Page 24

“Does that smell like Bloom or us?”

“A little. I smell us in her.”

“Ignore that. The other half.”

Aiden takes a moment to scrutinize the scent before answering,“No.”

“Exactly. She has nothing of you or me in her, or Bloom.”

He’s quiet a long moment before asking,“What’s the other scent?”

The corner of my mouth tilts up. “The life she’s creating.”

Aiden’s alarm and excitement scatter through me in a shower of tingles.“Wait. Already?”

“No, it’s nothing right now, but it has found its home in her and will start to grow.”

“She’s pregnant?”

I open my mouth to respond, but the figure in my arm shifts. A shiver passes through her that has me dragging the threadbare blankets closer around her. The night is no longer mild but holds the chill of dwindling winter. It seeps through the thin walls and collects in the cramped spaces. It has very little effect on me, but Seraphine is human. Her fragile body can’t withstand such temperatures, and the cold isn’t good for the baby.

In the morning, we will discuss a better living arrangement with our human. For now, I swaddle her up in my heat and let her rest. Come sunrise, I have much bigger plans for her and Aiden.

I wake to a tangle of dark curls in my face and a soft body molded along Aiden’s harder one. It aligns with every delicious curve right down to the plump globe of her ass nestled into the throbbing erection wedged into the crack.

Both are naked. An intentional state I made sure of before I let him regain his form. Seraphine’s attire from the previous night still lies somewhere in a torn puddle in the woods, and I hadn’t bothered retrieving the ridiculous trousers Aiden makes us wear for the show. I carried my mate back with only my scent covering her.

I sit still in the shadows of Aiden’s thoughts as he comes into consciousness. I never know which version of him I’ll have to deal with, especially after last night, so I wait.

He sighs quietly with a contentment I understand when it’s followed with a kiss to the back of Seraphine’s head. His human hand follows the smooth line of her bent arm curled gently on the pillow next to her face.

I envy his humanness. I envy his ability to touch and kiss her without fear of cutting her. I can never put my claws inside her. He can do all these things with her, and he’s wasted years of our lives falling to basic human behavior. I’m embarrassed for both of us.

Still, I stay in my corner and watch him brush the smooth stretch of skin and drift over her waist to her belly. His lips find the curve of her neck where it meets her shoulder, and he breathes her in.

I know what he’s searching for, and I draw in that faint wisp as he does — our baby. Still as small and growing as a few hours ago, but there, tucked warm and safe deep in her body.

His thumb brushes her navel. His palm glides over the still smooth plain of her stomach.

“Are you there?” he murmurs quietly.

“Yes.”

He doesn’t respond right away. “I want her,” I would have rolled my eyes at the idiot declaration, but he continues, “I want this baby. I’m tired of having her in my arms and fighting not to kiss her. I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks about it. We’ll leave the carnival if we have to. This place means nothing to me without her. Tell me what to do.”

I wait for the surge of arrogant self-satisfaction at knowing I was right, but I seem to have grown as a demon and the feeling never comes. Instead, I take a deep breath and step into place.

“Trust me,”I tell him as I move to thread myself through him.

It’s the equivalent of pulling on a one-piece parka. I align my limbs through his and settle my weight and frame into place. The sensation is odd and slightly uncomfortable, but he doesn’t fight me.

Gingerly, I lift the hand on Seraphine’s belly and set it on her curved thigh.

“So, you’re basically possessing me?” he mutters.

I do roll my eyes this time.“I’m making us one, idiot. My body or yours, we both have control.”

Testing the notion, he moves the same hand inward across her supple thigh. I do one better and curl up to cup her sex.