He angled his head. “Remember, Levi? You are pregnant. This is wonderful news!”
Again with this? I didn’t mind going along with it, but he didn’t actually think it was real, did he?
“Um, Zat’tor...” I began.
Zat’tor lowered his voice. “Levi. This flower only blooms in the hands of a pregnant being.”
I frowned. “What? That doesn’t make any sense. How does it know?”
“It’s possible the plant reacts to the presence of certain hormones,” Jaeyoung mused.
My jaw dropped. “Wait. You’re not actually saying this is possible, are you?”
“I just witnessed a flower die and come back to life multiple times,” Jaeyoung pointed out. “On an alien planet, isanythingtruly impossible?”
A deep, world-altering shock dawned on me. If the smartest man I knew suggested it was possible, could it be true?
Could I seriously be pregnant?
13Zat’tor
Levi wasquiet for a few moments. If he’d spent his whole life assuming he couldn’t bear a child, this must’ve been quite a surprise. I’d assumed he knew it might happen when he asked me to breed him. It had astonished me to hear both humans insist it wasn’t possible.
But it was. Levi was pregnant.
It elated me, yet Levi needed time to process this new information. I would slow down to his pace. Whatever he needed, I would provide.
The den was quiet for a long moment until Levi finally spoke.
“Can we take a walk outside? I need some air,” he murmured.
“Of course,” I said. Remembering his earlier fainting spell, I asked, “Do you feel all right?”
Levi replied with a smile, “Yeah, I’m good.”
I helped him to his feet. The pink color had returned to his face, and his knees no longer trembled, so I felt comfortable taking him for a walk.
“I’m going to stay and speak with the healer,” Jaeyoung said. “I’m fascinated by this discovery. I’ll be here if you need me.”
Levi nodded wordlessly. Then we exited the den.
I kept a close eye on my filum. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, letting the sun’s rays shine on his face. I smiled. It was probably the baby’s influence at work. It needed sunshine to grow.
The daily bustle of the village was comfortable background noise. It was a beautiful day.
After a while, Levi opened his eyes but said nothing. He watched the villagers walk by, going about their lives. There was a peacefulness surrounding Levi, but it was beginning to worry me that he hadn’t spoken.
“How do you feel?” I asked, gently looping my tentacle around his waist for support.
He turned his gaze onto me. The green of his eyes was brighter than normal.
“Different,” Levi said. “Like... everything has changed.” He let out a small laugh, rubbing the back of his hair. “Guess it has, right?”
Wanting to comfort him, I pulled him closer. I couldn’t fully understand his feelings since any Maeleon had the ability to get pregnant, given the right circumstances. But Levi had spent his whole existence being told it was impossible for him to bear life.
And now, a tiny seed was growing within him.
He casually walked ahead. I followed him, always in contact.
