Page 48 of The Night Wolf
“I’ve run every test I can think of. I looked for illnesses that might hit a human or wolf that would cause this kind of reaction. I did blood work, checked heart, lungs, and anything else that might be even remotely similar. In a last-ditch effort, I did a urine test. When all the results came back negative, I decided to check for anything else, no matter how outlandish. When the first test for pregnancy came back positive, I ran it six more times. Every one was the same result. Somehow, Sean is pregnant.”
THE SCENEhis wolf showed him, of Sean and Gareth in front of the fireplace, Sean’s belly swollen with the child he was carrying, flashed into Gareth’s head. He’d dismissed it as the fantasy of an animal who couldn’t possibly know any better. Now? God, now he wanted it with all his heart and soul. He swept across the room to where Sean sat, nibbling on his lower lip.
“I-I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
He knelt down in front of Sean. “I did.”
Sean blinked several times. “You did?”
“My wolf…. No, I have always been protective of you. Since the day I found you in the forest, you were important to me. I admit, I couldn’t understand why for a long time, but when I asked my wolf what it wanted, it showed me the two of us lying in front of a roaring fireplace. You were pregnant, and our wolves were snuggled together, perfectly content and happy.”
“And this doesn’t scare you?”
Gareth grinned. “I never said that. I’m terrified, but not of having a family with you. Never that. What I’m afraid of is how this will affect you. I mean, where does the baby come out of? The thought that you might have to have it through your… you know….” He pointed down.
Dr. Franklin laughed. “No, no butt babies here, Alpha. My best guess is that the skin on Sean’s stomach will be where the egg grows. As it’s thickened, it’s become like a protective layer. In fact, other than looking a little pudgy, I’m not sure Sean will display outward symptoms of his condition. The pouch will nourish the baby, and as it comes closer to the due date, it will recede and, eventually, fall away. This is just a guess, mind you. I’ve never met a pregnant man before, so this is a whole new level of oddity that Sean brings to our fair community.”
Sean looked stricken by Frank’s comment, and Gareth stood, doing his best to pull himself back from biting the doctor’s head off. Frank must have realized, because he turned to Sean and gave him a placating smile.
“Please, forgive me my idiocy. My wife is forever telling me I need a muzzle in humanandwolf form. I’m not sayingyouare odd. I guess what I’m trying to say is, you bring something new and refreshing to the town, where most of my job consists of sitting in my office and reading magazines. Who needs a doctor when you heal fast?”
“It’s okay.” Sean’s voice was soft, and the hurt was obvious. He turned to Gareth. “I’m sorry if I’m—”
“You aren’t going to finish that sentence.” He put his hands on Sean’s shoulders. “We’re having a baby, Sean. You and me. We’re going to be fathers. My whole life, I’ve wanted a pup, or even a litter. With me being gay, I thought that would never happen. I don’t know how or why it happened, but it’s a gift from Mother Moon, and I’m grateful for it.”
Sean batted his violet eyes. “Really?” He ran a hand over his belly. “It’s weird, but I’m not scared at all. I mean, shouldn’t I be freaking out?”
“Why? You know that I’m going to keep you and our baby safe. There’s nothing to fear.” Gareth leaned in and planted a kiss on Sean’s soft lips. A baby. How fucking awesome was that? “We should get you home. You need rest.”
Sean waved Gareth off. “I’m not an invalid. I still have class with Caleb, and Dani promised to teach me to cook a few of your favorites.”
“Speaking of Dani…. Do you want to tell her about the baby? She would be over the moon about it, but I don’t want you being uncomfortable.”
A softness Gareth hadn’t seen before touched Sean’s eyes. “Dani is what my mother should have been. She’s strong but gentle. She’s patient, kind, and supportive. I don’t think I have a problem with her knowing. Caleb too. He’s kind of like my brother, and I don’t want to keep secrets from him.” Sean sighed. “But I don’t think I want anyone else to know. At least not right away. Does that make me a bad pack member?”
A stroke of his hand over Sean’s hair settled Gareth in ways nothing else could. He didn’t want to stop touching Sean ever. “No, it doesn’t. This is a private affair until you say otherwise. Though I would like to ask that we talk to Lyram. He’s my Beta, and I wouldn’t feel right if he didn’t know.”
“Yes, of course.”
Gareth’s cheeks heated. “You know we have guards in the town, right?”
“What? Why?”
“To protect you. No way do we want Ryker getting to you, and now? I’ll be honest. I don’t want to let you out of my sight.”
Sean stiffened, and Gareth recalled Ryker saying that Sean was going to be his pet. No fucking way. “But I know you have a life to lead, and I would never stand in the way of you achieving what you want.”
It must have been the right thing to say, because Sean relaxed. “I guess it’s a good idea. Especially after what happened to Ethan.”
“He’ll be sorely missed. He died an honorable death against a dishonorable person.”
“But he shouldn’t have died.” Tears welled up in Sean’s eyes. “He never should have gotten hurt.”
“Hey, we talked about this. What’s wrong?”
Sean scrubbed a hand over his cheeks. “I just… I don’t know!” he wailed.
Dr. Franklin came over. “What you’re seeing, Alpha, are some seriously out-of-whack hormones. Sean’s body is changing so fast, it’s messing him up.”
