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Evie’s mouth wobbled. Her power poured into me and wrapped around my heart, my soul, and I opened to her, allowing my best friend to see all the broken places inside me I kept trying to deny existed.

Her sob broke my heart. I gathered her into a tight hug. “I promise,” I whispered.

Evie’s magic grabbed onto that promise and seared the bargain onto both our bodies.

And when it was done, she opened herself to me, allowing me to scent that tiny new spark of life, one that smelled like my best friend but different, a touch of honeysuckle and frankincense wrapped deep inside her womb—a gift and one she didn’t use to force me to promise her to live for.

A baby.

My best friend, my soul sister, was pregnant.

Soren came out of the house sometime later, looking wrung out and hung up to dry. Without a word, he came over and dropped onto the bench beside me.

Wordlessly, I poured him a glass of sweet tea and passed it over. He accepted the glass and drained it in one go. I refilled his glass and mine while I was at it.

“Want to talk about it?” I asked.

He flashed me a surprised look. “Evie didn’t tell you?”

“Nope.” And I didn’t ask. Whatever had transpired between Soren and my best friend was important enough, life-altering enough for me not to pry. It had resulted in her wringing a promise from me, one I never would have made to anyone else, and inking it onto our bodies.

We both now sported pretty little matching roses on the insides of our wrists. Every day, Evie became a little more fae. This was our second bargain, and both had been for my own good.

At least she wasn’t using her powers for evil. What kind of fresh hell would she rain upon the world if she went to the dark side? I shuddered to think.

Soren’s bright gaze watched as Evie and Rowan came out of the woods holding hands. “You have a wonderful friend in her,” he said softly.

“I knew Evie would grow on all you assholes in time. Rowan saw it right away.” I smiled. “That’s why he finally won her.”

Soren chuckled. “None of us are smart men,” he drawled.

“Liar. All of you are far smarter than you appear. Especially you, hiding behind that pretty face.”

Soren winked. “You think I’m pretty, Moira?”

I snorted. “Everyone thinks you’re pretty. That’s 99% of the problem.”

He laughed and sat up, reaching for a basket of chips. “Odd food choice for winter.”

I shrugged. “Evie likes comfort food. Today it’s chips. Tomorrow it might be pumpkin soup. The next might be filet mignon. You never know with her.”

Evie and Rowan came over and sat down. She stretched her feet out, settling them onto Rowan’s lap.

The other Lord’s entire demeanor had changed the moment Evie had dropped her glamour. Rowan hadn’t known about the pregnancy, and I don’t think she’d planned for him to find out in such a dramatic way. Whatever happened with her and Soren had sent her into a tailspin, so much so she’d lost control of her magic for a brief moment.

I was going to be an aunt. Holy freaking hell.

Caelan and Evie had broken up because of children. Because Evie’s kids might inherit the Chimera part of her. They’d already be dangerous thanks to her goddess blood, but adding in Chimera to the mix made her genetics a ticking time bomb.

No one knew what kind of offspring she’d produce, but I knew Evie and Rowan would love them regardless.

We all had sharp teeth around here. That didn’t make us monsters.

Evie’s tired gaze fell on Soren and lingered for a moment. The edges of her mouth tightened before she looked away.

“Did you two work out sleeping arrangements?” she asked.

I shook my head.