“I’d rather die tomorrow with you by my side than live a lifetime without you. Now that we’ve met, I can’t let you leave again. I’ll follow where you go, Crilus. I’m not Teal. Maybe we’ll never be the sort of power couple with enough weight to throw around and squash every societal injustice. We can try. Elven magic. Vampyric magic. On my carrier’s side we’re related to an ancient coven in the highlands.”
I narrowed my eyes on him again.
“It’s not because of Teal,” I rolled my eyes. “I get one crush because I’m in heat and everyone suddenly thinks everything, I do is because of him.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you. I---”
“I don’t need the sort of power that rules empires. Isn’t there enough of that going on? You know what Morvan, Teal, and them at the warehouse do, right? I know what that sort of power is like. I know what that’s like. I just want to make life better for those who need it. I want to feel that power. The power to say fuck you to those who wield their power against those they think are less than them.”
“Then tell me whose head you want? Like I said, dying with you tomorrow is better than living forever without you.”
“You don’t even know me, Pierce,” I sighed.
“But I do,” he smiled. “I was raised in a very spiritual family. I know what true-mates means. I know how rare it still is that we’ve met up in this lifetime. I’ve done Mated for the Holidays eight times. They’ve mostly been wonderful holidays. I’ve gone on Pheromone Cruises and used scent matching services. I’ve searched for you high and low. Sometimes to the point where my family believed I’d lost my mind. So, if you’re my downfall, I forgive you because if that happens, I know it’s because you had no other choice.”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN PREGNANT?” Mori’s voice echoed around Moonglow Cabin and probably into the woods too. Somewhere out there was a bear running for the hills, thinking Mori was yelling at him instead of whoever was pregnant inside the house or on the phone or ---
Pierce was already out of the hallway. I sighed and fought off the urge to kick the wall. I needed to burn off some of this nervous, hyper-vigilant energy but in a more productive way than property damage.
“HOW ARE YOU PREGNANT? WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?” Mori’s voice carried through the cabin again and I raced after Pierce to find out what was going on.
Chapter Fourteen
Pierce
It wasn’t uncommon for me to have to break up fights between clients. Dangerous situations often sent tempers flying off the handles. Only, Mori and Preston weren’t trading haymakers or spells. They were having a yelling match that would go down in the history books. Mori had plenty of questions about how Preston ended up in his current ‘delicate’ condition but wouldn’t shut up long enough for the bear to get a word in edgewise.
“ENOUGH!” Crilus yelled and grabbed my arm to yank me out from between them.
His strength left me blinking. Sure, everyone knew elves were strong, but his touch was so casual and warm and – this was why I was on mating leave. My arm tingled where he touched me and for a moment I lost track of the argument.
“Why don’t we all sit down?” Creon asked.
“Why don’t you mind your business?” Mori snapped.
“Nope,” Crilus shook his head and leaned in close to Mori. “I understand that you’re beyond angry. That you feel betrayed and hurt and maybe even a little jealous and confused right now, but we’re not doing this. We’re not going to start treating people like that. It’s his business because he’s here and you’re yelling loud enough to wake the dead. So, no, you won’t be talking to my dad that way.”
Mori blinked. His eyes were those of his wolf and his internal struggles were visible on his face. The medics were just outside of the room, having left to give the pregnant carrier and his twin some space. I’d been right after all. Preston’s blooddidn’t smell like food because he was pregnant. Only, how in the hell had he kept it off his scent?
“It’s not your business, Mori,” Preston finally spoke, slipping in between Crilus and Mori, his back to my mate. “The shouting is everyone’s business. You sound like I killed someone. The pregnancy isn’t anyone’s business except mine.”
“How?!” Mori asked, his face softening.
I glanced at my father-in-law, inquiring if he was okay. Creon nodded. Given his past, he’d had much scarier people say way worse things to him than Mori had.
“We should all sit down,” Creon tried again. “Mori, he’s pregnant and he’s keeping the baby. There is nothing to do now except for ensuring he and the baby are going to be okay. The ultrasound looked good, right, Preston?”
“Yeah. All of them have. Just because I didn’t tell you, doesn’t mean I’m not doing the right thing. There are doctors in the world besides our parents. I just hopped through the Other World gateway and went to the Glitter Bomb Carrier and Baby Care Clinic. Doctor Lawngry is wonderful, and he’s performed plenty of complicated surgeries. So, if things get complicated, I’ll have the help. And I’ve even popped over once since we got to London. It’s all fine.”
“It’s not fine,” Mori groaned.
“Why not?” Preston sighed.
“You have a boyfriend who you haven’t told me about!” Mori tossed his hands up in the air.
I opened my mouth to say maybe we should give them some privacy, but Crilus was staring Mori down with his arms folded.
“People are allowed to have private lives,” Crilus said a second later. “He doesn’t have to text you just because he dicks someone down or whatever.”
