Crawford never left Owen’s sideforlong.
They ate soup together in bed that night, even though Owen didn’t have much of an appetite. Crawford turned on the television—a rarity when they were in bed together—and Owen zoned out to a movie on Netflix. When he fell asleep, he dreamed of his ovaries, swollen so large with ovum that they erupted insideofhim.
He woke up screaming, and Crawford was there to kiss awaythepain.
“I want them out,” Owen sobbed into Crawford’s chest. “I wantthemgone.”
“I know,” Crawford said. He stroked Owen’s back and held him close. It broke Owen’s heart how unhappy he sounded. “We’ll get them out. We’ll makeitstop.”
They scheduled the surgery four months from that morning, but Owen found little joy in the thoughtofit.
They were going toemptyhim.
The months crawled by. On their one year anniversary, Owen moved into Crawford’s condo. His heat stillhadn’tcome.
From time to time, Brad stopped in to say hello. He wasn’t a surgeon, but he was working closely with the man who would operate on Owen. Brad, chipper and vibrant, assured Owen that Dr. Williams was an outstanding surgeon and that there was nothing to fear, but Owen couldn’t shake the all-over dread clutched tightly in hischest.
He’d never have children. He’d never get to share something so special with someone heloved.
He’d never get to give Crawfordason.
Three weeks before the surgery, Owen woke up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. He fanned at his face and made a move to pull the covers from his body, but as he did, his scent rose up in a concentrated plume of sweet,stickyheat.
Itwashere.
“Crawford?” Owen cried into the dark room. Crawford slept on the other side of the bed, but Owen couldn’t trust himself to roll over lest he disturb the scent trapped beneath the blankets and flood the room with his pheromones. Crawford could still get out as long as Owen kept his scent contained. “Crawford, wake up. I need you towakeup.”
Owen’s thighs were wet with his slick, and so too was the fitted sheet. His heat had hit suddenly and viciously, and he knew he was hours away from losing his mind completely. He didn’t have long before he’d need a knot inside of him, and he didn’t want Crawford to be there for that, especially since he’d stopped taking his contraceptives in preparation for his surgery. If Crawford didn’t get out soon, it would betoolate.
Crawford didn’t say anything when he woke up, but Owen felt the bed move. To Owen’s horror, Crawford rolledcloser.
“No. No, you need to go,” Owen said. “I’m in heat. It’s not going to be long before it’severywhere,and—”
“Do you want to have a baby?” Crawford’s voice wasn’t dipped low with lust or snarled with savage intent. It sounded very much like he was still in hisrightmind.
Owen had no clue whattosay.
“We can reschedule your surgery,” Crawford said. “We can get what needs to be removed taken out right after the baby is born, but this is our last chance if we really want to do this… ifyoureally want todothis.”
Owen’s mind argued even though his heart said yes. “I don’t want you to do this just because I won’t be fertileagain.”
“I’m not doing this for you. I wouldn’t ask unless I wantedit,too.”
There was a narrow window in which to argue. Owen’s will was wavering, and he knew it wouldn’t be long before Crawford was seduced by his pheromones. It wasn’t the best time to have a life changing conversation, but they’d never have another chance like thisagain.
“I love you, Owen,” Crawford said. He smoothed a hand down the side of Owen’s face. “I love you and I want to be with you. How long have you worn mycollar?”
“A little more than a year,” Owen murmured. He pressed his cheek intoCrawford’shand.
“And not once have I regretted it. Not once have I had a second thought.” The room was dark, but Owen still saw Crawford smile. “But this isn’t about making you mine. It isn’t about branding you. I want this because I love you and because I want to share my life with you. The last few months I’ve been lamenting the fact that I’ll never have a family, and it made me realize that I really do hope to spend the rest of my life with you. I want this for us—as long as it’s something you want, too. I think we’d have beautifulchildren.”
One last heat. One last pregnancy. Owen blinked tears out of his eyes and reached for Crawford through the dark. The movement disrupted the sheets and the smell of his heat leeched into the room. Owendidn’tcare.
“Our babies are going to be beautiful,” Owen whispered. They were already naked under the sheets—they’d had sex before settling down to sleep—and Crawford’s nude body blanketed Owen’s in cooling relief. Their legs wove together, Crawford’s thigh brushing against the slickness dripping down Owen’s legs. “I’m going to make you soproud.”
“I know you will, pet,” Crawford whispered. When they kissed, Owen’s whole soul lit up. “I know that theywill,too.”
* * *
