Dr. Hardwick was due to arrive in less than an hour, and I decided I needed a shower.

"You were just in the bathtub," Vincent argued as he watched me undress.

"I was just in the bathtub having a baby, not using soap and shampoo. I feel gross."

"Okay, but at least let me help. You've been losing a lot of blood, which compromises your strength. You could pass out and hit your head."

"For heaven's sake, Vincent. I'm not going to pass out. I'm a gollum."

My argument didn't deter him, and I turned on the tap while Vincent shed his clothes. Granted, I hadn't put much effort into arguing with him, since any opportunity to see him naked was an opportunity I took. His hands were on me as soon as we stepped under the spray, and I grabbed a handful of his tight ass.

"I've missed being inside you," he said, gliding his hand over my cheek.

"It's only been a week."

"It feels longer." He bent down and devoured my mouth, teasing it open with his tongue as the water ran in rivulets between our lips. His hard-on pressed into my pelvis as he thrust his hips in rhythmic cadence with our kiss. I took ahold of him and slid my fingers up his length. Damn, he was already hard as a brick. It may have been a week since we'd been intimate, but how long had it been since I'd had him in my mouth?

"I want to taste you so badly," I said as I licked the water from his throat. "Help me to my knees, will you?"

"Baby..." His hand came around my wrist as I stroked him. He looked wary, but I could see him losing his composure, and his smoky grays didn't leave my face as I lowered in front of him. I felt a warm release between my legs when my knees met the tile, but I ignored my body for a moment, letting the blood flow down the drain as I took Vincent into my mouth.

Our intimate moments were so crucial to my well-being, and the lack of it felt like I'd been deprived of food and water. Vincent nourished me, with the flavor of musk and salt, and the supple yet potent strength of his erection against my tongue. I wanted to suck him until he couldn't see straight.

"Reese... Oh, baby... Reese..." He repeated my name as I took him to the brink, slowly, deliciously, my focus only on his pleasure, while his fingers slid through my hair, nudging my head gently forward. I knew he was a goner when I felt his veins throb against my soft palate, and he cried out as his warmth splashed across my tongue.

With the shower drenching my body, and Vincent's love filling my mouth, my senses were momentarily overwhelmed. I didn't realize my emotions were getting involved until I tried to swallow and nearly choked. I released him and opened my mouth to let the shower's spray fill it, and Vincent crouched down to take me into his arms.

"You are amazing," he said as he helped me back up. "If you hadn't just given birth, I'd be fucking you so hard right now."

"I will definitely take a rain check on that. But, for the time being, I'd love for you to shampoo me."

After our steamy shower, I took my time putting product in my hair and rubbing lotion on my body. I knew those things didn't matter to Vincent, but they mattered to me, and I wanted him to notice even if he didn't realize he was noticing. After securing an industrial strength pad to my lace panties, I dressed in my silk kimono. I may have just become a mother, but that didn't mean I couldn't look like a sex kitten.

When I left the bathroom, Dr. Hardwick stood waiting beside the bed. Not exactly the person I was hoping for. "Oh. Hello, Doctor Hardwick. I suppose you're here to look at my pet spider?"

Large eyes blinked behind thick lenses as she gestured to a square of protective paper that had been laid on the mattress. "Vincent told me a foreign object had found its way to your... Well, let's just take a look, shall we?"

Having gotten used to the routine, I ditched my garments and crawled onto the bed, letting her inspect the battlefield between my legs. Thankfully, her assessment didn't take long, and she soon waved me up as she began putting away her supplies.

"The little dickens is in there pretty tight. If you want it removed, we'll have to schedule a visit to the surgical center. I expect a simple outpatient procedure should do it. Just call my office and my secretary will handle it. Everything else looks splendid. You're healing like a healthy gollum should."

"Do you think it will leave a scar?" I said as I pulled the robe around myself. I wasn't sure why I'd asked the question. To fill the awkward silence, maybe, because she responded with a funny look.

