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  “I’m not saying anything,” Liv repeated. “Just wait.”

  The time seemed to crawl, and Lauren swore that the five minutes Sylvan had asked her for had turned into five days or possibly five years. But just as she couldn’t take it anymore and was about to grab her cousin and demand an explanation, Sylvan came back inside the room. Olivia looked at him and he nodded once, a small smile on his lips.

  “I was right then?” she asked.

  Sylvan nodded again. “You’re quite the diagnostician, mate-of-my-kin.”

  “Right about what?” Lauren nearly yelled. “Come on, you guys, I’m dying over here. Well, not literally, I mean…that is, I hope,” she added, feeling suddenly uncertain. “But I—”

  Olivia laughed. “You’re not dying, Lauren. You’re pregnant. Sylvan, show her.”

  With a smile, Sylvan produced a small, perfectly formed pink flower and handed it to Lauren who took it and stared at it. She’d heard about the Kindred pregnancy test from her cousins and Kat but the results were almost always a blue flower. A pink flower meant…

  “A little girl! Oh my God, you’re going to have a little girl!” Kat yelled. With a squeal of excitement, she rushed to hug Lauren who accepted the gesture and then hugged her friend back as the reality of the situation began to sink in.

  “A little girl,” she whispered. “I didn’t…didn’t think it was possible. Not after Xairn lost the human DNA he had from me when he went back to the Fathership that last time.”

  “Enough of it must have remained to make pregnancy possible.” Sylvan smiled. “Congratulations, Lauren, Xairn. In about a year you’re going to be parents.”

  “And you’re only a quadmester or two behind me.” Liv grinned. “My little boy and your little girl will grow up together.”

  Sophia spoke up suddenly. “It’s the prophecy,” she said, her face strained and white. “The one the AllFather was hunting Liv and me for in the first place. It said that a female would come who would regenerate their race by having girls—isn’t that right?”

  “That’s right.” Xairn nodded slowly and Lauren couldn’t help noticing that his face was paper-pale as well. “The prophecy has come true. My female…my female is with child. I am going to be a…a…” He shook his head, clearly unable to finish.

  “Honey?” Lauren said anxiously, looking up at him. “Are you all right?”

  “I…I’m fine.” He took a single, weaving step toward the door and then another. “I just can’t believe…I…I need some air.” He opened the door and was halfway out before he wobbled and his knees crumpled.

  “Oh my God, catch him!” Kat shouted at the same time Liv yelled,

  “He’s going down!”

  Unfortunately, none of them but Sylvan was close enough in size to catch the huge Scourge warrior without being completely flattened. And Sylvan was on the other side of the room. He ran to catch Xairn but Lauren could see he wasn’t going to be in time.

  “Oh, no!” she gasped, hoping her man wouldn’t fall flat on his face and break his nose. “Xairn, honey!”

  But disaster was averted at the last moment by the biggest, scariest looking male Lauren had ever seen. He appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and caught her man under the armpits just before Xairn hit the floor.

  “So this is the Scourge who helped defeat the AllFather,” he rumbled, turning to Sylvan. “Where do you want him?”

  There was shocked silence for a moment and then Sylvan smiled. “I’ll have another cot brought in until he recovers,” he said, leaving the room. “Thank you Merrick—good catch.”

  “A very good catch.” Olivia looked at him with one eyebrow raised. “You must be Sylvan’s friend, the one we were expecting for the bonding ceremony.”

  “Yes.” He nodded and Lauren noticed that he had mismatched eyes—one bright blue and the other gleaming gold—and fangs like a Blood Kindred. A long, crooked scar bisected one side of his face, adding to his frightening appearance. But it was his size and strength she couldn’t get over. He was still supporting Xairn’s full weight without the least sign of any effort and his shoulders completely filled the doorway. Good Lord, he’s big! Even bigger than the Kindred and the Scourge, she thought wonderingly. I’ve never seen anyone that tall outside the pro Basketball circuit and none of them are nearly as massive as he is. How the hell did he get like that?

  “It’s very nice to meet you, I’m Sylvan’s wife.” Sophia nodded politely at the stranger holding Xairn, but Lauren thought she had a troubled, strained expression on her face. “Don’t worry about the ceremony, it went perfectly well without you.” She blushed. “Oh, no offense.”

  Merrick’s mismatched eyes flashed. “None taken,” he rumbled.

  Sophia’s cheeks went pink. “I…I mean, not that we didn’t want to have you in it because we did, very much! But we were still okay and…and…” She shook her head. “Could you excuse me, please?”

  “Sophie?” Kat touched her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, womb mate—what’s going on?” Liv asked.

  “Nothing. I’m fine.” Sophia nodded briskly but Lauren saw that her big green eyes were suddenly filled with tears. “I’m fine,” she repeated, even though it was clearly untrue. She took a long look at the pink flower in Lauren’s hand and then nodded. “Congratulations again, cousin. I’ll see you later.”

  With a stifled sob, she slipped out the doorway, leaving Lauren to wonder what in the world could be wrong.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “They’re going to what?” Rast demanded.

  “Shhh!” Nadiah put a finger to her lips as she handed him the steaming hot bowl she’d brought for his dinner. “Not so loud. This is a public area—anyone could be listening.” She looked around the grove of snow flower trees as though an army of spies was hiding behind their slender, pale trunks.

  “Tell me again,” he growled. “Tell me what your slimy fiancée and his parents and your parents are up to.”

  “They’re going to try and fix the challenges.” Nadiah looked miserable. “It’s completely unacceptable, I know, but there’s nothing we can do about it.”

  “How about if we confront them with it—tell them we know what they’re doing?” Rast said.

  “And get Lydiah in trouble?” Nadiah put a hand to her hip. “She risked everything to tell me what she heard, Rast. She could be severely punished or even lose her own chance to be bonded if her parents decide to declare her rebellious and unbondable.”

  “All right, all right,” he muttered, picking up the carved wooden spoon she’d provided with the bowl. He poked morosely at the steaming mass of gray pudding that was his dinner. “I don’t want to get your friend in trouble but I don’t see what else we can do. I’m already playing against a stacked deck here.”

  Nadiah bit her lip. “You could…could withdraw from the challenge, if you want,” she offered in a small voice. “I know it isn’t fair to ask you to do this, especially when you don’t even really care for me in a romantic way.”

  “Don’t care for you? I l—” Rast stopped himself abruptly. “I mean, I like you just fine, sweetheart. And you deserve someone who isn’t going to cut and run when things get a little tough.” He put down the spoon and took her hand in his. “I’m not quitting—no matter what.”

  Nadiah looked relieved. “Thank you, Rast. Thank you so much.”

  “Anything for the sweet little lady who brings me oatmeal for dinner.” Rast picked up the spoon again and took a big bite…then nearly spit it out. He took a quick look at Nadiah and swallowed with difficulty. “That tastes like…like raw liver or something. What the hell is it?”

  “Steamed vorteg brains.” Nadiah looked at him anxiously. “Is it still too hot to eat?”

  “A vorteg? Isn’t that the animal that looks like a cross between a snake and a spider?”

  She looked at him, surprised. “Why yes, I guess it does look like a mixture of those two Earth animals. Have you been studying my planet’s fau