Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 117336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117336 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 587(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Mmm, I do. No one else will give me a foot rub as enthusiastically as he will. "I do. And I brought you a present."
That makes Azar pause. "A present?"
I hold the box out to him. It, of course, lets out a plaintive mew.
He takes the box from me, a vaguely alarmed look on his face. Removing the lid, he stares down at the tiny fluff ball inside, confused. "What is it?"
I laugh, picking it up and placing it in his arms. "It's a kitten, silly."
Azar frowns down at it. "Why?"
"Why is it a kitten, or why did I get you one?" I grin.
He leans against the table, cradling the thing in his arms, a baffled expression on his face. It meows again and starts climbing his robe, then settles against his neck, tucking itself against him. "Why did you get me a kitten?" he clarifies.
"Wellll," I drawl. "They're good mousers."
"We have mice?"
"No. But just in case we do. And they're good company." I reach out and pet the tiny thing, and hesitantly, Azar lifts his hand and pets it as well, following my lead. It's kind of hilarious, watching him with it. He clearly has no idea what to do with a baby animal.
"You have me for company," he says, but he keeps petting it.
"I do. But pets are wonderful to have around. They make your day brighter just by being there. They love you unconditionally."
"This one loves my neck," he points out as it tries to scratch at his collar, his expression as bewildered as before.
I decide to spill my secret, then. "A pet is also good practice for the future."
If he got my subtle hint, he doesn't show it. Azar tilts his head, trying to see the tiny creature pressed against his throat. "Because you want more cats in the future?"
"Because we're going to have a baby."
Azar pauses. His already pale face turns bone-white. He swallows hard, staring at me. "You…a baby?"
"You too," I retort, amused. "It wasn't all me." I touch my stomach. "But unless the test I took is wrong, yeah, we're going to have a baby in a few months, assuming that Salorians have the same gestation times that drakoni do." I'm not sure how I feel about a drastically shortened pregnancy, but it just means I'll meet my child that much sooner.
"A baby," Azar says reverently. His eyes are wide and he clutches the kitten against his neck, his gaze flicking over me back and forth. "I…Melina…really?"
"Really," I reassure him. His reaction isn't exactly what I thought it would be. Joy, maybe. Excitement. Azar looks terrified. "Is that bad? Do you not want a baby?" I thought we were happy together. Shit, I know we're happy together. We make love every night and no one's ever treated me as good as Azar does. He takes care of me. He listens to everything I have to say. He fusses over me as if I'm made of precious gold. Everything is so good between us that I never stopped to wonder if he wanted a child. "Is this bad…?"
"No," he blurts, hastily tugging the kitten from its spot on his neck and handing it over to me. The kitten cries again and sinks its claws in to my hand, looking for safety, and I press it against my chest. Azar leans forward, a reverent hand extending toward my stomach. A shaking hand, I notice. "You…we're going to have a child."
"We are," I say softly.
"I wish I could hear it." Sadness crosses his face. "He – or she – won’t be able to tell us their name.”
“I know.” It makes me ache, but there’s nothing to be done for it. “Our baby can tell us their name when they’re ready. Until then, we’ll call him or her something else. I’d rather our child have a future than a specific name.”
He nods, gaze fixed on my waist. “I know. It’s just…a large change. I think that's why it's so difficult to adjust. It's so quiet sometimes."
I understand. Azar—and all of the drakoni—have been used to mental speech. To reaching out and touching a mind to ask a question, to having a constant link with another person. Azar also had the links with the babies, and those are gone, too. I imagine it's lonely sometimes. "You'll just have to wait to talk to him or her when they're born. Just like I have to wait."
He brushes his fingertips over my stomach. "Our child," he breathes again. "This…this is incredible." He looks up at me, an expression of pure delight on his face. He notices the kitten and gets to his feet once more, taking it from me. "I must start practicing right away." He holds the calico up to his nose, giving it a stern look. "You must help me learn to be the best father ever."