Page 71 of Blood of Night (The Thorne Hill)

“Yeah. She’s living with us as our unofficial nanny to help with Juliet and take her when the demons attack.”

“Oh wow. I, uh, I guess that was good planning on your part.”

I shrug. “It’s unavoidable.”

“What’s it like having her live with you guys?” she asks quietly. “Especially while you’re adjusting to having a baby.”

“It’s been nice,” I say honestly. Especially the last few days. I don’t think I would have been able to get through them without her, actually. “She helps with Juliet and housework but pretty much keeps to herself. I think she has a vampire Only Fans account that keeps her busy.”

“Interesting. And I’m sure a lot of people are willing to pay for that.”

“Oh, totally.”

Lucas joins us in the kitchen as I’m putting my bowl in the sink after eating. He slips his arms around me, and I lean back, closing my eyes when his lips touch my neck. My heart is starting to hurt already, missing him when he’s right here.

Because I know it’s coming, and I fucking hate it.

“I remember when Penny was this little.” Abby gently rocks Juliet in her arms. “It seems like so long ago. You are not helping my baby fever,” Abby says to Juliet. “Not at all.”

“I have a good feeling you’ll have another within the next year.” I’m still leaning back against Lucas but turn my head so I can look at my sister. “And there are spells to help with fertility if you’re open to it. Just don’t get mad if you end up with twins or triplets.”

“I could handle twins, but triplets? No way.”

“You’re trying for another?” Lucas asks, pushing the tips of his fingers slightly under the waistband of my leggings.

“We have been,” Abby sighs. “I got pregnant right away with Penny so I assumed it would happen within a few months the second time around too.”

“I’d like another,” Lucas says and I spin around in his arms, looking at him like he lost his mind. “What?”

“In order for us to have another kid, a necromancer has to curse you, we have to wait until you’re actively dying and then hope we get lucky and I get pregnant the first go at it. Andsomeone has to curse you!”

“You broke the curse the last time.”

“Yeah, and I had to do a blood sacrifice and maybe you missed the part about you actively dying.”

“I won’t get stabbed the next time around.”

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” I raise my eyebrows.

“I am,” he says but his lips twitch into a small smile.

“Okay, let’s say I’m able to replicate the same curse, get pregnant, and then un-curse you. Did you forget how fucking miserable pregnancy was for me?”

“But look what we got out of it.”

“You are impossible.” I slide my hands up his chest, clasping my hands around his neck. “And I love you for it.”

“I love you too.” He kisses me, tongue pushing into my mouth. I’m instantly turned on and miss him when he pulls away, only seconds later. He doesn’t care who sees us, but he won’t make Abby uncomfortable.

“Okay, now I feel bad complaining about not getting knocked up right away.” Abby gets up from the breakfast table, walking Juliet to me.

“Don’t be. I never thought I’d have a kid and I was perfectly fine with it,” I tell her. “And really, being pregnant was awful for me. I couldn’t drink, couldn’t get in physical fights, and feeling that human was just...” I shudder. “It wasn’t fun.”

Lucas takes Juliet from Abby’s arms and I smile again. “Though it was worth it.”

My phone dings with a text and I open the drawer to get it and see that I have a slew of missed calls and texts from last night and today. I open the thread from Kristy first, and immediately feel bad that I didn’t reply sooner. She apologized over and over for the way the conversation went yesterday, and now thinks I’m mad at her.

I quickly reply that I’m not, my phone died, and things have been crazy over her.

---