“Of course, he’s welcome,” Elio said. “But he still might want to prepare for the possibility of meeting his own mate too.”
“I’m staying with my ship,” Castor announced. “I’m willing to park it somewhere more out of the way, but I’m staying with it.”
“That will be fine. Give me some time to talk to Marsin and that might be the first thing we can do,” Elio said, his scent eager to get away from being the center of attention.
“Actually,” I glanced from Elio to Izora.
“Now?” Elio asked.
“We could wait,” I shrugged. “Better to know sooner, though, I think.”
“Am I going to have another sibling?” Teddy asked.
“Let’s talk about this in the clinic, please,” Izora said, raising his hand to part the crowd. “Medical privacy is still a thing even if we’re not on Earthside.”
“Sorry to put you on the spot like that,” I said to Elio over our mating link as I took his hand to pull him out of the circle’s center.
“It’s alright. I don’t feel pregnant. I feel ravenous. Though, I’ve never been pregnant. So maybe that’s how I feel while I’m pregnant. They’re all so eager to meet their mates. It just seems mean to make them wait while I see a doctor,” Elio said, lacing his fingers through mine.
“That’s part of being a parent. Everyone else will think you’re an asshole when you put your kid first.”
“But one of your egg brats is out there.”
“He’s a grownup and besides, you heard how excited he was,” I chuckled.
“He was excited, but there are others.”
“Izora is taking us to the clinic and Sunny should be thrilled another Moonscale is being born.”
“Starscale,” Elio said.
“Moonscale too. None of us are just one thing. I bet if we had some giant DNA test or something that could track and parse out all your genetics, you’re more than just a Starscale by blood too.”
“Well, the egg is here. This is Starscale Territory.”
I opened my mouth and shut it again as the corners of Elio’s mouth turned up ever so slightly.
“One day I’ll explain how this is a real argument people have on Earthside,” I told him.
“Of course, the baby is a Moonscale too. I was only teasing.”
“Took me a second to realize that,” I squeezed his hand as Izora pushed open the door to the ship’s clinic.
The clinic was far larger than any of the shared bedrooms to be found on the Medwin 2. It was also the whitest, brightest, and shiniest of the rooms. Izora, like most doctors and healers, was a neat freak. At least in his clinic.
“What was the last pregnancy test you heard of?” Izora asked before the door even had the chance to slide shut behind us.
“Huh? Why?”
“Because I want to know how much of an education I have to give you, Fred Moonscale,” Izora chuckled.
“Umm….. The last time I needed someone to---” I started to say but stopped. I couldn’t think back to when the twins were born and put that memory into words.
“I should’ve ---” Izora started, but I shook my head to stop him.
“It was the green baby one,” I said.
“Won’t we just do a sonic?” Elio cut in.