Chapter 12 - Alek

I knew something was off the minute I walked through the door.

I froze, nostrils flaring. Something was different, but I couldn't figure out what. My skin prickled, then panic set in. Iris. Had her family somehow found her?

"Iris?" I yelled.

"In here." Her voice came from the living room.

I instantly relaxed and let out a breath. I strolled over to the living room. She was curled up on the couch, biting her nails as she stared at nothing. Her eyes flicked to the doorway when I entered, and she gave me an uneasy smile.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey yourself." Her scent had changed. That was what was different. Her normal scent was there, but there was something mixed with it.

Then it hit me, and my mouth dropped open in shock. "You're pregnant," I blurted out without thinking.

Iris's eyes narrowed, her brow furrowing in confusion. "How did you know?" Something like panic tinted the edges of her words. "I haven't told anyone. I only just took the test—"

"I can smell it," I said simply. "Your scent changed. I should have noticed this morning, but I was too exhausted when I was leaving for it to register." I really wasn't a morning person.

"You can smell me being pregnant?" she asked. Her face was blank, and I couldn't determine if she was unnerved or fascinated.

"Yeah."

"That explains why the woman at the counter winked at me when I bought the test," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

"You're pregnant," I repeated.

Now that the initial shock had passed, the reality of the situation had hit. Iris was pregnant. I was happier than I could have imagined, and my wolf seemed just as content about it. I was going to be a dad. It was incredible.

But then, my muscles stiffened. Iris was human. I didn't know how a human would handle a shifter baby.

I crouched beside her. "How are you feeling?" My hand went to her face, cupping it gently. "Any pain? Anything abnormal?"

"I don't know. I don't think so? Queasy, but that's a given. But it isn't like I've been pregnant before." She leaned into my touch, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, worry flickered there as she searched my face. "Is it going to be all right? You being a shifter, and me being a human?"

"I don't know," I admitted, chewing on my lip. The fact that I was going to be a dad was incredible. I couldn't believe it, and I couldn't believe how overwhelmingly happy I was about it. But it was marred over worry for Iris. I wasn't going to be able to rest, much less celebrate, until I got answers. I stood.

"I'm going to call Klyte," I said, already going for my phone.

Iris looked startled. "Do you have to?" she asked, her voice slightly more high-pitched than normal.

"They'll find out eventually," I told her. "And I trust Klyte. More importantly, he's the best healer I know. I want him to take a look at you to make sure everything's all right."

"Alek, that's not—"

"I'm not arguing on this one," I said firmly.

She sighed, then nodded. "I guess everyone will find out, anyway. At least as soon as they can smell me."

"It'll be all right," I promised. I stepped outside, looking at the stunning mountain view from my balcony as I waited for Klyte to pick up.

"What's up?" Klyte was never one to mince words, though he sounded mildly out of breath.

"Are you busy?"

"Malcolm and I are finishing up a sparring match, so I'm in desperate need of a shower. But beyond that, no busier than normal. Why?"

"I need your help," I said.

"Always happy to help you bury a body," Klyte said cheerily. "Who'd you kill this time?"

"No one. It's kind of the opposite." I took a deep breath. There was really no way of getting around it. "Iris is pregnant."

There was a long pause on the other side of the line. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. Do you know anything about human/shifter babies?"

"Not a whole lot. It's not something I've had much experience with," he said thoughtfully. "I'm grabbing my med bag now. I'll be there soon."

***

A knock sounded on the door, and I opened it, blinking when I saw Malcolm standing next to Klyte.

"He was listening in on the conversation and insisted on coming," Klyte said, rolling his eyes. "In-laws. Can't seem to shake them."

Malcolm swatted him on the back of the head, but not without affection. "I figured I might be able to help," Malcolm said. "I know a bit about shifter/human relationships."

"So, it's happened before?" I stepped aside to let them in and guided them into the living room.

"Every so often," Malcolm said. "Since humans and shifters don't interact a whole lot, it's not a common occurrence."

The three of us rounded the corner into the living room, where Iris was still curled up on the couch. She gave us an uneasy smile, her eyes darting from Klyte to Malcolm.

"Hey, Iris," Klyte said. All of the sarcasm and levity he normally exuded were gone, replaced with compassion and seriousness. The same way it did every time he did anything healing-related. "How are you doing?"

"Honestly? Nervous." She gave a shaky, uneasy laugh. "Really, really nervous."

He nodded, digging into his bag and pulling out a stethoscope. "Totally understandable," he said. "But right now, you don't need to worry about anything. I'm going to put this on your stomach, all right?"

