War of Nytefall (CLICK ON IMAGE FOR AMAZON SITE)

Well, I figure it’s best to show the conversation afterwards and demonstrate if people are right in their guesses.  Then again, I probably confirmed in the comments.  Enjoy this part of War of Nytefall: Eradication.

“How far along are you?”

“I don’t really know.”

“Why aren’t you showing?”

“I have no idea.”

“Then, how do you know?”

“Just sensed it one morning.”

“Have you told Clyde?”

“Pretty sure my babbling and quick exit answers that one.”

“Are your breasts-”

Mab reaches into the shadow of a mangrove tree and yanks Chastity into the void where she keeps her friend. Knowing that the monsters inside will not attack, the burglar lets the silence linger for a minute. She is about to pull the other woman back when she looks up to meet Lost’s quizzical gaze. A wide smile slowly appears on the half-elf’s face, which sends a shiver down Mab’s spine. Yanking Chastity back onto the beach, she lunges with her arm stretched towards her other companion’s mouth. She curses as she hits the sand and groans when she feels a kick inside her abdomen, which causes her body to rise an inch into the air. Startled by the force of the blow, the burglar almost forgets Lost, who is sucking in a long breath with the intention to shout the news across the island. With a growl, Mab shoves a clawed hand through her own shadow and severs the younger vampire’s vocal cords from the inside. A glint in the womb-born’s eyes reveals that she plans on using her telepathy, but she still takes in a gurgling breath that is slowed down by the blood flowing out of her mouth. The burglar is about to plunge Lost into the shadows when the half-elf’s dirty bunny rockets into her hand. Jumping to her feet, she puts a claw against the limp animal’s neck and watches as her friend relaxes.

“I really didn’t want to do that,” Mab admits as she throws the rabbit into the air. She watches the dead creature come to life and happily soar around the quiet beach. “Yes, I am pregnant. No, Clyde does not know. In fact, you two are the only other people who know about my . . . situation. I’m trusting both of you to keep this a secret. Only I’m allowed to talk about this with others. After all, I’m not even sure what I’m going to do or how to break the news. Can either of you imagine me as a mother?”

“You can’t do worse than my mommy,” Lost points out, her voice coming out of a nearby shell. Confused by the pair of frowns she receives, the girl assumes they do not like her choice and switches to making her words come from a patch of seaweed. “I think you will be fine. Your kid will be very strong and I can watch them. We’ve already started talking, but they don’t know if they’re a boy or girl. Only really interested in food. Oh, they prefer hot peppers to lettuce. Why are you eating so many salads?”

“I thought it would be better for the baby?” the burglar says, her expression an odd mix of shame and pride. She quickly swats Chastity’s hand away from her belly, the blow snapping the other woman’s wrist. “Sorry. I’m not comfortable with that. Can the two of you just pretend that you don’t know anything? Clyde and I are still working on being together again, so throwing a kid into the mix will cause tension. I need to figure out what I’m going to do and how to tell him, which I already said. Great, I’m repeating myself. Are you reaching again?”

“You have no experience in this field while I’ve had to act as a midwife at least fifty times over the years,” Chastity mentions, a puff of calming mist on her knuckles. Letting the vapor drift away, she gently presses on her friend’s stomach and winces when a kick sends one of her fingers flying into the ocean. “I don’t understand any of this. You have to be around six or seven months along, but you aren’t showing anything. The strength of your baby is ridiculous and I’m surprised it hasn’t pulverized your organs. Clyde needs to know pretty soon because I can see this kid coming out on his or her own terms. Last thing you want is to be talking and have a little vampire punch its way out of your uterus. Sorry, but I’m not going to lie and say you have a normal pregnancy here, so expect the worst. How about visiting Gregorio instead of going to the ruins? This needs to be taken care of now, Mab.”

The burglar is about to argue when she feels a sudden wave of nausea and vomits up everything she has eaten since breakfast.