“I didn’t want you to have to touch it.”

“Why?” he asked, as she finally handed it over.

“I peed on it.”

“You peed on —?” Realization hit him, and he looked down at the item in his hand. Even through the plastic bag, the long, white pregnancy stick was clear. And so was the word “Pregnant” on the digital screen.

Harper stayed very still, giving Knox the space to work through the news. She wouldn’t lie, she was totally on edge. Sure, they’d talked about having a baby and he’d been fine with it. But it was one thing to talk about a hypothetical baby and a whole other thing to find out that said baby was no longer so hypothetical.

She had a big family; she’d seen how differently males could react to pregnancy. Some were terrified by the prospect of being a father due to their own insecurities. Some felt trapped by the financial burdens, responsibilities, and social restrictions that came with fatherhood. Some, like Lucian, weren’t ready to give up their own childhood or independence; they saw the idea of a baby as a loss of freedom.

Even the soon-to-be-fathers who were excited had their worries, and they sometimes did stupid things like act out or throw themselves into work rather than voice those concerns. Harper could understand it, though. She supposed that males probably often felt detached from their partner’s pregnancy, since they played no physical part in it. The attention was usually on the women, so they might even feel a little left out at times.

Responsibilities didn’t scare Knox Thorne, and he was too much of a confident, competent person to be insecure about his ability to be anything, even a father. Still, there was never really any knowing how a person would react to hearing they’d be a parent. And considering he was a total worrywart who constantly fussed over her health and safety, this news could very well send his anxiety levels soaring.

She figured that it could help if the news was delivered at a positive, well-timed moment. So, as they’d driven to Talia’s apartment building, Harper had decided to delay breaking it to him. She’d planned to ask Meg to prepare his favorite meal and then fish out his favorite wine – possibly even get him drunk. She could then have broken the news to him gently, and he’d have had the time and privacy to allow it to settle into his brain.

A good plan.

Harper just didn’t have the patience to wait like that, but she’d been determined to try. However, when he’d sensed that her head was… well, up her ass… he’d leaped on the matter, and she knew there would be no intimate meal. There was really no brushing him off when he knew something was bothering her. He would hound her and hound her until she coughed up the truth.

Although she’d made up her mind to just tell him right then, her nerves were so fried that she hadn’t even been able to say the simple words, “I’m pregnant.” Now he was staring down at the pregnancy stick, unmoving. And she didn’t know what the hell to do.

She wondered how his demon was dealing with the news. Once the shock wore off, her own demon had switched into overprotective mode. Its priority was now the safety of the life inside Harper’s womb. And Harper was pretty sure that if Knox didn’t take it well, her demon would be thoroughly pissed at him and want to send soul-deep pain shooting up his dick.

As the silence dragged on, Harper barely resisted the urge to wring her hands. Eventually it got too much for her. “Okay, you need to say something or I might freak out.”

His head lifted, and he looked at her through unreadable eyes. “You’re pregnant?” The words came out choked.

“It would seem so.”

He placed the stick on the table and stood. Her stomach dropped. Hell, she hadn’t expected him to walk out, but she’d give him space if it was what he needed. Her demon would prefer to just slap him.

Taking Harper by surprise, his hand cuffed her wrist and he gently pulled her to her feet. Then his hands were in her hair and his mouth was on hers. Hard. Hungry. Consuming her.

Freeing her mouth, Knox rested his forehead on hers and splayed a hand on her flat stomach. “You’re pregnant?”

She licked her lips. “I’m pregnant.”

He swallowed. “We’re not calling it Lucifer.”

A shaky laugh bubbled out of her. “You’re not upset?”

“No. This is my happy face. Can’t you tell?”

“No.”

“I’m far from upset,” Knox assured her. He kissed her again, pouring all the emotions he was feeling right then inside her. Excitement. Wonder. Shock.

He was also anxious. Anxious that Harper would find the pregnancy and the birth difficult. Anxious that something might go wrong. Anxious about the baby’s health. Knox was a person who liked to be in control of the things around him. This wasn’t something he had any control over.

His demon was having the same internal struggle, and it wanted nothing more than to lock Harper away where no one could touch her or the child growing inside her. It wasn’t a bad idea, really.

Knox framed her face with his hands. “How are you feeling?”

She took a long breath. “Okay. Better now that I know you’re good with it.”

“I guess this explains why you were so tired and lethargic all the time.” He knew it was a symptom of a demonic pregnancy, but it hadn’t occurred to him to even consider that she could be pregnant. He should have done. He shouldn’t have simply assumed it was stress. Knox cursed as he remembered something. “I was rough with you this morning.”

Harper smiled. “Rough sex isn’t going to harm the baby.” Outside forces, however? Yeah, there was a chance they would. Or, at least, they would try. “People will come for the baby. That’s what Nora said,” she reminded him. It made sense that there would be demons who would think to use the baby to control him. Others might even want the child for themselves, suspecting it would grow to be as powerful as Knox, and could be used against him. Her demon snarled, communicating that it would kill anyone who attempted any such thing.

“They won’t get anywhere near the baby,” vowed Knox. He would never allow it. His father hadn’t protected him, and Knox would be damned if he failed his own child. His demon felt just as strongly about it. “We will ensure the baby is safe and protected at all times. Yes, it will mean that they’ll be coddled, but better that than in the hands of someone who would harm them.”

She nodded. “Whatever it takes.”

“You know that the security around you will be stepped up now, don’t you? I understand that your pride will balk at it, but it’s necessary.”

“I know.” Harper sighed. “The baby needs to be protected.”

Her immediate capitulation took Knox by surprise. “If I’d known that pregnancy would make you accept better security so easily, I’d have knocked you up months ago.”

She smiled, sincerely surprised that he was so at ease with the news. “I was worried you might feel a little…”

“Jealous?”

She blinked. “Actually, I was going to say ‘anxious’ and maybe ‘excluded’. Some guys feel like you’re on the outside looking in – I don’t want that for you. Do you feel jealous?”

“I’ll admit that I’m selfish enough to not want to share your attention with anyone.” So was his demon, actually. “But this isn’t just ‘anyone’. It’s our child.” He needed to have a doctor confirm that she was pregnant before he could truly believe it. There was still a surreal quality to the situation.

She leaned into him. “You’re not upset that a lot of things will change?”

“What’s so bad about change?”

“Nothing at all. I’m just checking.”

“Does anyone else know?”

“Raini knows. She bought the pregnancy test and urged me to use it. Honestly, I thought she was being dramatic. It turns out that she was right. I didn’t confirm that I was pregnant, but she’ll have known just by the look on my face. She won’t tell anyone, though. Not even Devon or Khloë.”

“But you want them to know,” he sensed.