I pushed past him and rushed inside.
I caught a glimpse of the room I’d been expecting.
Stone walls and floor, tapestries, and paintings, but all my focus was on the huge four-poster bed and its small occupant.
“Em,” I choked out and stumbled nearer as the room changed instantly to the same bland space as the corridor, white walls, and a plain bed.
Not that I cared. I sank down on the bed and stared at the way Em was curled on his side, eyes closed, face a little pale but breathing.
I reached out to touch his cheek and nearly cried when his skin was warm.
I didn’t trust Alessandro one bit. “Em,” I said again.
“He sleeps. The healing took it out of him,” Alessandro said. “We expect him to wake in a few hours, but he doesn’t need to be here for that. Wait,” he commanded as I stood and reached for the covers, ready to carry him out. I paused and turned a hate-filled gaze on Alessandro.
“The only way to stop the bleeding was to infuse him. Not”—he put a hand up to silence me—“with any blood of ours, or he would have changed. We used the blood that’s been donated and stored.”
I scoffed. “What, you have a blood bank?”
He didn’t bother answering. Not that I expected him to.
“We also had to speed the healing, which had a secondary effect we weren’t expecting.”
I glanced back at Emery. He still breathed, but suspicion clouded my features. “What did you do?”
Alessandro pulled down the bunched-up sheet that was covering him, and I gaped in astonishment. Em was on his side, but even I could see the huge belly he sported.
“The fuck?”
“The rapid healing we were forced to do sped up his pregnancy. There is no harm to either your mate or daughter, but he’s now the human equivalent of nearly six months’ gestation.”
I didn’t have words.
Emery
I opened my eyes, and for a moment, I didn’t know where I was, but then I recognized our bedroom, and I smiled in relief as Phoenix’s face appeared in front of mine. “I missed you,” I whispered. Phoenix’s breath seemed to burst out of him, and he sat, gathering both my hands in his.
“How do you feel?” I glanced over at Esther when she spoke and frowned. Had I been sick? Why was she in our bedroom? Then everything slammed into me, and I gasped. The vamps, Alessandro. “The baby,” I said, half in a sob, and I tried to pull my hands out of Phoenix’s, but he wouldn’t let go.
“I lost her, didn’t I?” There’d been so much blood, and grief closed my throat.
“No, sweetheart,” Phoenix said. “But I need you to stay calm.”
Which startled me for about ten seconds until I absorbed what he’d said and what he obviously wasn’t saying.
“Who in the history of the world ever remains calm when they’re instructed to?
” I even managed to arch a brow, and Phoenix huffed out a noise that sounded somewhere between a laugh and a sob and bent, covering my lips with his.
Briefly. I was about to complain as he let go, until I worked out he was distracting me.
“Give it to me straight.” If the baby was okay, then what was it, and I tugged, but Phoenix still didn’t let go.
Then I had an awful, sickening thought, and I suddenly didn’t want to be #TeamEdward anymore. “What did they do?”
“Healed you both,” Phoenix said, and I must have just about blanched because Esther tutted.
“Stop scaring him.” She smiled. “They didn’t turn you. You’re not a silver-skin, and your daughter will be fine.”
“But?” I nearly yelled, and Phoenix let go of my hands.
“The only way to stop your bleeding was to speed up the healing process. It had the effect—and we don’t know why—of making you the equivalent of nearly six months’ pregnant.”
I yanked my shirt up, but I could see the huge mound in front of me, and all the stupid-ass jokes I heard in the staff room when Grace was pregnant and as she constantly complained she looked like a beachball flooded my mind.
And not more than a week later, Grace’s husband had cheated on her, blamed Grace for looking like a cow, and left her.
I burst into tears.
It took me a good ten minutes, maybe a full box of tissues, a lot of snot, and the way Phoenix had realized he couldn’t pull me forward into his arms because I didn’t bend that way anymore before I stopped.
And of course, because he never seemed to be without an answer, he simply got in bed behind me and wrapped his huge arms around my considerable girth while I turned and used his shirt to mop my face with when I ran out of tissues.
“I don’t want you to be like Grace’s Pete. He was a bastard, and she always looked really pretty.”
Phoenix paused, and I could practically hear the cogs turning. “Grace is?”
“A sweetie, and a lunch lady. And my friend.”
“And what did Pete do?” he murmured, holding a bottle of water to my lips so I could drink some.
I swallowed a few sips. “He had an affair with Melanie from Sparkles.”
Phoenix passed me a tissue when I sniffed. “Sparkles?”
I huffed. “It’s the nail place on Main Street. She does mobile, though, and Grace went to a bachelorette party for Kerry. Not that she drank, of course.”
I was sure that sentence made perfect sense until I said it back in my mind, so I tried to qualify it. “Kerry had mocktails just for Grace and Kerry’s Aunt Violet, who was driving. Pete picked Grace up because she couldn’t fit behind the wheel anymore, and that’s when they met.”
And understanding seemed to filter into Phoenix. “Grace is pregnant?”
I looked up at Phoenix and nodded. “You won’t, will you?”
He kissed each of my cheeks, my lips, my chin, and then my forehead.
“Baby, you’re the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen, and the thought, the sight of you carrying our daughter makes me so happy I can barely contain it.
But more importantly, you’ll always look beautiful.
” And of course, more tears leaked. “Don’t cry, baby.
I hate to see you upset.” He passed me the water again.
“What happened? What about Rhys?”
So Phoenix told me, and my heart hurt so badly for him. “We have to help him.”
Phoenix nodded. “I agree. We need a plan, but we also have problems with the bears.” Then he filled me in on Bayer, and the gunrunning his dad and the elders were doing.
“With all that, a guy being pregnant doesn’t seem to be that unusual,” I offered. “How’s Bayer?” I liked him, and I loved Isla.
“A mess,” Phoenix said, rubbing a hand over his eyes like he hadn’t slept in a week, but then I guessed he hadn’t in at least two days.
“You need some sleep.”
“I have to call a meeting. Kaylan’s still here, thankfully.” He looked at me. “You need to eat, as well.” He put a gentle hand on my belly.
“I need to pee,” I said mournfully, and Phoenix helped me out of bed.
“Oh crap,” I said when I stood up and realized I was wearing one of Phoenix’s t-shirts. “I am the size of a beachball.”
“No,” Phoenix said as he wrapped his arm around me to help me walk. “You’re perfect, and you’ll always fit exactly in my arms.”
He got a kiss for that. I persuaded Phoenix I was okay in the bathroom, for about ten seconds, until, in utter horror, I yelled for Phoenix to come back.
The door burst open so quickly I was surprised it was still on its hinges. Phoenix looked around wildly. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
I gestured to my huge belly. “I can’t go.”
Phoenix blinked. “Why?”
“Because I can’t see my dick,” I just about screamed.
It took Phoenix a second to rethink his laugh after he caught my laser glare on his twitching lips before he strode forward. “I’d be more than happy to help.” He even accompanied it with a waggle of his own eyebrows, and I must admit, that was quite funny.
“Sit down,” he suggested, and I huffed.
Why hadn’t I thought of that? I waved him out. “Okay, you can go.”
He looked hurt. “But I want to help.”
My lips twitched again. “I’ve been peeing on my own since I was about three. Sure I can manage.”
I did, but Phoenix reappeared when he heard me wash my hands. “I don’t want you walking far on your own until you get used to the balance.”
I yanked my hand back from his just as he steered me out. “The what?”
“Well…” He paused, clearly rethinking his words. “I was just thinking your center of gravity has changed suddenly.”
I stared at him. “It’s a good thing you’re cute.”