5 Darkness Falls (6 page)

I chuckled. “It’s not
that
bad.”

“Uh huh. Tell that to my curiosity, because she’s a cat trying to claw her way out of
a paper bag right now.”

“The beach is fifteen minutes away.”

“Do you know what kind of damage a minx can do in that amount of time?”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll see you in a few.”

“Meanie.” She stuck her tongue out at me.

She jutted her chin out, turned on her heel and dramatically stomped to Craig’s car. I knew she was playing
,
but she was
always such
a convincing actress.
To anyone observing,
she
seemed
pissed and
was
snubbing me.

Kellan held my hand on the drive to the beach. We easily found parking along the street given the time of night it was. He kissed the back of my hand before getting out and
coming around to
open my door
for me
.

I took off my shoes, tossing them on the
passenger
side
floor
board.
“I want to feel the sand.”

After hearing my declaration,
he bent over and rolled up the legs of his jeans
, making them Capri-length.
He removed his shoes and threw them beside mine.
Standing
upright
, he
extended a hand towards me.

We crossed a small
,
wooden bridge
that led
to the sands of Folly Beach. Craig and Mel
approached
us from a few crossovers down.
It seemed we
all had the same idea
;
Craig’s jeans were rolled up like Kellan’s and Mel had taken off her
shoes too.
Her short, cotton sundress
was clinging
to her as a breeze blew through.

Mel
started running
over to us. She grabbed my free hand between both of hers as she faced me. “Okay. I’m ready. What do you have to tell me? Is it a wedding date? Did you finally set a date?” Her eyes widened with excitement.

“No.” I looked to Kellan for a moment. He squeezed my hand, reassuring me.

“What the flopples above then?” Craig raised a brow, studying me and Kellan with
keen
interest.

I swallowed hard. Taking a deep breath
and pushing
past the tight feeling in my chest. It felt like
rabbles of
butterflies
were
flying around in my stomach as I met Mel’s curious gaze. I opened and closed my mouth several times, struggling to push
out
those two words
.

“Come on, Lex. I’m dying here!” She shook my hand.

“I’m
.
Pregnant.”

Her eyes widened
and
her head snapped back, like she’d been hit. All the excitement drained from her face. “Are you for real? Please tell me you’re joking.” There was a harsh bite, a desperate plea
,
in her tone.

Kellan tensed
by my side.
Unease swarmed me. I nibbled on my lip, trying to hold back my upset. I knew she wouldn’t be thrilled, but I didn’t expect the polar opposite.

“Holy spameezle. Blastic good news to me, mate. You rilen over it yet?” Craig slapped Kellan’s shoulder, flashing him a wolfish grin.

Kellan relaxed, his lips slowly lift
ing
positively. “Yeah. It’s good. I’m happy.”

Mel flushed. She scrunched her forehead, considering me. “Are you happy, Lex?” Her voice was softer now.

“I am. I didn’t plan this. We were trying to be safe, but things don’t always work out the way you plan, you know?”

She dropped my hand and hugged me. “I’m sorry, Lex. If you’re okay with this, then so am I.”

I returned her embrace,
appreciating
her support. I needed her
and
I think she sensed that.

“Ooh! Do you know what this means?” She lit up
, wiggling
out of my arms to face me.

“What?” I hesitated
,
given her abrupt change in disposition.

“Shopping
!
Now
I have a whole new reason to go shopping again.” She danced in place. “Oh my gosh. Okay, so if it’s a girl, I heard pinks and browns are in. Or we could go timeless and do a black and white theme, which would go for either gender. Then
,
when you find out what you’re having, we can add a pop of bright color to
signifying the baby’s gender. Like,
hot pink or maybe teal for a girl and lime green or red for a boy.”

Kellan patted my upper arm empathetically. I whimpered as I looked at the men. “Somebody help me rein her in.” They threw their hands up in the air and backed away. I cut my eyes at them. “Traitors.”

Mel continued on her ramble, not catching anything I said to the guys. She’d reached the self-sustaining point in her enthusiasm. Basically, as long as I stood there and nodded from time to time, she would
continue to
answer her own questions and babble on for a while
,
until she came full circle
,
having figured out a plan
,
all on her own
,
about something that
she
was never assigned in the first place
..
.
typical Mel.

She finally
asked her first
question
- well,
a series of questions really
-
that she left open,
allowing her to take
a breath for the first time in a
t least
five minutes. “Have you told Gabi? What about Kalel? Oh! What about Kai?”

“I told Kai today. He didn’t take it well at first but came around really quick. He took me baby shopping this afternoon and
bought
an outfit and a swing for the baby. I haven’t told the others
yet.”

“Aww. That was actually really sweet of him. I have to admit
,
I’m a tad impressed.” She nodded her head towards Kellan. “Has he done anything for you yet?”

I smiled, remembering the flowers and the ice cream. I told her about them both.

