Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 131708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 527(@250wpm)___ 439(@300wpm)
“How far along do you think you are?”
“No idea,” said Ella, shaking her head. “I’ve been feeling iffy for weeks, but part of that was because my sleeps weren’t restful. The … dreams I talked about seemed to have stopped, but I still felt tired. This could have been why, I don’t know. The symptoms of demonic pregnancy don’t always start straight away. I had my last period over a month ago.”
They’d always used condoms until recently, but she was on the pill. So either the pill hadn’t been effective, or they’d come across a faulty condom at some point.
Viper palmed her stomach as he touched his mind to that of the child inside her, being sure to include her in the psychic ‘loop’ he opened: Hey there, little one.
The young, underdeveloped mind stirred. It ever so gently bumped his, contentment traveling along the ‘channel’.
She gasped, her eyes going wide. “Was that the baby?”
“Yes.”
“I-I never felt anything like that before.”
“The baby won’t be able to reach out on its own yet; only to respond to you when you open a telepathic door. As soon as your mind withdraws, that door closes. The baby’s too young to open it alone.”
“Wait, so you heard it?” asked Mia.
He shook his head. “It didn’t speak, just responded with emotion. It feels content.” He looked back at Ella. “Going by its psychic development, I’d say you’re at least three weeks along.”
Her mouth dropped. “Wow. Demonic pregnancies generally last thirty weeks.”
“Celestial pregnancies go on for roughly twenty-six weeks. There’s no saying how long exactly yours will last.”
Seeing pure male satisfaction glittering in his gaze, Ella said, “I don’t need to ask if you’re happy about the pregnancy.”
“I’m fucking overjoyed.” A line briefly appeared between his brows. “Though I worry for you. It’s not easy for non-celestials to carry archangelic babies.”
Ella glanced at her sister, expecting her to react in some way to hearing Viper’s confirmation that he was in fact an archangel. The woman didn’t bat an eyelid, so she’d apparently decided for herself that the rumor was true.
“An ultrasound scan might help give you an idea,” said Mia.
Ella grimaced. “I’m not keen on making this public yet.”
“There are doctors who’ll be discreet and won’t ask questions. I know of one. I can contact him and arrange a scan for you, if you want,” Mia offered.
Viper gave a curt nod. “Do that.”
Ella frowned. “But what if this doctor isn’t keen on being so discreet when they see you? They’ll assume you’re the father and then know that the baby must be half celestial.”
“We can conceal his face using a glamor spell,” Mia suggested.
Ella blinked. “That’s a good idea.”
Her sister shrugged. “You would have thought of it yourself if you weren’t flapping.”
Ella squeezed her eyes shut. “God, everyone is gonna lose their mind when they find out.”
Viper took her hand and gave it a supportive squeeze. “We’ll tell your family and anchor together that you’re pregnant and that the baby’s mine.”
“But they might say mean stuff to you.”
He felt his brow pinch. “You think I’m going to let you have that conversation alone when I know how hard it’s gonna be for you?” She wouldn’t ever again have to do anything alone. He’d be right there, as would his brothers if she needed them. “I want you to consider moving into the compound.”
“That’s a good idea,” Mia chipped in. “It’s got better security measures than our complex. Not to mention it’s inhabited by a bunch of people who would die to protect you and the baby if need be.”
Viper could have kissed the woman. He could have. She’d said exactly what he’d been thinking, and it was clear that Ella was now ruminating on it.
She cleared her throat. “Well, yes, but … ”
“Hey, I know it’s a lot of change all at once,” said Viper. “If you’d rather I moved into your building with you, I can do that.”
Mia lifted a hand. “My personal recommendation would be the compound. Or some kind of walled-off estate where you can have crazy security measures.”
“Is that really necessary?” asked Ella.
Just then, the air temperature dipped as Viper’s entity surfaced. It lowered its glowing-white gaze to her flat stomach and rested its hand there. “Not a lot of things come as a shock to me, but this did. You should not worry so much about the reactions of your relatives and anchor.” Its expression turned grave. “It is not them who are a danger to the child.”
Her gut tightened. “Danger?”
“The people in the upper realm won’t like that Viper has a child. If they find out, they’ll try to kill it before its even born.”
Ella’s breath hitched, and her demon froze. “You’re serious?”
“Oh, yes. Viper wouldn’t want you to know that. He wouldn’t want to scare you. But you need to understand the threat-level if you’re to properly protect the little one here. Also, I find that fear is a good motivator—you should let it motivate you to relocate here, where you and the baby will be safest.” It nipped her lower lip. “Take care of it and yourself. We’ll talk again soon.” It retreated, and Viper’s eyes went back to their normal startling blue.