10. Austin

Chapter ten

Austin

A ddy was mad at me. I tried to get into the bathroom, but Cain grabbed me by the shoulder and dragged me out of the room. His hand stung my arm, and I jerked out of his grasp, wincing at the red handprint on my skin. He was mad too. It was evident in his face; he didn't even realize that he was burning hot. Wyatt was running his hand through his hair, his face pinched. I turned to Piper, who looked sad. He was fidgeting with his ring and leaning against the wall, ignoring the rest of us. I didn't understand why everyone was so upset. What exactly was the problem?

"I'll go out and buy a test," Wyatt mumbled, pushing his sunglasses up his nose.

"Buy a few. And cigarettes," Cain snapped, his shirt beginning to smoke as little holes formed across it. He glared at me, and I bared my teeth defensively. His eyes flashed red, and Wyatt quickly stepped between us, grabbing my arm and pulling me away.

"Austin, you're coming with me," Wyatt announced, dragging me toward the stairs. He waited while I ran up and grabbed a tee-shirt and my large blue hoodie, making sure to shake any snakes out of it. I hurried back down, following him out of the house and down the block. Wyatt was hunched as he walked, his hoodie pulled low over his face. He was in one of his moods again, where he slept all the time - but didn't really sleep. I remembered what it was like when he first came to live with us, and shivered, hurrying to keep up with him. I hoped it wouldn't get like that again. Addy needed a happy nest.

We stopped at the drugstore two blocks from the studio, and I trailed after Wyatt as he wandered down the aisles. He reached the section with babies all over everything and started pulling boxes off the shelf, grabbing one of each kind they had available. "What are those for?" I whispered, as he grimaced at the price listed underneath. He didn't answer, instead he just stalked to the front counter and dumped the boxes in front of the cashier, pointing at the cigarettes behind her as well. She raised her eyebrows but said nothing as Wyatt threw down several bills while she loaded them into a bag for us.

"Wyatt, what are the boxes for?" I asked again once we were back outside. He glared at me as he shoved the change back into his pocket.

"They're for Addy to see if she's pregnant," he replied sharply, and I grinned despite his sour mood. I was so excited the whole walk back that I even met a stranger's eye. They quickly looked away, and I lifted my chin higher. I was ready to protect Addy now. I could scare strangers away from our den and keep her safe and bring her treats. It would be perfect.

Piper and Cain were in the kitchen when we got back, an open bottle of rum on the table. Cain jerked his thumb toward his room, not bothering to look at us. We brought the bag of tests to his bathroom, where Addy was still holed up.

"I got the tests, sweetheart," Wyatt announced, knocking gently. The door cracked open, and she snatched the bag out of his hands, slamming the door again before I could try to slip inside. His hand gripped my hoodie as he dragged me back out of the room and to the kitchen once more. Wyatt let me go and dropped into one of the free chairs, and Cain handed him the rum wordlessly. I bounced on the balls of my feet anxiously, watching the hallway for Addy. The entire table was uncomfortably silent as the minutes stretched out, and I grumbled impatiently.

"How long do the tests take?" I asked Piper, since he didn't seem mad, exactly. He shrugged and took a drink of his rum, pushing his hair out of his face.

"Five minutes, I think?" he replied tiredly, and I hissed.

"Why does she need so many?" I frowned, and Wyatt groaned, resting his head on his arms.

"Sometimes the test can show a false reading. We want to be sure," Wyatt replied, his voice muffled through his hoodie.

"Oh." I nodded absently, pacing around the little kitchen. "How long has it been?" I asked Cain, who was the only one of us wearing a watch. He banged his hand on the table and turned to glare at me, his jaw clenched.

"Sit the fuck down and stop asking questions," he snapped, rubbing his temple. I scowled at him. I was too excited to sit down.

"I don't understand why everyone is mad. Is it because we won't know who the offspring belongs to?" I asked. "We're nest mates, it doesn't matter!"

Cain stood and threw his glass at the wall, and we all winced as it exploded, sending glass and rum splattering everywhere. "Of course it fucking matters!" he shouted, and I flinched away when he advanced on me. "What the fuck were you thinking?! None of us should ever reproduce! Look at us, Austin!" He gestured around the room. "We're fucking freaks! It's like a goddamn genetic nightmare in here!" I stared at him in shock and looked at the other two at the table. Wyatt didn't move, his head still resting on his arms. Piper was staring at the floor, his mouth twisted into a look of pain.

"But… you said we weren't freaks…" I rasped, hurt building up in my chest. It would've been less painful if he'd hit me. Cain's lips narrowed into a thin line, his eyes hard and cruel.

"We don't need to unleash another goddamn monster into the world," he snapped. The words sliced through my flesh. How many times have I had these words thrown at my face? Usually followed up by kicks or punches. My throat tightened painfully, and I dropped my gaze to the floor. My palms stung, and I realized that I was clenching my fists so tightly my nails were cutting into my skin.

A small noise had us all looking over. Addy was standing at the entrance to the kitchen, clutching a handful of plastic sticks against her chest. Her face reflected how I felt, furious tears glistening in her eyes as she glared at Cain. I winced, preparing for the usual fireworks of one of their arguments. Instead, she simply stalked toward him and slammed her handful of plastic into his chest, walking away without a word.

Cain dumped them on the table and we all crowded over them, trying to decipher what they meant. I didn't understand what any of the lines meant, but the one Wyatt picked up was clear enough, spelling out the word - pregnant - in the little window. I turned to Addy, but caught only a flash of ankle as she disappeared up the stairs. We all flinched when the door above us slammed, rattling the windows.

I wanted to be happy. Every atom in my body screamed in victory. We had gotten our mate pregnant! But I was the only one who felt this way evidently. Wyatt groaned and grabbed the bottle of rum, drinking straight from it. Piper looked so forlorn I swore I saw tears forming in his eyes. Cain cursed under his breath, closing his eyes and shaking his head slowly. He left without another word, storming off down the stairs, and I heard the house creak as the front door slammed shut.

Disappointed and still reeling from Cain's harsh words, I headed upstairs. I tried Addy's door, but it was locked. When I knocked, something that sounded like a lamp hit the door with a horrible crash, so I backed off. My friends hissed a greeting as I entered my room, and I sank to the floor, sliding under my bed on my stomach. I told my friends the good news, and their rustling noises grew into a chorus of joy. Slithering bodies crawled all over me, hissing and demanding. They wanted our mate here with us, where we could keep her and our offspring warm and safe.

I wanted her in my arms, too. I wanted to tell her that Cain was wrong. Our offspring wouldn't be a monster, not with her as the mother. She was perfect, so the baby would be perfect. If Cain couldn't see that, then he wouldn't stay in our den. No one would call my mate a monster.

Not even Cain.