by Renea Mason
Without thinking, I slapped him, but he didn’t flinch. “Don’t you even finish that sentence. You’ve traipsed through my head hundreds of times. You know how insecure I was about engaging with Overton. Do you honestly think I’d betray you? That I even could if I wanted to? Whatever little battle you’re having with your ego, get over it. I’ve got bigger issues to deal with.” I let out a snarling punctuated groan. “Now, get in the car and drive me home while I come to terms with the fact I fell for the oldest fucking trick in the book.” I mumbled to myself in a mocking tone, “Don’t worry, I can’t get you pregnant.” So fucking stupid.
“Linden…” he said, his word pleading.
“No. No. No. I don’t want to hear anything else from you. Nothing.” I gripped my forehead. “Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.” My fury-fueled strides outpaced him, and I plopped myself into the passenger seat. What the hell was I going to do?
One town after another passed on the journey back to the manor. Cyril remained silent while I dealt with the chaos flooding my mind.
At the next intersection, a bright red glowing sign came into view. “Cyril, I need you to stop at that RxCaliber.” The hokey discount pharmacy chain with the cringeworthy slogan, We Slay Prices, was bound to have a pregnancy test.
Perhaps he was wrong. Maybe there was another explanation. I called souls to me; maybe one got stuck. I didn’t feel pregnant. Fuck magic. I needed a good ol’ scientific pee test to put this all to rest.
He followed my command, pulling into the parking lot. As soon as the car stopped, I opened the door and headed to the front of the store. Before reaching the entrance, I remembered I didn’t have my purse, and therefore, didn’t have any fucking money. I marched back to the car and tapped on the driver’s side window. Cyril sat adjusting the sound system dials when my intrusion startled him. He mashed a button on the door, and the window lowered, winding all the way down.
“Yes, Light?”
“I need you to come with me. I forgot my purse, and I need to get…something.” Embarrassment overcame me. I hated relying on him. Asking him for money just added insult to injury. This was something old married people did, not us. Not people who could rip out the soul of the cashier ringing up the bill. But what other choice did I have?
He didn’t hesitate. Perhaps the determined look in my eyes was enough of a warning. He opened the door and got out. Without question, he followed me through the automatic sliding doors.
I turned into the aisle with various feminine products and snatched the first test kit I saw. I pivoted, meaning to head to the cash register, but instead, I ran straight into Cyril’s chest.
He grasped my upper arms and held me in place. “Light, what are you doing?”
Wiggling out of his grip, I stepped back, grabbed his hand with one of mine, and placed the package in his hand. “I want you to buy this for me.”
He stared at it for a moment. “Light, please…I’ve been observing humans forever. I can tell you I’m more reliable than this kit.”
Everything I had been holding back flowed in large droplets down my cheeks. “But it can’t be. You said it yourself. Maybe you’re wrong. What if one of the other souls…I don’t…know…got stuck somehow? What if it’s a backup or something? Maybe the universe saw how much I fuck things up and it gave me a spare? I don’t know.” I stared into the ocean-blue depths of his eyes and told the undeniable truth. “I’m scared, Cyril. Terrified. The reasons are too numerous to count.” I sniffled. “Humor me, please.”
His gentle smile was a welcome response. “All right. Let’s go.”
It was me who followed behind this time, struggling to keep up with his long strides. When he completed the transaction, he handed me the bag. “Now what?”
I smiled at the cashier. “Where’s your restroom?”
The kid, who couldn’t have been more than eighteen, grinned with obvious amusement about our situation. I didn’t fucking care. I needed proof sans magic.
I clutched Cyril’s hand. No matter what the circumstances, this was his fault. Turning the handle on the women’s room door, I pulled him inside with me. The fluorescent light buzzed overhead. I ripped open the box and retrieved the long, flat stick from the package, then tore the corner of the wrapper with my teeth. With the instructions in one hand and the stick in the other, I realized my logistical faux pas.
