Page 72 of Anton's Grace

He hoped to shock me.

“Oh… Well, that’s good news. Since she hadn’t mentioned her twisted ankle, I wondered if she revealed finding out about her pregnancy that day.”

I crossed my legs before leveling him with a cold stare. Grace’s pregnancy came as no surprise to me. I suspected for a while. Her breasts were fuller and far more sensitive to my touch. However, the night after we ran into Marcus on the walkway, my suspicions were confirmed. A woman’s scent changed once she became pregnant. At the beginning of the second month, her scent took on an earthy, woodsy aroma. That’s when I knew she was bearing our son. A daughter would have given her a richer, spicier scent.

Now I knew why she seemed edgy all week. Why the distress though? Did she not want it? Did she fear I may not want it?

“And so, Dr. Farland,” I said, my voice oozing with contempt, “you decided to take it upon yourself to rectify that possible oversight?”

He stiffened at my tone. “Miss Grace implied she would keep her pregnancy a secret from you,” Farland protested in self-righteous outrage. “You had the right to know. Especially considering it’s a male. Since she’s already three months in, if certain decisions have to be made, you need to act now to respect Intergalactic Law. So I told her she had a week to come clean or I would inform you myself.”

Farland didn’t realize how the table between us saved his life. Had he been within my grasp, I would have crushed his skull.

“Let me see if I’ve got this straight,” I said, my voice dangerously low. “First, you threaten my mate to rat her out.”

Beads of sweat pebbled on Farland’s brow. “Mr. Myers, it’s—”

“I’m not finished,” I hissed over the table. “Second, not only do you break your professional oath by revealing her condition without her consent, you do so one day beforeyourdeadline.”

The doctor, squirmed in his seat, visibly eager to get away. I stood up and leaned forward. My hands twitched with the need to break his scrawny bones.

“Third, you dare imply that my son, my child, my flesh and blood, should be terminated – put down like a rabid beast? Is this what you think my father should have done with me?”

Farland blanched. His jaw worked but he couldn’t form coherent words.

“You have twenty-four hours to get your skinny ass off my space station. You are banished from any of my Hives. Now get the fuck out of my face.”

Farland scurried around the table. He rushed to the door, almost toppling into a patron. People stared but I didn’t give two shits. My blood boiled.

How dare he even suggest killing my son?

No one would touch my child. NO ONE! He would not live in the fear I had, constantly looking over his shoulder, hoping he’d get to survive another day. Never would he wonder if he was loved or wanted. I sat back down.

Grace… She wants him. She wants our child.

Why else would she keep it secret from me? Deep down, I had hoped it would be the case. Marcus mentioned she wanted a family. Question was, did she want one with me? I wasn’t a pretty man and she was so beautiful. Although she had gotten over my face, would she want my features on her children?

This was supposed to be her special day. That fucker ruined what should have been the most exciting week of her life with his threat. And why the hell did he come here to drop his little news? Why didn’t he wait until tomorrow and let her have this night? Did someone put him up to it?

I looked through the crowded room, noticing Caleb. He was entertaining a few patrons. Marissa, a gorgeous woman with deep brown skin, shoulder-length dark curly hair, held onto Caleb’s arm. She owned Sade and was a very sought-after Domme. I couldn’t help wonder if she was Caleb’s latest squeeze or if he was hers. Caleb parted with Sheila nearly two months ago. Without him bringing her into the inner circles and her declining popularity, Sheila would soon find herself on the ever-growing list of has-beens.

She is desperate and ruthless enough.

But that wasn’t proof. I eventually found her by herself near the bar. Her eyes were drilling into me. I looked away. Yes, she might have fucked good old doc for this. The bastard probably never imagined dipping in her pussy would get him banished. Either way, her time here was at an end. Her performance had grown stale. I doubted she still enjoyed performing. That shone through and turned off the audience.

And once my Grace blew them all away tonight, Sheila would be history. Speaking of Grace, I needed to reassure her about the baby. But when? I didn’t want her spending the rest of the evening stressing. However, if she didn’t want him, now wasn’t the right time to discuss the matter either. I rubbed my hands over my face in frustration. Why couldn’t everyone just leave us the fuck alone?

Checking the time, there were still twenty-two minutes before the beginning of the show. I gestured at one of the waitresses nearby. She set a glass of brandy in front of me. I lifted it to my lips just as my personal com chimed.

“Myers,” I said.

“Anton, William here. Is Grace with you?”

I stilled. “She’s backstage, preparing for her show. Why?”

“Can you confirm that she is indeed backstage?”

“What’s going on?” I asked, rising from my seat.

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