Real Vampires Hate Skinny Jeans by Gerry Bartlett Page B

her taut skin.
    She finally couldn’t stand his silence or the look of concentration on his face. “Well, what do you hear?”
    “There’s a lot of echo. I’m not sure what I hear. Could begas, could be heartbeats.” Ian pulled down her top. “I need a blood sample. Increased hormones in the blood are a great indicator of pregnancy.”
    “Wait. Heartbeats. Like more than one?” I just couldn’t keep quiet. This was, like, my worst fear. Multidemons.
    “I said I couldn’t really tell, Glory.” Ian pulled out a syringe like the one he’d used on me a few days ago. “I need more information. Blood first, then an ultrasound.”
    “Whoa, whoa. I never said I’d let you stick me with a needle. Or look up my hoo-ha either.” Alesa obviously wasn’t keen on giving blood. “And what’s an ultrasound?”
    “Relax. I’m just going to take a little blood. All you’ll feel is a tiny prick. And the ultrasound is painless, not invasive at all. It will give us a picture of what’s going on in your womb.” Ian pushed up Alesa’s sleeve and stuck her as if she’d given permission. I had to give him credit for guts. I wouldn’t have poked a demon like that. Of course I wondered if he’d ever seen one in action like I had.
    “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not scared for myself. But I’ve got a baby on board.” Alesa watched black blood fill a vial. “Pretty, isn’t it?”
    “Careful with that blood, Ian. That’s how she got inside me. Her blood seeped into my open wound.” I glared at her. “Having her in my body was hell and that’s no exaggeration.”
    “Wimp.” Alesa smirked.
    “Explain to me how you could get pregnant when you weren’t physically present.” Ian pulled out the needle, wiped off the puncture wound with a sterile pad, then watched as the spot healed. He nodded then carefully put away the blood-gathering gear and this time actually pulled an electronic pad out of his doctor’s bag and fired it up.
    “Well…” Alesa smiled and sat back. “This is where I got really clever. I was nearing the end of my fertile time. Demons only have a certain number of years to get pregnant, you know.”
    “No, I didn’t. How many would you say?” Ian began typing rapidly.
    I tuned them out as they talked about demons and life in hell. I didn’t care, didn’t want to know. Because what if that was what I’d been before Jerry had turned me? No, I wouldn’t believe it. I didn’t have that sweet smell for one thing. And my blood wasn’t black sludge. Of course Rafe was part demon and he didn’t have either of those attributes. Oh, God.
    A demon taint might explain why Lucifer had taken a strange fancy to me, though. No. Since I’d been turned, I’d gone to church, handled holy water, done lots of things that my buddy Rafe, kind soul that he was, wouldn’t dare. And Ian had compared my blood to Rafe’s without finding a match. Okay then. Not demon.
    “I’ll do it.” Alesa shook Ian’s hand. “When?”
    “Tomorrow night if the equipment gets here as promised. Penny can tell Glory where I live and work.” Ian put his pad away and turned to me. “Can you bring Alesa to my house?”
    “She’s going to do the ultrasound?” I really had spaced out.
    “That’s what I said. Are you driving me or do I need to get Rafael, on a busy Saturday night, to abandon his club and take me?” Alesa sighed. “He’s going to have to support a family now. I really think he should tend to his business.”
    “I have a business too, you know.” I didn’t like the way my own interests were being dismissed. “Saturday is a big night for us in the shop.”
    “I would have Penny bring her, but it’s her night off. She’s going to the UT football game, to see her sister on the cheerleading squad.” Ian shook his head. “Your fledgling is positively wholesome, isn’t she, Glory?”
    “Gag me.” Alesa got up and walked into the kitchen. “I want chips and salsa. Sorry you two can’t join