I faced Cyril, who eyed me with a gleam of fascination. “Uh… I need you to step outside.”
“Whatever for?” His eyebrows knitted together.
“I have to take the test.”
“So, take it.”
“But you’re here.”
He crossed his arms. “Were you not the one who dragged me in here?”
“I am, but I have to, you know…pee on this, and you’re here.”
“Linden, are you telling me you can’t perform with me standing here? After all the things I’ve done to your body, in your body, on your body. Do you think me ignorant of basic human functions? You’re about to confirm for yourself that you’re having our child, and you’re worried about such trivial things?”
“Yes, it’s just not who we are.”
“Perhaps that’s the problem, maybe it’s who we should be.”
I stood steadfast, one hand on my hip while tapping the test stick against my leg with the other.
He huffed. “Fine, for the sake of argument.” He grasped the handle, turned it, and closed the door behind him.
With the click of the lock, I closed my eyes. Perhaps, if I gathered enough will, I could wish this whole nightmare away. Had I even thought it a possibility, I might have been more prepared. But to have my belief system unravel… I couldn’t raise a child with all the danger and uncertainty in my life. Tendrils of doubt rushed through my mind.
What if the child was entirely human? Would I have to watch him or her die? How would I ever be able to give them a normal childhood given my circumstance? Was the miracle Cyril’s or Overton’s? Or God forbid, something else altogether. I shivered at the thought.
I had misused magic once without knowing its power and banished Cyril to the nether realm. Was it possible this was something similar? But if I wasn’t pregnant, none of it fucking mattered.
I went about the necessary steps and watched as the seconds ticked by like hours while I waited the three minutes needed for the test to complete. I didn’t want to look.
A knock on the door startled me. “Who is it?”
“It’s me, Light. Are you OK?”
I flung the door open and returned to the sink, looming over the stick without a second thought about Cyril entering the room. The three-minute alarm I had set on my phone sounded. I closed my eyes. I pinched the stick between my thumb and index finger, lifting it off the sink’s ledge.
Cyril rested a hand on my shoulder.
I said a silent prayer that all of this had been some silly hallucination brought on by Cyril’s lessons.
I held up the plastic oracle so we could both see it.
Positive.
Motherfucking son of a bitch. I balled my free hand into a fist. What the hell was I going to do? I stepped on the depressor for the trash can lid and threw the test into the container.
When I turned around, my body weakened, and my knees gave out, but Cyril was there to catch me before I fell. A sob caught in my throat.
He smoothed his hand over my hair and caressed my back. “Light, whatever may be, I’m here for you. You are not alone. This is our challenge to carry.” He supported me with one arm and lifted my chin with the other, so I met his gaze. “I know this is all so confusing and frightening, but let me get you home. Tomorrow you might see things differently. Come.” He steadied me until I was stable enough to stand on my own.
Pregnant. Unfuckingbelievable.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Intoxicating
After returning home, I went straight to bed. Cyril pulled the covers up over my shoulders, tucking me in. Pressing a soft kiss to my forehead, he tried
to reassure me. “Let go of your troubles, Light. Everything will work out. Would you like for me to stay with you tonight?”
“No, it’s fine, I know you have things to do. Plus, I have so much to think about. It’s good for me to take time to process everything.”
He brushed his lips against mine. “Whatever you wish. I have a question for you to consider. Would you like to tell Stanton yourself, or would you like to do it together? If the two of us are the only possibility for fathering the child, it is more than likely he who is…responsible. You know you have nothing to worry about from him, except perhaps how overjoyed he might be.”
“I know. That’s what I’m afraid of. What if the explanation isn’t so easy? I don’t want to give him false hope. I couldn’t stand to see him disappointed that way.”
“Then maybe we should speak to him together, explain all the possible theories.”
“You might be right, but let me sleep on it. We can figure this out in the morning.”
“Sweet dreams, Light.”