"You just gave birth to a nine-pound baby. Residual scars are to be expected." Scooping up her supply kit, she pressed an unexpectedly firm hand on my arm. "If you are worried about your mate losing interest because of a few imperfections, let me put your mind at ease. I have known the Valentinos for decades, and I have never seen Vincent so happy. Even before his father passed, he was a serious, emotionally distant young gollum. In my human opinion, nothing short of a planetary apocalypse will keep him away from you."

As soon as Dr. Hardwick left, Vincent joined me in the bedroom where I stood over our baby's bassinet, gazing at my nine-pound wonder. He was just starting to wake, and his little grunts made my heart ache...in a good way.

"Doctor Hardwick told me about the surgery," he said. "I'd like to schedule it as soon as possible, if you're up to it."

"Yes. The sooner the better. And, remember, my parents are coming to visit the day after tomorrow."

"Your health is priority number one. If the earliest available appointment happens to be the day after tomorrow, guess which one I'd rather reschedule?"

I turned from my son to my mate, smiling at him like a sentimental old fool. He really did love me, scars and all, and I was the luckiest gollum on the planet.

"Now, if you don't mind," he went on. "I'd like to move my wife and son out of the spare room and back where they belong."

Vincent carried all of our son's necessities across the apartment to our bedroom, while I reclined on the couch with a hungry boy attached to my breast. In the hand that wasn't occupied with baby duty, I clutched my cellphone. I still needed to call Christoph, and I waited until Vincent had finished his housekeeping and excused himself to his office before dialing.

"Hey, Reese. Is everything alright? Vincent said you had the baby."

"Wow, you said that all in one breath. Impressive. Our son is alive and well."

"And what about you? Are you well? How did it go?"

I assumed Vincent hadn't told Christoph about the mysterious device that had adhered to my privates, so I gave him the same answer I'd offered everyone else who asked. "Just like they said it would. There was a lot of pain and a lot of blood, but the rewards are better than anything I could have imagined. He's pretty damned adorable."

Christoph was silent long enough for me to read too much into it. "That's great. I'm happy for you and Vincent. Did you name him yet?"

"We decided on Henry, after my neighbor, Mr. Pearlman."

"That's cool. If he were here, I'm sure he'd tell you it's a bad idea."

"I'm sure he would." I chuckled, not only because Christoph was right, but also because he knew enough to be right. "I'm calling on behalf of the Valentinos. We've decided to move forward with the plan, but I wanted to ask you a question first."

"Shoot."

"Has anyone considered asking Hadria for the Seal of Solomon? Do you think she would be open to letting me borrow it?"

Christoph fell silent again, and I heard something that sounded like the closing of a door. "Vincent didn't bring it up, so I just assumed he wasn't interested in going that route."

"Well, what do you think? You told her why you were in Russia, right? She knows we're trying to get rid of the necromancer?"

"She knows we're trying to get rid of the device that gives him the power to manipulate demons. That's all. As far as the thing with Isis and you... I haven't told her anything."

"So, what does she think you're doing in Istanbul?"

"She doesn't know I'm here yet. I was going to tell her I'm interested in studying with the queen's guard. The ones in Turkey are among the best trained demons anywhere."

"What do you think she'd say if you told her what happened inside Isis's chamber? Would she believe you?"

"Based on what I know about Hadria, my initial response is no. She is a suspicious queen and distrustful of everyone, even her own subjects. I think she's starting to realize that killing Cecile earned her more enemies than friends."

He wasn't wrong. Even if her subjects appeared loyal, under the surface, they could be hating her. "So, you don't think if I visited the hive and showed her my new powers that she would consider my gifts worthy?"

"Gee, Reese. I don't know. Have you had a chance to practice?"

"No. I've been busy having a baby. But I did promise Charleton I would start practicing soon. He and Vincent are not keen on me facing off with the necromancer until we're sure I've got the skills to handle it."

"I don't like the idea either. In fact, I'm really surprised Vincent is even considering it."

"I don't think it has hit him yet. He claims he's going along with all this because he doesn't want me to think he's an insensitive asshole."

Christoph chuckled into the phone. "I'll reserve my comment, but I think you're right. It's not going to feel real until it's happening. We all want to see the necromancer destroyed, but not if it costs your life."

