Kellan snorted.No one is to blame. Salem, you did nothing wrong.
After a long moment, Salem’s eyes met his.Okay. Okay. So…He shuddered hard.Is he in danger?
Kellan’s expression softened immediately.No. Uncomfortable, yes. Vulnerable, certainly. But healthy. He’ll need to stay in cephamorphic form.
Salem exhaled for what felt like the first time in an hour.
Aurin, meanwhile, looked betrayed by the universe itself.How long? How long is this... Shouldn’t I have to pee on a stick or something?
Salem’s wide eyes landed on Aurin.Pardon?
Aurin shrugged.It’s a human thing.
Kellan actually smiled.We don’t have the same hormone indicators as humans, so there’s no need. I could order you a pregnancy test, but you can’t morph back to human until you’ve had your clutch. And as for duration? I’m unsure, given your offspring will be part old god.
My clutch...Aurin blinked again, slowly this time.I thought I was hungover. Or had food poisoning, or something.
They were both quiet for a long moment, and Kellan let them sit there with their thoughts. It was, without doubt, a lot to get their minds around. They wrapped themselves around each other, and when Salem held Aurin close, he snuggled in and let himself be held.We’re having babies.
Salem held him tighter, then moved them slowly to a rocky wall under the pier and turned his body into what looked like a part of the rock, hiding them as best he could.
Kellan was sure then that they’d be okay.I will go tell the others.He turned to leave them in peace but stopped.For what it’s worth, I think it’s wonderful. Congratulations. You’re going to have one very excited and protective group of uncles up there. Oh, and Pania, of course. Still getting used to having a woman on the team.... Anyway, I’m sure they’ll want to come see you, but I’ll tell them to give you some space right now.
He shot up to the surface, then climbed up onto the pier in human form. Dylan and Hendrix were there, waiting anxiously. Hendrix handed him a towel, and Dylan swallowed hard before he could speak. “Is he okay? Kellan, please.”
Kellan pulled them into a hug; the relief he felt at their touch was still a palpable thing. He pulled back and couldn’t stop the grin from splitting his face. “Oh yes. We need to see Ciaran.”
He dried off with the towel and redressed quickly before the three of them found Ciaran in his store, going through an inventory sheet with Sawyer.
“Hey,” Ciaran said, taking in the three of them. He put his pen down, giving them his undivided attention. “What’s up? Is Aurin okay? He’s still not well, I hear.”
Kellan was still smiling. “Well, about that. I have news I think everyone will want to hear.”
Kellan stoodat the front of the room. Everyone stared at him, wide-eyed, open-mouthed, and utterly silent.
Until Fray burst out laughing. “What the fuck?” he cried, then he snorted. “Pregnant?” Then he threw his head back and laughed. “Oh holy...” Then his eyes somehow got larger, as did his smile. “Is he... is he having a clutch or a litter?” Then he looked at Tobin. “What if he has kittens?”
Tobin swallowed back a laugh, glancing at Kellan before taking Fray’s hand. “I don’t think it works like that...” Then he turned back to Kellan. “Does it work like that?”
“I, uh... I don’t know. I’ve never encountered the direct descendent of an old god having offspring, so...” He shrugged. “There’s a lot of unknowns at play here. But,” he said, with emphasis, “his body needs to be cephamorphic. He will definitely lay eggs, so I think we can safely assume it’s not kittens. Though, given Salem’s lineage also includes a Mimic, I think they will be in octoform in the clutch, but we don’t knowexactly what abilities the offspring will have. Or what they will be when they emerge.”
“I hope it’s kittens,” Fray whispered, and Tobin shushed him.
Ciaran stood beside Kellan. “We need to be on the same page right now,” he said, giving Fray a pointed look. “Aurin is vulnerable. He cannot be in human form, and Salem will be extra protective. I think it’s safe to assume he won’t be leaving Aurin’s side anytime soon. We need to protect them both. We will take shifts to guard them and to bring them food.”
“Of course,” Tobin said.
“Gonna be an uncle,” Otis said, grin wide. “Hell yes.”
Pania held Otis’s hand, her joy matching his. “What does he need from us? What can we do?”
Ciaran looked at Kellan to answer that.
“I’m not entirely sure,” he said. “This is new for all of us, and especially for Aurin and Salem. Keeping them safe and fed is a good place to start.”
Otis gave a serious nod, his smile now a threatening glare. “No one and nothing is getting near them.”
Kellan put his hand up, trying to pacify the big guy. “We should ask Aurin and Salem what they want first,” he said. “They’ve had an intense few weeks, so the last thing we want to do is stress them out.”
