“Gaby?” I shouted frantically, but it only sounded like a whisper against the ringing in my ears. “Gaby?” I peered over and saw her window was gone and her head sagged against the pavement. I quickly undid my seatbelt while trying to keep my body from landing on her. Slowly I lowered myself until I stood upright. My hands moved across her body patting her down in different places. There was blood splattered against her temple.

  “God, Gaby! Please?” I begged. I felt for a pulse, which seemed ridiculous since she was a vampire, but I felt it beating steady.

  She groaned and her eyes fluttered open. I sighed when she turned her focus on me.

  “Are you alright? The baby?”

  Disoriented, she touched her head rubbing the wetness that was there. When she withdrew her fingers, I saw they were tinged red. I placed my hand on her stomach and opened up my senses. I listened and focused on the sounds. It took me a moment, but instead of a heartbeat I felt the baby’s movement. It was the first time I’d felt our baby kick. I was elated, but restless over the trauma we’d just endured.

  “I think we’re both fine,” she whispered placing her hand over mine on her stomach. I smiled visibly relieved. “John?” She asked.

  My face morphed. I’d been so concerned with Gaby and the baby that I’d forgotten about my old friend. I moved with ease through the car, with more grace than I had as a human.

  “He’s got a pulse,” I announced just before the sound of sirens approaching filled the small confines of the car.

  I sat next to Gaby in the emergency waiting room. We had both refused medical assistance when the paramedics arrived. It was met with scolding like we were children. Gaby was obviously pregnant, no matter how she attempted to wear her clothes to hide it, and the paramedics had tried to use that as a means to guilt her into medical attention.

  A quick phone call to the New York nest had their doctor in a car on the way to the accident. They drove us to the hospital that John had been taken to while the doctor did a quick exam on Gaby. A portable Doppler was used and we were able to hear the rapid beat of our baby’s heart.

  “Are you sure I can’t convince you to come to the nest for an ultrasound?” Doctor B asked when we arrived at the hospital.

  “Are you concerned?” Gaby wondered, but the doctor shook her head.

  “If you’d been human then I definitely would be, but you seem fine and the baby’s heart rate is where it should be. I’d just feel better with an ultrasound.”

  Gaby regarded me and I was torn. Of course I wanted her to have the ultrasound even if everything appeared normal, but John was inside too. Doctor B eyed me and saw the war waging on my face.

  “You know what? I have a contact here. Let me see what I can do. Go check on your friend and I’ll find you both in a moment,” she said with a reassuring smile.

  Gaby and I rushed into the hospital. We must have looked a mess because the attendant was immediately on her feet. “Can you tell me what happened?”

  I shook my head. “Not us. Our friend was brought in, Jonathan Donavan.”

  “Friend? So not family?” She asked while still trying to attend to us like we were patients.

  “I’m his next of kin.” A wheel chair was placed behind Gaby as the nurse tried ushering her into it. “Honestly we’re fine. Already checked out. We just need to know about our friend.”

  She narrowed her gaze at me. When I wouldn’t back down she sighed, then walked over to her computer and began clicking away. “Doctor’s with him now. Take a seat and I’ll let her know you’re waiting.”

  “Thank you,” I sighed.

  Gaby’s hand was in mine as we sat waiting. She’d been overly quiet and I was grateful. I didn’t want to talk and I think she knew that. My mind was too busy buzzing with all the different scenarios and possible what ifs. When I felt someone approach I thought perhaps it was John’s doctor, but instead I saw police officers.

  “Mr. Alexander?” The man with mocha colored skin asked. I responded with a nod. “Mind if we ask you a few questions?”

  “Honestly gentleman, I’m here waiting to hear about my friend.”

  “That’s actually what we wanted to talk to you about. You were in the car accident with Mr. Donavan, is that correct?” Again I nodded. “After your kidnapping a few months ago…”

  “Whoa! Officers,” Gaby spoke for the first time since we stepped out of the car. “I suggest you tread carefully. My husband has been through a lot and reliving that experience while he waits for news on a dear friend of his is not the way for you to go about getting information. Now what is this about?”

