Eventually, the tears stopped coming and my sobs grew silent. My head rested under Sebastian’s chin as he held me while we watched the waves crash against the sand. “I saw you too,” I whispered. It was the first time words were spoken in almost an hour as we sat there. Sebastian turned his head trying to see me, but I gripped his shirt tighter. I couldn’t let him see how vulnerable I was. “Even with the spell I knew it was wrong. It was difficult but I pushed you away until it was Grayson again. You told me that it was what I wanted. To be able to have you guilt free and that was what was happening. I wasn’t cheating, technically, but in my heart it felt wrong.”

  He kissed my hair. “Even in a spell induced haze, you still choose him.”

  “I probably shouldn’t have told you,” I mumbled suddenly feeling like I hurt him again.

  “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m glad you told me. It makes me feel like I’m not delusional over here and that you actually do feel something for me. I meant you were strong enough to reject the spell.”

  “I love my husband.”

  “I know. Speaking of, we should probably get you back to him.”

  I groaned. “I don’t know if I’m ready to face him.” I mumbled into Sebastian’s chest. His hand on my hip tightened as he chuckled.

  “Why? Because you went Fatal Attraction on Ava?”

  “I did not!”

  He chuckled harder at my reaction. “Maybe not, but he was the one who sent me after you. I wanted to, but I didn’t want to press my luck.” He shifted me until he could see my face. “I don’t think he’s upset over your reaction. He knows that Ava was goading you.”

  I gave him a forced smile. “I guess she was right. In a way she did get some revenge on me.”

  “I’m still yours.” He pushed my hair back behind my ear.

  “But you shouldn’t be,” I breathed. My eyes fell to his lips. When they returned to his green eyes they’d darkened. I leaned in and hugged him. After a second of hesitation, he hugged me back then we dissipated.

  Grayson

  When Gaby returned to the compound, she looked a mess, not just physically, but emotionally too. She smelled like the ocean, sand, and Sebastian. I didn’t ask. She seemed nervous when she saw me, but I think she was waiting for my reaction over what happened with Ava. When I focused on Sebastian, he gave me a forced smile and a nod of his head telling me that they had handled things.

  I followed her into our room, but she didn’t stop. She walked straight into the bathroom. When I heard the shower start, I decided I needed to put her at ease now. Stripping out of my clothes, I followed her. She didn’t seem surprised when I entered the shower, but she didn’t turn to me either.

  “Gaby?” I whispered before I realized she was crying.

  “I’m sorry. Don’t hate me,” she cried.

  “Baby,” I pulled her into me and let her cry against my chest. “I don’t hate you.”

  “Why not? I acted like a jealous ex.”

  I kissed her head. “You kinda are, baby.” She glared up at me with her tear stained face. “I know you don’t like to think about the time when I was missing, but you had a relationship with Sebastian. You may have never called him your boyfriend, but you dated. Even someone in a happy relationship could still get jealous over there ex moving on.”

  “I think it had a lot more to do with the fact that it was Ava. Her of all people. After everything she’s done to us? I’m just now getting back around to trying to forgive Shawn and then she sleeps with Sebastian. If he had slept with someone else and I found out, I won’t lie and say I’d be fine. I’d probably feel a little jealous, but in the end I’d be happy that he was happy, but Ava?” she groaned.

  “I understand.”

  “Do you?” she asked hopeful.

  I nodded. “I have to admit that I’m a little upset that it was Ava.”

  “Really?” she snorted.

  “Yeah. He needs to find someone to make him happy like you make me.”

  She laid her head against my chest and sighed contently. “You make me happy too.” Then peered into my eyes. “Can we go home now?”

  I was actually thrilled to hear her ask. After watching her adjust to being around everyone at the compound and how comforting they were, especially her father and Sebastian, I thought she may not want to return home where it was just us two.

