by AM Halford
“Dominus.” Tyrese bowed his head respectfully. “Congratulations on your nuptials, and the child on the way.”
“Thank you.” Roy nodded. “But it’s just Roy. No one besides my grandpa calls me Rodrigo.”
“Why is that?” Tyrese pried. “It’s such a strong name. Why go by something else?”
Nexus glanced up to his mate as he shrugged. “I guess, even though my father wasn’t in the picture, it’s to be closer to him.”
“He isn’t Brazilian?” Tyrese’s eyes narrowed.
“Nope. According to my mom, he’s about as white as they come.” Roy laughed. “Which probably also explains why he didn’t want her to keep me. A white boy from a well-to-do suburbanite family knocking up someone like my mom had to be quite the scandal for them. From what I understand, his parents offered my mom money to abort me.”
“That’s disgusting,” Tyrese hissed. “To treat the gift of a child in such a way.”
“You never told me this.” Nexus stood, walked around the couch, and collected his mate in his arms. He knew Roy’s father had told his mother to get an abortion, but he didn’t know money was offered, as well.
“Yeah, well, you never asked,” Roy pointed out.
“I’m sorry, minha alma,” Nexus kissed his forehead.
Roy sighed and rested his cheek against Nexus’s chest. “No big deal.”
Nexus disagreed, but he wasn’t going to argue with his mate.
“Well, I guess I should be going.” Tyrese stood and bowed to them both. “I’ll have this new paperwork drawn up by Tuesday, and that information for the private investigators to you Monday.”
“Thank you, as always.” Nexus shook his friend’s hand before kissing Roy one more time, and showing Tyrese out. Turning around he found Roy already in the kitchen, putting his latest haul away. “Get anything good?” Nexus asked, leaning against the counter.
“Vegetable broth, which I can use to make soup with.” Roy beamed. “The broth has the veggie nutrients so I can add the meat our cub demands I eat in surplus. I also got some fruit smoothie mix, and a protein powder to add to it. Do I really need to consume this much protein?”
“Yes,” Nexus answered quickly.
“Okay, and what do we do after the baby is born? I’m not going to start lactating, am I?” Roy cringed and covered his chest.
Nexus laughed. “Of course not. We have several options. Goat’s milk is always a good one. It’s what my fathers used on Maria and me. Today though, with recent advances, we can get a formula that works just as well, if not better.”
“Hmm.” Roy tapped his chin before shrugging and going back to putting away groceries. Nexus spotted a few large bags of smoked frog legs. “I guess that’s another question to ask Dr. O’Hare on Monday.”
“Should we be making a list?” Nexus joked.
“Already started it.” Roy pointed to a notebook open on the opposite side of the kitchen. “Considering everything that’s going on, I have a lot of questions to ask the good doctor in two days.”
Nexus made his way over to the list and just blinked. That was quite the slew of questions Roy had come up with. For a small moment Nexus almost felt sorry for Dr. O’Hare and what was coming for him Monday afternoon.
Chapter Fifteen
Roy’s hands were sweating as he sat in a fairly average hospital waiting room. The traditional boring artwork hung on the walls, a TV was playing HGTV showing some person getting their home made over, and chairs were congregated in front of a friendly lady sitting at a desk. Two doors, one on either side of the desk, led into the back. From what Roy had gathered they were both used for both entry and exit, so he wasn’t entirely certain about the significance of having two doors. There was also a bathroom, which every doctor’s office had.
The non-average thing about the waiting room? Everyone here were men. Roy couldn’t find a single female in sight, besides the receptionist. The two nurses that had called people back were even male. Several men had large, swollen stomachs, no doubt due to pregnancy. He wasn’t entirely certain, but the other men, coddling and kissing on the pregnant ones, were most likely their shifter mates.
“Here.” Nexus returned from going downstairs and getting Roy an herbal tea from the small barista stand. He also handed him what smelled like a meat pie. Roy didn’t even know they made those in café’s, let alone were carried in barista stands!