My stomach did a little flip-flop maneuver at Christoph's admission, but that might have been due to my son detaching himself from my nipple and slipping into a breastmilk coma. "I know you mean well, but just because I'm female doesn't mean I can't kick some ass."

"Oh, I believe you. But you're not just any female. You should know that by now."

I felt a rush of heat fill my head, which I desperately fought off as Vincent strolled into the room. "Well, I don't like the idea of you going behind your queen's back and trying to steal an artifact she went through a lot of trouble to secure. If you think she might be open to negotiating a deal, I would rather do that than risk having you hung for betraying your queen, because you know she's going to find out sooner or later."

"We don't punish the accused by hanging them. They're thrown into the battle ring to fight to the death. It's much more honorable."

"If that was supposed to make me feel better, it didn't. I gotta go, but please consider what I said. And call me back when you've made up your mind."

Vincent sat down beside me as I hung up the phone, disrupting the dogs as well as our son, who let out a healthy belch as I lifted him to my shoulder. "That was Christoph, I assume?" He pressed his fingers to our son's cheek, then let them drift up and over the fine coating of dark hair covering his head.

"Yes. He confirmed what I feared all along. If we do this behind Hadria's back, she's going to find out about it at some point, and Christoph will be sentenced to death for his betrayal."

"Is that why you were insistent on talking to him? Because you knew he would face fatal consequences for his involvement?"

I looked at him without an ounce of guilt. "Yes, Vincent. And I figured none of you had thought that far ahead. Even Christoph didn't seem to have."

"He could just abandon his hive and live as a rogue, like Titan. Maybe they could become roommates."

"Not funny. I swear, boys seem to make impulsive decisions and disregard the long-range effects of their actions."

"Come on, now. Males aren't the only ones who do that. I've met plenty of females who let their emotions cloud their better judgement." He offered me a dramatic eyebrow lift that did absolutely nothing for me.

"Of course, they do. But, statistically speaking, women mature faster than men, and given that we have two months to make a decision that will impact the lives of many, it would be worth our while to consider every option." I leaned over and pressed a kiss to his nose. "As for our immediate goals, I've got a craving for mushroom and pepperoni pizza."

~ ~ ~

It just so happened that, due to a fortuitous twist of fate, or my mate's far-reaching influence in the city, we were able to schedule my surgery for the following day when a spot suddenly opened-up in one of Manhattan's foremost surgeon's schedule. I was accompanied to the procedure by no less than five of my closest relations, six if you included Rizzo who ferried us there in the Escalade.

I had pumped enough nourishment to satisfy my voracious little boy throughout the surgery and recovery. I also opted for local anesthesia after learning that an intravenous anesthetic would affect my breastmilk, although I could have done without the nurse giving me a blow-by-blow of the situation in my nethers. In spite of my choice to forgo the knock-out gas, I fell asleep after the surgery and awoke to five anxious faces and one screaming baby.

"Oh, Reese. Thank goodness," Wren said as she patted my hand fervently. "Henry has been refusing the bottle, and he's quite distressed."

"I can hear that." I attempted to push myself upright, and Wren quickly lent a helping hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Vincent pacing the room with our wailing son in his arms. They both wore a determined grimace, and when my mate realized I had woken up, he made three unwavering strides to my bedside.

"Reese, he's inconsolable. He needs you."

"Where have I heard that before?" I grinned through the funky fog I'd woken up to as I secured my boy beneath the hospital gown. "How did the surgery go? I think I dozed off before the end of it."

"Very well, but you had us worried," Vincent explained as he hovered over me, looking flushed. "Your temperature spiked as they were stitching you up, and when you wouldn't come-to..."

"The doctor wasn't worried," Wren said, laying her hand on Vincent's arm. "Just your mate."

"So, what did they do with the device? You kept it, I hope."

"Yes. I'm going to have Glade give it a thorough inspection before I call Dmitry and threaten him with disembowelment."

