Dianne Duvall - Darkness Rises

And the other?

She shook her head. To warn you that the beings who tried to eradicate us are on their way to eradicate you .

Lovely. And for that you were ruthlessly tortured for six months.

Yes. She was quiet for a long moment. I never thought I would be a mother. Another minute passed. Marcus never thought he would be a father.

The odds of either were . . .

Well, hell, he would have thought it impossible even without knowing her people’s history.

Congratulations.

She stared at him. Moisture once more welled in her eyes.

Again Zach’s chest tightened. He cupped his knees in his palms, slid his hands over the soft leather anxiously. Should I not have—?

She shook her head, lips curling into a trembling smile, and brushed the tears from her cheeks. I’m sorry. It’s just . . . you’re the first person who has congratulated me. Everyone else . . .

Is concerned.

She nodded.

He looked at her stomach, hidden beneath one of Marcus’s large sweatshirts. May I?

She nodded.

Zach leaned close. Placing a hand on her stomach, which was rounder than he had expected beneath the soft material, he concentrated on the life it sheltered. The babe seems healthy. Maybe a little large.

She smiled, her face lighting a bit. That’s what Seth said. Marcus is large, too, though, so that’s the one thing that doesn’t concern me.

He hoped that was the explanation. A mixture of gifted one and alien DNA with the vampiric virus thrown in . . .

No one knew what the hell to expect.

And all feared the worst. Those who knew, anyway.

You know what I think you should do? he said, drawing back.

What?

Enjoy the moment. Live like there is no tomorrow. You have a healthy babe in your belly and a husband who loves you. Let the others worry about the what-ifs. Stressing over what might happen isn’t good for the baby.

She nodded. I’ll try.

The front door opened and closed below them.

“Bon soir!” Lisette called, stepping into view as she donned a motorcycle helmet.

“Good night,” Sarah responded cheerfully.

“Good hunting,” Roland added.

A moment later, the French immortal sped away on the back of her motorcycle.

“Want to run home?” Roland asked as he and his wife strolled into view.

“Do you mean literally run?”

He nodded and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her body against his. “I know how exhilarating you find it. And I love anything that lights your beautiful eyes with excitement.” He kissed her.

Her eyes began to glow as she sank into him. “We’ll be all sweaty when we get home.”

He kissed her again. “We’re going to get sweaty once we’re home anyway.”

She emitted a throaty laugh. “Shall we make it interesting then and race?”

“How about we race naked? If I catch you, we make love wherever I tackle you.”

“And risk having vampires catch us in flagrante delicto? I don’t think so.”

He laughed. “Perhaps another night then.”

She stepped back. “On three?”

“On three.”

“Okay. One. Two.” She took off, her slender form blurring as she sped off into the night. “Three!” she called from half a mile away, laughter trailing after her.

Roland’s usually dour face broke into a wide grin as he took off after her.

Zack looked at Ami and found her smiling.

What’s it like? he asked, curious.

What?

He started to say love. Affection. Friendship. Nothing. Never mind.

She grimaced. Ech. My stomach is starting to churn again. I’d better go. I doubt David would appreciate it if I vomited all over his solar panels.

Zach thought David wouldn’t care if Ami puked all over his dreadlocks. The elder immortal just wanted her to be happy and healthy and safe.

Rising, he walked with her over to the ladder and steadied her as she found the rungs with her feet. She didn’t need his aid. She was as sure-footed as a cat. Her condition just made him feel protective.

He frowned.

Would you like to come with me? she asked.

No, thank you.

She smiled and descended the ladder.

Zach retook his position in the center of the roof. Tucking his wings in close, he listened as she returned the ladder to its hangers and went inside.

Quiet enfolded him, broken only by the occasional conversation filtering up from the house.

What the hell are you doing, Zach? he asked himself. Why was he so drawn to this place? To these people? What had changed?

Was Seth right? Had he changed?

He heard Darnell greet Ami inside as he collected kittens from immortals and returned them to whatever basket or box they kept them in. “I’m heading downstairs to challenge the Seconds that are training tonight. How much you wanna bet I beat them?”

Had Ami been the one to make the challenge, Zach knew every dollar would be placed on her. But she hadn’t sparred with the others since she’d learned she was pregnant.

“All at once?” Richart asked before Ami could respond.

“Nah. One or two at a time.”

“I’ll bet a thousand on you,” the Frenchman declared.

“No way,” Étienne said. “There are too many. They’ll tire him out. A thousand on the other Seconds.”

“You’re on.”

“Can I get in on this?” another asked.

“Me, too.”

“Where are you going to get a thousand dollars?”

“Bite me.”

They all moved down to the basement, where loud cheering and taunting erupted as the first match began.

They really did seem like one big family. How had Seth accomplished that?

Something stung Zach’s neck. Reaching up, he felt around and found three darts sticking out of it.

Yanking them out, he stared down at them. These weren’t mercenary darts. They were the darts Dr. Lipton had fashioned for the immortals to use against vampires.

He scanned the dark scenery around him, looking for the culprit, and belatedly heard the heartbeat behind him that his thoughts had drowned out.

Casually, he turned. His own heart gave a weird little skip. Lisette, the French immortal, crouched there, her lovely face expressionless.

And her face truly was lovely. He had never been this close to her before. Her skin was pale perfection, her raven hair pulled back from her face in a braid that fell to her waist. Her slender body was clad in a formfitting T-shirt and cargo pants accentuated with holstered Glock 18s. The handles of two sheathed shoto swords peeked at him over her shoulders.

She reminded him of that woman in the Tomb Raider games he had seen Darnell and Ami playing.

And her scent . . .

He drew in a deep breath. She smelled even better than Ami. And Ami smelled better than the lollipops she brought him.

A long minute passed during which Lisette stared at him, waiting for the tranquilizer to take effect. Little did she know the drug would have no more effect on him than it would on Seth.

Zach raised an eyebrow.

Her forehead crinkled in a frown. Quick as lightning, she drew three more darts from her pocket and stuck them in his neck.

With slow, deliberate movements, Zach reached up and removed them.

She bit her lip.

“That hurts, you know,” he said softly enough that he hoped those down in the house wouldn’t hear it over the sparring noises and boisterous cheers.

A thin wire slipped over his head from behind and jerked across his neck, shutting off air.

“Not as much as this will, asshole,” a male voice growled in his ear.