Page 2 of Interlude

I look around the table. Cas sits with Link on one side and Max on the other. Tirrian and Saxon are frozen in place, their chairs tipped back behind them. My grandpas are on the other side of them, all seated with their arms crossed and glares on their faces. That just leaves Xavier, who doesn’t look as angry as I thought he would. In fact, he seems to be concentrating on something. In the past, he said Brannock’s mind was like a vault, very hard to get into, and unless he gave Xavier a reason to suspect him, he wasn’t going to intrude. I guess this is exactly what he was waiting for, but it looks like maybe Brannock has given him full access, because he just appears resigned.

I watch my warlock husband as his face runs the gamut of emotions. I know he seems like he’s cold, calculating, and unfeeling to the world, but that’s an act. This man feels it all, and in front of the people he loves, he isn’t afraid to show it. His frown slowly eases as he digs through Brannock’s memories. Occasionally, he scowls, but then he finally sighs and closes his eyes.

“I understand now.” Xavier opens his eyes and nods. “Tell them,” he demands before taking a seat on my other side and grabbing my hand, giving it a squeeze.

“Caspian was the only one who wasn’t present when we talked about this, but Aaz’axians are not compatible with any other race,” Brannock begins. “We have barbs on our cocks that pierce a female’s inner walls and lock in. It’s only when I get close to my peak that the spikes activate. A female Aaz’axian secretes an enzyme that numbs their inner walls, allowing the barbs to pierce and cause pleasure, setting off the female’s orgasm and allowing her to release an egg. In any other race, that would create excruciating pain.”

Cas winces, but the rest of us have heard this already.

“So while I was married and had sex with my wife, I could never reach completion.”

“She never knew?” Link sounds skeptical, and Brannock grimaces.

“I got very good at faking it and always made sure she orgasmed so she was distracted and didn’t notice that I hadn’t.”

“So how did the child happen?” Silac hisses aggressively, and I shake off Xavier’s hand so I can climb back onto my snake’s lap and run my hands over his scales in an attempt to soothe him. His body undulates, and I’m wrapped up in his tail. I actually really love how it feels, especially when it’s a little tight. It makes me feel safe and secure, kind of like a weighted blanket.

“I loved my wife very much. Seven hundred years is a long time to be alone, and I took a chance to grab some happiness where and when I could, but this was the first time I married, and she desperately wanted a child. I knew it would never happen, though, so I kept mesmerizing her to forget about it.”

“Wait, mesmerize?” I ask. Why haven’t I ever asked about his powers before? I mean, I know he has berserker mode and can glamour, but that’s it.

“Yes, like the Vilaxian can,” he responds, and Link takes over.

“Aaz’axians and Vilaxians are distant relatives. Vilaxians can compel people, and so can the Aaz’axians.”

“Do you drink blood?” I ask, because I’m sure everyone else knows the answer.

Brannock kind of shrugs as much as he can while still wrapped up in Xavier’s light bands. “We can, but it’s for fun, not for nourishment like the Vilaxians. It kind of works like alcohol on our system and makes us drunk.”

“So you compelled your wife to forget about wanting a child?” Cas asks, trying to get the conversation back on track.

“Yes, but for some reason, the compulsion would wear off, and I got tired of seeing her cry every time she got her monthly bleeds.” There are tears in his eyes. “So I agreed to IVF, knowing it wasn’t going to work, to appease her. The enzyme a female secrets is essential in the conception of a child. Not only does it numb their walls, but it strips the sperm, for lack of a better word, of its protective coating, making fertilization easier. Prior to the plague that struck all our women, we were an extremely fertile bunch.”

“Strange that the plague only targeted women. It sounds very similar to what happened to the carevasta bears,” Max points out offhandedly.

“Hmm, yes, you’re right,” Link muses, rubbing his chin. “He said theirs was caused by a vengeful goddess who felt insulted.”

Brannock’s eyes widen. “It was said that the gods were not happy with our leadership trying to take the orb from the Una’s and that it was our punishment.”

“You know what? These old gods are popping up quite a bit, aren’t they?” William looks thoughtful. “Maybe they didn’t disappear like people thought, and they are pulling strings from the background instead of being front and center.”

“Back to the traitor,” Silac hisses. I feel him become even more agitated when we veer off track.

“So we entered the IVF program. It was hard to hide the fact that my cum looked nothing like a human’s, but I found a warlock on Earth who spelled me so it would appear normal.”

“A warlock? Which one?” Xavier asks quickly, but I can tell he already knows the answer.

“The same one I helped capture—your cousin, Xane.”

“He knew you were Aaz’axian?” Eric asks, leaning forward, but Brannock shakes his head.

“No, I glamoured myself to appear Vilaxian. He didn’t question it. Of course a Vilaxian would want their blood-red cum to appear normal.”

“What color is yours?” I ask, unable to help myself, and I hear Cas chuckle as my grandpas groan. Xavier smirks at me.

“The same color as my body,” Brannock says with a small smile, and my eyes widen. Oh yeah, nope, that would be hard to explain, all opal and glittery.

Silac gets us back on track again. “But this IVF worked?”

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