A flicker of excitement ran through me. Was Bo implying what I thought?
"Among us shifters, it's a little different," Bo went on. "If both parents are qilin shifters—or in your case, just one—then it's customary for a friend of theirs to sense and announce the news."
That excitement turned into a racing heartbeat. Jian grasped my hand.
"Are you saying I'm pregnant?" I blurted out.
"Yes. Congratulations, you two!"
I shrieked with happiness and threw myself at Jian, who laughed and wrapped his arms around me. I smothered his face in unabashed kisses.
"Holy crap!" I exclaimed. "Jian, we're having a baby! Thank you so much, Bo."
He grinned, genuinely happy for us. "You're welcome. Maybe one day when I find my own fated mate, Jian can return the favor."
Jian nodded. "Of course. It would be my honor."
My elation was edged with concern. What would Jian's parents think about this? Would they be upset with him?
"I don't know if this is too soon for you, but I want to tell your parents," I said.
"I agree. The longer we wait, the worse it's going to get." Jian squeezed my hand. "Thank you, Kola. This would be impossible without you by my side."
I smiled. "I'll always be here."
* * *
We both wantedto rip the bandage off as soon as possible. There was no point in waiting. It would be worse if Jian's parents saw the video footage on their own and jumped to conclusions instead of hearing the story straight from their son. So after we said our goodbyes to Bo, we took a deep breath and headed to Jian's parents' home.
"So, how does the pregnancy-sensing thing work?" I asked. "Do qilin just know when someone's pregnant?"
"Yes, though it's difficult to sense a pregnancy in ourselves or our mate. Our inherent bias clouds the magic. That's why a friend or relative recognizes it first and announces the news."
"Then... your parents will know, too?"
"They will, most likely."
I bit my lip. The closer we got to their home, the more my nerves ramped up.
My anxiety clawed me. "Jian, wait. I don't want to drive a wedge between you and your family. Maybe I can just—"
"No," he said, calm but firm. "Nikolas, you're my family, too. You're my fated mate and you're carrying my child. My parents can accept that or not, but it doesn't change how dear you are to me. I can't live my life without you."
My heart swelled. I exhaled a shaky breath. "Okay."
Please let everything be all right...
"Wait here," Jian said. "I want to speak with them alone first."
I nodded, too nervous to speak. Maybe this would go better if Jian smoothed things over first.
I waited by a tree as Jian approached their front door. The view was somewhat hidden from my angle, but I could hear muffled voices speaking.
Then the shrill sound of what I assumed was his mother getting upset.
My stomach sank.
Oh no...
