Page 89 of Group Studies

Ashe rubbed his butt and shook his head, eyeing the layers of blue.

“He got past you, didn’t he?” I asked, trying not to smile.

Ashe grunted. “Lie the fuck back. The nurse says you’ll bleed heavily for another hour or two. They gave you a heal over time, so every time you cramp, the magic fixes you back up.”

I chewed on my bottom lip, gathering my wits. “How far along was I?”

“Three weeks, maybe four,” Ashe said, his voice lowering. “Not long enough for the embryo to develop, even.” He caressed my cheek. “You sure you’re fucking okay, Kitten?”

I bobbed my head. This should be a big deal. But other than explaining some of my most recent behaviors, it wasn’t compared to everything else. Guilt gnawed at me, but I couldn’t control my emotions. I needed to stop feeling guilty for feeling. The thought only twisted my stomach further.

This had to be the stupidest cycle I’d ever been in. I barked out a weird laugh, cry, wail of anger that didn’t even sound human.

My warm piercing pulled at my skin as I rubbed it.

“If you take it out you can probably get pregnant again,” Ashe said softly, incorrectly guessing my thoughts.

The knife twisted in my abdomen. I shoved my fist into it to relieve the pain. Family, kids, I didn’t even know what that looked like, much less if it was something I wanted or not.

“I’ll focus on fixing myself first,” I said, feeling like I owed Ashe an explanation.

He grunted and sat down at my bedside, motioning to a pile of books I hadn’t noticed. “You’ve got time to catch up on your short stories for Doctor Roy.”

“I guess I do,” I said, my mind everywhere else.

* * *

“You’re not going to Abe’s office right now,” Ashe said, a rock standing in front of the exit from my tower. “Especially if you’re not telling me why.”

Dark clouds covered the stars. A few LEDs lit my living space. Grabbing handfuls of my uniform skirt, I tugged in frustration. God, I missed my long hair.

I’d spent the majority of the afternoon and evening in the medical wing. In addition to skipping the rest of my classes, I’d missed my appointment with Gabe. Once Nurse Norah cleared me, I came straight to my tower. But Ashe stalked my every move, treating me like a porcelain doll.

With help from the healing potion, my cramps were mostly gone. A minimal amount of blood still flowed, but Nurse Norah gave me a synthetic cone which caught what was left. I’d not had a dizzy spell in hours.

“My piercing regulates my hormones, not my magic,” I explained again. “I’m still in the exact same place I was! I can’t open up to you because you’ll report it to Officer Keres.”

Ashe’s beard ate his frown. “Officer Keres is trying to help you.”

“Officer Keres is trying to buy me.” I pulled on my skirt again. “He all but told me to fuck your brains out after my session with Professor Garnet. He doesn’t give one shit about me; he wants to find a way to use my magic for the MA.”

Ashe’s face softened. “He knows how we feel about each other.”

I wanted to strangle the Gentle Giant.

We both jumped when someone knocked loudly on my tower door.

Ashe cracked it open. “Fuck do you want?”

His planted feet slid backward as banana yellow magic and muscle forced open my door enough for Saffron to slip inside.

“You shouldn’t be here,” I said, hugging myself.

Saffron clenched his jaw, his eyes smoldering. “I’ve dumped Mercedes and disbanded my harem," he deadpanned.

My jaw dropped. “You what?”

Saffron scowled, his voice gaining an edge as he repeated himself. “I’ve dumped Mercedes and disbanded my harem. It needed to happen.”

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