  The two officers exchanged glances. They probably weren’t use to being spoken to like that. “The car accident Mrs. Alexander.”

  “What about it?” she questioned.

  This time the officer with blonde hair and blue eyes spoke. “We believe it was deliberate.”

  “Deliberate?” I asked my brow knitting.

  He nodded. “There were no brake marks. Actually there were accelerated marks. Someone was trying to hit you. Our concern is whether their purpose was to hit you in general or just anyone that passed at the proper time. They fled the scene. We’re fingerprinting the car, but it was a rental so there’s more fingerprints than normal. Our question, and perhaps my partner went about asking it the wrong way, is do you know anyone that would want to hurt you?”

  I wanted to scoff at the question, but I refrained. Of course there were people, or rather beings, out to hurt us. Anyone that knew about The Prophecy wanted to eliminate the baby, but we couldn’t tell them that. They’d have us locked upstairs in the psych ward.

  Without missing a beat, Gaby shook her head. “No one at all.”

  The officers exchanged a glance, “Mr. Alexander?” they asked, obviously not believing her.

  “You heard my wife,” I stated. “There’s no one.”

  They nodded expecting the response then thanked us for our cooperation.

  John’s doctor came to speak with us just as Doctor B appeared. She sat there quietly as the other doctor explained John’s condition. He was suffering from a concussion, a few bruised ribs and a broken wrist. Overall he’d been extremely lucky. The car had hit the tail end of the vehicle. Gaby and I knew, especially after the conversation with the cops, it was because we were the targets. The doctor said John was resting and was on some painkillers for his injuries so he suggested we head home, clean up and rest ourselves before returning in the morning.

  Once he left, Doctor B asked us about the ultrasound again. Apparently she had someone up in radiology that owed her a favor. I didn’t ask. Seeing the baby would put my mind at ease.

  We entered a dimly lit room. Doctor B had Gaby hop up onto the table.

  “So you had one while you were down in Las Vegas?” She asked.

  Gaby nodded, her fingers reaching for my hand. With the gel in place and the wand against Gaby’s stomach, the telltale sound of the baby’s heart filled the room. Doctor B didn’t turn the screen from us like the last doctor had, instead she showed us our child and pointed things out. “So there’s the head and the hand. Do you see the fingers?” she asked before freezing the image then continued. After a few more frames she asked, “Did you want to know the gender?” Gaby and I exchanged a glance. I smiled and shook my head.

  “No,” Gaby responded.

  “Good,” Doctor B sighed.

  I chuckled at her relief. “Why is that good?”

  She moved the wand to Gaby’s side then pointed with her finger. “The little bugger doesn’t want to show us and some parents can get really emotional when they want to know.”

  That night, I held Gaby in my arms long after she fell asleep. I was grateful that everyone walked away from the accident alive but that didn’t stop my worry over why we were in an accident in the first place. Sleep refused to come. Around two in the morning, I slid from the bed being careful not to disturb Gaby. With my phone in hand, I closed the bedroom door and moved to the balcony. The phone rang twice before the recipient answered.

  “Lover boy? Well isn’t this a surprise.”

  “Jade, can I please speak to Damien without all the anecdotes?” I groaned.

  “Jeez, who got your panties in a bunch?” I heard some shuffling. “Be careful he’s in a mood,” I heard her mumble.

  “Grayson?” Damien seemed surprised by my call.

  “I think someone else knows about The Prophecy.”

  Gaby

  I’d tried to get a hold of Shawn all day. Grayson had been at the hospital most of the morning before heading to work for a few hours. He hadn’t wanted me to join him, claiming not to know how long he’d be at either place. After the accident, it seemed he didn’t want me going anywhere alone. I hadn’t felt the need to leave the apartment until the lack of communication from my best friend.

  When Grayson arrived home, he saw the worry blatant on my face. “What is it?”

  “Shawn,” I sighed. “What if something happened to him?”

  Grayson moved across the room until he stood in front of me. I gazed up at him and saw his palm out to me. I took it. Without a word we strolled hand-in-hand out of the apartment. I wanted to ask what we were doing because my curiosity was piqued, but instead I stayed silent and let my husband take me wherever he planned.