"Are you going to be able to tell anything?" she asked. "I only just figured out I was pregnant. These types of things take a while, right?"

"Not for shifters," Klyte said. "We develop a lot faster and have a much shorter gestation period, roughly five-ish months. So, depending on what I hear, I should get a better idea of what we're dealing with."

Iris had paled when he'd said shifters had a shorter gestation period. She glanced at me for a moment, then back at Klyte, who nodded.

"Yeah, it's a lot," he said. "But it's all going to be fine, I promise. Now, do me a favor and take some deep breaths. I'm going to need you to be quiet for a couple minutes, all right?"

She nodded, rolling up her shirt to show her still-flat stomach. Klyte pressed the stethoscope against her stomach, listening intently. A heavy silence hung over everything as we waited. My wolf paced anxiously, wanting to know that the mother of his cub was going to be all right. He growled and flexed his claws, clearly irritated that it was taking so long.

Finally, Klyte moved back. "All right," he said, taking a deep breath. "So, you're going to have a shorter gestation period. Sounds like the little guys are already pretty active."

"How is that going to affect—wait, guys?" Iris practically squeaked.

Klyte shrugged. "I suppose they could be girls, but—"

"No, I'm not talking about that," she said. "I'm talking about the fact that you're using the plural form."

"Ah." Klyte rubbed his neck, glancing up at me while I stared at him, dumbstruck. "Yeah, it's twins. Sorry, there was probably a better way for me to tell you."

"Twins?" Iris's voice was two octaves higher than usual.

He nodded.

"Does that mean they're both shifters? Can one be human?"

"No," Klyte said. "It would mess too much with the gestation period."

"I don't know anything about raising shifters," Iris said. "Granted, I don't know anything about raising human babies. But this is something entirely different."

"Good thing you're in a shifter community, then," Klyte said. "We know all about it. I know Jenn's got some books she can give you."

"What about the birth?" Iris asked nervously. "I mean, I've heard stories about how shifter babies claw their way out of the moms' stomachs. That isn't true, is it?" Her face reddened in mortification. "Oh, god, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said that. That was so rude."

But all three of us were laughing.

"That is one of the best anti-shifter rumors I've ever heard," Klyte said.

"Definitely haven't heard that one before," Malcolm chuckled. "And no, that's not true at all."

Iris's face was still the color of a tomato. It was weirdly adorable. "What if they shift inside me?" she asked. "Is that a thing that happens?"

Malcolm shook his head. "Most kids start shifting around nine, but some can shift as early as seven," he said. "So, there's no way they'll be able to do that in the womb."

"We'll still want to keep a close eye on you," Klyte said. "Mostly because I want to make sure there aren't any issues with nutrition. Right now, that's the only thing I can really think of that might affect things. Shifter babies can be rather demanding in the womb. You, uh, might start craving raw meat."

"Raw meat?" Iris repeated, gaping at him. She glanced at me, eyes wide. "I don't…that's…"

"We can figure out an alternative solution," Malcolm said. "It's all right."

She looked to Malcolm. "I thought you said I was psychic. Why the fuck didn't I see this one coming?"

He barked out a laugh. "I'm not an expert on this type of stuff. But I know enough to know that you aren't able to pick and choose your visions. Especially when you're untrained. But even the most skilled psychics only have a modicum of control over their sight."

Iris mumbled something under her breath that I couldn't hear properly.

"Are they definitely going to be shifters?" she asked. "Are you sure you're not just guessing? I mean, is there any way they might just be human?" She looked at each of us, waiting for an answer.

"The shifter gene is a dominant trait," Klyte said. "So, no, not really. But that isn't anything you need to worry about."

She gave a wild laugh. "I don't know the first thing about raising a human baby. How am I supposed to handle a kid that can turn into a wolf?"

"You're not going to be alone," I said, coming over to stand next to me. "Granted, I know nothing about raising kids, either. But we'll have an entire community to help out. Shifters look out for their own, so they'll be more than happy to help."

"I'm not one of you," she pointed out. "And I got plenty of glares when I was in town that told me I wasn't welcome to everyone."

I didn't have a good answer for that.

"You've got the entirety of the Silver Wolves at your back," Klyte said, all the levity gone from his voice. "Trust me when I say we'll protect you like we would their own. Alek's one of us—we look after our own. Anyone who bothers you will have to deal with multiple ex-spec-ops shifters, and no one wants that."

Her shoulders relaxed a bit.

"We've got your back," Malcolm said. "You don't have anything to worry about."

"Thanks," Iris muttered. But based on her expression, she wasn't entirely convinced.