Total pages in book: 12
Estimated words: 11248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 56(@200wpm)___ 45(@250wpm)___ 37(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 11248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 56(@200wpm)___ 45(@250wpm)___ 37(@300wpm)
“Done?” I ask, seeing him close his laptop.
Instead of answering, he moves with vampire speed and comes to the window, picking me up and moving me onto his lap. His skin is cool against mine and he covers me back up with the blanket.
“It’s starting to snow,” I say, resting my forehead against his.
“Maybe we’ll get snowed in.” He cups my face, bringing my lips to his.
“That would be—” We kiss. “—just terrible.”
“Awful.” He bunches up the hem of my black sweater. “We’d have to find a way to entertain ourselves.”
“I don’t suppose you have any idea how we’d pass the time, do you?”
Lucas picks me up in a graceful movement, and my legs wrap around him. “I might have thought of something.”
“Doesn’t this look like something from a movie?” I sweep my hand out at the store fronts along Main Street, all lit up for Christmas. Yellow lights have been wrapped around the trees, and wreaths hang from the streetlamps. Thorne Hill is a picturesque small town filled with mom-and-pop shops and cafes, looking like it could very well be a setting for any Hallmark movie. Never mind the fact that a Ley line runs right under the surface of Main Street, attracting supernatural creatures and demons alike.
“Maybe a horror movie.”
Pouting, I look up at Lucas.
“Oh, come on. Even you, Mr. Big Bad Vampire, have to admit this is pretty.”
“I like that it makes you happy,” he says carefully.
“It makes a lot of people happy. You can feel the energy just buzzing!”
Lucas stops short, grip on my hand tightening.
“Energy?” His eyes go to the middle of the street.
“Not that kind of energy. The Ley line is fine—for now,” I chide with a shake of my head. I give Lucas’s hand a tug, wanting to keep walking. I’m starting to get cold and, mostly, I’m just really hungry and want to get to Maria’s so I can eat chips and salsa.
“Hey, Callie,” someone calls, coming down the sidewalk in the opposite direction.
“Oh, hey,” I say back, needing a few seconds to try and recall this guy’s name. He’s a warlock from my coven and is walking with two other guys I vaguely recognize. I keep my social circle small but I’m fairly well known by the other members of Grim Gate Coven.
“Enjoying the festivities?” I ask him.
The warlock, who I think is Tim, eyes Lucas, and his opinion of vampires is obvious on his face. Vampires and witches are forbidden to be together, by both the Vampire Council and the Grand Coven. It’s a stupid old rule and Lucas has proved over and over that he’s no threat to our kind, yet not everyone in my coven approves. Just wait until the rest of the coven finds out I’m pregnant with his baby.
“Yeah, we are.” He says, voice strained from Lucas’s presence. “We’re on our way to get a Yule log from the Covenstead now.”
“I still need to do that,” I reply awkwardly.
Lucas pulls his hand from mine and wraps it around my shoulders. Vampires are possessive by nature and Lucas is no exception. And now that I’m carrying his child, on top of powerful forces from both Heaven and Hell wanting to see me dead, he’s not just extra possessive: he’s downright vigilant. I can feel Lucas glowering at the warlocks, and I wouldn’t be surprised to look up and see that he’s drawn his fangs.
I’ve never been scared of Lucas—not truly, at least. Partly because I just knew I could trust him for some reason, and the other part is because I’m powerful enough to stop him. But I’m a Nephilim, more powerful than a regular witch, and the rest of my coven should be wary around vampires.
“The Yule Lads really aren’t that bad,” I add with a laugh. “Just annoying.”
Tim laughs. “Right. You’ve dealt with them before.” He nervously looks at Lucas again. “See ya later.”
“Yeah, see ya.” I step in closer to Lucas, though his body offers no warmth from the cold. “I think they’re scared of you,” I say to Lucas once Tim and his friends are out of earshot.
“They should be.”
Raising my eyebrows, I look up at him.
“They’re members of my coven and are harmless.” I let out a breath and rest my head against Lucas for a second. Being constantly tired isn’t something I’m used to. He kisses my forehead and then we start down the street again. The Mexican restaurant is busy this evening, making me glad I made a reservation. I wave to a few other witches from my coven as we’re led to our table.
I order a virgin margarita and scoot the chips and salsa from the middle of the table to right in front of me. It’s not like Lucas is going to eat them anyway. We have a nice dinner and, by the time Kirsty’s takeout order arrives, I finally got Lucas to give me a couple hints at what to get him for Christmas —despite him insisting he doesn’t want or need anything. I already gave him the sun and now I’m giving him a child—a living, breathing child.