Lethal Rider

by Larissa Ione

  Thanatos peeled away several layers of blankets and propped some pillows against her to help brace her as she sat up. Surprised by his attentiveness, it took her a moment to find her voice again. When she did, she had to struggle to find the words to ask what she needed to know.

  “What happened? With Pestilence. The demons.” Lame. She’d struggled for those six words?

  “The demons will never bother you again.” His answer was little more than a growl. “Don’t worry about Pestilence. I’ll keep you safe.” The way he said it, as if he were pledging his very soul to the cause, eased her fears, at least for now. “Are you hungry? Thirsty?” He gestured to a covered platter and a carafe. “I had my staff prepare hot broth and sandwiches for when you woke up. Artur remembered how much you loved his ham and cheese subs.”

  “I’m starving.” Regan might not trust vampires, but Artur had been nice to her, and he made the best freaking subs. Her mouth watered at the sight of the food. “I love the way Artur toasts the bread.”

  “I do too.” The barest hint of a smile touched his lips. “With just a smear of butter.”

  She nodded. “He said the secret is real Irish butter with a touch of—” A sharp, shooting stab of pain nailed her in the belly, and she hissed.

  “What is it?”

  “Baby,” she gasped. “I think I just had a contraction.”

  His hand came up to her cheek in a tender gesture that nearly made her gasp again. “Is it time?”

  “I think … I think it’s a Braxton Hicks.”

  “A what?”

  “Sort of pre-labor pains. I’ve been having them for the last week or so.”

  The Horseman didn’t look satisfied with that answer. “You shouldn’t have tried to run.” He dropped his hand, and she hated the way the lack of his touch left her feeling cold again.

  “I’m in danger here,” she insisted, but Than shook his head.

  “The vampire who tried to kill you at headquarters wasn’t one of mine. And I promise you, the vampire who tried to stop you from leaving won’t touch you again. None of them will.”

  Regan wasn’t so sure about that, but she had nothing to go on but a gut feeling. And while she trusted her instincts, Thanatos was another story.

  At a tap on the door, Than unfurled to his full, impressive height. “Enter.”

  The door opened, and one of the vampires entered with a huge, dark-haired male wearing a black paramedic uniform. He carried a red duffel, and his right arm was encased in tattoos. This was Shade, one of the demon brothers who ran Underworld General. And the one who had used his incubus gift to ensure she was pregnant, even though she’d changed her mind.

  He strode across the room, passing through a splash of shadow where the firelight didn’t reach, and maybe Regan’s eyes were tricking her, but he seemed to disappear until he stepped back into the light.

  “Showoff,” Than growled. “And it’s about time.”

  The demon shot the Horseman an annoyed glare. “You might not be aware that we’re teetering on the end of the world, but we’re overflowing with casualties. We don’t have time for house calls.”

  “You need to make time for this,” Than said. “The baby Regan carries could trigger the Apocalypse if he dies.”

  “I know that. But I haven’t even been to my own home in two weeks.” Shade dropped the medic bag. “So fuck off. I got here as soon as I could.” He strode over to Regan. “The message I got was that we’re dealing with hypothermia?”

  “Obviously,” Than said, “she’s better. No thanks to you. But she’s having … what are they called? Breaking Dicks?”

  “Braxton Hicks,” Shade muttered. He went down on his heels next to the bed. “How are you feeling?”

  Regan hesitated. Kynan might trust his demon in-laws, but she was not only less trusting, but she’d literally been born to fight them. A hatred of demons was in her DNA.

  “Human.” Shade’s tone was no-nonsense, but not unkind. “You trust me as much as I trust you, but we have a common goal here. I like the planet the way it is. If that means making sure you and the little foal are medically sound, I’ll do everything I can. Now, tell me how you’re feeling.”

  She bristled, but ultimately, Kynan was a good judge of character, so she supposed she could suck it up, just this once. Besides, the baby was half… whatever Than was, so a demon medical specialist could only be an asset.

  “I feel a little weak, but okay.”

  “How did you treat her?” Shade asked Than.

  “Warm blankets. Body heat.”