  “Sure,” I kissed her. “But you still have to have someone guarding you. Are you and Sebastian okay? Will it be fine for him to guard you?” I was a bit surprised on how much we had come to rely on him. It was a little under a year ago that I showed up and punched him in the face after I found out Gaby and he had been having a relationship while I was kidnapped. I understood she believed I was dead, but I had resented him for my kidnapping. When Gaby wouldn’t tell me what had happened between them other than they had never had sex, I showed up and demanded the information from Sebastian, figuring he’d be chomping at the bit to tell me. He over embellished to get under my skin, so I punched him, which I now understand was because he was hurting. After all, Gaby chose me.

  Now he was the one person I knew would protect her in the same manner I would. By any means necessary.

  She nodded. “We talked it out. I think we’ll be okay, but you might want to talk to him just to be sure.”

  “Will do, baby. Now let’s finish up here so we can get home. If I recall there’s a lot of baby stuff there that needs to be unpacked.”

  When we returned to our apartment there was a strange scent in the air.

  “Do you smell that?” I asked

  Gaby shrugged. “The wolves stopped by to bring in the packages. Maybe it’s one of them?” she offered.

  I didn’t think it was. I smelled plenty of wolves since becoming a vampire. They all tended to smell earthy and like the night on a full moon. This scent was airy and kind of like how I expected sunlight to smell.

  “I don’t know Gaby. Maybe we should call Shawn? You really think it’s the wolves?”

  “Honestly, Grayson, my sense of smell has been so off since becoming pregnant. If it’s bothering you, go ahead and call.

  Shawn showed up a little over an hour later. The pack had met concerning Damien’s verdict towards Ava. They weren’t too happy with Damien’s notion for a trial, but they knew he had a lot of parties to appease and making a quick decision could cost not only him, but the vampires. He was, after all, married to the leader of the New York nest.

  Shawn walked in wrinkling his nose. “That’s pretty fresh.”

  “Is it one of yours?” I asked.

  “Oh no. This isn’t werewolf at all or any were for that matter.” He took a deep breath. “You know it kinda smells like Sebastian only stronger.” Shawn shrugged. “I don’t know, man. I can only tell you that it’s not a were or a vamp and smells like no human I’ve ever smelt.”

  “Did you smell the Fae at the meeting?” Gaby asked.

  Shawn nodded. “I did, but this isn’t them, at least not the two I smelt. I wish I could be more help.”

  The next morning when Sebastian arrived to watch Gaby while I went to work, he rooted to the floor the instant he stepped into the apartment. “You smell that?” he asked.

  I chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve been trying to figure out what that is. I called Shawn and he doesn’t know either.”

  Before I finished speaking he’d vanished. When he reappeared he held a package of glue sticks. Popping one open, he walked to the window and began drawing.

  “What are you—?”

  “They’re sigils. You had an angel in your home.”

  “What?” I asked unable to hide the disbelief in my tone.

  Sebastian nodded. “The sigil will make it so no one, even me, can dissipate into the room. Every window needs one. Do you have a neighbor across the way?”

  “Uh—Yeah, but he’s in Florida.”

  “I’ll do his windows too. The more area covered the harder it’ll be for them to get in. Angels aren’t like vampires. We don’t need to be invited in, but if they were here for Gaby, dissipating in would be so simple. They could do it before anyone even realized it had happened.”

  “You think they’re after the baby too.”

  He nodded before moving to the next window. “They know the time is getting close. You might want to create a fake paper trail. Lease the apartment to a human. Even Gaby’s werewolf friend would do. Prevent vampires and even demons from entering.”

  “I don’t want her to know,” I stated. Sebastian stopped drawing gawking at me. Gaby was still asleep, but even if she wasn’t, I didn’t think she’d hear me since the poison made her senses not as acute. “She’s close to giving birth. Doctor B said that she’s still three weeks out. I want her to be as stress free as she can be.”

  “I’ll let Damien know, but also that you want it kept quiet. I don’t like keeping her in the dark, but you’re right on this. She’s too close to have the extra stress.”

