by Lisa Oliver
So many years wasted, he thought, but even that couldn’t dampen his desire. Baby had his cock pulled away from his body and seemed to be sitting above him. It was difficult to tell exactly because the merging of their auras was lighting up the room. But then Owen felt it, a pressure against his cockhead that defied description. He might have yelped a little bit; he definitely resisted the urge to punch his hips up as the pressure slid down his full length.
“My gods. My gods.” Nothing in Owen’s long life had ever felt so right. His whole body was trembling from the urge not to come just yet.
“Two gods actually.” Owen could hear the humor in Baby’s voice, and he found he quite liked being teased. “We fit as well as I thought we would. It’s what the term made for each other was all about. Now, my lovely beast.” Baby leaned forward, causing the pressure around his dick to change. Owen was aware of curls brushing against his pectoral muscles, followed by a kiss. “Do you feel the urge to move at all?”
Owen felt like exploding. But he nodded, feeling up Baby’s legs that were straddling his hips, until he reached his mate’s hips. It was jerky at first. He’d never had the urge to punch his hips forward, not even on the odd times he danced. But Baby moved fluidly above him, riding his moves until he found his rhythm and then Baby planted his feet on the bed, so he was counter-moving every tentative thrust.
This is… Owen couldn’t even think straight. It was like the animal side of his body had taken over, and while he’d far rather their positions were reversed so he could thrust hard with his hips the way his instincts were telling him to, he wasn’t about to interrupt what was happening. It felt too good, too right, too freaking amazing, and from the sounds of Baby’s gasps, moans, and the occasional “oh my gods,” his mate was enjoying it too.
My mate… My mate… Owen couldn’t stop the chanting in his head as their joint thrusts got more frantic. He was still hanging onto Baby’s hips, his eyes closed because the power of their auras combined was so powerful. He could feel the ancient rhythms of his people thrumming through his blood, his animal spirit rising along with his climax. Don’t let me stuff this up, he pleaded with his bear, as Owen slid his hand up Baby’s back, pulling him down.
“Oh, fuck. Do it. Bite me. Bite me. Bite me. Please.” Baby’s neck tilted on an angle that had to hurt, but Owen couldn’t stop. His teeth dropped and with a roar that was more animal than man or god, he sunk his teeth into Baby’s flesh as his balls emptied into his mate’s willing body.
The smell of his mate’s spunk distracted Owen from Baby’s scream – so different from his despair at Cloverleah. This was a YES filled with passion, longing, and true joy. He felt a sting on his neck and wondered if Baby had marked him in some way, secretly hoping he had. But for now, Owen was awash in endorphins, riding the high of his animal spirit who had finally got what he’d longed for.
Baby collapsed over him, his breathing heavy, his scent satiated. “We are definitely doing that again,” he muttered as his body relaxed into sleep.
Chapter Sixteen
It was five days before Baby started to get an inclination something was different. Well, something more different than falling into bed with the same wonderful partner every night; that same partner who wore a mark that Baby placed on his neck, not Poseidon. The winged heart cresting a pounding wave gave him a sense of belonging every time Baby looked at it.
In five days, Owen became a quick study on the various ways men could enjoy themselves sexually with each other. Blow jobs, frottage, shower sex, chair sex, even a wonderful incidence of kitchen counter sex when Baby was caught stroking himself off watching Owen cook for them, naked.
What was even more important to Baby, was that it wasn’t just the sex that was wonderful. Being dressed and working alongside a partner was as good as it was the first day they spent together. When the cold weather drove them inside, Owen proved a dab hand at scraping off peeling wallpaper, sanding window frames, and lending his strength to lugging out some of the rotten carpets that adorned the upstairs bedrooms. Covered in dust, his arm and back muscles screaming at him, Baby had never had such a fun day.
But there was something going on. More than one thing actually. For one, Owen kept getting a number of message orbs, but when Baby asked about them, Owen distracted him. Baby had also expected to see either Poseidon or Himeros by now too. Poseidon would have felt him call the waters on two separate occasions, and that was usually more than enough to incur a visit. The Lord of the Sea was never pleased when someone else messed with his waters and that was without the knowledge that he was mated, which Poseidon would also have felt.