  She sucked in a breath, her gaze flicking up to the Horseman, who looked at her as though daring her to bring up the body heat thing. Yeah, he didn’t have to worry about that. The idea that he’d put that hard, lean frame against hers… she shivered at the forbidden image.

  “How long was she unconscious?”

  “About six hours. She roused enough to drink some hot tea and went back out.”

  She had? She didn’t remember that at all.

  “Did you get her temperature?” When Thanatos shook his head, Shade sighed and started to peel back the covers.

  A rumbling noise came at the same time that Thanatos’s hand came down on the comforter. “She stays covered.”

  With horror, she realized she was naked except for underwear. Nudity had never bothered her, but again, the idea that Thanatos must have undressed her, and that this strange demon might be touching her like that … well, it made her want to hyperventilate.

  “I can’t examine her if she’s covered up, asshole,” Shade said.

  “I’ll get her some clothes.” Than went to the huge wardrobe at the end of the bed.

  Shade, his nearly black eyes glittering, turned back to Regan. “While he’s being a dick, I’ll take your vitals. Give me your wrist.”

  She held out her arm, and Shade took it. The baby did some sort of somersault in her belly, and Shade flew backward as if he’d been shot out of a cannon.

  “What the—” Shade slammed into the wall and sat there, dazed.

  Regan sat up, clutching the blankets to her chest. “Are you okay?”

  “Hell’s rings.” Shade shook his head as if to clear it, and shoved to his feet. “That was like a billion-jolt shock, but without the electricity. Like I got a full body punch from a Gargantua demon.”

  Thanatos moved over to the bed and took her hand. “Nothing happens to me.”

  Regan eyed the shirt in his other hand. “Can I have that?”

  He gave it to her. The black T-shirt was three sizes too large, but it would work as temporary maternity wear.

  She gestured to Shade, Than, and the vampire standing near the door. “Turn around.”

  They did, and she slipped on the T-shirt. She still had no pants, but this would have to do. She tugged the blankets across her lap. “You can turn around now.”

  Shade walked over. “Take her hand again, Horseman.”

  Although he looked oddly uncomfortable, Than put his hand over hers. “Nothing.”

  Nothing? Maybe not for him, but she got a hot rush from his touch. Obviously, her body remembered the pleasure he’d given her with those hands. Annoying.

  “I’m going to try again.” Shade, his dermoire glowing, lightly pressed his fingertips to her forehead. Same result. Well, similar. This time he cartwheeled backward and landed in a heap next to the fireplace. Thanatos smirked.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, as Shade groaned and got to his feet, a little slower this time.

  “I think your kid hates me.” He rolled his shoulders, wincing a little. “Before I got suckerpunched that time, I got a thread of my power into you, and I felt him.” He eyed her. “Hope you knew it’s a boy.”

  “Yeah, we did,” Than said. “So did you get anything else?”

  “Not a lot. But I can tell you that the kid is big. You’ve easily got a nine-pounder in there. He’s ripping some sort of powerful ability, and he’s obviously picky about who he lets touch hi
s mom.” Shade looked over at Thanatos. “Or not picky.”

  Thanatos arched a blond eyebrow. “That’s not very professional.”

  Shade gave Than a droll stare. “I’m a demon. You want professional, haul her over to the Mayo Clinic.”

  Thanatos snorted and gestured for the daywalker vamp to come over. “See if you can touch her.”

  Doing her best to not recoil, Regan held out her hand. The vampire’s fingers skimmed harmlessly over her knuckles.

  “Weird.” She frowned. “I had a doctor appointment just last week and there were no issues. Maybe the baby only reacts to demons?”

  “Maybe.” Shade held out his arm. “Can you touch someone? Try me.”

  Couldn’t hurt. At least, couldn’t hurt her. The demon might not be so lucky. Tentatively, she placed her fingers on his forearm. Nothing happened.

  “Interesting.” Shade handed Than a thermometer. “Can you get her temp?”

  Thanatos stuck the thing in her ear, and a moment later, it beeped. “Ninety-eight point eight. Is that bad?”