  “Thanks. Try finishing those before she wakes. The less questions she asks the less maneuvering around the truth we’ll have to do.”

  “I’ll just defer to Damien. He can lie like no other and you’d never know it.”

  Gaby

  Sebastian dissipated me to the nest to see Doctor B. She was requiring weekly visits at this point in my pregnancy. I didn’t understand why he waited until we were in the elevator of my apartment before dissipating, but I didn’t ask. I had half expected him to drive us when he didn’t immediately dissipate us from my living room.

  Grayson was running late from work and would meet us there. The sun had set a half hour before we landed in the lobby of the nest. It made me nervous, him being out at night, even with Ava captive. I tried telling myself that night rule was for Ava and everyone else wanted me, not Grayson.

  “You couldn’t have landed us upstairs?” I groaned looking up at the stairs with distain.

  “Sorry,” he shrugged. “There’s no dissipating up there.” He smirked mischievously. “I’ll carry you if you like?” I wasn’t sure if he was teasing or serious, but I contemplated his offer until he chuckled.

  Feeling embarrassed I scoffed with a roll of my eyes. “I’m fine,” I said starting up the steps. When we hit the third floor I griped the railing needing to pause. I wasn’t tired, but was out of breath. It was hard to believe that my stamina was still going strong.

  Before I could protest Sebastian lifted me in his arms. I inhaled sharply at our closeness. “I got you,” he whispered against my ear causing my hair to stand and blurred us upstairs where Doctor B waited.

  “Is Grayson coming?” She asked eyeing me in Sebastian’s arms. When I began wiggling against his embrace, he lowered me down.

  “He’ll be here in just a few, but we can get started,” I said adjusting my clothing nervously.

  “I’ll wait out here,” Sebastian offered.

  “It’s fine. There’s nothing gross going on,” I tugged him in the room. He was unsure as he glanced around the room but took a seat without comment. If I was being honest, I was a little uneasy as of late. The closer to the baby coming the more anxious I felt. It had been several weeks since the last attack and now I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. It also didn’t help that since Boston my dream about Anton and Clive had returned like a rerun episode haunting me at least twice a week. There was an ominous feel to the air and having someone nearby helped me relax. Sebastian’s presence helped put me at ease. Having him, or Grayson near me, made me feel safe, physically and mentally.

  I hopped up on the table. Laying back, I lifted my shirt up. Doctor B approached me with a measuring tape. She prodded around on my stomach before stretching the tape across it.

  “You’re measuring perfectly. Any contractions?” She asked. I shook my head. “You know if they start you need to immediately start timing them. That goes for you too,” She pointed at Sebastian, who looked stunned to be included in the conversation. “I know you spend a lot of time watching her so if they come four minutes apart you need to bring her to me immediately.”

  “What about during the day?” I wondered. It was a fear of mine that I’d go into labor while Doctor B was dead for the day.

  “This is the number for a midwife I know.” She wrote down on a piece of paper then handed it to Sebastian. “I’ve let her know about you and that you might call. If anything odd happens during delivery you’ll have your husband or father that can influence it away. I know we haven’t discussed it,” she paused as Grayson walked in.

  “Sorry I’m late,” he eyed Sebastian sitting in the corner.

  “I can go now,” Sebastian offered gesturing to the door.

  “No,” Doctor B stated. “You need to know what’s happening incase it’s you that’s there. It’s the first baby so things should go relatively slow.” She returned her attention to me as Grayson approached, laying a kiss on my head. I smiled feeling complete now that he was there. “As I was saying, I know we haven’t discussed it, but I hope you understand that pain relief isn’t an option.”

  “What?” My eyes bugged. This wasn’t something I had even considered. I figured with all the medical marvels there were, I wouldn’t need to worry. I hadn’t even considered the fact that I was a vampire and human drugs didn’t work on us.

