Page 88 of Dealing With Drak

Sensing that his owner is in distress, Pun-kin scuttles over to us. He stands on his hind legs to rub his face over An-nana’s knees before softly licking her skin and beginning to purr. My mate sniffles and reaches down to softly ruffle the fur on top of his head.

After they share a moment, An-nana releases a heavy breath. “We can try the health band. I don’t know why I’m so stubborn about it. Everyone else wears them, and they seem fine.”

“I’ve been trying to convince you for weeks, A,” Cay-leb adds. His voice is soft, though, not harsh or condescending. “They’re amazing tech but you don’t want to hear it because you think I’m just trying to sell you on them since Lovan helped make them.”

“I don’t like feeling helpless,” my mate mutters. “The Aprixians don’t wear them.”

“High-risk ones do,” I argue gently. “It is not something to feel shame about, my mate. No one views the devices this way.”

Originally, An-nana simply turned her nose up at the health bracelets, claiming that she refused to be monitored. I thought perhaps there must be more reasoning for how strongly she opposed them, and it seems we have uncovered it.

“They aren’t just to make sure we don’t get hurt, Anna,” her brother says with a frown. “The bracelets don’t simply monitor and report, they heal as well. Mine is always helping me stay hydrated. It can actually do that on its own. If I get distracted and forget to drink water, it does that for me. It helps my muscles stay relaxed and keeps my temperature regulated.”

An-nana looks doubtful. “Seriously?”

“Yes,” Cay-leb says. “I’ve been trying to tell you. These things may as well be magic. Obviously, Lovan has explained that they’re science but not a science that anyone on Earth has ever figured out and probably never would have, even without the goddamn apocalypse. Aprixians are so advanced.”

Blowing out a puff of air, he adds, “I just wish you’d realize we don’t have to suffer through sickness and stupid avoidable shit now. This isn’t the kind of help that burdens someone. They have heaps of health bands. Give Drak and me some peace of mind by wearing one. Give yourself the peace of mind.”

An-nana sniffs again, swallowing back emotions as she nods in agreement. “Okay, I’ll wear one.” She pushes back her chair to get to her feet, my hands falling from her face as she does. “Where is it?”

She is asking me, but now that my face is level with her stomach, I can not hear a thing. An orb of dark green light is illuminating her skin from underneath her shirt. Suddenly, all of the horrible moments from today seem to wash away and everything makes sense.

“What?” An-nana asks, looking back and forth between me and her brother.

Following my sight, she peers down at her stomach and gasps.

For a moment, no one speaks.

“Does that mean what I assume it means?” Cay-leb asks, breathlessly breaking the silence.

“Am I…”

“You are,” I breathe, moving my hands to touch the light. “You are carrying our child, my mate. This is his soul seed.”

I do not know that our child is male, but my instincts are telling me as such.

“I’m pregnant?” she asks, wonder lighting up her eyes. Relief washes over me when I do not sense her fear. She is happy. “And the glowing? That’s normal?”

“You are, and it is,” I confirm, grinning from ear to ear.

An-nana already knows that the glowing occurs because of some of her fellow hu-nims and their pregnancies, but she likes to be told things multiple times when she worries.

“Congratulations,” Cay-leb cheers with misty eyes. “I’m so happy for you guys.”

My mate beams at him and Pun-kin lets out a joyful yelp of sound like he is pleased, too.

“I guess it’s a good thing I came around on the health bracelet then, isn’t it?” She laughs, reaching for my hands to hold. “I would have had to put it on now anyway.”

“Yes,” I agree with a smile. “Let us put it on you to check on our young one, hmm? The band’s healing properties should help prevent your upset stomach, too.”

“Oh, fuck yeah,” An-nana exclaims. “If a little piece of alien-tech will keep me from having a day like today again, I’ll wear two.”

Amused, I get to my feet and press a kiss to her lips, followed by one to her temple. “One bracelet will be enough, I assure you, my lovely mate.”

A soft and emotional smile paints her face. “You’re still calling me lovely after how awful I was to you today. I don’t deserve you, Drak.”

“You deserve me and more,” I tell her firmly. “You are blessing our family with a child, An-nana. Some bad days will never dull the shine of the rest.”

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