I closed my eyes, prepared for the onslaught of ‘what ifs,’ but instead, exhaustion overcame me.
Sometime later Stanton joined me, his nude body warm and soothing. Since he didn’t have the second sight like Cyril and me, I could take my time and plan how best to tell him. His arms wrapped around me. His whisper blew against my ear. “Are you awake, love?”
I heard his question but lingered somewhere between wakefulness and slumber. “Yes. Sort of.” I let out a soft giggle.
He trailed his nose along my neck. “I missed you today. Just one night back together and I can’t believe I willingly spent nights alone. I’m sorry for being so stubborn.”
“Wait… Isn’t that my line?” I turned in his arms to face him.
“Well…I certainly won’t deny you are the one who utters that apology the most, but we all have our moments. Or is it days? Weeks? Either way, we’re here, and that’s all that matters.”
“You’re right.”
His lips, soft and gentle, caressed the base of my throat. In a slow and deliberate dance, he kissed his way up my neck and along my jaw before letting his lips rest behind my ear. “We should talk about what happened at the compound, but it can wait until tomorrow.”
It was so tempting to lose myself with him. I had missed him so much when he was gone. Cyril had been wrong about so many things, and right about so many more, but the one observation that stood out in my mind was I needed Overton to satisfy something in me Cyril couldn’t fulfill. I had argued with him about it, but I couldn’t deny the completeness I felt having both. Was my latest revelation yet another one of those unfulfilled and unspoken needs?
I shrugged off my black satin robe, lifted the fabric of my nightgown over my head, and tossed the garment over my shoulder.
He would save me from all of this. It took a love like only Overton could provide to ease me through it. We hadn’t had a chance to say all the things needed—the truck accident and Vidius. But now, there was focus—us.
Flattening my palms on his chest, I urged him onto his back. “I need to feel you like this. No distance. Nothing between us.”
I threaded my fingers through his hair. The same addictive look in his eyes drew me in—the one that made me feel like I was the center of his everything, even when I knew for certain the universe pulled his strings in so many directions. He’d lived a thousand lifetimes before me, but in those moments, all evidence of anything before us was erased.
I rested my fingers on his bicep. “Stanton?”
“What, love?”
“I don’t know how to tell you how sorry I am.”
“You already have. There’s nothing more to say. In many ways, we were both fools. But none of that matters now.” He traced a finger along my lower lip. “The one thing you learn as you travel through the years, as I have, is to let go of those things that bring you pain. To find the joy in simplicity and to never overlook a blessing. Staying angry doesn’t do either of us any good. You’d think I’d know enough to stop it from happening before it starts. But after all, I am only human, and we are nothing more than an evolutionary mistake. I’m perfect evidence. I’ve been alive for more than six centuries, and perfection still eludes me.”
I didn’t need to validate his wisdom. He was right; there was a vastness between what should be and what was. The only truth that needed to be spoken was the one leading to my mistake; however, the words seemed inadequate. “I love you. Sometimes foolishly so. Regardless, every ounce of idiocy was fueled by my immense love for you.”
He chuckled. “I know. I may have not appreciated your methods, but I never doubted your love for me.”
I grasped the edge of the comforter and pulled it down his body. My efforts revealed the light dusting of hair on his chest, and the lines of muscles angled to a V, accentuating his already erect cock. Leaning down, I smoothed my lips over his, teasing just out of reach. “I have so much to tell you, but it will have to wait.”
Even though I wanted to share my news with him, I needed to be certain. His anger I could live with, but the pain of shattered hope was something I couldn’t stand to see. Instead of confessing, I sealed my declaration with a kiss while I worked my panties over one hip and then the other. My needy mouth grew clumsy as I slid the fabric down my legs.
I smiled against his lips. “Guess gracefulness didn’t come with my supernatural package. Perhaps I should request a refund.”