  “Gaby,” Doctor B placed her hand on my arm giving me a comforting smile. “Women have been giving birth for thousands of years without pain meds. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”

  “Why isn’t it an option?” Grayson asked.

  “The vampire body burns through them too quickly.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked. “Because I can get drunk although vampires can’t.”

  Doctor B smiled gently. “I’m positive. I am working on things so maybe by the time you have your next one—I know about a lot of things you’ve been through. The injuries you’ve endured—You can do this, of that I have no doubt.”

  Doctor B explained things to look out for before finishing up with an ultrasound. “Still don’t want to know the gender?”

  I shook my head. Sebastian chuckled. “What?” I asked him.

  “Nothing, we just have a pool going on what the baby is.”

  “Seriously?” I questioned. I knew about this, but I didn’t know Sebastian was in on it.

  “Hey don’t look at me,” he pointed to Grayson. “He’s got money in on it too.”

  “Grayson!”

  “Thanks for throwing me under the bus,” Grayson muttered.

  “And what do you boys think the baby is?” Doctor B asked moving the wand across my stomach. The baby looked pretty smushed in there.

  Grayson smiled. “I’m thinking it’s a girl.”

  “Why? I thought you’d want a boy.”

  “I do, that’s why I think it’s a girl. Of course I’ll be happy either way, you know that.”

  I turned to Sebastian. “My money’s on a boy. Odds aren’t in my favor,” he shrugged. “But I’ve got a hunch.”

  As we got ready to leave, I asked Doctor B another question. “So is it safe to start trying to induce labor, naturally I mean.”

  “Of course,” she smiled. “But know that the baby will not come until it’s ready no matter what you do.”

  “So…how…?”

  “Sex is definitely the most effective.”

  I sat out on the balcony resting in a chair with my feet propped up on a table. Grayson had offered weeks ago to get me a chaise but for now I liked resting my feet a little higher in elevation. The day was surprisingly warm for late February. Grayson was gone when I awoke that morning. I had hoped to be woken with an orgasm. I was growing more uncomfortable by the day and was determined to meet my baby before the due date. I had called his office and spoken to his secretary, Betty. She said he was in meetings all morning.

  “You doing okay out here?” Sebastian asked. We were working hard on trying to get back to normal since the whole Ava fiasco. It still hurt whenever I thought about him with her and it tended to float into my mind at the worse time.

  “I’m good,” I smiled before turning back to my book resting in my lap. I could see Sebastian hesitate before deciding to join me. He had fed me before heading to my doctor’s appointment the other day. I had begun trying to avoid feeding in front of Grayson even though he’d been nothing but supportive as of late, but it still took us a little while to get back to normal each time he saw me. No matter how I tried, I enjoyed feeding from Sebastian and there were times the evidence was clear that he enjoyed it too.

  It would be another day before I’d need to feed from him again. If I went longer then that the poison would begin to spread and I’d have to deal with the searing agony that accompanied it, not to mention a lecture.

  He lifted my feet and took their spot before placing them in his lap. He began rubbing them and I sighed. “Swelling bothering you?” he asked.

  “A little. You were right about keeping them up.”

  He smiled softly. “It’ll only get worse if you don’t.” I stopped trying to focus on my book and began watching Sebastian as he rubbed my feet in a blissful way. He chuckled when my stomach growled. “What are you craving, Gaby?”

  “Honestly?” I questioned rubbing my stomach. He nodded. I bit my lip nervously “I’d kill for some of that ketchup from that burger place you took me to in San Antonio.”

  He gawked at me freezing in his task. “What? Whataburger?”

  “Yes…” I groaned. Sebastian chuckled. He stood and set my feet back in the chair. “What are you doing? You can’t be done,” I teased, but seriously wanted more of a massage.

  He leaned down and kissed my hair. “Did you or did you not, want Whataburger?”

  I sat up a little straighter trying to contain myself. “You’re going to go get it for me?” I beamed.

  “If you promise you’ll stay here and keep your phone next to you. Doors locked all that stuff.”