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Genetically, my people were more prone to defects in that department. It had been so prevalent that it became a cultural norm to circumcise and eventually tradition. Hell, I’d had a small degree of hypospadias as a child that made my parents feel less awkward about their decision to do that to me. But for our son? I didn’t know. I’d let genetics decide. If he needed it, like I did, then we would.

My rampant thoughts came to a halt as Jess’s hand slid into the slit of my belly, bringing with it a host of feelings that made me groan and flinch. “Dude, not even Zeke has gone full fist in me!”

A sharp snort came from the doorway, and I nearly screamed as Mesmer stood there, face twisted into a grin I desired—severely—to slap off of him. I growled. “Fuck off.”

Mesmer shrugged. “Would that I could, Lexi. Nobody to fuck so that I could get off.” His churlish mew of lament that followed only irritated me more.

“Mesmer, please.” Zeke wrapped me in his arms and breathed against my neck. “Not right now.”

And despite whatever past the two had, or we had, I really didn’t care. Mesmer had made a mistake and felt genuine remorse. He wanted to be a part of our lives, wanted family. And I just wanted our baby.

As that horrifying tightness in my belly squeezed, I ignored Jess as she knelt before me.

“Move whatever way makes you feel comfortable.” She didn’t have to say it twice, because I leaned back, hips braced, and strained to push, in hopes of feeling some kind of progress or sensation besides burning and the throbbing ache of a charley horse.

Zeke did his thing, letting me stretch and loosen my hips, his face buried in the back of my neck. “You sure we did the right thing?”

“We went over this.” Jess whipped out a copy of one of Warwitha Calvin’s books and slapped it down beside me. “If things look bad, we go here. He’s tied to the library, so he’s not going to die.”

“I’m right here.” I huffed through the pain. “I don’t want to think about dying. I want to think about our baby and what we’re going to name him.”

“I like Clarence,” Zeke said. “It has a nice flow to it, Clarence Wolfram.”

“Gods, Zeke, you’re so old,” Mesmer huffed from the doorway.

“Shut the fuck up in the peanut gallery over there!” I strained to push. “And I hate that name.”

“Sheesh,” Mesmer grumbled.

“Mesmer, shut the fuck up. You’re older than Zeke. Clown,” Jess huffed as a hand sank into me, and Mesmer scoffed.

Zeke tensed while holding me. “Uh-oh.”

“Clown? I was not a clown. I was an entertainer.” Mesmer’s voice came out with a hiss.

“An entertainer with bells on his hat,” Jess grumbled and pulled her hand back. “Ooh, he’s got hair. Oh, no, nevermind. You need to shave, buddy.”

“Jess!” I gasped and flinched as another contraction rode through me and I bore down. “Unless you’re volunteering to shave for me, deal with it!”

“I’m fine with it.” Zeke’s meek voice wheedled free, and I growled, the pain at my slit intensifying.

“Ease up a little. We have a head—and yeah, he has hair. You’re tearing a little.” Jess worked as I pushed, refusing to let up as that searing sensation intensified.

Mesmer stomped in and sat on the other side of the bed, his irritation apparent. As he spoke, his accent softened and dipped somewhere into a distant English. “Do you know why, I, as a commoner, was given an education in literature, music, and diction? Just to entertain a king?”

Jess shrugged. “Can’t say I care.”

“I was the king’s brother’s bastard. They were conscripting for war and my father couldn’t name me heir, so he entered me into service to the crown that way. Had my mother been noble, I’d have been a duke.”

“Nobody cares, Mesmer.” Jess grabbed one of my knees and pushed it to the side. “Keep talking and you’re going to bore our little bit here so bad, he won’t want to come out.”

I held my breath at the invasive feeling of her fingers sliding into me, tugging as I pushed.

“Well, I’ll just hold my tongue. I had a wonderful name suggestion,” Mesmer huffed, and Jess busied herself with a towel before patting my thigh to urge me to push.

“I don’t fucking care what it is, if I can get this baby out, I’ll take it!” I screamed as the pain tearing through me whited out my vision.

A violent, emptying sensation wracked my body as my vision returned, my breath the only sound in the room until Jess scrambled and made a soft noise of surprise. “Holy shit. He’s big.”