Slay My Soul

Waking up to the sounds of birds chirping and sunlight filtering through the windows, I can hear laughter and cheering somewhere in the distance and untangle myself from my men, eager to see what the new day will bring. Hurrying upstairs, I wash my face and brush my teeth. As I dry my face, I examine myself. Everything still looks the same. I don't look like an all-powerful Queen. It still feels like normal me. I throw on a sports bra, crop top, and my favorite yoga pants. Deciding I will grab a coffee along the way, so I don't disturb the guys by bashing around the kitchen, I leave them a note, letting them know I am going to check in on everyone and to link me when they get up. The last thing I want them to do is panic when they discover me gone. I need to see what the body count is from yesterday and explain to everyone the situation with the Demons. They need to be told that they were not our actual enemies and that they were forced to fight us against their will.

I manage to convince the wolf at the bar to let me use the kitchen there, so I can caffeinate. I sprawl happily in a bench seat by the window, sipping coffee strong enough to put hairs on my chest. I am halfway through when it is snatched from me and a hot chocolate takes its place. My father flops into the seat opposite me, sipping on my coffee.

"Excuse you!" I growl, reaching for my happy syrup. He flicks my nose and moves it out of my reach.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, but hear me out first. If you still want it when I'm done, then you can have it," he negotiates.

"If you don't drink it all first," I grumble. He places the coffee down safe from him but still out of my reach.

"When we brought you back - we discovered something. I'm actually amazed the others haven't picked up on it yet," he muses.

"Can you get to the point sometime today," I snark, eager to get back to my caffeine fix.

"Your heart was still, but another heart was beating." I raise my eyebrows, completely lost. Is he meaning Acassus or Max's heartbeat? "Sweetheart, you have a baby growing inside of you." I laugh hard. Okay, I admit it, he's good. He totally had me for a second. I catch my breath and grin. His face remains deadly serious. My smile wobbles and he grabs my hand, squeezing. "It's going to be okay, but I think we should get the little tyke checked out. It's had a pretty tough week in the ground with you." My mouth opens and closes like a fish. But my vocal cords have frozen. There is a baby inside me. A freaking living being that is going to depend on me to raise it right. The poor thing is going to be so screwed. Not to mention it survived me being dead for the week. Is it even still alive?

"Fuck me!" I squeak in horror. "Oh, my fuck!"

"Come on sweet heart, let's go and face the music," Sirus says, tugging at my arm. I stumble to my feet and let him lead me to the hospital. My feet feel heavy as he hijacks the doctor and demands an ultrasound. I feel numb as monitors are switched on and I'm asked to lie on a bed. Sirus helps the doc expose my stomach and then the two are nattering away happily as the Doc smears some gel on me and pushes into my bladder with a wand. They make excited sounds, as my mind freaks out. We have never discussed having kids. Do the guys even want kids? Will it matter whose baby it is? Will I ever find out who the father is? Fingers click in front of my face and I focus on Sirus's face. "Look, sweetheart," he says, pointing to a screen. My eyes follow his fingers where there is a baby-shaped thing wriggling around.

"It's very healthy Eve, but we need to do an amnio test to find out what side is dominant so we can work out a due date. You're currently registering as sixteen weeks human, but shifter pregnancies are quicker than humans and the other races vary in length. Will you allow me to do an amnio test?" I nod, bewildered. I look at the being throwing itself around on the screen. "Sirus, hold the wand still so I can direct the needle, and Eve - big breath in and hold it, you will feel a slight prick. Good, hold it, hold it. Done, you can breathe normally now. I'll get the lab to fast-track it for you. Congratulations, and I'll send pictures through to the front desk for you all." He hurries out, and Sirus wipes my stomach clean, pulling my clothes back into position.

"You okay sweet heart?" he asks gently, stroking my cheek.

"Dad, there's a baby inside me." He chuckles.

"Yes, there is."

"It looks like something out of Aliens," I say horrified.

"But this won't burst out of your chest," he says patting my hand reassuringly.

"No, it will just burst out of my vagina and destroy all future sexy times," I bitch.

"Please do not talk about your vagina with me," Sirus shudders.

"I'm going to be a mom," I panic grabbing his shirt. "I don't know how to be a mom!"

"Hey you are going to be a great mom, and you have a whole tribe of men who will look after you and help you," Sirus says kissing my forehead. "And I'll be there to help you too." He pulls me out to the front desk where a nurse hands me information on what I can and can't eat. I scan the list.

"Ha! You owe me a coffee fucker! Says right here that one a day is fine or two decafs," I crow with joy.

"Fine!" Sirus says accepting the photos from the scan. "We will go get your damn coffee. Sorry for being so cautious." Sarcastic shit. He's not sorry in the least. He's kind enough to drag me to the nearest diner and order us a coffee each. Our waitress comes over and asks us if we would like to order any breakfast. I grin as the realization hits. I'm pregnant. I can eat anything I want and blame it on cravings. Fuck yes!

"Cheesecake!" I blurt. I haven't had cheesecake since the day I realized Max was my mate. I need to make up for all this lost time. The waitress grins and heads off. "Biggest slice you've got," I holler after her. She chuckles and shoots me a thumbs up.

"So how do you feel Eve, really? Do you remember being dead? Did you feel any pain? How do you feel about the baby? When do you want to tell your men?" Sheesh! Can't I drink my coffee in peace? I sigh.

"No, I don't remember dying, or being dead, or being in pain. I remember your father rushing at me, then nothing til I woke up starving. I'm still getting my head around the gremlin in my belly and I'll tell the guys after the doc comes back to us with test results so we can give them a due date," I respond. "No more questions, let me drink my coffee in peace old man." Sirus bristles, but thankfully stops playing twenty questions.

The waitress brings back a large slice of strawberry cheesecake. I wiggle excitedly in my seat at the beauty in front of me, while Sirus chuckles at me. I grab my fork and grab a huge chunk, shoveling it in with all the grace of a pig. I chew with bulging cheeks while my father shakes his head at me. The flavors hit my tongue and I freeze. Oh boy, there's something wrong with this cheesecake, my stomach is doing the cha-cha. It's all wrong, the smell, the taste. Sirus sobers as he sees my panic. He blurs away and returns with a small waste basket just in time for me to hurl into it. He strokes my back as I continue to dry heave, and the waitress brings me over a wet cloth to wipe my face and removes the remaining cheesecake from the table.

"Pregnancy sucks," she says knowingly. "When I was pregnant my baby wouldn't let me eat anything sweet. I nearly cried. No chocolate, ice cream, or cakes. It was a dark time." I stare at her in horror.

"But it wasn't for the whole time, right?" I plead.

"Soon as the little shit was out I gorged myself on chocolate," she reassures me. I gasp. No cheesecake the whole time! What cruel joke is this?

"Why would the Fates do this to me!" I sob. "I did everything they asked, and they punish me like this!" Sirus tries to hide a smile as he pulls me to my feet. "They even made me throw up my coffee. The coffee was an innocent bystander, it had done nothing wrong!" I bawl.

"Let's get you a coffee to go, and walk down to our spot by the river and talk," he offers.

"I don't want to talk!" I yell, glaring at him.

"Well, what do you want?"

"A damn eviction notice, I want my body back!" The waitress has to sit down as she's laughing so hard, muttering something about mood swings. Sirus stares at me like I have grown a second head. But neither of them seems to be taking me seriously. I scowl at them. I don't care what they think, I'm having cheesecake. Even if I have to bribe the spawn inside me with promises of world domination or a luxury bedroom to do it, then so be it. No one gets between me and cheesecake. Not my men, not puppy-eyed children, and certainly not my alien-themed crotch Demon.