  I smiled when I caught sight of a familiar building. It had been my home for a short time.

  “I can’t let you go up by yourself this time, but I can wait in the hall if you need?” Grayson offered.

  I cupped his cheek then placed my lips gently against his. “Thank you.”

  Grayson slid out of the car before coming over to assist me. The sun had set over an hour ago. I gazed up at the moon to see if maybe I had forgotten its schedule, but it was crescent shaped so I knew it wasn’t the reason for Shawn’s avoidance.

  When we came to his floor Grayson froze. His hand gripped my arm. My hearing wasn’t what it should be thanks to the poison coursing through my body, but apparently he’d heard something that I hadn’t. His brow furrow and his eyes narrowed. He appeared angry.

  “We should go,” he whispered, but it came out as a growl.

  “What? No!” I tried to move forward.

  “Gaby,” he pulled me back to him. “Trust me.”

  “What?” I questioned. Then I heard it. It was a voice I’d recognize anywhere. It appeared in my worst nightmares on occasion whenever I dreamed of losing Grayson. He saw the recognition on my face. Closing his eyes, he released his hold on me. I strolled with purpose to Shawn’s door.

  “No, I already told you, I’m done. I’m not telling you anything,” Shawn declared.

  “Little wolf, we had a deal. We work together and you get your revenge for the human you lost.”

  My hand covered my mouth trying to stifle the cry I felt coming. No, Shawn wouldn’t betray me like this. He was my best friend. Grayson stared at me with empathy in his eyes. He seemed to feel my pain.

  “Well, I’m changing the deal.”

  I shook my head and twisted the knob. It was unlocked. I slammed it open wanting to declare my arrival.

  “Gaby?” Shawn looked scared. Ava was smug.

  “Ah, Gabriella. We were just speaking of you.”

  I moved at supernatural speed to her, but just as my hands reached for her I felt cool metal against my stomach. The cool of the blade penetrated even through the fabric of my shirt as it hovered there, threatening damage if I didn’t comply.

  “Gaby!” Grayson screamed from the threshold banging on the invisible barrier. He hadn’t been to Shawn’s apartment since he’d turned into a vampire.

  “Nah, ah,” Ava waved her index finger back and forth like a parent disciplining their child. “There will be none of that. I’ll simply be on my way.” Keeping the blade pressed against me, she turned us around until her back was to the door. “Move away please, Grayson. I would hate to have to hurt Gaby.” Grayson complied as Ava walked backwards from the room. Once she was over the threshold she disappeared in a supernatural blur.

  “Gaby,” Shawn tried, but I blurred towards him. With strength well exceeding a woman my size, I lifted Shawn by the neck and tossed him across the room. He hit the wall and landed in a heap. Grayson tried to call out for me, but I ignored him as I zoomed to where Shawn lay. I lifted him by his throat until his feet dangled off the floor.

  “How could you?” I spat with tears in my eyes. My face was soaked as they streamed down my face. “You were my friend. My best friend. I trusted you,” I cried.

  “I know,” he choked.

  “Invite me in Shawn,” Grayson yelled from the threshold. The room vibrated with supernatural energy every time Grayson hit the barrier. Shawn didn’t even try to fight me off.

  “She wants to torment me, Shawn and you are helping her.”

  “I didn’t. I swear.” His eyes turned to Grayson. “Please,” he said with a slight nod.

  “I heard you!” I shouted slamming him into the wall.

  “Gaby,” Grayson approached. I turned my attention to him. He tentatively raised his hand like I was a frightened animal he was trying not to spook. Placing his palm gently on my arm, he helped me guide Shawn back down to the floor. Expending myself, my strength gave the moment my anger was no longer fueling my emotions. I released him then crumbled into my husband’s arms while Shawn fell to the floor coughing. Shawn’s plea was all the invitation Grayson had needed.

  “Yes, I agreed to assist her, Gaby, but I never did anything to actually help. I was grieving when she approached me, the night Clive died, and I—I’m so—sorry.”