Baby wasn’t so sure how Himeros would feel once he knew his son had been claimed. He wasn’t even sure how Himeros would know, but in his head, it was obvious Himeros would find out in some way. Of course, there was a good chance the self-absorbed god was pissed off about it, or even jealous, like he was when Poseidon claimed Claude, but Baby had no way of knowing. Truth be told, the more he kept Himeros away from Owen the better he felt.
There was something else too, happening with Baby’s body this time. Baby couldn’t put his finger on it. It wasn’t as though he was sick or anything. He just felt different. And that feeling was confirmed on the fifth day when Owen came up behind him in the bathroom, running his hands over Baby’s stomach.
“Hello, little one.” Owen seemed especially smug for first thing in the morning.
“A little less of the little, if you don’t mind,” Baby said, relaxing in his mate’s embrace. “I can’t help that I wasn’t born as big and studly as you.”
“Hmm, thank you for the compliment, my beautiful mate, but I wasn’t talking to you. I was greeting our infant. Talking to them early is important for brain development and helps increase the bond between parents and child.” Owen’s kisses along the back of his neck, did nothing to dispel the sudden chill Baby felt run right down his spine.
“Infant?” The word came out as a croak, as Baby swallowed the urge to vomit. “That’d better be a joke, or studly mate or not, you’re about to find out what happens when I get really pissed off.”
His back was suddenly cold, and Baby found himself turned around to view Owen’s confusion. “Surely, you had to know this would happen, dear mate. Your own amazing existence is thanks to two male gods and your brother Lasse already has a child of his own thanks to Jason descending from gods as well. Poseidon’s twins are due to Claude being Fenrir’s son. Why are you so shocked it could happen to us?”
Put like that, Baby knew he should have known. But caught up in the desire to have someone to himself, to actually feel like someone cared for him and him alone – it was a heady feeling and Baby hadn’t thought about a lot else. “I can’t be pregnant yet.” He nodded decisively. Nope. It just wasn’t going to happen.
Maybe, later, way, way down the track, when Owen and he were settled, Baby would think about having a child, but not yet. It was too soon. He and Owen were only just getting used to being around each other all day. They hadn’t had a chance to go out as a couple yet, although they’d talked about it, and Baby still didn’t know what was going on with his fathers. Patting Owen on the chest, he said with a smile, “nice going old man, but don’t be putting thoughts like that in my head this time of the morning, or I’d end up with a permanent droopy dick for at least a week. Now, are we going to finish that upstairs bedroom today, or have you had enough of this place and fancy going somewhere nice and casual for brunch?” He made to saunter past, but Owen caught his arm.
“I’m not joking with you, my precious. You are carrying our child. Can’t we spend a moment to share this happy discovery together like so many couples do? It’s a truly wonderful event.”
Baby wrenched his arm free. “Event? You call this an event? This isn’t an event, it’s a catastrophe.” Even now, Baby could see how badly his words were hurting his mate, but he was doing some pretty harsh hurting of his own. Throw in a strong dose of anxiety and Baby was ready for a m
eltdown.
“Only last night, you crooned in my ear, telling me how much you loved having me all to yourself. I made some comment about how you’d get bored with me, just the two of us here alone, and you swore up and down you couldn’t ever be bored with me, how you really enjoyed doing things with me and that you were perfectly happy with the way things were. Now you want to bring an infant into the mix – a dependent being who’ll make sure we won’t have a moment to ourselves as a couple for the next twenty years or so?”
“Children do sleep, precious one. I can’t understand why you’re so upset. You know how much I’d longed to have a family of my own.” Owen moved closer, but Baby backed away.
