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Caressing my baby bump, I send a prayer up to whoever is out there that the babies’ births go smoothly, that we can get the flower needed to cure John, and that the Syndicate problem fades away so we can enjoy our life with the circus. I have a heavy sinking feeling, though, that we will have more to deal with before that can become a reality.
* * *
The next day is a whirlwind of shopping as Mira drags me to all the best baby stores on the planet. Cas whispered a few words in her ear before I left, and she told me that he and the grandpas had plans for the big stuff, so we are getting all the essential little stuff, like bottles, a bottle warmer, and different kinds of nipples for said bottles. Apparently kraken babies will need different ones than human babies because kraken babies have sharp teeth—And that’s super helpful to know.
We also get slings and harnesses that I hadn’t even considered needing. Kraken babies stay in kraken form for two weeks before shifting to human form. They can be both in and out of the water like my kraken can, but will probably prefer to be in, so hopefully by the time the spring equinox happens, all of them will have shifted for the first time. I’m not sure what we are going to do with them when we get to Rilu, but it’s something we will have to discuss once we are back on Skarr with the rest of the family.
“Goodness, that’s a crap ton of clothes,” I say to Mira as she loads up the counter in the high-end baby boutique that is our last stop for the day.
“Well, honey, you are having three of them, and they won’t be able to control their shift in the beginning. They will fluctuate back and forth at the slightest change in emotions, and they will destroy their clothes when they do that.”
I think about some of the shifter books I read back on Earth. “I wonder if Xavier can come up with a spell for the clothes that will allow them to shift back and forth so the clothes stay intact.”
Both Mira and the woman behind the counter stare at me in surprise before the woman scoffs. “I highly doubt it. No one has been able to.”
Mira, however, looks thoughtful. “Is that because they can’t, or they haven’t thought to try it? I guess if anyone could, the warlock would be the one to ask. If you have some success, we may need to branch out into a line of baby wear too.” I can see her business mind whirring behind the calculated look in her eye.
“The warlock?” the woman asks, sounding incredulous, and I nod.
“Yes, I’m his intimate. He would do it for me and our babies.” I cup my hand over my bump, and she looks at it speculatively. No, I’m not above name dropping, specifically with judgmental nosy bitches. “The warlock is the father of your babies?” she asks, and I shake my head, smiling.
“No, these ones belong to someone else.”
The woman breathes in a shocked gasp.
“Relax, Lila here is Skarrian and has multiple mates. They all know about each other.” The silence is awkward as the woman rings up the rest of Mira’s purchases and packs them into bags. I heave out a sigh of relief once we leave the store laden down with bags.
“What the fuck was her problem?” I ask her, and she sighs.
“I really am sorry about that, Lila. If you spend much more time on Fluxx, you will probably find this attitude is quite common. Shifters don’t have multiple mates, and they have the opinion that it is disloyal for those who do. They don’t understand or aren’t willing to understand other dynamics.”
“Oh.” My voice is quiet, and I suddenly feel like everyone’s staring at me and whispering behind their hands.
“Not everyone, but there is a large majority who will judge you, and for that I am sorry.” We make our way back to the car, and silence stretches out between us.
We load our purchases into the vehicle and climb in, and she bangs a hand on the steering wheel. “Crap, I’m sorry that ruined what was such a great day out.”
I reach out and grab her hand. “No, Mira, it didn’t ruin it. It just made me aware of the issue, and to be honest, I couldn’t give a crap. All of this is new to me, so I promised myself I would go in with an open mind, but everyone else already has their prejudices. I just hope Cas doesn’t get hurt by any of it.”
“Oh, honey, I can tell how much he loves you. No judgmental asshole is going to ruin this for him. He’s always marched to the beat of his own drum, and being bi is another one of those things that isn’t widely acknowledged here either because the whole breeding thing is a big deal. Same sex couples can’t have babies, which I think is bullshit because there is always a way.” She rolls her eyes before pulling her hand away and starting the car. “So the circus was a good place for him to be. He will be happy wherever you and the young ones are, so don’t you worry about him. Now, I just need to worry about my Malik. He also struggles here on Fluxx because of his bisexuality. I hope he finds someone or a couple of someones who will love him and accept him for all that he is.” She puts the car into drive, and it lifts and starts floating in the direction of their home.
My mind whirls with this new information as I hatch a plan to help this wonderful woman who has just become family to me.
Caspian
“Hey, bro, I finally got you alone.”
I’m standing on my parents’ deck, getting a little bit of much needed peace, when my brother Malik searches me out.
“Here.” He passes me a bottle of Castsuva beer. I look at it and raise an eyebrow at him, and he shrugs.
“You’re looking a little exhausted, so I thought you could use the pick-me-up.” He’s not wrong.
Activating a pregnancy is exhausting, messy, and fun work, but I still haven’t quite recovered. It’s only mid-morning, and I could do with a nap. I take a long sip and feel the instant burst of energy.
“Thanks, I needed that. What can I do for you? You obviously sought me out for something.”
My older brother doesn’t say anything for a moment, just looks out over the ocean as he tries to get his thoughts in order. “Lila’s great,” he begins, but I can hear the unsaid “but.”
