Page 52 of Betrayed Pregnant Mate

I could tell him. I could tell him about what Rafael said, and about being pregnant, about what Rafael said about me being pregnant. Something that is, by itself, already pretty scary, has elevated into being terrifying in an instant.

As soon as I’d had a moment alone in Percy’s apartment, I’d dug out the business card I got from Rafael and dialed his number, tapping my finger impatiently on the table as I waited for him to answer. Just as I thought it was going to ring out, he responded somewhat breathlessly.

“Hello?”

“Rafael?”

“Yes, who is this?”

“It’s Veronica.”

“Oh, hi, Veronica.”

We’d sat on the line for a minute, and I could tell he was waiting for me to speak. I couldn’t get a single word out, suddenly.

“Veronica, did you need something?”

I cleared my throat, put a hand to my face, and desperately tried not to cry.

“Sorry,” I say, finally, “I just felt like that conversations we had about the whole vampire thing went by too fast, and I just—I was wondering if you could repeat what you said.”

“Which part?”

“Just…all of it.”

He’d laughed a little, then calmly, patiently gone through everything he said before. At the end of it, I didn’t feel any better.

“So,” I said, “let’s say that one of the people that happened to—whose mother was attacked, like you and I—was pregnant.”

“What about it?”

“Well, what do you think would happen.”

“The baby would inherit all of the same traits,” he says, “which would make the baby very valuable to the vampires. But most of the others are men, and many of them have decided not to have children.”

“I see.”

Another moment passed, then Rafael’s voice came through the line, a bit shaky.

“Veronica,” he’d said, pausing again, unsure if he should be asking, “Are you pregnant?”

The word came out before I could stop it, shaking out of me like I’d stumbled and dropped it in front of him.

“Yes,” half-sob, half-gasp.

“Can I assume the baby is Percy’s?”

“You can assume,” I said, still sobbing and gasping a little.

“Veronica, listen to me very closely, okay?” Rafael had said, his voice going from serious to lethal. “You need to tell Percy about the baby and explain to him how important it is that nobody else finds out about this, do you understand? Your baby wouldn’t just be the perfect vampire—it will also be part shifter. That will make it a near-unstoppable weapon. Do you understand? Where are you? Veronica?”

I could hear his voice faintly as it echoed from the phone, which I had dropped to the floor, hands shaking so hard I couldn’t hold onto it. It was just days since I found out about the pregnancy, and I’d already placed my baby in terrible danger just by allowing it to exist.

Now, I stare at myself in the mirror, taking deep breaths. I’m going to the Halloween party as a pop star this time. I’m wearing a sparkling body suit and high heels, and I have a fat black mic in front of my lips, like I’m Brittney Spears, dancing and singing simultaneously.

As I look at myself in the mirror, I think that I could just leave—I could walk down the stairs, take the keys to Percy’s Bronco, get in, and drive until Rosecreek was in my rearview mirror. I could go overseas, get a job as a nurse somewhere else. Get re-certified, take “traveling” nurse to a whole new level.

Rafael’s voice echoes in my head, saying I should tell Percy, that he needs to know about the baby, or I could be at serious risk. Part of me wishes Rafael would just tell him. I would be furious, but at least the decision would be out of my hands.

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