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FIVE MONTHS LATER…

R oman made his way up the staircase, heading toward his room. Their room. He’d just finished a meeting with the rest of the fallen. Everyone had finally fully healed from the chaos in Peru. With the help of the witches, they figured out that Azazel’s blades had been forged in Hell using a type of angel-killing metal that none of them had ever encountered before.

They would all have to be careful in the future. Charlotte had killed an Archdemon. Unfortunately, it hadn’t been a true death. The lower demons they’d caught and questioned over the last couple of months had spoken of Azazel’s anger and his talk of retaliation toward Charlotte. Lucifer was apparently on a rampage now that his plans had been foiled, and they’d turned his daughter, meaning he could never use her to open any of the gates. Her blood was no longer pure. As long as Roman lived and breathed, no one would ever touch his angel ever again. Azazel could come for her if he dared.

None of them knew exactly how many more Archdemons were in Hell, but they were certain they would be meeting them in due time. Roman and the others would be ready. The war was nowhere near over. There were whispers among the demons that Lucifer had more than one plan to get himself out of Hell. So, until they figured out what that was, they would have to be prepared for anything. He made his way down the corridor, stopping in front of the door to their room. The excitement that swirled through his body at the thought of seeing Charlotte never went away.

He opened the door, closing it behind him as he spotted her on the balcony. Her back to him, her long golden locks cascading in waves down her back. The sight of her long, curvy legs made him instantly crave her.

“My love,” he called, making his way over to the balcony.

Charlotte turned, her beautiful smile lighting up her face, her stunning gray eyes seeking him out. She was wearing a short, red summer dress, with her swollen belly sticking out and her hands resting protectively on top of it.

Roman wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to him and kissing her hungrily. “How are you feeling?” he asked as he got down on his knee and kissed her belly.

Charlotte was five months pregnant. They had all been shocked when Cassandra told them. They thought Charlotte was ill when she began throwing up the blood Maalik had been bringing her. But it had turned out she had been with child, and she needed a balanced diet of human food and blood.

No one knew what the child would be—whether it would be human, vampire, or angel. And no matter how hard Armaros and Cassandra tried with their magic or certain spells, no one could see the baby. Even a normal ultrasound machine showed nothing. They could pick up the baby’s strong heartbeat, and that it was growing at a faster rate than a normal human, but other than that, they were in the dark. One thing they knew for certain was that Charlotte had to have been pregnant when she was turned, so until the baby arrived, they had no idea what to expect.

“I feel fine, Roman. Stop with the worrying. Both of us are doing fine. Baby has been playing and giving me little kicks all day.” She placed her hand on his cheek, giving him a loving caress.

His heart swelled. Roman didn’t know it was possible to be this happy. He had the love of his life here, safe and sound by his side, and he was about to become a father. Both were things he never in a million years would have thought possible. Charlotte was the strongest person he’d ever met. The things she had lived through and survived in the last five months would have broken most people. But here she was, stronger than ever.

She had taken to life as a half-vampire, half-angel effortlessly. Maalik taught her and instructed her in everything he could to make sure she knew how to control her new vampire urges. Roman was extremely jealous of the weird connection between them. But after what his brother had done for him, by killing Charlotte, he had saved her. Roman would be forever in Maalik’s debt. He had apologized profusely for nearly killing him that day at the portal. Maalik, being Maalik, just laughed it off and told Roman all was forgiven. He was simply pleased to see Roman happy at last.

You deserve it, brother , he’d told him.

Roman hoped in the future, Maalik would find the same happiness he’d found for himself. No one deserved it more than his brother, who had thrown himself into the search for Charlotte’s best friend, Ava, the past few months. It had turned out a faction of vampires led by one of Maalik’s sired, who’d broken off from Maalik’s rule centuries ago, had taken her. Maalik was tight-lipped on the details but had been tracking them ever since, trying to get her back.

As Roman rubbed Charlotte’s belly, he felt a little flutter of a kick. He grinned.

Charlotte laughed. “Someone’s happy to hear their daddy.”

He stood, leaning in for another kiss, his body on fire for his beautiful angel. He would never be sated, would always crave her, always be hopelessly in love with her.

Charlotte kissed him back, winding her hands around his neck. “I love you, Roman.”

He picked her up, turned, and walked her back into the room.

“I love you too, my angel, and don’t you ever forget it.” He growled as he placed her on the bed, kissing her hungrily.

Charlotte’s belly grumbled. Roman laughed, laying down and kissing her belly as she ran her hands through his hair with a giggle.

“I take it someone’s hungry,” he murmured, gazing up at her beautiful face.

He would look at her forever, would always be lost in her beautiful gaze, his heart bursting with love.

She smiled down at him. “I’m always hungry for you, my love,” she whispered, her eyes turning black, her little fangs peeking out from her stunning smile.

Roman was instantly hard. He knew that look. His angel was hungry and not just for blood. He grinned slowly, crawling up her body.

“Well, we can’t have you going hungry now, can we?” He slid his hand up her leg and kissed her passionately, a moan escaping her.

“I give you permission to bite me,” he whispered to her as his eyes began to burn bright.

She beamed at him as she licked her lips. “I love you,” she told him, gently stroking his face.

“I love you too,” he answered as she slowly sank her fangs into his neck.

And that was it. He was lost. Forever lost in love with his angel.

THE END