Page 18 of The Imp Act

“I don’t know…” Actually, I don’t know why I’m protesting or what we need to talk about. It justseemslike it should be harder than this, somehow. Shouldn’t it?

He reaches out and places a hand over mine. “Please don’t fight me on this. Trust me. We’re meant to be together. You’re my true mate.”

“Your true mate?” I shoot him a look. Enzo doesn’t have a problem being vulnerable with me, but he’s usually not cheesy. “What a sappy thing to say.”

“No,” he says, shaking his head. “I’m not being lovey-dovey. It’s a real, biological thing for imps. Some of us have people we’re fated to spend our lives with. I’m one of the lucky ones., because I found you.”

“You and I are fated?” I stifle a laugh. “How could you possibly know that?”

“It happened the first night we slept together. This physical…thinghappened to me. I got all hot and sweaty and saw flames in my eyes. Believe me, that’s not normal. It only happens when an imp meets their true mate.”

I blink as I try to absorb everything he said. Every time I think I have my head around the conversation, it gets more complicated. “Wait. You’ve believed we were mates since the night we met? And you never mentioned it to me? What the fuck, Enzo?”

He has the grace to look embarrassed. “I didn’t want to freak you out, or use it to pressure you into something you didn’t want.”

I rest my head in my hands, trying to thwart the pounding that has begun at my temples. A headache, on top of this awful nausea, is the last thing I need.

“Are you okay?”

“No, not really. I feel terrible, and this conversation isn’t helping.”

“Come on,” he says, standing. “Let’s get you to bed. You can lie down while I tell you a story.” As soon as I’m on my feet, he scoops me up, bridal style. As if I weigh nothing, he carries me through the penthouse to our bedroom, and carefully deposits me on the big mattress.

I lean back on the pillows and close my eyes, utterly exhausted.

“My grandparents,” Enzo says in a low, soothing voice, “were the only truly happy imps I ever knew. Obviously, my parents didn’t set a great example of marriage. My mother, being who she is, ran roughshod over my dad at every opportunity. He let her, because it was easier than fighting. And as she clawed her way into the highest echelons of society, she made friends with people exactly like her. Unhappy husbands and wives who were more interested in appearances than happiness.”

“That’s sad,” I murmur, not opening my eyes.

“Mmmhmm.” The mattress shifts as he settles, probably getting his wings out of the way. “But my grandparents weren’t like that. They didn’t care about money or reputation or any of that stuff. They lived in the same small, cozy house for fifty years. My grandmother loved to bake and garden, and my grandfather loved to dote on her. One day, I asked him why they seemed so different from all the other adults I knew.”

“What did he say?” I ask, fighting the sleep that’s trying to overtake me. Though, if I fall asleep, maybe the nausea will pass.

“He said it was because he and my grandmother were true mates. He explained that not every imp has a true mate, and even those who do might not find their other half. It’s quite rare, and rarer still for one partner to be another species. But he described to me the moment he knew, the heat and the flames in his eyes. From that moment, he decided to never let my grandma go, and fortunately for him, she was madly in love with him too. He wanted the same for his children and grandchildren, but it didn’t work out for any of them…until me.”

I start to reply, to tell him what a beautiful story that is, when my stomach finally revolts. I bolt out of bed and make it to the bathroom just in time to throw up the soda and a bunch of bile. Ugh.

Miserable, I starfish on the cool tile and wait for my stomach to settle. I can’t remember the last time I felt this awful. What the hell is wrong with me?

Enzo appears with a pillow and tucks it under my head. “Anything I can do?”

“Yes. Shoot me and put me out of my misery.”

He chuckles. “Not a chance, my love.”

“Will you do me a real favor, though, and bring me my phone?” A horrifying thought has occurred to me, and I need to check something right away for my peace of mind.

After he brings it to me, I swipe open my calendar app and begin doing calculations. “Oh, no. Oh, noooo. No, no, no,” I chant.

Enzo slides to the floor next to me, leaning against the wall. He looks as agitated as I feel. “What? What’s wrong?”

I clap a palm to my forehead. I can’t believe I was this oblivious. This is the kind of dumb thing that happens to women in movies, not real life. I pass Enzo my phone. “Look at that. I haven’t had a period in two months. No wonder I’m sick as hell.”

His eyes go wide and he freezes. It’s almost comical.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I need to take a pregnancy test, like yesterday.”

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