Redemption Ch. 10

Lucien frowned slightly, his eyes lowering to Boy's abdomen. His hand rose and slid beneath, caressing his abs.

"I need for Dev to check you."

Boy frowned at him now. "Why?"

Lucien's eyes rose back to his again. "Baby, I think you're..."

He remained silent.

"What?" Boy prodded.

Lucien took a deep breath. "Pregnant."

Boy dropped the pastry he was going to offer Lucien.

He stared, dumbfound at the man for about five seconds before he began to laugh, and laugh, and laugh, until the laughter turned to sobs.

"I can't get pregnant," Boy choked out.

Lucien gripped him behind his neck and hauled him close, using his other hand to wipe at his tears. "Easy, baby. It's okay."

Girl Rayne snuggled up to both of them, her eyes staring up at Boy in worry.

Boy shook his head. "I'd gotten pregnant once, but the baby died inside me and my old master used forceps to yank it from inside m—"

"Stop," Lucien snapped, pulling Boy against his chest so that his lips were mashed against his thick pectoral.

Boy felt when the man shuddered in revulsion, but was it because of the picture Boy had painted of the horrible abortion that had ripped his feminine reproductive organs from inside him, or was it because he was more male once again and that disgusted Lucien?

"Remi healed you, baby. He made you whole again."

Boy frowned. Not whole. His furry cat's tail hadn't been restored to him...but his womb? Had Remien given him back his womb?

Boy struggled to move away from Lucien, staring at him wide-eyed.

"He restored you," Lucien repeated.

Boy blinked. "Why do you think I-I'm pregnant?"

Lucien caressed his face. "You show some of the signs. The high-strung emotions, your nipples... Baby, you're pregnant. You went into heat on Alpha 7."

Boy shook his head, unable to believe what he was hearing. Not wanting to believe it.

"Look, Devon can clear this up. I've tried seeing into the future, but I suck at it."

Boy struggled out of his embrace. "No. That's possible. I can't get pregnant again."

"Devon will know for sure."

Boy scowled. "He would've said something by now if I were."

"It's early still, Boy. He can't feel the new life unless he's looking for it at this stage."

Boy didn't want to know. What would happen to him if he were? He stared at Lucien in fear, backing away some more. Lucien frowned now.

"Boy?"

Would Lucien have the baby removed from inside him as well? He always told Boy not to tell anyone of what they did together. If Boy was pregnant, everyone would know—not that they didn't already—but, Lucien would feel ashamed.

Tingling in his head had his hands going up to his hair as Lucien's eyes narrowed.

"Fuck, Boy. I can't fucking believe you'd think I'm capable of...' Lucien whirled and threw the dragonweed stick to the street below, before running agitated fingers through is hair.

Boy didn't know what to think. He barely knew the man. He barely knew any of them.

Lucien pushed away from the railing and stomped away.

Boy stared at Girl and jumped when he heard the front doors to the apartment slam hard.

Girl rushed inside also, but Boy looked down to see Lucien a few seconds later stalking down the street, still shirtless. People gawked at him, some began to follow him, and Boy felt a flash of jealousy burn a hole in his gut.

"He's gone," Girl called from the window.

Eriel, Natanael, and Abdiel swooped down from the upstairs balcony. Their wings sounded like thunder as they hovered right off the edge of the railing, staring at Boy wide-eyed.

"You're pregnant?" Natanael blurted.

Abdiel struck him with a wing, sending Nat spiraling toward the street.

Both Eriel and Abdiel landed on the balcony in front of Boy.

"You okay, kiddo?" Eriel asked.

People were coming out of their apartments to gawk at the reapers as Natanael swooped back up and landed between Erie and Abdy with a scowl.

"Why'd you smack me down?"

Abdy rolled his eyes. "For your lack of tact."

"My lack of tact? You were the one who came running in to tell us that Luke popped a bun in Boy's baby replicator."

Abdiel's face went scarlet.

Boy scrunched his face in confusion, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Eriel looped his arm through Boy's and steered him into the apartment. "You shouldn't be on your feet, sweetheart."

"Why not?" Boy asked as he was unnecessarily helped down off the window's ledge.

The reapers followed in after him. The apartment was suddenly too crowded with their wings and bulk.

"You might get a dizzy spell and faint and fall and hurt yourself.

Boy just stared at them as they moved about the tiny apartment.

"Want some water?" Nat asked already pouring a glass from their precious water ration.

"Uh...not really," Boy replied frowning when Eriel came at him with a plate piled high with the rest of the food Lucien had made. It was probably Lucien's ration and he had no intention of leaving the man without food. "Hey, that's Lucien's."

Eriel frowned. "Well, that's too bad for your baby-daddy. You're eating for two."

"That's ridiculous. Lucien is not my baby-daddy."

All three reapers gasped and looked at Girl Rayne.

"Then it's hers?" Abdy squeaked.

Girl, who was listening to the whole conversation open-mouthed, lost what little color she had and plopped down on the bed—eyes and mouth round in shock.

Boy rushed over and sat next to her, pulling her into his arms and rubbing her arms. "Stop it. You're upsetting her. I am not pregnant. No one here is, okay?"

Girl surprised him by climbing into his lap and hugging him.

"Girl? Are you okay?"

"I...I can't have babies," she whispered.

Boy held her tight. "Neither can I."

She leaned back and studied him. "Maybe you can, Boy. Remi fixed you. He didn't fix me. He can't now. It's too late for me, but if you have a baby, we can play with it and love it." She smiled shyly, her eyes glowing with unshed tears. "We can be like a real family."

Boy's hearts pounded. "But, what if Lucien doesn't want to be part of our family?"

"Speak of the devil—where did he go?" Abdiel asked.

Eriel snorted. "Knowing him, off to get shit-faced."

Boy turned to look out the window. It was still early. Hopefully, Lucien would return before it grew dark.