“You’re a god.” Roy snatched the pie and bit into it, moaning gently as the warm flaky crust crumbled in his mouth and mixed with the juices from the meat and gravy within. He washed it down with the tea, and the queasiness he’d been feeling started settling down.
Sitting there eating, Nexus’s arm over his shoulders, Roy watched everyone now watching them from the corner of their eyes. It took a few moments, but soon one man stood and came over. He bowed deeply to them before straightening and smiling at Nexus and then to Roy.
“On behalf of my family, and my clan, I wish to extend our warmest congratulations, Regulus and Dominus, on your mating and coming child.”
Roy blushed. Swallowing the bite of pie he had just taken, he gave the man a warm smile. “Thank you. Congratulations to you, as well.” He leaned over to wave at the man the one in front of them had been sitting with.
“Yes, thank you.” Nexus nodded. “Congratulations on your own growing family.”
Everyone seemed empowered by the broken ice, and slowly people, mainly the shifters in the group, made their way over to them to give their congratulations. Roy was a bit out of his league, but he remembered his place as a figurehead and smiled at every person kindly, being sure to also search out the correct partner and wave at them. He didn’t understand why the human fathers didn’t just come over and say hi, as well. The ones further along he could understand, but the others who weren’t showing as much just confused him. Was it that frightening for them?
Glancing at the clock, Roy realized he had a good while to go before his appointment, so he stood and started walking around the room. When Nexus tried to stand to follow him, he glared at his husband. Slowly, Nexus returned to his seat, and Roy beamed.
Alone, he walked over to each couple and introduced himself again, only this time he made sure to address the humans in the room, in particular. He ensured they knew they had someone in power to come to. When they found out he was a cook, and starting a food blog, they all wanted to sign up. Anything to help them understand their new situation.
By the time Roy was called into the back by the nurse, seven men had gone online with their phones right then and there and signed up for updates on his blog. It was humbling to see, but also showed Roy how much the western clan needed a support group for expecting human fathers. So many of them looked like they were walking blind into all of this. Roy at least knew what to kind of expect thanks to Calisto. Maybe, as the Dominus, he could do something about this. Perhaps get with each clan leader and come up with some kind of class that could help teach these men what to expect? A book could help, as well.
As they walked back to the exam room, ideas began to form in Roy’s mind. He knew the reason Calisto helped the local Regulus’s mates was in the hopes of forming some kind of support system. Roy just couldn’t understand why that hadn’t been done sooner. Pregnancy was an insanely foreign thing for human males. One would think this kind of aspect would’ve been addressed already!
“Hello, Roy, Regulus.” Dr. O’Hare stepped into the office and greeted them professionally. “I’m glad we managed to get you in so quickly. How’s the morning sickness going?”
“Still in the morning, right when I wake up,” Roy answered. “Though it has been under control for the most part due to some help from Calisto.”
“Imperatrix Calisto?”
“Yes.”
“I see. Well, after your talk with our Imperatrix, do you have any questions for me?”
“As a matter of fact.” Roy grinned and dug out the notebook he’d written his twenty some odd questions down
in. “First off, diet! What can I eat? What can’t I eat?”
Dr. O’Hare laughed knowingly and faced Roy directly. “As with any expecting parent, it is important that you get a balanced diet. Unfortunately, that term differs for each species of shifter. In your case, a high-protein, meat-based diet is best. Of course, seeing as you are human, you’ll need some of the regular things such as fruits, vegetables, diary, and grains in your diet, as well. I’d say, invert the pyramid in your case, with meats on the base.”
“Invert!” Roy gaped.
“Minus sweets and high fats. I never recommend eating those when pregnant with a shifter child.”
“Okay.” Roy jotted down a few notes. “Supplements? Calisto gave me this vitamin to take along with the prenatal you gave me.” He dug out the bottle and handed it to the doctor. “But what others should I take? Do you have a recommend brand?”
