Page 41 of Peacock Me Like a Hurricane (Rise of the Resistance #2)

DELILAH

P opping into our home, I kick off my shoes and roll my shoulders. He’s not here yet; I sense when he is, even when I pretend not to. I’m hoping for some time to absorb what happened yesterday. I didn’t lie to him; I prefer him to be the one that I have sex with if I’m pregnant.

I’m unsure how I’m going to break that to my other liaisons.

Sari will get angry, but not because she wants to sleep with me. Constantine will be whiny and upset before he pretends that he understands when he doesn’t. I’m not worried about the ex-family, though I should send a letter because they are mates. I have no interest in re-opening that door, but I feel obligated. Maybe it won’t matter because reports from the boys show that their house in the Cabal quarter is closed up, as if they are living solely on the other side now.

Wilde is my biggest concern. He will get vengefully pissed, and he will take it out on Rafe. I can’t prove that now, but I’m certain that it will be a problem. He’ll pretend everything is fine to seem supportive, and act as if he’ll be the world’s grandest uncle. In the background, ripples will be felt.

That’s why I didn’t want Taurus to come with me when I speak to them. His temper would be hard to control if anyone gets fidgety. I have to think about this before I approach my mates and lovers. I need to figure out what to say to keep this from becoming a repeat of the stupid ‘peach situation’.

Speaking of parties, I glare at the phone buzzing nearby. Looking at the screen, I see that it’s Philomena letting me know that despite how funny I think it is, the flurry of texts and emails and flowers at my house following Beltane’s big reveal is unacceptable. According to her, Hex is ready to send glitter bombs to people’s houses as revenge for the bees all the flowers are drawing. He is no longer amused with popping balloons and recycling cards for paper crafts.

I know they sent out the party invitation yesterday, and I hoped it would be a distraction for them and the community. Hex and Leo will kick into overdrive working on the theme. They’ll drive Rafe insane with all their questions and swatches and fonts, which will give me some time to relax and keep him from hiding in the studio all day.

Honestly, the build-up and wind down from Beltane, the baby stuff, the family bickering, and the big secrets are wearing me out. I put the phone on my nightstand and strip down, tossing my clothes on the couch. Heading to the closet, I rummage until I find one of Taurus’ shirts and put it on. He likes when I wear them. They’re silky and even when they’re fresh from the cleaners, they smell like him.

It comforts me.

Flicking my fingers at the cabinet where the stereo system hides, I concentrate for a moment, smiling when I manipulate the track, volume, and controls without moving. I have to flex my muscles with my magick because I caged it for so long. After Beltane, the swell of power is enormous, and control is once again my sought-after friend.

Beethoven fills the room and I sigh. The Moonlight Sonata always calms me, and today is no exception. Padding over to the bar, I pour an ice-cold martini and lift it to my lips. It occurs to me that I may already have gotten pregnant and if I have, this would be dangerous. The possibility is so slim that I shake my head, swatting away the paranoia.

It bothers me, though, so I pick up my phone as I sit on the bed. Typing ‘Toxin Protection Spell’ on my task list, I sigh. This kitty loves her drinks and I refuse to be irresponsible. I wouldn’t endanger our child for anything, so I mark the priority as high so I work on it right away. I need to protect the baby-to-be from many things that could harm our tiny miracle. Settling in with my laptop, I answer a few emails, running search protocols on the web in the background as I sip.

DUN DUN DUN, DUNDUNDUNDUNDUN.

I nearly spill my drink all over myself and the computer as I jump out of my skin. That damned doorbell is ringing.

Why the hell did he install a doorbell that plays the fucking hearse song at maximum volume?

It scares the hell out of me. Putting the computer in the drawer and my drink on the table, I growl under my breath. I have no “bloody clue what walking corpse is ringing the doorbell, but I am not prepared for visitors. Looking out of the peephole, I try not to seem irritated. “Hello?”

Talia gives me a brief wave and I sigh in relief.

Thank Christ.

For a second, I thought that the damned Mormons found this place. They always seem to find a way. I open the door, making room for her to step in. I’m not dressed to receive guests, but since she didn’t call ahead, she has to deal with me wearing one of his shirts and a giant poof of hair. It’s not like I had time to groom.

“Hey, Deli!”

Talia is way friendlier than she’s rumored to be. Why does she look so bloody happy? “How are you, Talia?” “I’m peachy, mommy dearest.”

I flush bright red; I didn’t expect to have this conversation with anyone but Taurus yet. As we move into my room, I head over to the couch, pondering for a moment. What did I expect to happen with this news? I told Rafe, so he told Talia. I shouldn’t be surprised. “He told you, huh?”

Her eyes twinkle as she drops onto the enormous sofa. “It’s hard to keep me from knowing stuff. You don’t mind, do you? I know it’s a big secret and nothing has happened yet, but secrets are scarce between Taurus and me.” Her brow creases. “You’re not mad at him, are you?”

