19

AIDA

"So, does a shifter pregnancy progress in the same way as a human?"

I'm lying on a table with my feet in stirrups. My hands clench the thin paper gown I was given to change into.

Byron excused himself, saying he had something to take care of, which caught me off guard. He assured me that I'd be in good hands.

The woman seated on the stool between my touching knees, who Godwin introduced to me as Leah, is the compound midwife.

She checks her instruments, but her face is unreadable. "Since yours is the first shifter-human gestation we've ever seen, I'm not sure. The average human gestation is ten months. Shifters carry for seven or eight months or so. Your mate's clan chief has a suppressed shifter queen. She went the full eight with three cubs."

I lift my head to see her face more clearly. "What does that mean that she's suppressed?"

She chuckles, and it's the first break in character I've seen from her since Godwin brought me back to the medical facility and led me to the maternity wing. At first glance, this place is exceptionally high-tech and designed for a birthing person's comfort.

"We're not exactly sure of that, either, since she's the first we've seen of that in recorded history. There are stories that some shifters were able to mate with humans successfully, which resulted in some latent shifter features in the general human populace. But it's not confirmed. She could merely result from a genetic mutation in some shifter lines that forced those families to pass completely into the human population. Maybe fate brought these lines together, and they kept passing on the recession until they forgot they were shifters altogether. Lie back and relax."

She's back to all business, and I let my head rest against the comfortable exam table as the cool press of the ultrasound wand starts to enter me.

Shifting, I unclench my stomach and take a deep breath.

"Hm, so there we are." The clack of keys brings my head up again to stare at the shockingly clear screen set to the side of where she sits.

I expect a grainy, shifty picture, but this one is three-dimensional and more precise than any I've ever seen.

A small gestational sac floats around in my womb, and the image makes reality something I was sure was a mistake until this moment.

"You've had a child before?"

I nod, still amazed by the ultrasound.

Leah looks away from the screen to frown at me. "Just one?"

Swallowing, I fight down the lump in my throat and nod again. "Just one."

She stares at me for a long moment, then shifts her attention back to the screen. "Hm. You've had some trauma."

"Is that going to make this pregnancy hard?"

Sighing, she clicks off the screen and gently eases the wand from my vagina, setting it aside and fixing me with an indulgent smile. "You're a doctor, so I'm not going to bullshit you. I don't know what is going to happen in this pregnancy. These cubs might come out with every wolf trait or none. This pregnancy could be a breeze, or it could kill you and them. There's just no telling, but I don't think fate would have put you with Byron if the last were possible. She tends to favor fate mates and the young."

Her smile is kind this time but quickly shifts to regret as she folds her lips in. "I'm sorry if I'm being aloof. He wanted me to keep you here until it was done, but I'm not fond of leaving women in the dark. Exit, go to your right, and follow the path through the woods. The challenge circle isn't far away."

I stare at her in confusion until what she's saying dawns on me.

She backs out of the way as I scramble from the table and tear off the gown, not caring for my nudity, before yanking the simple tank dress I was wearing up my body.

I run down the hall of the clinic, which is suspiciously empty, as was the compound when Byron walked me here, and out the door.

Turning right, I scan the tree line for the path she indicates, and when I find it, I sprint down the packed dirt road so fast my canvas flats slip from my heels and almost fly off.

The sound of snarling tells me I'm close, but nothing prepares me to see the two massive beasts tearing at each other in the middle of the large clearing. The reason for the desolation of the compound becomes apparent when I see the gathering watching the two wolves try to rip each other apart.

Pausing at the edge of the group, I recognize Byron's wolf immediately being flung to the side by the other wolf, whose coat is similar.

I can't tell how long they've been fighting, but both of their bodies are marred with scrapes and blood.

They clash, grappling with claws and teeth, nipping at necks and flanks. It looks vicious, and despite Byron's surety that no one would die, it certainly appears possible.

My heart thumps as they roll across the clearing, Byron's wolf coming out on top. He pins his son down, using his massive paws to hold the other wolf's big body on the ground. Baring his teeth, he presses his weight into the other wolf's chest to force a submission.

Preston struggles in vain, bucking his body and snapping at the paws restraining him but not giving in.

Byron lifts Preston's torso, his embedded claws pulling them both up, only to slam back down, jostling Preston into the hard ground with enough force that a sickening crack sounds out, and Preston whimpers.

"Oh, my god," I whisper, but still, every set of eyes immediately turns toward me.

Preston whips his head in my direction, his nose flaring out a huff as he leaps up in a burst of energy, tossing his father off of him and launching himself in my direction.

I gasp and stumble back as he barrels faster than the massiveness of his body should allow. He's near to me when a savage growl rents the air, and Byron's big wolf bounds in front of me, instantaneously folding into his naked, heaving man and blocking me from harm.

"You'll have to kill me, son."

I hear the words, although they are spoken in Byron's calm, quiet way.

The advancing wolf skids to a halt and shifts to stand before his father.

I peek past Byron, the scientist in me unfazed by the nudity but still shaken by the violent display I've witnessed.

Preston stares hard at his father, his gaze narrowing as he glances at me over Byron's shoulder before shifting it back. "You'd die for her?"

"She's my mate. The only option is to die for her. Now, are we fucking done? If not, I'm ready to die, but you will not be touching her."

Preston looks at me again, his eyes searching, and I resist the urge to cower. Instead, I step closer, pressing a hand to Byron's warm, sweaty back.

He turns his head just enough to acknowledge me over his shoulder. "Love you, mate. If I fall, you and Zora will be okay."

Facing his son again, he waits.

The tension holds for another second, and then Preston deflates, his face depressing into immediate relief. "Fuck, Dad. I'm sorry. I thought they got to you."

