Page 21 of Serendipity

Feel nothing.

“Make me understand.” I’d let a wolf into my Clubhouse. I was the only wolf allowed.

She paced back and forth, her hair streaming out behind her. So fucking beautiful. How anyone could think she was human was beyond me. She was more. So much more. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I slipped it out to look at the message from Goliath.

THEY ARE OUT. Heading back to the Clubhouse now.

I HAD lots of faith in McCool, that wrinkly old fuck. I slid my phone back into my cut, and glared at the pacing woman. I watched her eye the road, as if wondering if she could outrun me, pregnant and alone. Whether I’d chase her at all. Would I chase her?

Yes.

I wanted to rationalize that it was for Cain, who would be heartbroken if she disappeared, despite his protests to the contrary. Maybe the fact that Cain was so attached was enough reason to get rid of her. She wouldn’t be the first woman I’d buried.

She stilled her feet, turning to me and squaring her shoulders. She swallowed hard and stared me directly in the eye. “Nephilim.”

9

SERENDIPITY

Iheld my breath, even though my heart was pounding and the baby was doing somersaults at my turmoil.

“Nephilim?” he said softly, the edge of disbelief tainting his words.

I nodded. He gazed at me, his eye travelling down along my body. “Aren’t Nephilim meant to be giants or deformed or some shit? You look pretty good to me?”

I rolled my eyes. “You haven’t seen all of me. Maybe I have three vaginas and they all have teeth.”

His gaze stilled on the open zip of my jeans. Great work, Sera. “Is that an offer?”

I scoffed out a laugh, because this was getting damn ridiculous. “To see my piranha cooch? Sure thing.”

He chuckled, a soft low sound that sounded like his bike. “Okay. You're a Nephilim. Just to make sure we are on the same page, that’s half angel half human, right?” I nodded warily. “Who’s your angelic parent?”

Now it was my turn to shut down. No one needed to know that. I stared at Judas, refusing to look away, until he rolled a single eye. “Fine. Keep your secrets. I couldn’t care less if you’re a fucking flying purple people eater. Are you going to be trouble for the Club?”

I swallowed hard. There was no hedging this one. “Yes.” I briefly wondered if he’d kill me then, which seemed like an overreaction, but you try being a Nephilim in the Dark Ages. You got burned if you were too ugly. You were burned if you were too beautiful. You got burned if you survived the plague, which seemed a little redundant to me. Anyway, it made me cautious of people’s responses.

Judas raked his hand over his face, and even though he looked in his late thirties, hefelta lot older at that moment. “Tell me.”

I winced. I had no way to sugar-coat this. “You won’t believe me.”

He gave a humorless laugh, easing back to rest his ass on his bike. “You’d be surprised what I would believe.”

I shook my head. “It doesn't matter. There is no way you can protect me. I’m Nephilim, my enemies are bigger than petty stalkers. The monsters under my bed are the real thing.” He stared at me, unblinking, waiting for me to crack. And crack I did. “Fine. I warned you.” I sucked in a deep breath. “The baby belongs to an Archangel. Uriel to be exact.” I took in his blinking face, the silence heavy in the air between us. “Well, originally I thought it was Lucifer’s, but I got that story set straight pretty damn quickly.”

At the mention of Lucifer, Judas’ face went slack with terror, but he quickly got it back under

control quickly. Huh. I guess the Devil inspired that kind of reaction in the vast majority of beings.

He stood and looked around, as if he expected Lucifer to appear. “But it isn’t Lucifer’s right?

You’re sure?”

I nodded, confused by his panicked response when literally nothing I'd said so far had rattled him at all. “Really sure. The baby belongs to Uriel. His isn’t a face I’m likely to forget.”

I shuddered at the memory of his face twisted in rage and disgust, and I felt the blood drain from my face. Judas stepped forward, his hands cupping my arms. “Hey, it’s okay. Damnation has you. We said we would protect you, and we will.”

I actually laughed in his face, a dark, bitter thing that bubbled up from the hopelessness that had made its home in my chest. There was no protecting me against God’s fucking chosen angels. There was no defending me against a being so powerful that he was literally unstoppable.

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