  “Perfectly normal. Looks like the baby protected you from the frost demons. Regan, what’s your due date?”

  “August twenty-ninth.”

  Shade glanced at his watch. “Ten days. You’re close.” He went down on his haunches beside the bed and lowered his voice. “Are you okay? Any concerns you want to share? Do you want to talk in private?”

  Her opinion of the demon shot up about a million points. Somehow, she hadn’t expected him to be sensitive to her needs or considerate of her privacy.

  “I’m fine,” she said. But ten days? How did the time sneak up on her like that? “But if you could get a message to Kynan to let him know what’s happened, I’d appreciate it.”

  Shade nodded. “Any medical concerns? Has the pregnancy been normal?”

  “There was a minor incident at the beginning of my sixth month. Some cramping and bleeding.” When she saw Than stiffen out of the corner of her eye, she added quickly, “Everything’s okay. The docs suspected placenta accreta, but the ultrasound didn’t reveal anything.”

  “What is that?” Than asked.

  Shade frowned. “It’s when the placenta attaches itself too deeply into the wall of the uterus. It can require surgery after the baby is born to remove it.” Shade stood. “Are you on any special treatment?”

  “Bedrest for a while, but it was just a precaution.”

  “Okay,” Shade said. “Since I can’t do much more here, get some rest and food, and call if you need anything. I’ll have Eidolon come by when he gets a chance.” He shouldered his medic bag, but before he could leave, she shocked herself by calling out his name.

  “Shade, wait.” When he paused at the door, she chewed her lower lip.

  She wasn’t used to having civil conversations with demons, and besides, the first time she’d met Shade, a couple of years ago in Egypt, he and his brothers had been antagonistic sons of bitches with no respect for The Aegis. They’d all gotten off on the wrong foot, for sure.

  “Was there something else?” Shade finally asked.

  “Yeah. Um…thank you.”

  Shade grunted. “Look at that. A thank you from a slayer. The Apocalypse really is here.”

  “I take it back,” she muttered, and fell back into her pillow as he stalked out, not even bothering to smother his laughter. Thanatos followed him, leaving her alone.

  Normally, she’d be grateful. She’d always been comfortable with her own company. But for some reason, she didn’t want to be alone right now. What she wanted was to go home. To the only home she’d ever known.

  The Aegis.

  Thanatos followed Shade out of the room and stopped him when they reached the great hall. “Tell me the truth, demon.”

  Shade’s expression shuttered. “What makes you think that anything I’ve said was a lie?”

  “I don’t think you lied. I think you omitted.” Than smiled grimly. “I deal in death, and I sensed your fears for Regan.”

  “I’m a paramedic,” Shade said as he adjusted the medic bag on his shoulder, “not a doctor. You need Eidolon.”

  “Yeah, well, he’s apparently not available, and don’t give me the paramedic bullshit. You know more about medicine than most human doctors, so spill.”

  Shadows flickered in Shade’s eyes, and Than wondered what gifts this Seminus demon possessed. “The baby is fully formed and ready to be born, but he’s big. It could be a difficult birth, made more so by her earlier problem and the fact that right now it appears that there can’t be any medical intervention as long as no one can touch her.”

  Women had been giving birth since the beginning of time, and although Thanatos knew how dangerous it could be, he tried to comfort himself with the fact that females were designed for reproduction, and there was nothing more natural than having a baby.

  “If she were able to be touched, what would a human doctor do in this situation?”

  Shade shrugged. “Monitor closely. Probably induce labor by now to make sure the baby doesn’t grow any larger. Maybe schedule a C-section to be safe.” He shrugged again. “I haven’t kept up on human obstetric medicine, so I could be talking out my ass.”

  Thanatos suspected the demon was covering his ass. “You have non-demons on staff. Maybe one of them can handle her case. A vampire at least, since we know vampires can touch her.”

  “We do have a vampire medic,” Shade said. “And we have a lot of non-demon doctors. It’s possible one of them can deal with this.”

  “What can I do in the mean time? What would you tell me to do if things were normal?”

  One black brow arched. “Fuck her.”

  Than wasn’t sure he heard that right. But the demon couldn’t have been clearer. “Ah…what?”

