“Nana told us to keep it quiet. It’s something only bonded couples should know,” Brian interjected softly.
I spun around, glaring at him. “I’ve been mated for over three weeks! You couldn’t have mentioned this sooner. Hell, everyone should know this shit.” I waved my hands in the air. “Half the appeal to being gay is being damn child-free. I’m not ready to be a father!”
“Preach,” Owen agreed, and I turned my glare on him. He gave a crooked grin. “I wasn’t prepared for this either,” Owen confessed, his expression turning somber. “Part of the reason we have told no one is I wasn’t ready. It’s a lot to take in, and once the whole pride finds out, it’s going to go insane. I’m sorry for being selfish.”
I exhaled deeply and slumped back into my chair. “You’re not selfish, Owen. I understand. But Nana really should’ve told us.”
Brian shrugged. “I pressed her about it, but she insists it’s a law among the shifters—only bonded mates should know. She said the old elders of the past told her it was a shifter law when she found out. She doesn’t know why they have the law, but they did, and she intends to keep it.”
“How do you even have the baby? I mean, where does it come out of?” I asked in horror.
Owen shrugged, “Your nana wasn’t really sure about that, but we spoke with the pride doctor, and well, we’re doing a c-section. No natural, or what would be natural birth for me.”
Resting my elbows on the table, I massaged my temples, overwhelmed by the implications. “How am I going to explain this to Talon and Dominic?” I lifted my gaze, meeting Brian’s and Owen’s sympathetic looks. “I have to tell my mates.”
Brian covered my hand with his and offered a reassuring squeeze. “It will be okay. It’s a shock, but you’ll handle it. And they will, too, just like you are handling this now. You’re doing fine, right? You seem calmer?”
“It’s called acceptance,” I retorted, managing a weak smile.
Owen chuckled. “You definitely could have gone through all seven stages by now, but you skipped bargaining.”
Brian and I joined in Owen’s laugh.
“And you know, you could be lucky and end up like Brian—not pregnant,” Owen added, mock glaring at his best friend.
“From your lips to fate’s ear,” I replied seriously, prompting a burst of laughter from Brian.
I grinned at my brother. He was right; I was going to be okay, even if I was pregnant. I had Talon and Dominic—I could get through it. I could get through anything with them by my side. “Shit,” I whispered as another realization hit me. It seemed I had to confess a few more things to my mates—possible pregnancy and the fact that I loved them.
Fate, you gotta help me out here. You gotta.
Terrible News
Talon
Theclatterofchainsmixed with low moans drifted up from the floor of The Dungeon, pulling me deeper into the spectacle below. From the shadowed seclusion of Dom’s office, I leaned forward. My hands pressed against the cool glass as I watched a master and his sub move fluidly through their scene. The master’s firm yet measured commands echoed slightly, a stark contrast to the sub’s soft, compliant responses.
It was a dance of power and surrender. I had never really thought about participating in anything like it, but the scene sparked curiosity about whether Dominic or Lucas would want to drive. Imagining my mates and me together in a similar dynamic caused my dick to harden.
“Like what you see?” Dom’s low and teasing voice ghosted over my ear, startling me. My heart slammed against my ribs.
I turned to find Dominic smirking, amusement flickering in his eyes at my reaction. His proximity sent a different kind of shiver down my spine, one that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with anticipation.
“What?” I stammered out, my voice barely above a whisper.
He stepped closer, invading my space, his voice lowering to a husky murmur. “Do you like what you see?”
I licked my lips, my mind racing as I considered his question. “Yes, I do,” I admitted, my gaze drifting back to the scene below us.
Dom’s grin widened, seductive and knowing. “Really? What part intrigues you the most?”
Before I could form a response, a shout pierced the charged atmosphere.
“We can get pregnant!” Lucas’s voice, laden with panic and disbelief, echoed across the room.
It took me a moment to understand what he said. Was my mate losing his mind? Did he forget we were all men, and men don’t get pregnant? “What… It sounded like you just said we can get pregnant,” I said, trying to align his words with reality.
Lucas nodded with wide eyes. “Yeah, that’s what I said. Turns out bonded mates can get pregnant no matter the gender. Owen is proof.”
