“Mate, maybe I’m wrong about the world because I haven’t seen much of it but I think it’s what most decent, capable people would’ve done. Maybe they wouldn’t have been able to because ice doesn’t just bounce off of them but they’d have tried. At least, I like to think so. I’d have protected any baby at that point. He’s a baby. Sure, he’s your baby – our baby, but he’s still a baby. They have the survival skills of drunk raccoons and it’s the job of adults to protect them.”
“Not everyone would. The world isn’t as decent as you think. I think most people here probably would but---”
“He’s a cub. I’m a bear. What else was I going to do?”
“I’m trying to say thank you,” he said, shooting me a mock-exasperated look.
“Mate, sooner or later you’re going to have to accept I’m not here just for a good time and that you’re not in this alone anymore,” I met his gaze before leaning over to kiss him on the forehead. “I’d die for you two and I’ll do whatever it takes to keepyou two safe and happy. If that means I’ve got to hunt down the shebear, so be it.”
Preston didn’t say anything for a long moment. A crash sounded through the house and I was on my feet out the bedroom door before my brain wrapped around what Preston called after me.
“That’s Mori coming back through the bathroom mirror. He has one in his room, but he always uses the hall bathroom to travel back and forth for some reason!
A second after I processed his words, I found myself standing in front of a red-eyed Mori.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, pulling him close and glancing at the mirror to make sure no one followed him.
“Dern didn’t know she was here,” Mori whispered. “She’s done something to make herself unscryable and that extends to all divination types and now we can’t find her or Annila at all.”
“I’m sure your friend is fine,” I whispered.
“No, no, she’s not!” Mori shook his head. “She’s the one who left the bag! She thought it would lure Sharon into opening it – signing the card ‘Grandma’ and all. She was trying to off her but using our house to do it! She’s lost her damn mind!”
“So, now we have to watch out for a crazy dragoness too! Great!” Preston walked out carrying the baby.
“Preston! It’s Annila! She’s just…” Mori started but Preston shook his head and finished his twin’s sentence in his own style.
“Dangerous. Mori, she’s dangerous now. There is a baby in this house! We’re in this house! If she’s willing to risk us toget revenge on Sharon for keeping her in some sort of astral prison--- She’s just dangerous! You need to go tell the dads or I will!”
“Fine!” Mori yelled and the baby cried, shifting back into his human form. “Shit! Sorry! Double—” he turned and ran from the house without finishing.
“I’m not an asshole,” Preston said. “I’m a lot of things, but I’m not an asshole.”
“Mate, I never said you were,” I said, reaching out for the baby.
He passed Baby Andy off to me and headed into the kitchen. I followed behind him and sat at the table while he pulled out another tray of fudge. Preston always ate a lot but I knew enough from the claiming vows to know how hungry he was while he was pregnant with Baby Andy. I’d been here a few weeks now. Was that long enough to know? I knew that literally once was enough sometimes and it’d definitely been more than once. How long did it take? I hadn’t taken omega studies courses because my education was anything and everything except traditional. I hadn’t thought to ask my carrier how long snow demon pregnancies even last, and would his pregnancy be a bear pregnancy or a snow demon pregnancy? Which variables determined which path it followed anyway?
Preston met my gaze across the room as he bit into a big piece of peanut butter fudge. He swore under his breath through his full mouth and walked out of the kitchen. I winced. Yeah, this wasn’t the best timing, but we knew that going into this. We had the kid talk. We had it more than once.
“I’m not mad at you!” Preston called from down the hall. “I’m digging out a pregnancy test because you’re probably right! It is a good thing! For me, babies are always a good thing, but Annila better go crawl up Frost’s a-r-s-e-h-o-l-e before I get my hands around her neck. We were her friends. We helped her son and this is how she repays us?”
Baby Andy cried again and I got up to pinch off a tiny piece of fudge and put it on his tongue. He stopped crying and blinked up at me as if wondering what black magic witchcraft was melting deliciously inside his mouth and wiring his brain to be happier? When it was gone, he opened his mouth for more. I gave him another miniscule taste while the sound of Preston peeing tinkled through the house.
“Do you want to be a big brother?” I asked, giving him another little taste.
“Brov.. Brov!” he nodded. “Mi.”
“Milk? Do you want a bottle?” I asked.
“Bov!” he nodded fast.
“Let’s make one while Daddy has a minute to himself. Gotta have some real food after all those sweets.”
By the time Preston emerged from the bathroom with his pregnancy test in hand I had settled into the rocking chair with the baby who was dozing off to sleep. He held up the test in front of my face. It showed a little baby all wrapped up in a green blanket.
I blinked. I knew we planned for a baby. I knew that’s what happened if you participated in enough unprotected romps butthe information sank into my brain slowly and I couldn’t stop smiling.
“I’ll swing by the clinic tomorrow,” he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I should’ve known with how hungry I was. I… I can’t believe today is the day we find out.”
