Page 11 of Retribution

And even after that, not a single one of them said a damn word. Just stared at us, then the ground, then back at us. I sighed. “Tea would be nice.”

Lenin’s face lit up before he turned on his heels and disappeared, effectively avoiding the situation altogether. Michelle sighed, “Well, at least he tries.”

“We all try,” Justice said defensively, and it was true; they did try, even if they had avoidance down to a science. “We just don’t know what to say.”

“How about you dicked her down so hard that you deserve a trophy? I mean, seriously, it’s been three weeks, and I swear she’s still walking funny.” Michelle scrunched her brows for a moment as she thought. “Or maybe you just never recuperated. You have a lot of dicks after all.”

The men all looked antsy and uncomfortable, and you know what, fuck them all. Let them be uncomfortable because I sure as hell was. “The dicks never stop.”

Sterling cleared his throat, “If I recall, you beg for the dicks.”

“That is not the point,” I growled.

“Can you tell us the point?” Ellis instructed, and damn him; I could hardly look in his direction without drooling. It’s the damn suspenders, man. They made me melt, and my libido skyrocket.

“The point is, the tension between all of you is stifling. I’m only getting one dick,” All eyes glanced to Horo knowingly, “But I feel like I’m screwing all of you with all the pussyfooting happening around this joint. If you don’t talk about this soon, I’m going to lock you in the basement and wait for the fallout.”

Oak sighed. “She’s right.”

“Damn right, I’m right.” Michelle looked so proud of herself.

The doorbell rang, the sound vibrating loudly throughout the large building, echoing obnoxiously. Oak began the walk toward the door, and all but Justice followed. Oak glanced at me over his shoulder. “We’ll talk. I promise.”

“I don’t think we are going to talk,” I said more to myself than Justice.

“Nope.” He put his hands in his pocket and stared at the ground. The silence was stifling between us. I wasn’t going to push or pressure any of them. I took a few steps away, heading out toward the garden where I knew everyone had gathered before his words stopped me, “It’s a lot, you know.”

“A lot?” I wasn’t sure what he was referring to. It’s not like our time together had been uneventful.

“All of it. You know, when I got trapped. Times were different, and I’ve tried to take it all in stride and trust that you and the men won’t lead me wrong. I’ve taken your word for things, adjusted to technology, followed your lead, but the truth is, a part of me is scared.”

“Scared.” I stepped closer to him, threading my arm in his and leaning onto his shoulder, “You shouldn’t be.”

“Do you know the type of scandal a man like me getting a woman like you pregnant would have the last time I walked this earth as a man?”

“A man like you?” I paused, “You mean a shifter?”

“No. I mean me as a man and you as a woman. We would have both been shunned. Disowned. Shamed. And our child? The ridicule a biracial kid would have had? Endless.”

I was ashamed to realize that I overlooked a lot when it came to him. I didn’t think how hard it must be to wake up after sixty years to cellphones, computers, and scientific advancements. And I sure as hell didn’t know the struggle he must have felt, the insecurities, the massive change, and challenges he had missed when it came to gender roles and racial equality.

“I’m selfish,” I admitted. “Not once did I think about how hard this was for you.”

“I don’t mean to be cautious, but I am afraid to be anything else.”

I pinched his side. “The King of Shifters? Afraid? Never!”

“Terrified,” he confirmed. “It’s happened once that I know of.”

“What has happened?”

“A human and a shifter child.” He seemed hesitant. “The pregnancy lasted of a shifters span, but the baby and mother could not survive the birth.”

Yikes. No wonder my stomach was already hard and round. “Do you not think I will make it?”

“You are stronger than that human, that’s for sure. I think it will be fine. But, as for us? I don’t know how we will handle it.”

I wasn’t sure what he was referring to. “Are you boys not getting along?”

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