I wished I could have lifted a hand to soothe Vincent, but both were occupied at the moment. "While that sounds like something I'd love to be involved in, I think we should leave him in the dark. He's probably expecting you to call screaming your head off. If I were an evil overlord, I'd have my demon minions standing by to make sure the deployment was successful. Hell, he probably knows I'm here. Did Rizzo ever track one down?"

"Not yet, but I've got everyone on the lookout."

A nurse walked into the room, shutting everyone up, and she smiled when she noticed Henry feasting hungrily under my gown. "Oh, good. I was worried we'd have to start an IV for the poor thing."

"Why? Didn't he drink from the bottles at all?"

A handful of faces looked down at me, shaking their heads simultaneously. "No," Vincent said. "He rejected everything. Apparently, our son knows just what he wants and refuses to take anything less. Like his dad."

My face burst into flames, and the nurse busied herself with my vitals, scribbling notes on her clipboard and reading numbers on the machines that beeped quietly behind my head. A couple of hours later, I was good to go home. On our way, Rizzo spoke from the driver's seat.

"I may have found our undead demon," he said. "I spied a suspicious character watching the hospital across the street. Actually, my nose did. The delinquente smelled like something a cat might leave at the door."

"Did you pursue him?" Vincent lowered his phone from his ear, covering it with his hand to focus on Rizzo's account.

"Her, and she eluded me. The crowds were heavy. I did get a description though, and I will continue my search after I deliver you to the domus."

"Thank you, Rizzo. You have my permission to detain her by any means necessary." With pursed lips, Vincent returned to his phone call, and I returned to closing my eyes as we maneuvered through the city streets. A delinquente zombie demon was the last thing I wanted to think about right now.

I was treated to a slice of leftover pizza when we arrived home, and my son let me rest a while before he started begging for his own dinner again. Before I knew it, the sun was rising, and my parents were due within the hour. Of course, Sylvie wanted to see them and introduce her steady boyfriend, Ellis, who was a real sweetheart.

Amelia came over to make sure the apartment was ready to host guests, filling the fridge with drinks and the pantry with snacks. The rest had been handled by Vincent, who arranged to have a local bistro cater our small gathering. Since I'd been given permission by my attentive mate to enjoy one cup of coffee per day, I nursed a hazelnut cream. When I realized it had gone cold from neglect, I decided to try out my new godly gifts and see if I could heat it without the microwave.

Given that I hadn't played with my gifts since Isis's chamber, I took an overcautious approach. After wrapping my hands around the mug, I repeated the mantra only once as I attempted to create a tiny flame. I definitely didn't want to cause a flare-up inside the apartment.

As I concentrated, a spark escaped between my fingers, but it fizzled out before it landed on the counter. So, I kept it up for about ten seconds. The fact that I rarely felt pain when I conjured the flame proved to be a double-edged sword, since I couldn't tell when enough was enough. When I pressed the cup to my lips and blew across the liquid, steam rose to burn my cheeks.

"Ow." My complaint carried across the room to Amelia, where she was setting the table.

"What happened, Reese?"

"Nothing. The steam from my coffee caught me in the face, that's all."

She stopped what she was doing to scrutinize me. "But you've been nursing that mug since I got here almost an hour ago. How can it still be that hot?"

I bit my lip before deciding I would share my little experiment with her. "I heated it up with my hands and went a little overboard."

"Really? It worked?" She joined me at the counter and held her face over my cup. "Have you been practicing?"

"Not since we got back from Russia. I've actually been wondering if my powers were strengthened while I was inside the chamber. I was standing next to the pyre of Isis."

"Well, then. Let's do another experiment." Moving around the counter to the kitchen, she grabbed an empty cracker box and set it inside the sink. "See if you can set this cardboard box on fire."

Intrigued, I followed her into the kitchen. Then I fired up the engines again, stoking the flames inside my hands. I directed them at the box, leaving about two feet of space between myself and my target. Within seconds, the damn thing ignited and burnt like kindling.

As we stood there staring at the burning box, the front door opened, and Vincent walked in with my parents in tow. My mom was the first to notice what we were up to.

"Merciful heavens! Fire!"