  “Have sex with her. It can help induce labor.” Shade smirked. “And unless you’re jumping up and down on her belly, it’s not going to hurt.”

  Thanatos rolled his eyes. Stupid sex demons. “Tell Eidolon I want to see him immediately.”

  “Yeah, that’s the thing, Horseman,” Shade drawled. “You don’t order Eidolon to do anything.”

  Most demons had more respect for the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, but not these Seminus brothers. It was annoying as shit. The only one Thanatos liked was Wraith, but that might be because in a lot of ways, the laid-back demon reminded Than of Reseph.

  “You said you like the planet the way it is. You sure about that? Because the female in my bedroom is carrying a child that could make or break the world. And I probably don’t need to remind you that your sister started this all.”

  “No, please remind me, asshole. There’s never enough blame to throw around.” Shade paused, oddly hesitant. “Ah … speaking of blame, you should probably know that I’m the reason Regan is pregnant.”

  Thanatos jerked as if he’d closed his hand around a live wire. Teeth clenched, he growled, “Explain.”

  “I hooked up her egg and your sperm. I didn’t know any details about the situation at the time, and I’m guessing Kynan kept them from me so I wouldn’t have to go through some overly moral internal struggle.” He shrugged. “Humans. Anyway, there you go.”

  Than wasn’t sure if he should kill the demon or give him props for admitting what he’d done. Took balls, for sure. “If you’d been aware of the situation?”

  “Does it matter? It’s done. But I will say that when it comes down to it, I’d sell my soul—hell, I’d sell your soul, to keep my mate and kids safe. I’d do whatever it took. I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t. You’ve got a kid on the way, so think about how far you’d go to protect him.” Shade spun on his heel. “I’ll tell E to come by. In the meantime, keep Regan safe.” The demon disappeared through the front door.

  Keep Regan safe? What did Shade think Thanatos was trying to do?

  Needing to make sure she was still okay, he quietly pushed open the door to peek into the bedroom. Regan was sitting on the bed, one hand clutching a sandwich, the other stro
king her belly. A hint of a smile curved her lips as she looked down, and no, that wasn’t the picture of a woman who was prepared to easily give up a baby she didn’t want. That was the picture of a mother, and even if she didn’t admit it to herself, Regan loved the child.

  The knowledge was both a relief and a fist to the gut. How could she love it, yet be so willing to give it up? Was it because the baby was his? Did she hate him so much that she didn’t want the reminder toddling around behind her?

  Cursing, he stalked into his library. In a fit of temper, he swiped his arm across one of the shelves. Books, baskets, and baubles crashed to the floor. Something metallic clattered across the tiles. Reseph’s iPod.

  Thanatos scooped it up, the smooth, black case so cold in his hand. Reseph had loved the thing, which was why it had been buried in the leather basket—Than had hidden it from him as a joke. Well, sort of. Reseph had often driven them all crazy by singing country songs at the top of his lungs. Sure, he’d actually had a great voice, but one could only take so many hours of twang.

  “What are you doing?” Regan’s voice came from behind him, and crazily, his pulse jumped.

  Thanatos gave a casual shrug, but his body wasn’t fooled, not when he saw her in the doorway, still in his T-shirt and a pair of his sweats she’d cinched beneath her belly. No female had ever worn his clothes, and an oddly primal instinct got him all growly and possessive at the idea that something of his was both on her and in her.

  “Nothing,” he muttered, tossing the mp3 player onto his desk.

  “‘Nothing’ involves making a mess of your library?” She walked over to the desk, her bare feet not making a sound on the stone floor. Even as pregnant as she was, her confident grace wasn’t diminished.

  “You need socks.”

  She blinked. “What does that have to do with the messy library?”

  “Nothing. But I don’t want your feet to get cold.”

  A soft smile curved her lips, and he wished she wouldn’t do that, because a smile like that could disarm him eventually. “You’re an odd man, Thanatos Horseman.” She picked up the iPod. The screen lit up, and her eyebrows lifted. “I wouldn’t have taken you for a country music kind of guy.”