“Grace is for dancers, love; you’re a warrior. Yesterday, when you dispatched that beast—”
I swallowed his words and straddled his hips. “The only thing I’m conquering tonight is you.”
Allowing him to rehash the events of the past few days could not be allowed. This was our new beginning. The future both exciting and terrifying in equal measure.
Grasping one of his wrists and then the other, I raised them above his head, urging him to clutch the wrought iron ornamentation on the bed frame. I bent and whispered in his ear. “You’re not allowed to touch me. Do you understand?” I leaned over and tugged the belt of my robe, wrapping the silky, black fabric around my fists.
His eyes grew wide. “I do, but love, touching you is one of my favorite delights.”
“Then it will be your reward. Until then, let me love you.”
He shot me a coy smile. “Who am I to argue?”
“Very good. The best things come to those who wait.” My wicked grin was a promise of things to come. I wound the belt around his wrists and then threaded it through the ornamentation on the bed before tying the knot and securing his hands.
“I know. I’ve waited many lifetimes for you, and I’d wait as many more if I had to.”
I smiled at him and ran my tongue up the side of his neck, resting my lips on the shell of his ear. “Lucky for you, you don’t have to.”
The sound of the door opening and Cyril’s voice startled me. “Light…” his words trailed off as he took in my naked form hovering above Overton. After the first moment of awkwardness ran through me, the realization that Cyril knew what was transpiring behind the door hit me. He could read Overton’s thoughts from some distance, and unless the supine, naked lover beneath me was thinking about baseball, Cyril was here with a purpose.
Overton lifted his head, but his bound hands prevented him from sitting up. I slammed my palms against his chest, forcing him back against the bed. I cupped his chin with one hand, urging him to look at me. “Did I tell you to get up?”
“No, but Cyril…” He craned his neck, glancing in Cyril’s direction.
“Cyril what? I’m not done with you.” I turned to face Cyril, only to find him unbuttoning his shirt. “Did you need something, Cyril?”
Staring at us with lust-drunk eyes, he twisted his pants button loose and lowered his zipper. “I do now.”
Even though it was not what I had planned, the idea excited me, but at the same time caused butterflies to flood my stomach—anticipation coupled with anxious insecurity. The act
ivities of the day before were fueled by desperation. Today it would be passion. I focused back on my task.
Whispering in Overton’s ear, I said, “Looks like we’re going to get a little help.”
Cyril stalked to the edge of the bed, his hard cock bouncing with each step. He fisted his hand in my hair and forced me to look at him. “Oh, Light, whatever am I to do with you?”
I stared back into his eyes, unwavering. “I’m the monster you created. I guess you should be careful what you wish for.”
Winding his fist tighter in my red strands, he exposed more of my throat. “Oh…I’ll get my wish, and that’s right, you are mine. Now tell me what you were planning to do to him. I want to hear you say it.”
“I was going to love him.”
He ran his tongue up the side of my neck, causing me to shiver. “How?”
“I was going to make love to him.”
That irritated look he had reserved just for me flashed across his face. “Of course you were, but there are many ways to accomplish such a goal. I would recite them all for you, but I’d rather you show me.” He released my hair, pushing me toward Overton. “But first, tell me how you plan to start.”
His lips were hot on my shoulder, and my body was alive with the electricity that always lingered between us. I craved him. I gave the words to Cyril, but my sight focused on Overton as I said them. “With my mouth. I want to taste him.”
A hum rattled in Cyril’s chest. “Where? Where do you want to taste him?”
My gaze never left Overton’s wide eyes. “Everywhere.”
Overton moaned and clutched at the wrought iron headboard with his bound hands.
I inhaled a deep breath, willing myself to engage in the moment. Instead of feeling insecure or bashful, I needed to concentrate on the pleasure watching me would give Cyril. The exhilaration I’d receive from pleasing them both at once. I lowered my mouth to Overton’s and closed my eyes, knowing that when I opened them, all hesitation would need to be gone.