Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 125077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“I thought I was getting the reports.” Evan held Puff, who had now fallen asleep against her shoulder.
“Nope. You now have a baby and you have to take care of the baby, who can’t leave this apartment because we’re not sure your baby is allowed to be here.”
“I could…” Gray began.
I turned on him. “If the next words out of your mouth are anything about Tix coming to watch the dog for a while, you should rethink them.”
“I could stay with the dog,” Gray offered in a way that let me know I’d been right about what he’d meant to say.
“No, I should stay with him,” Evan admitted. “He needs to bond with me. Fen can take Jade to get the reports, and that way Gray can back you up, Kelsey.”
“That is an excellent idea. I’ll go change into something more appropriate.” Gray walked off toward the bedroom.
Evan looked at me with wide, innocent eyes, but I knew when I’d been manipulated into a situation.
A tiny burst of flame accompanied the puppy’s bout of gas.
“Oww.” Evan frowned. “I need to figure out how to keep this baby’s tummy settled. What do you think he eats?”
Fen shoved another piece of jerky in his mouth as though he knew where his girlfriend would go next.
It was a good move because Evan was ruthless.
“There are some herbs I can blend up to help with that,” Jade offered. “Maybe Kelsey can grab them when she goes down to talk to the gnomes.”
I was pretty sure the gnomes wouldn’t be friendly after they figured out I was going to accuse them of murder.
I should probably get those herbs first.
Chapter Seventeen
It took almost an hour to get everyone settled and off on their individual errands, and it was getting close to sunset by the time Gray and I started for the gardens. He’d changed from that superhot suit to jeans and a T-shirt and he was still sexy as hell, and I was still somewhat irritated.
“I didn’t mean to cause trouble,” Gray said quietly as he moved alongside me. “I really was trying to reconnect with Fenrir. And I do promise the jerky isn’t someone who pissed me off. It’s made from cattle.”
“Demonic cattle.” Even I could hear the stubbornness in my tone.
“I won’t do it…” He sighed, a heavy sound, and stopped. “No. I’m not going to tell you I won’t do it again because Fen enjoys it and there’s nothing wrong with him having a snack he likes. It’s not going to turn him into something. It doesn’t control anyone’s mind. It’s just tasty. Kelsey, I’m confused, and I need you to tell me what I’m doing wrong. Not about signing the contract in order to protect your family. You won’t convince me there was another way. I’m talking about now. I’m genuinely trying to be okay with my demonic side. Being around Lucifer is unsettling, but I’m going to be honest, I gather some strength and energy from being at the house my ancestors built. I think I know why my father didn’t want me to go there until I was older. I think I would have been more powerful had I spent any time at all in that house.”
“Are you planning on taking this child to Hell?” I couldn’t help the fact that my hand drifted to my belly.
His jaw tightened. “I would never do anything you would be uncomfortable with, but he will have a demonic side. Are you planning on pretending he’s human?”
“He might be human.” You never could tell. Lee had a human mother and a Fae father and…he was somehow a latent vampire.
“He won’t be and you know it. He’ll be part demon, part Hunter—whatever that means in a boy—and none of us knows what to expect yet. What I do know is he’ll be very much like his mother, and that means he’ll be stubborn and he’ll want answers. He’ll be part me, and that means feeling an enormous amount of shame when it comes to being part demon. You’re the one who made me see that I didn’t have to be ashamed. You showed me I could embrace the good part that comes from the circumstances of my birth.”
“I meant I thought you should be okay being kinky when we have sex, Gray. I did not mean for you to become one of the thirteen princes of Hell,” I shot back.
He growled, a low sound that came from the back of his throat, and his eyes went the slightest bit red.
And I was not afraid of him at all. “That demon can track our child, Gray. You are the one who taught me never to trust a full-breed demon.”
“I’m not a damn full breed and don’t trust Tix with secrets, but I think he can probably handle shopping for a dog crate,” Gray replied. “And you seemed okay with the idea of me getting Evan a hellhound puppy the last time we were together.”