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I opened my eyes and looked at him.
His eyes were wide as he stared at my vagina like it had teeth. It took me a few moments to realize why.
My gaze drifted to his glistening bare cock, and then I remembered the warmth. He’d come inside me this time.
“Shit.” I propped myself on my elbow. “I’m not on birth control.” I rubbed my face. “I don’t have any STDs… I haven’t been with anyone in a long time.” Dropping my hand, I leveled him with a look. “Do Shyrlivi even have STDs like humans?”
His brows bunched. “No, not the same way, but even so, I… I haven’t slept with anyone in a while. I don’t have anything.”
“Then it should be fine, right? You can’t get a human pregnant… right?” When he said nothing and kept staring at my vagina like it’d bite him, I brought my knees together. “Can you?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so, but…”
Okay. It seemed he’d lost a few brain cells with his cum.
“Ash,” I said, drawing his attention away from below my waist. “You don’t think so? It’s really important for you to think right now.”
He pushed his damp hair back from his face and dropped his hands to his thighs. “I’ve never heard of anything like that happening, but I’ve never heard of a human capable of being a Shyrlivi’s mate either.” His olive eyes met mine. “At this point, anything’s possible.”
“Fuck me sideways with a spork,” I muttered.
He laughed. “What?”
“Nothing.” I waved a hand, too tired to explain. “I’ll go to the pharmacy tomorrow for the morning-after pill.”
“The what?”
“Emergency contraceptive,” I said. “Can you get me a towel? I don’t wanna ruin my comforter when I sit up.”
He disappeared into the bathroom, and I rubbed my face with both hands. Shane’s revelation already had me reeling. The last thing I needed was a potential pregnancy on top of everything else.
What would a baby between a human and a Shyrlivi even look like?
43
MARKED
RAE
Aside from Ash checking in on me, the others kept their distance when I joined them for breakfast before leaving for the pharmacy.
I still didn’t know how to address the bomb Shane dropped with the guys. They hadn’t brought it up, and I wasn’t keen on broaching the subject.
My only concern was the possibility of becoming ill without them close by. How far apart could we go? I’d gone to work the entire time they lived here without incident. The pharmacy trip went fine. I’d even gone to the funeral—though I don’t know how long they waited before following me.
Ash had said we might experience separation sickness, but he’d given no details, leaving me unsure how to proceed.
What happened when they returned to Elyrdin?
Ezra acted his usual self again this morning, assessing me with his chilly stare that made me want to lower my head in deference. Something about his presence demanded obedience, and I wasn’t sure how to unpack what it stirred in me. Remembering his commanding voice yesterday while I’d been naked before him sent a shiver down my spine.
Why did I like it?
It wasn’t in my nature to enjoy someone bossing me around. In fact, I loathed it. People like Shane and my family used their positions to remind me I existed beneath them and needed to play their games to keep my job or continue seeing Grandma.
I should hate Ezra’s dominance for that reason alone, but I didn’t.
Zeke had grown timid around me, like he no longer knew how far he could go when he’d been comfortable before. Did the Nyrith thing change that much about our situation?
