Tears spiked into her eyes, changing them to a dark, desperate blue. “Don’t leave us.”
He closed his eyes against the reassurance she needed. Not once would he lie to her, not even now. “I love you, Janie Belle.”
Her mouth opened, the cords in her neck stretching. A contraction gripped her stomach hard enough Zane could see it. Crying out, she sucked in air and bore down. Hard. For what seemed like minutes.
Cara ducked low and reached out.
Janie fell back to the bed, a sigh of relief echoing on her scream.
Cara cooed and wiped off a little bundle.
A gurgling cry came from the towel. Not a scream so much as an interested hello.
Zane chuckled into Janie’s neck, tears sliding down his chilled face. He turned his head to see his child.
Cara wiped and wiped. “You have a beautiful . . .” She paused on a gasp of air.
Zane lifted his head. “Cara?”
Her eyes went wide, and she swayed. “Emma?” she asked.
Panic filled Zane.
Janie struggled to sit up. “What is it?” she asked, her voice cracking.
Emma shook her head and frowned, looking closer. “Ah. It’s a girl.”
Zane coughed. “No. That’s impossible.”
The baby gave another gurgled sigh.
Emma smiled and rubbed the babe’s head, quickly snipping the umbilical cord to place on a tray. “Possible or not, this is a girl.” She took the bundle and laid the babe on Janie’s chest, covering her with a fresh towel. “Oh my.” Emma wiped off the baby’s back. “A baby girl prophet. Interesting.”
The blue prophesy mark wound over her little neck and down her back. Zane blinked. “That’s impossible,” he repeated.
Janie’s face softened, and she rubbed the baby’s back. “We were in the room when the prophet died, and I was pregnant. I guess it makes a sort of sense.”
Zane shook his head. “Not the prophesy. She can’t be a girl. A vampire girl.”
Janie inhaled the baby’s scent, smiling. “Well, demons have girls.”
“But vampires don’t, and as a cross-breed, I’m a DV blend. No X.” Zane reached out a trembling hand to touch his . . . daughter. She blinked, black eyes focusing on him. He could’ve sworn she smiled. “Never.”
“When have we ever done things the normal way?” Janie asked softly. “You must somehow have an X chromosome in there. Unless I gave you one of mine. Who knows.”
She was so fucking perfect his heart swelled, just for her. He had a daughter. Thank God.
Janie smiled, wonder filling her pretty eyes. “A baby girl.A girl vampire.”
Emma gasped, her gaze slashing to Cara. “Vampire. Girl.”
Cara dropped the towel still in her hands. “No.”
“Yes. Oh God. Do you know what this means?” Emma asked.
Cara clapped a hand over her mouth.
Emma ducked her head. “Push again, Janie. Let’s get the afterbirth. Cara, grab the cord.”
