Frowning slightly, Mac asked, “And these words are?”
“About our commitment and love for each other along with promises to always take care of each other. We aren’t supposed to say them until our wedding.”
“You’re talking about wedding vows?” asked Mac.
“No, these are the sacred words we say to each other that will make us fertile and since our wedding hasn’t happened, Theo can’t be pregnant.”
Running a hand through his hair, Mac mentally sorted through his medical knowledge, looking for anything to explain Norm’s assertion about the power of words allowing a pregnancy. After coming up with nothing, his next step would be to ask Ian if he was familiar with it, followed by more research. But none of that would help him formulate a response to Norm, who was anxiously awaiting one.Time to wing it,Mac.“Trust me, he is…but if what you say is true…and I’m not saying it isn’t…without me doing some digging, I can’t explain why it happened. The thing I do know, is Theo’s going to give birth to a cub in approximately five months, so it’s important for him to have regular exams.”
“I’ll make sure of it,” Norm murmured, rubbing his cheek against Theo’s soft hair while contemplating the reality of their impending parenthood. While he wasn’t sure of his feelings about the news, he was pretty certain Theo would be ecstatic. And that thought had him asking, “Did you tell Theo?”
“No…I just got the results and was on my way when I ran into you.”
“Why was Theo crying?” asked Norm. “What else did you do to him?”
“I just asked questions and when he admitted his emotions were all over the place since the last month, my first thought was pregnancy,” Mac replied.
“Theo told me our upcoming wedding was causing it.”
“He said the same to me but upon further questioning, I saw no evidence to support that theory. However, pregnancy hormones are fickle creatures…there’s no rhyme or reason why tears suddenly appear or other emotions such as anger are felt. But the good news is it’s only temporary.”
“I can vouch for his frequent bouts of crying but none of the ones I witnessed were even close to what just happened.”
“I don’t…hey,” Mac said, “do you mind if I see if Ian’s available for a consult? He might know what caused Theo’s breakdown.”
“You think he might know?”
“Maybe…Ian has more experience than I do in different shifter species pregnancies.”
“Go ahead,” Norm said. “I’m for anything that can help my Theo.”
Rising, Mac said, “Me too. I’ll be right back.”
After the door closed behind Mac, Norm lowered his head and lightly kissed Theo’s forehead, before whispering, “Everything will be all right…you know why honeybunch? Because you’re so strong…the strongest man I ever met…it’s what I’m so proud of and I know…I just know…you’re gonna be a fantastic dad. I love you.”
~/~/~/~/~
“Why…what?” asked Lucius, puzzled at the vampire’s question.
Clearing his throat, Vasile concentrated on regaining his footing; Lucius had the ability to render him speechless—twice so far in a very short period of time. “You expressed your desire to see my coven and I simply was curious as to why.”
“Oh…I understand now,” Lucius murmured, more to himself than to anyone else. Looking down at the book in his lap, he ran his fingertips over the illustrations, trying to put into words his need to observe, up close, the world he was part of. The book made it all sound so wonderful, but he found it hard to believe it existed since he’d never experienced that world as a vampire.
Vasile studied the young vampire, dismayed that the excitement Lucius previously exhibited had now faded; in its place was the timorous youngster he’d first met. That would not do. Reaching up, he grasped Lucius’ chin, lifting it until their eyes met. “Tell me,trayhor, please.”
Vasile’s eyes held Lucius spellbound. Finding himself drawn in, he lost himself in the bottomless black depths, feeling himself pulled into a wonderful place. Warmth and comfort filled him, giving him the words he had trouble finding. “I want…no that’s not right…Ineedto see the world I’m now part of…to make sure it isn’t like the one I shared with Valerian. Brady told me he trusted you to answer all my questions about the vampire world…and I trust you too…so you see, visiting your coven…a coven run by reasonable rules…will confirm what Brady’s been telling me ever since I woke up from the Death spell.”
Vasile blinked, then blinked again at the explanation Lucius gave. Never before had he felt the prick of tears, but the pain he found in the young man’s eyes confirmed the horrors Lucius had experienced. And for the first time in his very long life, Vasile was ashamed of being a vampire. In an effort to correct the wrong done to Lucius, he decided to grant his request. Smiling gently, Vasile said, “It will be an honor to invite you to my home.”
Jumping up, Lucius lunged towards Vasile, hugging him tightly. “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! This is just wonderful…no…amazing…yes, that’s it, amazing.”
Awkwardly patting Lucius’ back, Vasile stood there, mildly embarrassed by the embrace, but aware of a new feeling surfacing within him. It was strange since he’d never experienced it before so, as was his custom, he analyzed the feeling before deducing it wasn’t at all bad.
His mind a whirlwind, Lucius gave Vasile one more tight squeeze before letting him go. “When are we leaving? Do I have time to pack up some clothes? Oh, and what about eating before we leave? Are you hungry or can you wait till we get to your coven.”
Remembering Mystia’s comment that the young vampire needed food in addition to blood, Vasile answered that question first. “Let’s eat before we leave…Brady left frozen meals for you, right?”
“Yes, he did. Do you think he’d mind if I brought these books with me?” Lucius asked, picking up one that had fallen from his lap. Checking it over, he was relieved there was no damage caused by his carelessness.