“This is the one I recommended to Calisto as a matter of fact, and will work fine for you.”
“Medications? Can I take any?”
“Small doses of over-the-counter meds are normally okay, but I recommend you don’t take anything without first checking with my office.”
“Right. How much weight am I going to gain?”
“Anywhere from ten to thirty pounds. It differs from pregnancy to pregnancy.”
“My first ultrasound, when is that? And how often will I have one?”
“We’ll be scheduling your first one within the next week. And I want to have one every two weeks until birth.”
“About the birth, are we going to plan the C-section, or wait until I go into labor?”
“That is your and Nexus’s decision. I’m open to doing either.”
“How will I know when I’m going into labor?”
“You’ll feel increasing cramps starting in your lower back, which differs from what a human woman would experience. Please, in this case, do not go off internet research. If you have questions about what you’re experiencing, call the office. Someone is here at all hours to answer the phones.”
“Okay, that covers my next question, who do I call in the case of questions and emergencies.”
“Us,” Dr. O’Hare emphasized again.
Roy quickly wrote down the answers to his questions before looking at the doctor ready for round two. “Are there any screening tests involved with this type of pregnancy? What are the risks?”
“The C-section is entirely safe. I haven’t lost a single patient. As for screenings, there are none. Shifters don’t experience the same malformities that humans do, so we don’t test for them.”
“How many appointments am I going to be having?”
“Again, about one every two weeks, until we near the due date and then it’ll increase to once a week within the last three weeks.”
“Can I exercise?”
“Of course you can. I recommend using similar exercises that human mothers perform while pregnant.”
“Are there any lifestyle changes I should make? Such as lifting things? Avoiding specific environmental things? Cosmetics?”
“You wear makeup?”
Roy frowned. “No. I was referring to things such as shampoo, body wash, hair gel.”
“I would avoid anything with perfumes or heavy scents, as your olfactory senses are heightened right now. The strong smells could make you sick. As for lifestyle restrictions, it’s a general rule that we ask you not to lift anything over twenty pounds, stay off your feet as much as possible in your later trimester, and stay relaxed. Stress is bad for the baby.”
“Okay. How long is my morning sickness going to last?”
“It should lessen next month, in your second trimester, but could last your entire pregnancy. Again, it varies from pregnancy to pregnancy.”
Roy’s eyes fell on the second to last question, and a blush took over his face. Yeah, this one was kind of embarrassing. Looking over to Nexus, who had sat silently through all of this, he wondered what he would think about this question.
“Can I still have sex?”
Nexus gaped at him while Dr. O’Hare just nodded. “As long as you don’t experience any abnormal pain during intercourse, yes, it is still safe to have sex.”
“Until when?”
“Until you go into labor.”
Yay!
“Last question, are there any classes I can join or groups around that can help me and Nexus through this?”
“Sadly, no.” Dr. O’Hare sighed. “Imperatrix Calisto is trying to change this, but as of right now, there is no true support in place for expecting human fathers such as yourself.”
“I see.”
* * * *
Nexus was a bit surprised by the rapid-fire question session, if only because Roy seemed completely prepared for it. Sure, he knew Roy had a list, but the speed at which he’d fired those questions at the doctor was amazing.
“Oh! Right, I forgot about this one,” Roy said, turning the page. “What do we feed the baby once it’s born?”
“Well, there are several options.” Dr. O’Hare turned and grabbed a pamphlet from a display tray on the counter. “There’s the artificial formulas, designed special for each species. And then there’s the natural milk route.”
“I like the idea of natural.” Roy nodded. “Any drawbacks? Which type of milk do you recommend?”
“Goat’s milk is best, and I highly recommend anyone thinking about going the natural option investing in buying a goat and keeping it handy.”
Nexus wasn’t too sure about that. Keeping a goat around a jaguar probably wasn’t the greatest idea. Then again, his parents did it, so it was obviously possible.
“So, I’m supposed to milk a goat, and feed my baby that?”
