“You do?” I’m so shocked I stare at him, mouth open.
“Yes.” Ronan smiles at me. “Yes, we’re angry that you lied for so long. But we think we understand why you did it. We forgive you and want you to come back with us.”
“But I can't have young. You three, you can’t waste yourselves on me.” My voice is as weak as I feel. I can’t hear this right now. I’m going to give in, and that was the thing I swore I wouldn’t do. They deserve better than this.
“We don’t care,” announces Tarren, and everyone in the room reacts. Lily, who peeks in, with Dr. Daneth and the midwife at her heels, squeaks. Tarren continues. “It’s not a waste. Riya, you’re strong and smart and fun. Being with you makes us happier and stronger. It makes me enjoy life in a way I never did. I won’t get that with another mate, and I don’t want it with another. I want it with you. With or without young.”
Bayla clears her throat. “Ah, it turns out that Dr. Daneth has to tell you something important…”
Jax acts like she hasn’t spoken as he stares into my eyes. “You give us more energy to be successful at our jobs. Your advice helps us thrive and make better decisions. Your love and adventurous spirit during sex...” my cheeks redden, and I dart a glance at Lily and King Zander, before looking back to Jax, “makes us vecking enjoy life again.”
All three of them chuckle, and even King Zander stifles a grin.
Ronan pipes up. “Laughing with you, and making you laugh, lightening your worries, makes me feel useful. Then I’m stronger and more confident in my daily activities, knowing you rely on me. You’re so much more than just… this.” He presses his belly. “Besides, young are smelly and irritating. They are such a bother with their disgusting diapers all the time, and the incessant squalling. We will never have to worry about that. See, it might even be a benefit.”
“Um, Riya, I really think you need to let Dr. Daneth tell you—” Bayla starts.
“Young are dreadful,” agreed Tarren. “I shudder every time I see one.” He darts an apologetic look at Bayla. “I scare them with my face and never know what to say to one. And how do you even hold one without cracking it in half? The whole thing is a nightmare.” He shakes his head. “Besides, Ronan is so immature sometimes that he’s like a young. You will get the experience anyway.”
“Veck you, cousin,” Ronan starts, and Jax holds him back, smiling.
I laugh and cry at the same time, holding a hand to my mouth. “But no. You can’t. You are so strong and amazing. You need a better mate, someone who can give you…”
“No one is better for us than you,” snaps Tarren. “We’ve already bonded. You wear our crystals. That connection doesn’t tear lightly, Riya. Look into your heart. Is that bond gone? I think it’s still here, as strong as ever.” He stares at me.
“I just want…” I falter. “I want to do the right thing.”
“But there is no one right thing. We must all determine what’s right for us.” He touches my arm.
King Zander clears his throat. “Are you saying that the four of you want to continue on as a mated team?”
“Yes!” say all my Zandians at once.
“Riya?” King Zander looks at me.
“You’ll allow that? I can’t believe it. Yes. I do, more than anything!”
Zander nods. “In the future, you must not deceive me, or your mates again. And you should not make assumptions about what I will or will not do. Assumptions are dangerous and have started many civilizations on the road to failure. But yes, you have bonded with these three Zandians, and that is sacred. Once they punish you for your deceit and have forgiven you, then you may move on. Nobody said this would be easy. None of us should give up at the first hurdle. We are made of stronger stuff than that, human and Zandians both. If our planet cannot handle some fights and disagreements, some compromise, then we are doomed.” He smiles. “And we are not doomed. We are going to succeed.”
He adds, “And I own a part of improving the process for the future. I should have anticipated that humans would have worries and concerns like yours. I will ensure that there are guidelines in place that clarify.”
Dr. Daneth speaks up. “It turns out that human emotions are far more volatile than I could have predicted,” he says, “even with my best research. They often make rash decisions when angry or hurt and are rather unpredictable in group mating situations. We will need to… adjust our protocols accordingly. Change our training.” He gives me a look that is probably as close to sympathetic as he is capable of providing. “Perhaps we need to look into past histories more closely ahead of time, and work with each human to discuss potential problems and pitfalls.”
“I told you,” Ronan says to Jax and Tarren, a touch of superiority in his voice, “that it would be fine with King Zander. After all, there are far more Zandian men than humans. It is not a problem if the three of us do not have young.”
“Actually,” Bayla interrupts again. “About that.”
“What is it?” Jax turns to her.
“Well, it’s very interesting, because, Dr. Daneth has discovered that…”
“That what?” I blink. “Am I dying? What is it? Just say it.” I turn to the physician. “Dr. Daneth?”
He nods. “You’re six weeks pregnant.”
“I’m what?” My head spins. “Don’t mock me.”
“It’s no joke.” His voice is stiff. “Do not disrespect my profession by insinuating I would joke about something so critical. Your blood test shows an increase in HCG and your sonogram shows a healthy embryo with a heartbeat. Actually, two embryos. Twins. I did not tell you immediately when I saw it, because I wanted to verify they are healthy and well-formed by analyzing the data further. They are. Healthy and normal, that’s it.”