Out of nowhere, Destin steps forward, holding two pairs of sweatpants. Each man takes one and pulls it on. I step to the side so I can see Byron's face. He looks confused as he confronts his son.

"What the hell are you talking about? Get to me how?"

Again, Preston glances at me and sighs. "We have to talk."

***

We're back in the dining hall.

My first concern after Byron and Preston put their fangs away and got some clothes on was making sure Zora wasn't aware of what was happening.

Ishaaq reassured me that the kids had been distracted by a movie marathon, complete with popcorn and a chaperone. They were all on the other side of the compound, oblivious to the near fight-to-death in the middle of the woods.

Things are still tense, but we sit across from each other at one of the smaller tables, Preston and Destin on one side and me and Byron on the other.

I'm on his lap. I tried to take my own seat, but he insisted. He's also insisted on slipping a hand beneath my skirt where his hand rests on my hip.

"Wolf's still a bit riled up. He needs touch. Otherwise, I might not be able to stop him from bending you over the table and making his claim clear," he'd murmured into my ear when I'd tried to push my dress down.

Focusing on Preston, Byron's expression goes carefully neutral. "I need you to explain what's happening. Right now, son."

Preston sighs, sipping from one of the glasses of water Destin brought for us all. "It's what I've been working on for the Consortium for the past few months. Kofi sent me on assignment after we got a report of an infiltration of one of the smaller clans. One of their members went missing, and when he came back, he was with a mate, a woman who smelled like a wolf, knew clan law, and had a shift gland, but she wasn't."

"She wasn't what?" Bryon's eyes are narrowed.

"She wasn't a wolf, Pop. She murdered her mate in his sleep and took out five others before the chief managed to kill her."

Byron holds his composure, but she feels him tense beneath her. "That's it? She just killed them?"

Preston shakes his head. "When they searched her body, they found a small refrigeration case designed to hold biological materials. It had wolf glands in it."

Destin shifts, frowning at his brother. "She took their glands? Why?"

Preston glances at me, and I clear my throat, shifting on Byron's lap.

His hand tightens on my hip, a silent command not to respond. "So you thought Aida was a fake mate? I had the dream, Prez."

"So did the other wolf, Pop. At least, he thought he did. I don't know how they did it, but my guess is that it was some hallucination that mimicked the fate dream. They arrange for the wolf to run into the woman they implant. She smells like a wolf, so he's not suspicious. He takes her back to the clan. As long as she can avoid having to shift, which is easy to do, the enemy can walk right in."

"And what did you think fighting me was going to do?" Bryon's voice takes on an edge.

"That's been the only way to distinguish if these human-wolf matings are real. The only thing connecting them is the belief that the fate dream determined they were mates. After that, none of the other mate connections hold. Specifically—"

"The willingness to sacrifice one's self for their mate." Byron's nostrils flare, and his hand tightens so hard that it becomes uncomfortable. He seems to notice and loosens his grip, smoothing over the spot with gentle fingers.

"And was this idea that if you tried to kill my mate, I wouldn't instinctively stop you by offering my life a theory, or did you know it would work?"

Preston's jaw goes hard, something behind his cerulean gaze shutting down. "I knew it would work. It's worked before."

Byron stares at his son in silence, then suddenly hauls across the table to flatten his hand across his son's head in a sharp slap. "Boy, next time, just ask me. I could have reassured you that the dream was real."

Preston rubs the side of his head, more for the show of it than anything. "Damn, Pop. Excuse me for wanting to make sure you hadn't been brainwashed into bringing an assassin into our midst."

"We've been in the dream since then, little boy. Goodness, Prez. What did I tell you about going off half-cocked like that? I can't believe Kofi let that shit slide. I thought you were pissed because she was human."

Preston looks away, but not before I see something that indicates it might be true. "Dad, we've been taught our entire lives that we shouldn't mix with humans in this place. I know they say it's happened, but the law has been the law and for a reason. Still, man, you're my father. If you trust this, I trust you."

"That's all I'm asking for." Byron smiles and holds out a fist, which his son bumps with a timid smile before peeking at me.

"I'm sorry I scared you."

"Were you really going to kill me?" I don't know why I ask, but until now, I've felt safe here. I'm wondering now if others see me as a potential threat.

He gives me the respect of not lying and nods. "I was."

Byron goes still, and I place my hand on his chest as my heart thumps.

"And my daughter?"

Preston frowns and manages to look offended. "We don't hurt children."

"Okay. Let's all agree that Preston could have gotten his confirmation less dramatically. But it's done." Destin jumps in, symbolically washing away the event with a wave. "We know the fate dream was real, and we have bigger problems to worry about. Was the woman who infiltrated that clan working with Genesis?"

"Not as far as we can tell. Did you hear anything about there being other labs where they were trying to accomplish the same synthesis?" Preston directs to me.

Preston and Destin have been filled in on how Byron and I met and my role at Genesis.

I shake my head. "I didn't even know that's what they were doing at first, and I was kept in the dark. Probably because I would have thought they were crazy if they'd told me something like a shifter even existed, and if I had believed them, I would have thought what they were trying to do was completely unethical. I wasn't too keen on the circumstances that brought me there in the first place, even though I convinced myself they were altruistic."

Preston considers what I've said and shrugs. "Then maybe it's some other group. They aren't the first, and they won't be the last. But fucking with the fate dream," he shakes his head, and I see that flash of something before he shuts it down.

"Who else does Kofi have on it?"

Preston snorts. "Who do you think? The twins."

Byron nods. "Good."

"We have a problem."

We all turn to the imposing figure of Kofi.

Byron shifts me to the side and stands, putting himself in front of me again, and faces the other man. "What is it now?"

Kofi's gaze shifts to me, lingering momentarily before focusing on Byron. "Follow me."