“I thought I was your family.” Baby was starting to hyperventilate. “I thought I was enough for you, but no, as per fucking usual, I’m never fucking enough. Five days we’ve been together. Five measly days, and already you’re looking for more. More than I can give. More than I ever considered in my lifetime. What if I’m not ready for this baby, did you ever consider that? What if I think based on the crap upbringing I had, that I’d be a lousy fucking father and wouldn’t wish my parenting skills on anyone? Did you ever think of that?”
“It won’t be just you…”
“No, it will be you, you, you,” Baby raged, tears falling down his face. “I saw you with Ollie. I know how well children respond to you. You’ll be the world’s best dad. But what about me? What about what I need? Did you ever stop to think that maybe I needed to come to terms with what happened to me with my fathers before trying to become one myself? Did you ever think that maybe I wanted some time learning to be a partner before I became a father?”
I have to get out of here. Baby could see Owen’s mouth moving but the words were drowned out by the blood pounding in his ears. He didn’t want to trash his own bathroom, not with Owen standing right there. No matter how confused and conflicted he felt, Baby would never physically hurt Owen. The knowledge his harsh words were hurting his mate was hard enough to bear. Unable to apologize, too confused about how quickly his life had changed in the space of just five minutes, Baby thought of the one place where he had come across a friendly, genuine person and disappeared – and found himself in Greece.
Hades and Ali were having a picnic. Hades and Ali were talking, something about dinner. Ali looked very cozy, lying on his mate, the bright sun reflecting off his smooth butt.
“Don’t you go to sleep,” Hades flicked Ali lightly on the shoulder. “I told you, we’ve got company for dinner tonight.”
“Got room for one more at the dinner table, Uncle?” Baby needed to intervene in case the pair got too cozy.
Hades shot up, clicking his fingers so Ali was dressed.
“Baby, what the hell? Are you hurt? What’s wrong?” Hades was looking around as though Baby had someone chasing him. Finally, someone who cares.
“I need a pregnancy test,” Baby burst into tears, sinking to his knees. “I think my mate got me pregnant.”
Ali jumped up, running around the blanket and hugging Baby’s shoulder’s tight. “There, there, you can cry all you like. Who’s this bastard who did this without telling you what was going on? Hades will scare the shit out of him, terrorize him so bad his dick will never work again.”
“That is so sweet.” Baby hiccupped and cried harder. “I didn’t mean to intrude… you’re so nice to me… I couldn’t think of anywhere else to go because he’s in my house.”
“You have your own house?” Ali said brightly. “That’s wonderful. We’ll have to come and visit sometime, provided it’s not too public of course, because my man is definitely pregnant thanks to a spot of godly intervention.”
Hades is pregnant? “It’s in Thurso, Scotland. It’s cold. My mate likes it.” Baby started crying all over again. Being away from Owen made his body ache all over. Knowing he’d upset Owen was killing him, and now Ali was making it worse by being so nice. He tried to pull himself together. “I know you’re having guests. I just need, I just… I just… I can’t be pregnant already!”
“Getting upset isn’t going to help,” Hades said firmly, getting up and flicking the remains of their picnic away. “Come up to the house. Dinner can wait. You can explain all about this new mate of yours and how this possible pregnancy happened.”
“You know how that happened,” Ali said with a laugh. “It happened to you too, mate of mine. Oh, just imagine, it will be so much fun, if Baby is pregnant now, then he or she won’t be much younger than our little one. We can have playdates, with Sebastian and Madison’s baby as well. There’s so many gods running around pregnant right now you’d be amazed. It’s wonderful.”
Playdates? Baby didn’t even know what that was and that brought on a whole new round of crying.
/~/~/~/~/
You need to go to him. You need to go to him, now!
“I don’t know where he is right this second. I need to stop and think for a moment.” Owen was having enough trouble trying to come to terms with how his morning plans all went to hell so quickly. He’d known Baby had been pregnant for the past two days – the changes in his mate’s aura alerting him to a new life being formed. He’d waited. And waited, hoping Baby would tell him the happy news himself. But when Baby didn’t, he decided to start the conversation himself. He was excited, over the moon in fact.