  I stared up into Grayson’s gray eyes that mirrored the sting of betrayal. “Take me home,” I whispered.

  “Gaby, please,” Shawn begged as Grayson lead me to the door. “I wasn’t thinking. I could never hurt you like that.”

  “But you just have.”

  His declarations followed us until the elevators closed. I gasped and clutched my side. Grayson maneuvered me and lifted my shirt enough to see my wound. Before the elevator reopened, he’d already placed the one phone call I knew was the hardest for him to make.

  “I think I’m going to cancel,” Grayson announced.

  “No you’re not. I’ll be fine.” Grayson had to make a trip to Los Angeles. After what happened with the car accident and then Shawn, Grayson had been trying to find a way out of the trip, but this wasn’t something he could reschedule. If he tried it could push back the opening of his newest hotel by months and that would be money he’d be out of. “Jade will be here to keep me company.” And safe.

  It would be a three-day trip. With everything that had happened he no longer felt comfortable with me being alone. After my fallout with Shawn and the fact that I had already been attacked by a high level demon, the wolves weren’t an option.

  “Surprisingly, that doesn’t make me feel much better,” he teased, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on my lips.

  “We’ll be fine.” It had been about five days since I last fed from Sebastian and I knew that a replay was going to occur soon and if it happened to be while Grayson was gone, I was all for it. It took us about two days to recover from each feeding. Each time it seemed to happen faster, but if I could avoid the awkwardness, I would.

  Jade arrived minutes before Grayson needed to head to the airport. Part of me wanted to drive with him. He hired a temporary driver until John fully recovered from his injuries. The doctors had released the older man, but suggested he take it easy for a few weeks.

  Grayson sighed, wrapping his arms around my waist. “You know I’d love to spend every last moment I can with you since it’ll be a few days, but then I’d be worried about your drive back to the apartment. So please, for my peace of mind, stay here.”

  “Oh, he’s good,” mumbled Jade from the couch as she flipped through the channels.

  Grayson kissed me goodbye, then dropped to his knee and kissed the baby goodbye as well, which brought a tear to my eye. Once he left, I stood frozen for a few minutes staring at the door struggling to maintain my emotions.

  “Jeez, girl. It’s not like he’s going off to war. He’ll be back before the weekend is over.” That was something about Jade. Your mood could drastically change due to some comment she’d make. Now I was annoyed. “So what do you want to do tonight?”

  I laid on the couch while Jade sprawled out on the floor. We had junk food galore surrounding us. I had never had a sleepover as a kid, but my night with Jade was beginning to feel like one.

  “If you tell anyone I watched this with you, I’ll end you. I have a reputation to maintain,” Jade stated as she pressed play on Wonder Woman.

  “Oh come on. It’s not like that. It’s a really amazing movie.”

  We managed two movies when my phone rang and Grayson’s name flashed on the screen. Beaming like a lovesick fool I fumbled to answer. Jade rolled her eyes before turning back to the TV.

  “Hey, baby,” I grinned and stood to leave the room.

  “If you guys are going to have phone sex, let me know. I brought some soundproof headphones that work even on supernatural hearing,” she called after me.

  “Phone sex?” Grayson sounded bemused. “I like that idea.”

  “I’ll get my headphones,” Jade hollered for effect. “You two enjoy.”

  “You shouldn’t encourage her,” I mumbled closing the bedroom door.

  “Who’s encouraging? I think phone sex is a brilliant idea.”

  I tossed and turned in my bed unable to find a comfortable position. I had so many pillows, but none of them helped. Deciding that sleep was a fickle bitch, I threw back the covers figuring I’d get a drink and maybe join Jade to watch some TV. She was still on vampire time by the sounds coming from the living room. I headed out of my room and into the kitchen. A soft glow from the TV illuminated the otherwise dark room. Grabbing a glass, I filled it with tap water. Turning to face the room I was startled when I realized it wasn’t Jade who sat on the couch, but Sebastian clicking away at the channels. I gasped and dropped my glass. It hit the floor shattering into hundreds of pieces. Drinking from him had made me less aware of his presence.