"Do you want some tea?" Colby asked, laughing when I scowled and stuck my tongue out at him. "Sorry. I couldn't resist." He passed me a cup. "How about a cup of cream and sugar with a splash of coffee?" he teased.
I brightened up as I swallowed a gulp. "That's perfect. Thanks."
Clint was watching us with a bemused expression on his face.
"We can go whenever you're ready," he said. "I've already spoken with Doc, and he said he'll swing by the house later to check on you." Clint's brow furrowed a little. "Assuming you still want to go?"
I nodded eagerly, taking another large gulp of my coffee.
"Ahem." Colby cleared his throat dramatically and held out his other hand, proffering a huge travel mug. "I took the liberty of getting you set up so you could get on the road."
"You're the best!" I exclaimed, grabbing the mug in one hand and throwing the other arm around him in a hug.
"I really am," Colby agreed somberly, his eyes twinkling. He kissed my cheek and hugged me tighter before letting me go. "Good to have you back, Trev."
~*~
There were still a few hours before sunlight when the sentries howled the greeting that welcomed us back to Coruscation territory, but the boys were long since tucked into bed. Beth greeted me warmly but was more than happy to return to her own quarters, so I locked the door behind her and began to strip down.
When Clint had dropped me off at the door to the house, he'd pulled away without a word, so I didn't expect to find him waiting for me on the couch when I finished the heavenly hot shower that had called my name. But, there he was, a cold beer in hand and a bottle of water waiting for me on the coffee table.
"Trev, we need to talk."
I sank down obediently on the couch but couldn't hold back a sigh. "Do we have to do this now, Clint?" I accepted the water bottle from him and took a long drink. "I know you're angry that I'm pregnant, but I'm drained and your mood swings are giving me whiplash."
Chagrined, Clint dropped his head. "I'm sorry about that," he said softly. "I'm trying harder than you know tostay in control." He took a deep breath and met my eyes. "Fuck, Trevor. I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you. Not really. I wasshocked, and then you started talking about leaving.." Clint trailed off and lifted my chin up with his finger. "Look at me, please?"
"That's better." He stroked my cheek gently. "I didn't mean to scare you." His brow knit together in a frown. "And I know I was out of line earlier, but I would never intentionally hurt you."
He took a deep breath and winced, like the words he was trying to let out were caught in his throat.
"You have to tell me what you want. If you want to stay here, we'll need to work it out with the …sire," Clint choked out. "If you want to be with him, I won't stand in your way."
I knew I was staring as Clint talked, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out what he was saying. The sire? If I wanted to be with someone else? What? Slowly my brain began to put the puzzle together, and I went from confused to livid as soon as the last piece slid into place.
I jumped to my feet, jostling my water bottle and spraying it everywhere.
"Are you kidding me?" I snarled, slamming the bottle down and causing it to spray up in the air again. "Are you fucking kidding me?"
Clint stared in shock. I think I could count the number of f-bombs I'd dropped in my life on one hand with fingers to spare.
"You think I was screwing around on you?" I was fighting to keep my voice to a screaming whisper so I wouldn't wake the boys – easier said than done. "It'syourbaby!"
Clint opened his mouth, but I wasn't done.
"If you'd given me time to explain before just assuming I was a cheating whore, you'd know that Doc found the problem." I dropped into the chair opposite him. "The stimulant from the tea threw my body out of whack. When my hormones rose to push me into heat, the ephedra caused an imbalance andthatcaused the dysphoria. Not a food allergy, not a hex." I sighed. "I must have been in heat the other night when we..when you knotted me. That's when I got pregnant. Doc caught it on the blood tests."
"But your scent.." Clint started to question.
"Doc said that the crap in the tea had my hormone count so low he was surprised I could catch. That probably masked it." My stomach churned as I pointed to the door. "But I think you were right after all; it'll be better for you to find a mate that you trust." I ignored the lurching in my stomach and stood with as much dignity as I could muster. "I'll move to one of the dorms tomorrow. In the meantime, please leave. I'm going to bed."
I marched out of the room, forcing myself not to slam the bedroom door behind me and crawled into the bed. Despite the mild weather, I was shaking beneath the heavy covers. I wasn't sure how many hours passed before I heard the door open and close. Then, the mattress beside me dipped and I was gently pulled against a familiar warm body.
"I'm so sorry, Trevor," Clint's voice was deep and smooth as he held me close, one large hand dipping up under my t-shirt to cradle my still-flat tummy as his comforting scent washing over me. "Sleep now." Unable to resist the Alpha voice, I closed my eyes and let darkness overtake me.
Chapter Eighteen
Clint
