Page 98 of Ruthlessly Mated

“You’re pregnant,” I say. “You’re going to have a baby!”

“I am not!” she denies hotly.

“Yes, you are. You’ve been moody, you’ve been ravenous, you’ve built a nest to give birth in—it all makes sense.”

“I’m not having a baby,” she insists furiously.

“I think you are, whether you know it or not.”

She kicks and pushes out of my arms and stands back, next to her nest, which suddenly looks like the most adorable collection of destroyed blankies and bedding I have ever seen.

“I’m not having a baby,” she says. “I’m having two.”

Kita

Conroy’s eyes widen, as do Tailor’s, and Damon scoots into the room so fast it’s almost like he just sprinted up the stairs after lurking at the front door with his insanely good hearing.

“Two babies?” Conroy repeats. “Two?”

“Yeah. Two. Beanie and Beanie. I gave them the same name because they look the same to me.”

Suddenly, it’s actually quite exciting for them to know. I don’t know why I didn’t tell them right away. I made this so difficult for everyone, including myself. But I needed time to do what I needed to do. To think. To make a nest. To eat toast. To turn into a psycho and bite Conroy. These are probably all integral to the process of having babies. Who am I to question them?

“Alright, you need some fish oil,” Tailor says. “And vitamins.”

“Yes, and you need exercise, and…”

Oh, right. That’s why I didn’t tell them. They’re fussing over me instantly. Obsessively. They’re giving all the attention that makes me want to bite them. Or claw them. Either one would be fine.

“Get off me!” I snarl at all of them. “Stop touching me!”

They back off instantly. This is a new power I have, a sort of mom voice that seems to be emerging from me intermittently. I never used to be able to tell them what to do, but now, sometimes, they listen.

“Okay. Alright. What do you want?” Tailor asks, his hands held up in surrender.

“Cake. I want cake.”

“Alright. We’re getting cake.”

Damon is already gone on the quest for cake. Tailor is headed to the kitchen. Conroy remains, shaking his head in front of me with a big smile on his face, the kind of smile that changes his face entirely.

“You’re happy?” I venture the question.

“Yes. I’m so happy. This is everything I ever wanted. Everything we all ever wanted. You’re going to be such a good mother.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.”

I feel a swath of guilt running over me. I know I’ve been hell to live with. I know I’ve been kind of crazy in some ways. It’s been hard to adjust, and my instincts make me want to do animal things, like build nests and sleep in them.

“I’ve been acting crazy. What if I’m a crazy mother? What if I only eat cake and attract evil vampires?”

“You can eat whatever the hell you want, and no evil vampires are going to come anywhere near you ever again.”

“You can’t know that.”

“Yes. I can. You think we have been doing nothing all this time?”