I’m distracted by the rumbling in my tummy and I don’t answer. Maybe I should order a delivery boy. Did I even eat last night? I’m falling apart at the seams. I think about it again for a minute, weighing Chinese and Italian before I realize that I’ve been ignoring her.

“Crap. You’re pissed. I’m sorry.”

I shake my head, waving my hand dismissively. “No, no. Stop. I was trying to remember if I ate last night because I was getting hungry and I know we hunted but—hell. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to space out on you.”

She looks unconvinced, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re not ticked at him? Because he would so try to kick my ass.” She winks. “Note I said try.”

“No, I’m not mad. I assumed he would tell you; I had a similar conversation with my family. I didn’t expect you to come here—not that it’s bad—but I did space out thinking about food.” I give her a chagrined look as I drop on the couch next to her.

“Okay, good, because I’ve got a plethora of preggo broad comments to tease you unmercifully as soon as I know you’ve hit the baby lotto.”

I groan, giving her a pleading look. “I’m sure everyone will have a few digs here and there. It is Taurus’ kid.”

Her eyes widen. “You’re still sure you want her, right?” She fiddles with the hem on her tee shirt, looking concerned at my reaction.

“Absolutely.” I give her a grin. “Again with the ‘her’. You two seem to have some cosmic knowledge that supersedes conception.”

“Thank hell. He’d freak out if he comes back from Mil...” she breaks off, looking guilty, “... waukee and you’ve changed your mind.”

I laugh. “He’s in Italy again? What is it this time? I have boots that could pay off a cop, a duster that could feed an army, and now the baby that does not exist yet has a duster that could be a down payment on a car. He’s amusing himself with my discomfort; I know it.”

She looks like a deer in headlights. “Uh, no. Not Italy—Wisconsin. Yeah, Wisconsin.” Her hands fiddle with one of the huge pillows and I chuckle, watching Aradia lift her head and give the woman a look that says even she doesn’t believe her.

I smile, eyes twinkling with mirth. “Don’t worry. I won’t say anything. Total shock girl, that’s me.” “Thank you. Because if he even suspected I told you about the new p—I will not finish that sentence.” She groans and puts her head in her hands. “God, this sucks, I’m normally WAY stealthier than this. My mouth is running off on its own with you.”

“No worries. Whatever he has planned that requires a hands-y tailor and copious amounts of cash is something I know nothing about. He knows I could worm my way in and poke around. I enjoy letting him keep surprises because he’s cute when he’s excited about them.”

She nods. “He is, isn’t he? Like a little boy.”

We share a fond smile about the clone we both love, and I shrug, not wanting to make a big deal of how much I enjoy his over-pampering. No one needs to know what a present, even a small one, costs when given by the others. “He is. It’s endearing.”

Her brow creases as she watches me, and she clears her throat. “I wanted you to know something. I feel like I should tell you this myself, even though I know that you and Taurus talked about this. We kind of talked about it the last time I was here, too, but it’s come up again.”

I wait, watching her go through a few contortions as she organizes her thoughts. Whatever this is, I’m almost positive that it is not good news. She’s too on edge.

“I felt out the courting thing with Wilde. I’m still not sure about it and it may be a terrible idea, but I’m curious.”

My breath catches. The moment I’ve been dreading is here. I can’t sit here and spill the truth. I can’t.

Scenes flash through my mind at light speed and I feel my entire body tense and the air in the room thicken. ‘Control, Deli, control’, I whisper to myself internally. I hear my words, but my mind is reliving everything in a fast forward highlight reel of pain and shame and fear, and if I don’t figure out how to put it back in its box, I’m going to do something stupid.

The Beast lifts Her head and with the elegance of a predator, She joins with me without forcing me to shift. Her strength and that of a lingering Goddess seem to forge a shield that I place around the awful memories. Once I do, everything inside lightens up and the room feels calmer.

Thank the Goddess.

Talia’s looking at me, and it seems like eternity lapses before I force words out of my mouth. “Thanks for letting me know.”

“I thought as Taurus’ and Wilde’s mate, I should let you know that I’m going along with this. I’m certain it means we’ll sleep together at some point.”

Oh, this is bad. It is a colossally, irretrievably bad idea.

Wilde will use Talia up and spit her out, and I won’t be able to stop it. She’ll never be okay with being one of the crowd that follows him around like puppies. However, I can’t tell her it will be nothing but pain once he’s reeled her in without giving away my own secrets.

I don’t want to let her get sucked into his vortex because it never ends well. He’s already branching out to new victims besides her: for example, the Beltane ritual bullshit. Amanda spun a story about the Goddess and Wilde and illusions to our group. It’s because she and Sari have become bosom buddies. An affair with Wilde for her and a fling with Constantine for Sari is not far off. Trust me, I know how it works.

“I...” I press my lips together and only come up with a lame answer. “I hope you’re cautious. There’s a lot of baggage there, known and unknown. Don’t get in too deep, too fast.”

