I dressed and we went on our way home. I had two more episodes of the sharp pains across my stomach. "If that is what I thought a contraction felt like, what will the real ones feel like?" I asked.
Lucian took my hands and helped me slide out of his SUV. "Babe, I wish I knew. But one thing I know is that all the books say you'll know. Like, beyond a shadow of a doubt."
He was right. They did say that. "Okay. Fine."
The baby rolled as we walked into the house from the garage and pushed herself up into my ribs and lungs. Suddenly it wasn't so easy to breathe. She'd done that a few times before, so it didn't freak me out like it had the first time. But I did want to sit down, and the intense pain was back anyway.
As I sank into the chair, the urge to pass gas hit me. Luc and I had never been shy about bodily functions. We'd known each other too long to be coy, so I let it rip.
And it ripped.
And ripped.
And then ripped some more. I had to lean over and strain, but I sat in my kitchen and farted for longer than anyone had ever farted in their lives. Ever.
Lucian stared at me with wide eyes and a slack jaw. "Oh, my god."
I didn't even know what to say. I just stared back at him. "The pain is gone," I whispered.
Lucian dissolved into laughter, literally rolling around on the floor. Jellybean poked his head in the door and saw his new master on the floor, so he thought it was a game and stretched out beside Lucian with his paws in the air.
My damn husband laughed so hard his face turned purple.
I didn't blame him. I was laughing so hard myself I peed and had to go shower and change clothes.
Oh, the joys of pregnancy—and I was so thankful to experience them. Even as I threw my pee-soaked pants into the wash.
Worth it.
16
Constance-Lilith
We sat in the living room and Lucian rubbed my feet while I played a fashion game on my phone and tried to think of a pregnancy-related beauty blog I could do. It had taken us most of the evening to stop laughing the night before, and both Lucian and I still broke out in the occasional giggle or chuckle.
Jellybean interrupted our calm day by laying his head in my lap and woofing at me. "Oh, shoot," I said. "We forgot his food." We'd fed him the last bit of raw food we had the night before. "You'll have to run get him something."
"Yep." He jumped up and ruffled Jellybean's head. "Be right back, boy."
"Come on," I told the big sweet dog. If humans knew how wonderful Hellhounds could be, they'd never be scared of them. Of course, they were also supernatural hunters, trackers, and killers. But that didn't mean they didn't deserve all the love and cuddles in the world. "I'll see if we have some lunch meat or something to tide you over."
I preferred he eat fresh, raw meat, but a little lunch meat wouldn't hurt a dog that had brought home a rabbit the night before.
As I sat at the table and fed him slices of ham, Michael appeared in the kitchen. I nearly jumped out of my skin as he threw the angel Sandalphon at my feet.
Jellybean crouched and his hackles raised. It all happened so fast, he reacted defensively, snarling and snapping his powerful jaws. I put my hand on his back as fast as I could to make him heel.
When I touched him, he sat beside me and quietly watched the situation, waiting for a command. If I told him to, he'd rip into the angel groveling in front of me.
I hadn't had much to do with Sandalphon over the years. He was charged with protecting the unborn and expectant mothers, and those were two things I'd never expected to experience.
"He did this," Michael spat.
Sandalphon shifted to sit on his butt. As a cherub, he was of a smaller stature, more fleshy than my Gabriel and Michael. Or Lucifer.
"What did you do?" I asked. "Stand."
I was in a fluffy pink robe with my hair in a messy bun, but for fuck's sake, I was still Lilith - Queen of Hell, mate to Lucifer, Michael, and Gabriel, Mother of the Demons and one of the most powerful Fallen in the universe. At my full power, I rivaled any of the Archangels in power, cunning, and battle skills. It didn't matter what I wore or that I was in a human body. He would treat me with respect and do as I said.
