The Cambion's Hoard

Rose’s car came to a stop, and she put it into park. The prescription bag crinkled under my fingers. It was a reminder that I was unique, as everyone kept telling me. Rose’s fingers closed around my wrist, and I forced myself to look at her. Her lips formed a soft smile and even in the setting light, she glowed.

Her skin was healthier than when we’d first met. She had been unknowingly starving herself. It made sense she was raised by humans. She wouldn’t have known to feed her succubus side. Now she’d never starve. I was her mate, and I would provide.

I let go of the script bag and took Rose’s face in my hands. She let out a sigh and relaxed into my palms. Rose was the only thing keeping me grounded in this fucked up situation. I rubbed my thumbs over her cheekbones, and she relaxed more against me. I’d rather sit here with her than face our family.

She squeezed my wrist. “We should go inside. I can feel our mates’ anxiety.”

I nodded my head and let her go. “Yeah, I think Henson may puke if we don’t.”

“We have been gone for longer than anticipated. He probably thinks we skipped town.” She slid out of the car, and I followed suit.

Her hand was outstretched when I rounded the back end. I clasped her hand firmly and she led me away from the car. We went in the back door because it was closer to the parking lot.

The door was barely open, and Henson was on us. He ran his hands against my head. Henson took my face in his hands. I reacted much as Rose had. I loved him so much.

“Where have the two of you been? Do you know how freaked out I’ve been? I could feel your anxiety and fear, but Thatch said she was calm but sad. What the fuck!” His eyes franticly searched my face, trying to glean an answer.

I pushed his hands away. “I need to talk to you. To everyone.”

Henson paled and backed slowly to the kitchen table. He pulled the chair out and sat down without taking his eyes off mine.

Rose smacked my arm. “Give him a heart attack will you, shit. You’re not dying.”

I glared at her, and she shrugged her shoulders. Taking a deep breath, I stepped towards the table and dropped the prescription. Henson picked it up and examined the contents.

He shook his head. “What is this?”

Thatcher took it from him, and his brow knitted together. “Why would you need this?”

“What is it?” Henson snapped.

“It’s Thermadex.” I tucked my hands into my pockets.

“Ok, so what does it do.” Henson pulled his lips between his teeth. Cleary annoyed.

Rose stepped up and spared me. “Thermadex is used to help female dragons come off heat.”

Thatcher held out his hands. “Now answer my question. Why do you have it?”

He wasn’t angry, concern laced his voice. “Because I’ve been in heat since I fucked you up. Rose triggered it.”

“If you were female that would make sense. However, you’re not.” Thatcher’s words stung, but he didn’t know they would.

“Well, it happens that I have two sets of reproductive organs. A full male and a full female. I’ve got the interior and exterior plumbing. The only thing is the female organs are only semi-functional as there isn’t a way to knock me up.”

“What? I, I don’t understand.” Henson stuttered.

I scratched my legs through my pockets. How was I supposed to explain everything? I didn’t fully understand myself.

“Biggs is intersex. The endocrinologist said because of his genetics and his mother’s brooding choices, it was possible. What we understand is that Biggs should have always been male but because of warmer temperatures, he was forced to be female. So, when the snowstorm hit, he already had the female organs. When his egg cooled his human genes were triggered and a secondary embryonic cycle occurred.

“So, his Y chromosome said I’m here. Causing his whole body to reprogram itself and become male. But his female reproductive tract remained primarily intact.” Rose’s words settled in the room.

Thatcher touched Henson’s shoulder, but he jerked away. I could feel his anger and relief. He looked up at me.

“First off, don’t hide shit from me. We have been together for long enough. I knew something was off, but you tried to keep it from me. You’re going to explain why you thought that was smart. Second, so many makes sense now. How you developed as a child, meeting female markers first. Your hormones are all fucked up because you’re producing both. If you were hiding it because you thought I’d think you were a freak, I promise. Never in an eternity would I think that. These things make you, you.”

Make me, me? I hadn’t considered that. Was Henson only my mate because he was mated to the female part of me? Would that change if I fixed this? I would be another male, not this mix of two.

“Biggs?” Rose touched my elbow.

I looked at her and could feel the tears start to flow down my cheeks. “I, I don’t know what to do.”

Rose wrapped her arms around me. I collapsed around her shoulders and inhaled her scent. She pushed tendrils of warmth into my body. I could feel the heat radiating from each thread. When that warmth reached my heart, I calmed down.

Her lips brushed my throat. “Tell them what’s going to happen. What the doctor feel is right, what you wanted, and now why you’re unsure.”

I straightened but didn’t release Rose. I stared at my family. Kelley was standing at the back of the room, listening but keeping his distance. That little gesture meant more than he could know.

Turning to Hen, I focused on his breathing so I could tell him. “Dr. Meid said that if I wanted to prevent this poor excuse for a shift and another heat again it would be best if I had a hysterectomy. I wanted to be one gender, I am tired of the constant pain of a bastardized shift, the constant need. I almost don’t get any relief, except for when I’m with Rose. I used to get it with you, but you can’t scratch that itch and my body knows it.

“I want to be normal again. Then you go and say that’s what makes me, me. What if the hysterectomy changes our bond? What if you are mated to that half of me? Will you stop loving me?”

These emotions bubbled up inside me and I wasn’t sure where they came from. I was overwhelmed and felt desperate to understand all of this. I pressed my head back to Rose’s.

I jumped when Hen’s arms wrapped around us. “Biggs it won’t change how I feel about you. I still love Thatcher even though he’s only with Rose. Fae and Ogres are prone to having two or more lovers. Having one of each is better than having two of the same.”

I snorted. “You’ve got me there.”

He pulled me from Rose’s grip. “Biggs I’m never going to stop loving you or being your mate. Mates are beyond species, beyond genders, and beyond sexes. You are mine even if you have a hysterectomy. Fate stuck you with me and not Thatch.”

Henson nipped my ear. “But tell me one thing, can we have kids?”