“Here he is. My baby’s daddy, the worthless sod.” Alesa was gowned and draped so that only her stomach was exposed. Ian, who looked a little harried, stood next to her. A monitor was nearby and he was adjusting some knobs while he held a tool that he was apparently going to run across her tummy. Laurie had parked in a corner and she nodded as I walked into the room.
“Give it a rest, Alesa. Lie still and do what the doctor says.” Rafe sounded furious. I guess the stress was finally getting to be too much for him.
“Look. I don’t appreciate the attitude.” Alesa turned big eyes to Ian. “Tell him, Doctor. Stress upsets the baby and can cause premature delivery. I read it on the Internet.”
“I have no way of knowing what your normal vital signs should be, Alesa. Whether you’re under stress or not. For all I know, you’re getting off to this attention.” Ian glanced at Rafe, then me. “Penny and I have been trying to figure out how far along she is, as you requested. Maybe the ultrasound will give us a better idea.”
“Are you people listening to me?” Alesa raised up on her elbows. Her eyes were red and we could feel the heat. “I don’t have to submit to this. I can get the hell out of here right now.”
“You bolt and we’ll know for a fact that this was all one of your cons. Yeah, do us a favor and take off.” Rafe opened the hall door. “What’s the matter, Alesa, afraid of what the machine will show? I know you’re wearing a façade right now. That human coating is pretty thin. Can’t you put one around your baby? Or is it too ugly for us to see?”
“Shut up, just shut up.” She sniffed and a dark tear trickled down her cheek.
“Rafe, take it easy.” I moved to his side. “Let’s just do this and get it over with.” Laurie had stepped closer and was obviously ready to jump in if Alesa tried anything toward me.
“Yes, that’s the plan. Lie back, Alesa. This gel is cold but will let the machine pick up the image of what’s inside you.” Ian squirted the substance on her stomach, then began to slide what looked like a long-handled computer mouse over her skin.
“What? There you go again. It’s a baby.” Alesa shuddered. “That is cold. Hurry this along. I hate all of you. Even hell wouldn’t have you.”
“There it is.” Penny adjusted the screen on the computer monitor. “We can take photos and print them out, you know. So you can have some to take home.”
“Swell. You can send out announcements, Alesa. We’re having a… What the hell is that thing?” Rafe leaned closer. “Two-headed hydra?”
“No, I think it’s more than one baby.” I glanced at Ian, who was very intent as he manipulated the mouse and watched the screen.
“She’s right. Just as I suspected. You’re carrying more than one child. Twins, Alesa.” Ian frowned. “Penny, turn the screen so that she can see.”
“Sure. What was I thinking?” Penny adjusted the screen so Alesa also had a view.
“Two babies?” Alesa’s voice wobbled. “It’s a miracle. A rare and wonderful thing. Luc will be…” She glanced around at us. “Never mind.”
“No, I want to hear what you were going to say. What about Lucifer? I thought he didn’t want you to have a baby. That this had nothing to do with him.” Rafe moved closer to the computer monitor and poked it with his finger. “Look at that screen, demon. It’s pretty murky in there, but I swear I see snouts, claws, demon markings. Not a sign of shifter whose babies look human in the womb or so I’ve heard. Tell me the truth, Alesa. Are those babies mine or not?” He grabbed her shoulders, pressing her down to the examining table. His own eyes were red now.
“Get your hands off her!” Suddenly Rafe flew through the air until he hit the wall and crumpled to the floor.
A glowing light filled the room with a pulsing heat. I heard a moan. Oh, that was me. Because I recognized that light and was instantly pulled back in time to a night that had almost been the end of me. I turned and gagged, grabbing an empty trash can as the last bottle of synthetic I’d chugged came roaring up and out. Ian dropped his probe and Penny screeched and crouched behind him, holding on to his legs as a man materialized next to the examination table.
Rafe, never one to be intimidated, scrambled to his feet with a shout but was knocked back against the wall again. A dark whirlwind roared through the room, tossing papers and twisting wires. Equipment fell with a crash and Ian cursed as he dove for his precious ultrasound machine.
“Luc! What are you doing here?” Alesa reached for him and he took her hands. He speared Ian with a glance that sent him sliding across the floor to land in a heap next to Rafe. Penny crawled under a desk and cowered there, her arms over her head as she muttered prayers and asked God to save her.
“Silence!” Lucifer was as scary as the hell he came from. No one dared disobey him and Penny shut her mouth with a snap. Smart girl. I could see her shivering and tears leaking from her eyes, wide with terror.
