Page 117 of Legacy of Chaos

Parker.

Parker was a turned werewolf, so the child could have a human soul, and therefore bypass the no-demons-born-since-the-destruction-of-Sheoul-gra thing.

Stryke’s heart shriveled as Parker reached over and took her hand. How gentlemanly of him.

The male was going to die.

Icy cold rage spread through every cell. If the hospital wasn’t under an anti-violence spell, he would have pounded Parker into the ground.

Stryke didn’t care that he and Cyan weren’t officially a couple at the time of conception. The logic of the situation didn’t matterright now. Right now, there was only pain and bitterness and a sense that his life was one gigantic pile of shit.

As if in a dream, he watched his family—and Parker—gather around Cyan. He could no longer hear what they were saying, maybe because his pulse was beating so loudly it echoed through his head like drums in a canyon. Oxygen became precious, and he panted, sucking in shallow breaths as he slammed his palms against the sides of his skull, covering his ears.

This was too much. Things were breaking inside him, like his organs were cracking open. Especially his heart. That sucker was being raked up and down a cheese grater.

Sensory overload.Sensoryoverloadsensoryoverload...his head swam as he tore away from everything going on in that room and stumbled to the Harrowgate. His vision faded and wavered, but he somehow managed to operate the gate’s interface and get home.

He entered a house that had never felt empty before. Now, it was too quiet. Too still. It was a dark void.

Just like his soul.

Cyan sat, stunned and baffled, with half a dozen sets of eyes staring at her.

“I don’t…Blade, that can’t be.”

Blade shrugged and waved Eidolon over. “We need a second opinion.”

Eidolon approached, the intensity in his expression reminding her of Stryke. “On what?”

“Her pregnancy.”

One dark eyebrow arched. “Cyan, would you rather do this in private?”

Splotches of pink spread across Blade’s cheeks, and he gave her a sheepish look. “Oh, yeah…hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to blurt it out like that. There’s a reason I work for DART and not the hospital.”

“It’s okay.” She sighed. “You’re wrong anyway.” She offered Eidolon her hand so he could do his glowy thing. “Go ahead.”

Eidolon gripped her wrist, and hisdermoirelit up. No worries. He would find that Blade was wrong, and this was all a silly mista—

“Youarepregnant,” Eidolon said, and she nearly choked on her own breath. “Your species gestation is similar to that of humans, so I’m guessing you’re no more than three weeks in.”

Which would have put her on the oil rig. With Stryke. Shock left her swaying in her seat, her brain short-circuiting.

“That’s not possible,” she rasped. “None of this is possible. I haven’t been with anyone.” Her cheeks burned. “I mean, except for Stryke…”

“Stryke isn’t fertile,” Blade said. “Not for another sixty-five to seventy years.”

“I know. So, it’s impossible for me to be pregnant.” She looked frantically at Eidolon. “Right? I mean, no demon female has gotten pregnant since Sheoul-gra—”

“That,” Eidolon interrupted, “isn’t entirely true.”

“Okay, I know about…”Crux and Chaos. She gestured to Runa, but he shook his head.

“Those rare exceptions aren’t what I’m talking about.”

Runa reached over and took Cyan’s hand. Then she waved away all the males except Eidolon.

“Give us a minute, okay?” Once the guys moved off, she turned back to Cyan. “I know this is difficult,” she said. “I know you’ve only been with Stryke.” She paused, and when she spokeagain, her voice was soft. Understanding. Compassionate. “But is it possible that you were drugged at some point? Have you felt like you’ve lost any time?”

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