“That’s the original way, yes.”
Roy looked over to him, and Nexus just knew what was going to be said next. “How do we get a goat?”
“I’ll have someone look into it,” Nexus promised.
“And you?” Dr. O’Hare looked at Nexus. “Do you have any questions for me?”
“I think Roy covered all my concerns.” Nexus answered. “He was rather thorough with his questions.”
“That he was. Okay then, let’s get on with the exam. Roy, could you please get up on the table and remove your shirt?”
Nexus had to keep his jaguar under control as Roy stripped off his shirt, folded it, placed it on the chair he’d just vacated, and hopped up onto the table. The exam was little more than a regular checkup. Roy’s vitals were taken, and then Dr. O’Hare listened to both his heart and the baby’s.
“I’m going to recommend you get that ultrasound today,” the doctor said as he stepped back. “Give me a second and let me see if they can take you.”
Roy’s hand rested on his stomach as he met Nexus’s eyes. “Think something’s wrong?”
“I’m sure he would’ve said something if it was,” he assured his mate. Standing, he moved to Roy’s side and hugged him.
Dr. O’Hare returned a few minutes later and grinned. “Okay, they’re getting the room ready for you now. The nurse will show you the way.”
With that, the nurse came in and Roy put his shirt back on. Following him out of the exam room and down the hall, they came to a room with a large television on one wall, a chair beside a larger exam bed, and a machine and stool on the other side.
“Please, get comfortable on the bed,” another man said, walking in and going to the stool. “I’m also going to require you to take off your shirt, Dominus. With respect, of course, Regulus.”
The technician smelled human, so Nexus didn’t feel too threatened by his request for Roy to reveal himself. He still watched the man closely as Roy lay down, shirt off, and the man pressed a wand with gel on it to Roy’s stomach.
“If you’d like, you can watch the larger screen up there.” The technician indicated the television, and Nexus glanced up to see a black-and-white image. It took a moment, but soon the technician smiled and said, “And, here’s your little one.”
Emotions flooded Nexus as he looked at the television. It didn’t look anything like a baby, human or jaguar, but it was definitely still there. A small, consistent heartbeat played out below the image.
“That’s our baby,” Roy whispered, his voice filled with awe.
Nexus took his hand and kissed his forehead. “Yes, it is.”
“Everything looks to be in order.” The technician said. “Heart is developing well…wait.”
“Wait?” Roy and Nexus both looked at him.
“Yep, there’s definitely a second heartbeat.”
“A second…heartbeat?” Roy stuttered. “What are you saying?”
“There’s two?” Nexus stared blankly.
“And, here’s the second.” The technician’s grin grew as he maneuvered the wand around, showing a second small peanut-shaped form. “Congratulations. You’re having twins.”
Roy looked ready to faint while Nexus couldn’t contain his excitement. Smiling ear to ear, he kissed Roy again. Twins weren’t common for shifters. So, knowing they were having them only made the news of the pregnancy so much sweeter.
The technician removed the wand and wiped Roy’s stomach off. “You can put your shirt back on. I’m sure Dr. O’Hare will have a few more things to talk with you about. I’ll take you back to the exam room.” The technician printed off a few photos of the ultrasound, giving each of them a copy before leading them back.
Once back where they started. Nexus sat beside Roy who was much paler. “You okay?”
“I could barely handle the thought of having one child.” Roy seemed to be struggling to breathe. “Now I’m told I’m having two. I don’t know how I’m feeling, but okay seems to be incorrect.”
A knock at the door preceded anything Nexus may have said. Within a second Dr. O’Hare was entering and beaming at them. “Well, congratulations are in order again. You are having twins.”
“What changes now?” Roy asked.
“Nothing for now,” Dr. O’Hare said calmly. “I understand this is frightening for you, Roy, but please understand me and my entire staff are here for you. Plus, you have the support of your mate”—he looked to Nexus—“and the entire western clan.”