Knocking a wayward curl out of his face, Deacon dropped his arm. “I thought we’d check out the chill rooms first, and low and behold, we find you guys.”
“I don’t think we’ve officially met.” Alex rose from the couch and walked over to the girl, extending her hand. “I’m Alex.”
Cora shook her hand. “I’ve heard about you.”
“It was all me.” Deacon winked. “I gave her the unofficial but true biography of Alex Andros.”
“That worries me,” Alex commented, stepping to the side. “A lot.”
Luke snorted as he glanced around the room. “I feel like we’re missing some people. Where’s Aiden and Seth?”
Alex opened her mouth, but I jumped in. “I don’t think you really want to go down that road.”
“Uh-oh,” Luke murmured, sitting on the arm of a nearby chair.
Alex lifted her chin as she popped her fists onto her hips. “They apparently left to go deal with some Tartarus daimons crawling out of a hole in L.A. or something.” She paused. “Without me.”
Cora’s brows lifted. “Tartarus daimons?” She turned to Deacon. “You never told me about Tartarus daimons.”
“Okay. Remember when I told you all about daimons? Well, these are the ones that were kind of dead, but they’ve escaped the Underworld,” he spoke like he was talking about a new Xbox game or something. “They’re like zombies, except when they touch you, it burns your flesh.”
“Oh,” she said, blinking once and then twice. “Alrighty then.”
Concern flickered across Gable’s face. “Like the ones I saw?”
“I’m guessing so,” I answered, moving my arm as I scooted to the edge of the couch and unfolded my legs. “Seth woke me up briefly to say Marcus needed him. I fell back asleep and when I woke up, he was gone—”
“So was Aiden.” Alex’s jaw hardened. “Without me.”
“Aw, poor little Alex was left out.” Deacon grinned at her. “Do you need a hug? You need a hug so you feel loved and cared about and cherished?”
Holding her hands up, Alex quickly backed away. “I do not need one of your hugs. Nope. Not today, Satan.”
Deacon started toward her, arms outstretched like a happy Frankenstein.
“Why?” I laughed. “I like his hugs. They’re all warm and squishy.”
“What? He must give you nicer hugs than me.” Alex darted behind the couch, away from Deacon. “I’m pretty sure I end up bruised after his hugs.”
Looking appropriately dejected, Deacon lowered his arms and pouted. “You gave me a sad.”
Cora looked away from Alex to me, and her gaze dropped. Her eyes became the size of saucers, and at first I didn’t get why she had that reaction or what she was saying, but then I realized she was staring at my stomach.
I stiffened. Oh crap! I’d forgotten about Cora’s abilities. Besides the fact she could bring plants back to life, she was able to tell the health of a person, anything from them being sick to them being—
Her wide-eyed gaze swung to mine. “Are you…?”
My mouth opened, but words failed me. I didn’t know what to say. Of course Alex knew, but the rest of them didn’t, and this was not how I planned on telling them. Seth should be here for that.
“Are you what?” Luke frowned as he glanced between Cora and me. His eyes narrowed on me. “What is going on?”
Understanding flared across Cora’s face. “God, I’m sorry. I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut. I just see things and blurt them out, and then this happens.”
“Oh, boy.” Alex hopped over the back of the couch, sitting so her butt was on the back and her feet were on the cushion.
I sat back, having no idea what to say. Seth and I had kept the pregnancy a secret, because we didn’t want it to get out and somehow be used against us. Not that I thought Deacon or Luke would be careless with that information, but we just hadn’t shared it with anyone other than Alex.
Who, of course, had told Aiden.
Besides, the pregnancy was still so early it seemed foolish to even be telling people. What if something happened?
Deacon’s pout grew. “Okay. Now I’m feeling left out, and if you think Alex bitching about being left out is bad, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
“There has never been a truer thing spoken,” Luke commented dryly.
“I feel left out too,” Gable chimed in. “Then again, I feel like I never really know what is going on.” He paused, his forehead creasing. “Probably because I don’t.”
“Um…” I glanced over at Alex, but she wasn’t much help at all. If anything, I was thinking she now looked grateful that she’d been left behind to witness this.
Cora smacked her hands over her face, and when she spoke her voice was muffled. “I really am sorry, Josie.”
“Wait a second…” Luke’s brows lifted as the confusion faded from his expression. I saw the moment he figured it out. His lips parted on a sharp inhale. “Holy shit.”
Deacon frowned. “What? Oh my gods, if someone doesn’t tell me what is going on, I’m going to start a fire.”
“Okay.” I lifted my hands helplessly. There was no point for me to try to hide it. I wasn’t that good of a liar. “I’m sort of pregnant.”
Slowly, Deacon turned to me. His face was devoid of emotion.
“Sort of?” snorted Alex as she twisted toward me. “How are you sort of pregnant?”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, I’m totally pregnant—”
“You’re pregnant?” Deacon whispered.
“Yes.”
“Like you’re pregnant with an actual baby?”
I started to frown. “Versus being pregnant with what?”
“So, you’re really pregnant? And you didn’t tell me?” Deacon snapped out of whatever stupor he was in. “Oh my gods, how could you not tell me? And Alex knows?”
“Hey.” The corners of her lips turned down. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Deacon stared at her. “Do I really need to explain that to you?”
I jumped in before that awkward explanation was given. “I didn’t mean not to tell you all.” I glanced between both guys. “I just found out myself, and Alex happened to be with me. Seth and I haven’t said anything because, well, there’s been a lot of stuff going on.”
A grin was creeping across Luke’s handsome face.
“I bet Aiden knows, doesn’t he?” He pinned a glare on Alex. “Because there’s no way you would’ve kept any secret from Aiden.”
“Well…” Alex trailed off, and I swallowed a snort.
Deacon shot her a dirty look before whipping around to me. “How did I not know?”
I winced. “Please don’t be mad—”
“I’m not mad!” Deacon was kneeling in front of me in a blink of an eye, proving that he was, in fact, not a mortal. “Not at you. I’m just mad that I could’ve been obsessing over the baby shower, like, days ago.”
A surprised laugh burst out of me. “Baby shower?”
“Of course! We’re going to have a huge one.” He clasped my hands and squeezed. “Like, the baby shower to end all baby showers. It’ll be Supernatural-themed.”
My brows flew up.
Luke’s grin was now a full-fledged smile.
“How far along are you? Do you know if it’s a boy or girl? When are you due?” Excitement filled Deacon’s eyes. “Can I name it? If it’s a boy, it has to be Sam or Dean. No other options.”
“Geez,” Alex laughed. “Come get your boy, Luke.”
“I don’t know how far along I am,” I said, but that wasn’t necessarily true. They didn’t need to know that the exact moment of conception occurred right after Seth had knocked Luke and Gable out and while the rest of them were asleep, in the same house. “And I don’t know when I’m due or if it’s a boy or girl.”