I’d always thought Luc was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. Not that Lucifer was really a man. He was the Devil, made irresistible so he could tempt anyone over to the dark side. He used his looks just like he used his minions, his blond hair, turquoise eyes and perfect body tools of his trade. I’d never seen him in what was probably his true form. Did he have a snout and scales like his demons? The stereotypical horns and a tail like a cartoon character, all in scarlet? If he did, he was careful to never let that side of himself show.
Tonight he wore a white silk shirt, open over his sculpted chest and close-fitting cream tailored trousers that ensured Penny and I noticed he was well-endowed behind the zipper. He swept his disdainful gaze over us then focused on Alesa. If he’d been capable of it, I’d say it was actually with some affection.
“I’ve had enough of this play of yours, Alesa. Come home. Have my children there, where you belong.” He pulled her up to a sitting position. “Twins. Not for millennia have there been twins born from one of my mates.” He wiped away the gel with a cloth, then smoothed his hand over her stomach. “Give me the photo, Doctor.” He glanced from the computer screen to Ian. “Now.”
Ian scrambled to his feet and righted the rolling cart with the keyboard on it. He started to say something, probably a complaint about the way Luc had knocked things over, but obviously thought better of it. Instead, he punched buttons and wiggled cords until a printer in the corner suddenly came to life. I sagged with relief and saw Ian do the same when he grabbed the printout and handed it to Luc.
“Here. You can see—”
“You’ve done your part.” Luc swept Ian aside with a nod and the doctor slammed against the wall again. I stayed absolutely still, trying not to call attention to myself.
“Is it really…?” Penny whispered.
“Lucifer. Yep.” I managed to find my voice and dropped the trash can with a clang. Fury suddenly wiped away my nausea and probably my common sense. “Lucifer! You mean this was all one of your tricks, a setup just to make me miserable? Oh, and Rafe, of course.”
“Tricks? Like anything I do is so trivial.” Lucifer raked me with a look that made me feel stripped and violated all over again. Oh, God. “I didn’t appreciate the way we parted the last time we met, Gloriana. But this game was all Alesa’s doing. I certainly can’t be bothered with ‘tricks.’ I indulged her out of fondness for her. You were not important enough to warrant my attention again.”
My fury dissolved under his steady gaze and I wanted to cower under the desk with Penny. But then I saw Alesa grin as she adjusted her gown. Grin. Like all she’d put us through had been a fun little diversion for her.
“I don’t see how you can deny that you and Alesa were in on this together. I doubt she can go anywhere without your permission, especially in this condition.” I glanced at Rafe, who was apparently stuck in stone, mute. “Why torture Rafe?”
“He rejected her. Alesa has her pride.” Lucifer ran a fond hand down her cheek. “She could not allow his rejection to go unpunished. It was amusing to watch him sweat, wasn’t it, my dear?”
“Sure was.” She took his hand and jumped off the table. We all got flashed as her gown opened in the back. “But this whole thing quit being fun about two days ago. I’m more than ready to come home, Luc. Not to say this hasn’t had its moments, but I missed you, lover.” She put her arms around him and gave him a kiss that made me wish I was anywhere but here. Of course I’d already been wishing that since the bad guy had arrived.
“Alesa claimed you couldn’t procreate, Lucifer.” I just couldn’t keep my big mouth shut. My reward was a blast of heat that knocked me back against the door.
“And you believed that?” Alesa laughed. “Honey, this man is the stud who created ninety percent of the demons in existence. Good thing incest is a virtue down there. Am I right, baby?”
“Don’t waste your time talking to these inferior creatures, Alesa. I’m not entirely happy with your behavior on this assignment. If you weren’t carrying my children, I’d be punishing you right now.”
“But, honey pot, I only—”
“Save it.” With a touch of his hand, Luc made Alesa vanish. “Now that she’s gone, I have one more thing to say, then I’m done with you. Gloriana, you did me a favor by taking out Honoria. That and this little trick that I allowed Alesa to play makes us even. I never want to have dealings with you again. Are we clear?”
“You think I want to deal with demons?” I picked myself up and stalked over to stand across the gurney from Lucifer. Everyone else in the room had been turned into statues. I was the only one there, besides Lucifer, who could move. I’d have felt better about that if I wasn’t worried about the way he was staring at me. His eyes threw out heat that sizzled against my skin, reminding me that he was still pissed that I’d basically rejected him the last time we’d been alone together. I wondered if I’d look like a boiled lobster if I lived through this.