But Baby wasn’t. That much was obvious. What was worse was that Baby clearly didn’t have any inclination at all that he could be pregnant, let alone suspect it for himself. Just one more example of the shoddy parenting he went through, Owen fumed. As if responding by some mysterious force, another freaking communication orb appeared with an imperious ding on the bathroom counter.
“What do you want, Poseidon?” Owen swiped up the orb with a roar. He’d been fending off the persistent sea god since his mating night, and Poseidon was the last person he wanted to speak to right now.
“I want to see my son.” It seemed Poseidon could be just as pissy when he wanted to be. “I need to talk to him, and you’ve blocked me for the last five days…”
“The five days since we claimed each other, which gave me that right. I’m Baby’s mate now, and I won’t have him upset by you.”
“No, but you can upset him yourself, is that it? Else why would he currently be crying on Hades’ shoulder in Greece. Huh? Answer me that, frosty-bear.”
Hades house in Greece. Thank you, asshole. “I don’t owe you anything, Kraken-feeder. You and your mate have done nothing but make Baby feel like he was a nuisance who couldn’t be around other people, even when his genetics are half your fault. Now rack off. Baby will see you when he wants, in his own time, and not before.”
Crumpling the orb in his hand was only slightly satisfying. Getting to Baby was Owen’s first priority. Clicking himself clothes, so he at least looked remotely respectable, Owen called on his animal, used their bond and headed for Greece.
Chapter Seventeen
“So, that’s the whole sorry story. All five days’ worth, or seven, or whatever.” Baby sighed. Curled up on a large couch in Hades’ and Ali’s living room, it was easy to think the last week was just an aberration in his head. “I should never have yelled or got angry at Owen. It’s not as though this was all his fault. In the back of my mind I suppose I did know it could happen. I just didn’t think about it at the time.”
“Or all the other times you were having fun with your mate, either, I imagine,” Hades said drily. “Being the older god, he could have reminded you, but it’s too late for should haves or could haves now. I understand where you’re coming from, though. You want to spend time with your mate, and you deserve to have that time. I don’t know why the Fates are on a pregnancy binge right now among the gods, but apparently it’s important for the stability of the fabric of life.”
“They didn’t think about my mental stability when they included me in their dastardly plan,” Baby grumbled. “I can’t be a father. I’d be useless at it. That bear cub I told you about, Ollie, he barel
y had anything to do with me, but he was all over Owen like a rash.”
“I know you’ll think differently when the little one is your own,” Ali said with his ever-present smile. “And the thing is, I think I know why the Fates gifted you so quickly, and that kinda is Owen’s fault.”
“How do you mean?” Baby didn’t think Owen had a direct line to the Fates but then anything was possible.
“Well, didn’t you say that Owen knew you two were fated when you were born? Which, incidentally, is a wicked power to have, I’m just saying,” Ali said. “Maybe the Fates planned on you two having children a lot earlier than this, allowing you time to get to know each other first, but if these babies are important like Hades said, then maybe the Fates jumped in when they saw the opportunity because Owen took so freaking long to meet you in the first place.”
“I’ve been thinking about that too,” Hades said. “I know you said Owen was a loner, but he must have spent like centuries in his ice palace, to not meet up with you. The Fates are always nudging their couples into meeting each other.”
Baby sighed. Just thinking about Owen made his heart hurt. The look on his poor mate’s face. He rubbed his stomach, which was still flat thank goodness. “He got scared, and he said himself he’s very set in his ways, or he was before he met me. But see, that’s the thing that makes me feel like a right shit. Owen’s made the effort and changed his life so much just for me. And the first chance I have to do something for him in return, I blow up and throw a tantrum like a two-year-old. That’s hardly fair.”
Ali leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “Baby, your feelings are important too. Should you have realized you could get pregnant having sex with a god when you’re one yourself? Probably. But the dreams you had of belonging, wanting someone to put you first for a change are valid too. You had every right to want to spend time with Owen for decades if necessary before you thought about children. The thing is, the baby is already growing inside of you, and given it will be immortal, I doubt there’s anything you can do to prevent their birth now.”