Lachlan and Erin both looked up from their work at the kitchen counter, deep frowns impressed on their faces.

Damn it all to hell and back.

"Think of it this way," Yusuf said. "If you do not get her pregnant, then you cannot defeat the ancient one."

The finality of his statement made reality seep in around Ronan's anger and surprise and the regret he felt after saying he didn't love Clarissa. "We only have a day until Halloween. You think I can get her pregnant in that amount of time and we'll be able to learn how to kill the ancient one?"

"Yes. It is written."

"It is written," Ronan said, grumbling. "Where is all this crap written all the time?"

Obviously Yusuf knew Ronan didn't expect an answer to that particular question. "The seer explained that vampire pregnancies come on fast and hard."

Incredulous, Ronan walked out of the kitchen again and wandered to the center of the living room. "So?"

"You will know, Ronan. You will know."

Closing his eyes, Ronan willed himself not to yell. Instead he moved onto the next important subject. "Maybe you can help me with something else."

He explained to Yusuf what had happened to Sorley and his fears that Sorley now had the same evil eroding him as the ancient one did.

"So you're saying that brazen little Irish vampire is now possessed by evil?"

"When we entered the mind of the ancient one to get his name something happened to Sorley. And the ancient one kept saying something about thedarkest . The evil in the tunnels must be what he meant. The same evil that attacked Micky and took her to another dimension."

"You think the ancient one has absorbed this evil?"

"It's possible."

Silence came over the line for so long Ronan thought the connection had dropped.

Finally Yusuf spoke. "When the seer and I talked earlier she mentioned that thedarkest you speak of has been growing and feeding on the evil in the town for a century. Do you believe that?"

"It's what Clarissa believes. She found a book in the library on local history that references things happening in this town a century ago that pretty much bear out the suspicion."

"You must be very careful, Ronan. The ancient one may be a formidable foe, but thisdarkest , this ultimate evil is perhaps far worse. You must impregnate Clarissa immediately so the power will be released to you. Without it against the ancient one you are doomed. With this more powerful evil backing the ancient one, you are even more likely to fail."

Ignoring the man's reference to impregnate Clarissa, he went with his second concern. "What about Sorley? Is there anything I can do to help him?" He explained how Sorley wanted to drain the criminals they'd caught. "I've got to stop him."

A long sigh came over the phone. "If you want to stop him permanently, you know what you must do."

"No." The word came without hesitation. "No, I can't do that."

"You must consider it and keep a silver stake or bullet on hand just in case. It will not destroy the ancient one, but it will kill Sorley if the time comes."

Ronan closed his eyes and passed one hand over his face. "I can't."

"It doesn't come any clearer than that.Good luck, vampire." The line went dead.

Ronan clicked off the phone and walked to the phone table where he replaced the receiver.

Jared appeared shell-shocked. "Did I hear you say impregnate?"

Ronan leaned back against one wall. As Lachlan and Erin came out of the kitchen, Ronan explained without leaving out details, what the man had said. The others didn't stop him to ask questions, just listened while he poured the information like a faucet.

When he reached the part about Sorley, they all went grave and silent. They knew, as he did, that he would give serious thought to the possibility Sorley had turned rogue forever.

He would have to hunt his friend. His crazy, funny, yet good-hearted vampire friend. An ache started in his heart and spread outward. He wanted to scream to the heavens for everything that happened the last few days. Sorley didn't deserve this, no matter how irreverent or pesky he could be.

Ronan decided he would do whatever it took to help his friend.

"Sorley will be all right," Micky said, her words doubtful.

Suddenly a smile came over Erin's face and she stood up quickly. Erin's smile broadened as she looked at Ronan. "Excuse me a minute, everyone. I believe breakfast is going to have to wait."

"Why?" Lachlan asked.

She pursed her lips and a mischievous look twinkled in her eyes. "I have something in the medicine cabinet I think we're going to need."

"What?" Ronan asked in apprehension.

"Why, a pregnancy test, silly," she said as she headed for the hallway.

"Holy shit," Jared said.

Lachlan's mouth popped open and he swallowed hard. "Aye."

Ronan's eyes widened as the implication hit him between the eyeballs like a grenade.

"Oh, myGod."

Chapter Seventeen

Ronan ascended the attic stairs, his heart at turns heavy and elated. He had to tell Clarissa what he knew and face the consequences if she became angry. But he'd faced the anger of the ancient one. Surely he could face the wrath of a thoroughly pissed-off mortal woman.

Huh. Maybe.He'd insisted on taking the pregnancy kit up with him in a plastic bag, unwilling to show it to her right away. This would take finesse. And maybe it would give him time to stop reeling from the very real possibility that he'd made her pregnant. He didn't know where this tale would lead, but in the meantime he could protect Clarissa and-dare he think it?-their baby.

Whether he liked it or not, whether any of them liked it, ClarissaGaines might be pregnant with his child. Not in a week, not in a month or a year.Now .

At the attic door he paused. Time to face the music. The very loud, most likely inharmonious music.

When he opened the door Clarissa turned away from the dark wood mirror over the Queen Anne dresser to look at him.

"Hey," she said softly, her smile tender.

God, he loved her smile.

For what couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but felt like much more, he took in her beauty. She wore a plain coral-colored sweater over jeans. She didn't have shoes on yet. Tumbling like a thick, lustrous curtain, her hair shimmered and her smooth skin had the flush of a woman who'd been loved well.