“Like you and the feathered one?”

I roll my eyes. “Perhaps. It’s overwhelming for him, and compared to Wilde, I’m easy street.”

Looking at my hands for a moment, I feel ashamed that I don’t have the strength to tell her what she needs to know. I’m not ready to look at it, much less show her the mirror. I’m a terrible mate and a worse person for not stopping her, but I don’t know how to without giving up the ugliness that reigned before Taurus. It hasn’t touched me in so long, but I don’t want it back and without him, that’s where I’ll be.

She clears her throat, giving me a half-grin. “Taurus says you’re a little sissy.”

I narrow my eyes. “That almost got him skinned.”

“Oh, no, wait. It was sassy .”

“Clones. You can’t live with them, and you can’t sell them on the black market.”

She laughs. “It was a mistake, and he ran with it!”

“Being an ass,” I grumble good-naturedly.

“All that matters is the tightness of said ass, I’m told.”

“Are you calling him a tight ass? That’d be funny,” I grin, waving a hand at the bar and sighing as another perfectly chilled martini appears in front of me. Taking a sip, I let the sting of glacially cold vodka hit my tongue and distract me from the bits of icky goo floating inside me since I had my greatest hits slideshow.

“I said no such thing. I know what side of the bed to butter, thanks. Plus, he’s so proud of his ass.”

I snort and sip my drink. “That I know.”

“I suppose I should tell the big bird he can come in now. He’s itching again, I think.”

I smile, tilting my head. Oh, thank the Goddess, because I need to get myself centered again. “Well, if he wants to come to see me.”

“I’m pretty sure he does.” She mutters under her breath and shakes her head. “Like newlyweds, I bloody swear.”

I bat my lashes at her and grin.

“On that note, let me go or he’ll not have anything to do with me.” She stands and gives me a wink, heading out the door.

Before I even blink, he’s in the door and scooped me up to drop us on the bed with his face buried in my neck.

“Eek!” I sense for the martini and when I figure out that this one has also survived being spilled everywhere, I murmur, “Are you okay?”

~Feeling homicidal. Not sure why, but everything is eating at me. ~

He holds me and I brush kisses on his hairline. “Something bad happened?”

~No. I feel a bit lost. ~

“I missed you while you were away. Does that help?”

~Really? ~

I nod, looking down at him with a soft smile. “I did. I did some stuff at the house in the morning after we got back from hunting. I also had the talk with my family.”

~You told them? Even though the earliest we could know is Sunday from a blood test? ~

“Uh-huh. It was kind of amusing, but it went fine.”

~I got you something today. ~

“What did you get, baby?” I smile a bit, pretending that Talia hadn’t spoiled the surprise earlier.

He apparates a box, his smirk deepening. ~Just a little something. ~

I take the box and sit back, looking like a kid in the candy store. “I’m going to get used to this present stuff.”

~It’s for when you get all roly poly—as you called it—with the wee one. If you still want her. ~

“Have we decided it’s going to be a ‘she’ then?” I wrinkle my nose, turning that idea over in my head and finding that despite my reservations—it’s a fifty-fifty chance—I like it a lot. I sure as hell like it more than everyone asking if I’m still sure I want her. “I still want her, especially given that she could already be here. We haven’t wasted any donation opportunities.” I grin and lift the lid on the box.

~It’s leather pants. I mean, lots of them in different sizes, made for when you get a little bigger and a little... and so on. I thought I’d head off a session of the doldrums when your favorite hunting duds get difficult. The touchy nit made some of them with an abomination that he says will stretch for you. I don’t know for spit, but he sure seemed to, so I let him do it. ~

My eyes light up and my face breaks into what is the cheesiest smile in the universe as I hold up what must be at least ten pairs of my favorite pants in different sizes. “How did you know?”

“I don’t enjoy seeing you upset. It occurred to me that in a movie, I might have seen a bird cry once because she was pregnant and couldn’t fit into her dress. I don’t want to walk in and find you crying about clothes.” He gives me a grin and I struggle not to thump him. His expression is innocent as I sigh in both adoration and consternation at the same time.

Everything inside me goes squish and I melt into him. “Oh, love, this is perfect.”

“I want her. You said Sunday, right?”

“I think so, baby. About three days from conception with a blood test is the closest to accurate we’ll get this soon.”

He frowns. “I’m going to have a lab coat on call for house calls. Plus, we have to shag a lot.”

I blink. “More than we do now?”

“What if we miss a chance because we’re not? In fact, we should do it now!”

I kiss his forehead. “Relax, baby. It’ll happen without us freaking out.”

“You aren’t humoring me, are you?”

I chuckle. “No. We have to come up with names.”

He blinks. “Christ, yeah, we do. But first...” He rolls over and looks down at my shirt. “We’ve got some catching up to do from while I was away. Off with you!”

Well, hell. I can get on board with that.