“No,” I replied. “We did use a condom for penetrative sex during Caleb’s heat. If he is pregnant, it was completely unintentional.”
Maxwell gave me a shy smile. “You know, before coming here - well, against my will, I was kind of abducted by that lady vampire - oh, and, um, I’m sorry for your loss by the way, but - before I didn’t know that you vampires were so, er…”
I raised a brow. The collected and articulate doctor from moments ago had disappeared, leaving behind a nervous omega who could barely get his words out.
“Yes?” I prompted.
Maxwell’s face flushed. “Nevermind. It was a stupid joke about not knowing vampires had so much sex drive, given their biology.”
“I see.”
Maxwell turned around and muttered, “I’m gonna go sit. Over there. Let me know when Caleb’s ready to see me again.”
I stared at the door, waiting anxiously for Caleb to emerge. My mind raced a mile a minute with wild thoughts and emotions. What would happen if Calebwaspregnant? We would have a child together. That hypothetical reality stared me in the face. There was no more running away. Caleb and I had already made up our minds to be together. This was just one more challenge to face together.
No, not a challenge,I thought as a protective feeling bloomed within my chest.A blessing.
I imagined the face of our unborn child, bright and beautiful, and felt a deep pull from the core of my being, unlike anything I’d felt before. The only comparable sensation was how I felt towards Caleb, but this was something else - an extreme instinct to nurture and protect my baby.
Now the initial unease evaporated, leaving behind only my intense desire to be a father.
At least twenty minutes had passed since Caleb entered the bathroom. Surely it had been long enough to know the answer?
“Caleb?” I said with a gentle knock on the door. “How are you?”
When he didn’t reply at once, I grew anxious. But a moment later his soft voice said, “I’m here.”
“Is everything all right?” I asked.
“I think so…”
What does that mean?I thought desperately. “Can I come in?”
His voice had a hint of restlessness in it. “No, it’s okay. I’ll be out in a second.”
I crossed my arms and tapped my foot, unable to contain my impatience. As soon as the thought of Caleb being pregnant with my baby entered my mind, it was all I could think about. I wouldn’t be able to calm down until I knew the truth.
What happened to me?I thought.I’ve never had so much investment in having children, so why now? What’s changed?
Maybe the idea had been planted in me because of Margaret’s plan - the one that initially led to Benji and Pierce’s fateful meeting. Her idea had been for us to impregnate a human omega and bear a half-vampire child to perpetuate the fog, a light form of mind-control to keep humans from discovering our existence.
But the truth of the matter was more sinister than any of us expected. I shuddered, remembering that dreadful moment when Margaret intended to feed from Lark.
If there was one good thing to come out of that horrific situation, it was that Margaret was out of the picture and could never threaten our lives - or the lives of our children - ever again.
Perhaps the idea was enticing now in particular because Margaret was gone, and it was fully safe to have children. Either way, it felt like I’d learned something and could not unlearn it.
Iwantedto have a baby with Caleb. That was my new reality.
When Caleb finally opened the door, I could hardly contain my excitement. I tried to examine his face for any signs, but he kept his head down and his messy hair obscured his expression.
Maxwell stood from his seat in the corner and joined us as well. “Well, Caleb?”
Caleb lifted his head. His chocolate-brown eyes were watery. “I’m… I’m pregnant.”
My heart swelled with emotion. “Caleb, that’s wonderful!”
He blinked. “It is?” he said in relief.
