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My brother ruined a perfectly good run by saying, “Justine is pregnant”

That kicked me completely out ofin radually slowed down until I alking In the blue light of July predawn, Montrose Beach was deserted It wasn’t hot yet That’s why I was up at oh-God-thirty

Tho side by side His dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail Like me, he wore an old T-shirt, sweatpants, and sneakers He was one of thosethat itpranked

He was also a vampire

“Let ,” I said “We came all the way down here We did six miles in the sand and neither of us said a word The whole city is still and quiet We’ve barely seen acar”

“Yeah?” Thomas asked

I scowled “So why’d you have to go and ruin it?”

His mouth twitched at the corner “Sorry to spoil your way”

“Nnngh,” I said We had reached the end of our last lap and were almost back to the cars anyway I stopped and turned toward the lake and breathed The weighted vest I earing pinched at so its movement, and I rolled it irritably

Far out over the lake, the blue had begun to lighten Sunrise would be soon

“You sure?” I asked

“Very,” he said

I glanced aside at hiht with tension His eyes, which were so toward reflective silver I knew the look He was Hungry

“How did that happen?” I asked him

He looked aside athis head and lifted his eyebrows “Did no one ever have this talk with you?”

I scowled “I mean, weren’t you careful?”

“Yes,” Thomas said “And my kind are all but infertile to boot Happened anyway”

“What happens now?”

“The usual, y fro to be fed upon continuously for the next seven and a half months”

I studied hierous?”

He sed “According to the family records, just over fifty percent either don’t survive the delivery or die shortly after”

“Hell’s bells,” I said I kept staring out at the water Blue had given way to lighter blue and then to the first wash of gold Chicago was starting to wake up around us The burble of noise frorees Birds in the sanctuary at the end of the beach were beginning to sing

“I don’t knohat to do,” Thomas said “If I lose her …”

He didn’t continue He didn’t have to There was a universe of pain residing in that ellipsis

“You’ll be fine,” I said “I’ll help”

“You?” Thohtened his profile for a second

“I’ll have you know I’ve been a full-tiie isn’t dead yet I clearly haveskills”

The sht But … Harry …”

I put my hand on his shoulder “Don’t borrow trouble,” I said “There’s plenty of that going around without looking forcare of So whatever needs to happen, we’ll do it”

He stared at me for a silent moment and nodded once

“Meanwhile,” I said, “you should probably focus on taking care of yourself so you can be there for her”