Page 124 of Legacy of Chaos

Steam rose from her mug as she lifted it to her lips. Was coffee okay for pregnant Cyberis demons? She’d forgotten to ask Eidolon how much her body chemistry would change.

Lowering the mug, she wished her mom was around to help her navigate this.

A profound sadness threatened to overwhelm her, but for the first time, thoughts of her mom brought fond memories instead of agonizing ones. The pain of losing her parents, while still there, seemed to have dulled like the hate she’d had for Stryke.

“When you let go of hate, you open your heart.” Another mom-ism.

Thanks, Mom, but why couldn’t you have left some bit of wisdom for when you have to tell the male you love that you’re pregnant? Yep, she could use some motherly advice right now.

“Cyan?” Stryke rested his hand on her knee. “Are you okay?”

Not by a long shot. “Uh…” She set the mug down without taking a single sip. “I need to tell you something.”

He looked at her over the rim of his cup. “I know you’re pregnant.”

What? Incredulous, she stared as he calmly took a sip of coffee. “Youknew, and you didn’t say anything last night?”

“Things got busy.”

Well, yeah, but it still hadn’t crossed his mind during one of their breaks to say, “Hey, I know you’re pregnant?”

“But how?” She shook her head, unable to comprehend any of this. “Who told you?”

“Nobody told me. I was looking for you at the hospital and overheard Blade.”

It still was not making sense. And now she was annoyed that he’d left after finding out. “If you knew, why didn’t you stay?”

She swore the temperature in the room plummeted. “Because,” he said, his voice so cold she shivered, “I would have dragged Parker out to the parking garage and killed him.”

Parker? What did he have to do with anything? Unless…no. Stryke didnotthink she’d slept with him. Did he? “You think I slept with Parker?”

“You didn’t?”

He seemed so surprised…surprised thatshe hadn’t slept with a damned coworker.

“No, you big jerk.” She scrambled out from under the blankets and searched for her panties. Oh, there, hanging from the corner of the TV. Angrily, she snatched them up. “And I haven’t slept with anyone else, either. No one but you in over a year.” She stepped into them. They were torn, and now she looked ridiculous. “And Eidolon ran about a million tests to make sure I wasn’t roofied or a victim of demonic possession or dream sex…shit like that.”

Looking baffled, Stryke shoved to his feet. “What are you doing?”

“I’m getting dressed,” she shouted.

“Why?”

“I don’t know!” she cried, tears welling up from out of nowhere. “I’m just…I’m confused and scared.” She stood there in her ruined underwear and nothing else, sobbing and feeling about as vulnerable as she’d ever felt in her life.

Then Stryke wrapped his arms around her, and she suddenly feltsaferthan she’d ever felt in her life. He’d thought she was carrying Parker’s baby and still wanted to protect her.

“It’ll be okay,” he said. “Eidolon’s the best in the world.” He ran his hand up and down her back in long, soothing strokes. “Did you get the test results?”

She nodded. Sniffed. “There’s no evidence of any kind of violation, physical or mental. The father is a Seminus demon. I don’t know how, but it has to be you.”

He went taut, every muscle locking up so hard he didn’t even breathe. “It’s not possible.”

She stepped back and grabbed her shirt off the floor, giving him some space. A moment or two to process what she’d said. Hell, she was still processing.

He ran his hands through his hair as he paced in a tight circle, the muscles in his bare upper body flexing. How many times had she felt those muscles rippling under her fingers and lips last night? He’d been insatiable, and she’d reveled in it.

“It doesn’t make sense,” he said. “How can I be fertile? I’m at least sixty years away froms’genesis.”

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