She laughed heartily. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun!” She started walking down the beach but spun around abruptly. “Holy sugarplums, Lex. We get to pick out a baby name!”

“
Eh hem.”
Kellan finally decided to jump in. “I
do believe
it’s
us
who get to pick out a baby name, since, you know, we actually made the baby.”

Mel put her hands on her hips. “I’m allowed to help.”

Kellan shrugged his shoulders. “Alright.”

“Just don’t name the pea ‘Barbie.’” Craig grimaced.

“
No, d
efinitely
no
t
Barbie.” Kellan nodded his head, giving his comrade
the
‘we dodged a bullet’ look.

“I don’t even want to know what you two are jabbering about,” Mel said. She waited for us to catch up to her.

We spent the next hour traveling down memory
lane
and trying to imagine future moments with a baby in the mix. It was nearly four
o’clock
in the morning by the time we returned to the car.

Mel clutched me firmly to her. “Congrats, Lex. You can count on me to be there for you. Anything you need, you just call me. I’ll even help you bake.”

“Um, I don’t think I’ll call you for that last bit.”

She pulled back. “I’m not
that
bad at cooking.”

“Mel, you can’t even boil water.”

“I c
an
learn.”

“Don’t let her near your bussy, Lex. She’ll deliver bitter bits of grut.” Craig ducked back to avoid Mel’s swing.

“You’re not helping me,” she grumbled.

Craig slid between me and Mel,
embracing
me briefly. “Congraddles, love. It’s gonna to be a sprite bunt, this one.” He rubbed his hand over my lower stomach.

“Thanks.”

“Bye, Lex.” Mel hugged me tight. “I’ll call you soon.”

“Sounds good.”

They both said good-bye to Kellan and headed for their car. I turned to open the passenger door
,
but froze
when I found a
folded sheet of paper tucked between the bottom of the window and the door. Goose bumps
crept across
my flesh. Every hair
on the back of my neck
stood on end
,
as the
nagging
feeling that I was being watched
washed
over me.

Fear put lead in my feet, weighing me down. My hand shook, a faint blue streak lighting the back of my hand as I grabbed the sheet. Kellan was right behind me. He came around, walking the perimeter of the car even as he scanned the horizon in every direction. His face was an unreadable mask, but there was a fire blazing in his green eyes.

“
Step back in case there’s a bomb
,” he ordered.

I stumbled a few feet back. My lungs
fought for air,
as I watched helplessly; only able to pray that nothing exploded when he opened the car door
or
turned the key in the ignition.
After
everything checked out okay
,
I breathed a sigh o
f relief
.

I stared down at the paper, feeling Kellan’s presence beside me. It was a sheet of notebook paper that had been folded in half once. I lifted the top flap and gazed in horror down at the message.

You have an army to protect you and two guards at your beck and call, yet you roam carelessly in the night as if you’re not one of the world’s most wanted. Tighten up security, Alexa. I like a bit of a challenge. - CR

Kellan snarled like the supernatural animal he was. “Let’s go.” He practically shoved me into the car. I didn’t even have my seat belt on before he sped off.

Worry snaked through my veins. I breathed through it, trying to control my emotions to keep from fully illuminating.

It was different now. It wasn’t just me; it wasn’t just Kellan. It was us
and
our baby. Before, if I died in battle, I didn’t have any qualms about it. Now, I had to protect this life inside me until it could survive on the outside, survive without being attached to me, which meant I had to live until it took its first breath.

Kellan punched the dash of his car. I gasped, my heart sprinting into overdrive as my blue inner flame flickered. I gaped at the new dent he put in the otherwise pristine vehicle. Abruptly, tears
started
stream
ing
down my face.

“Ah, shit. I’m sorry, babe. I –
”
He took
in
a frustrated breath. “I’m just angry that I let them get this close. If anything happened to you, I…” He shook his head, emotion passing through his eyes
and twisting
his face
.
“I don’t even want to fathom it.”

He laced his fingers with mine, kissing my
hand.
He was completely calm, his rage tucked away for the moment. I swiped at the tears, the remaining ones drying up
in response to
his calmer disposition.

I lifted my gaze towards him. He was barely focusing on the road. His brows dipped in the center; his expression was full of regret.

“I’m so sorry, babe.” His voice was barely above a whisper, so full of sentiment despite the low volume.

I swallowed hard,
instinctively
trying to prevent any serum from suddenly rising. I felt out of sorts. Kellan’s demons were quickly surfacing, new enemies were constantly closing in on us;
I didn’t seem to have control over my own body
anymore. I’d lost what little balance and stability
I had in
my life
.
I just wanted to breathe for a minute, to be able to lower my guard for one day
…
just one day.

I stared out the windshield, focusing on the city lights, the paved roads
and
the quiet of the early morning in a city I loved
; I focused on
anything but
what I probably should be.