by Sky Winters
"Where did you two run off to?"
The moment now shattered, Corvo and Grace took their hands off one another and turned toward the voice. Sure enough, it was Marlon.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "Is there danger?"
"There was danger," said Corvo, his voice stern. "Wolves were here, probably for Grace."
"That's…awful," said Marlon. "Where are they now? It doesn't look like you captured either of them.
"One dead, one gone," said Corvo, dusting off his pants.
"Good," said Marlon, relief washing over his expression.
"'Good'?" asked Corvo. "It's a fuck-up. I needed one of them alive for a lead on who's behind this."
Marlon stammered for a moment.
"I mean, good that neither of you was hurt," he said, an awkward smile breaking out across his face. "Good that you're both…okay."
Corvo didn't like his tone. Something about it seemed off to him. But he put the matter out of his mind as he returned to the issue at hand.
"We gotta go, now," he said. "Can't be here when the cops start poking around."
The three of them hurried off the roof and down the stairs, suspicions lingering in Corvo's mind.
***
"Two wolves?" asked Thorne, the image in the tablet screen skipping slightly.
"Two," said Corvo, walking back and forth on the balcony, the tablet held out in front of him. "And they made a bold fucking move trying to pick her up in public like that."
"Probably tracking her until they could get her alone," said Thorne. "Lucky you knew to stay alert."
"Yeah, lucky," said Corvo. "But know what they say about luck in situations like this – I gotta be lucky every time, they just gotta get lucky once."
Thorne nodded grimly.
"Then you need to get to the bottom of this, ASAP. Any leads?"
Right at that moment, Marlon's face appeared in Corvo's mind. As much as he wanted to dismiss the idea, he couldn't help but think about just how strange he was acting on the rooftop. Corvo put it out of his mind for now, however – he realized he didn't have anything solid, and it very well could've just been his dislike of the kid factoring into things.
"Nope," said Corvo. "One dead wolf, the other flew the coop."
"Then you know your next objective," said Thorne. "Keep me posted, and don't hesitate to call for backup if you need it."
"Got it, boss," said Corvo.
Then the screen flicked off, and Corvo was alone.
He tossed the tablet onto the nearby table and turned toward the sweep of the city. He'd spend the last hour going over the incident with Cassius in detail, and was torn between the need to and the urge to tear off onto the city streets and not rest until he found out just who was threatening Grace.
"Hey," came a soft voice from behind him.
Corvo turned his head and spotted Grace approaching. Her demeanor was soft and delicate – not a trace of her usual brattiness.
"You doing okay?" asked Corvo.
"Yeah," said Grace, stepping to his side and turning her eyes toward the city. "Kind of coming back to normal."
"Shouldn't have let things get that far," said Corvo, shaking his head slightly. "Shouldn't have even let those assholes leave the restaurant."
"Can't be all bad," said Grace, a charming half-smile forming on her full lips. "I'm still alive, right?"
Corvo knew she was right.
"Just don't want any more close calls like that. And I still gotta get to the bottom of just who's behind this. So it's like I have to play offense and defense at the same time."
He snorted, realizing that Grace didn't need the behind-the-scenes.
"But it'll be fine," he said. "Someone's gotta keep that sexy ass of yours out of trouble."
Grace smiled sensually.
"There's only one man I trust with this ass right now," she said, slipping her thumbs into Corvo's pockets.
"And I intend to take extra special care of it."
"I know you will."
Corvo leaned in and kissed Grace deeply. Then, realizing that Cassius and Sophia were just in the other room, he pulled himself apart from Grace.
"Gotta be mindful of the parents," he said.
"Good call," said Grace. "That's about the last thing we need."
"And I should be getting to bed," said Corvo. "Got a long day ahead of me tomorrow."
"Maybe I'll visit you in the night," said Grace, another smile on her lips. "Give you a little midnight surprise."
"That'd make for some nice dreams," said Corvo.
Corvo then stepped into the apartment and headed to his room. Once there, he stripped off his clothes and fell onto the bed, right into a deep sleep.
***
The explosion in his dream was so real that he swore he could feel the heat on his skin. As he snapped awake, sitting up with a quick motion, he placed his hands over his body and confirmed that he was, in fact, in bed.
"You okay?"
Corvo looked over and saw that Grace had slipped into bed next to him. She wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing, and the covers were pulled up just enough to cover her breasts. Closing his eyes, the images from the dream appeared in his thoughts. He remembered the warehouse, the explosion, the last sight of Emily as the door shut behind him. It was a familiar dream to him, but the pain it'd bring was always fresh.
"Yeah," said Corvo. "Just restless."
Corvo didn't want to bring Grace into his pain; he wanted her to feel safe and secure, not to make her play therapist as he recounted his trauma.
"I think I know just the thing to help you relax," said Grace, her hand slipping down under the sheets and wrapping around Corvo's cock.
Corvo smirked, the urge to make love gripping him. But as they fell into their kiss, he couldn't help but wonder if he'd be able to protect her, if he'd be able to succeed where he'd failed so bitterly once before.
CHAPTER 6
One week later…
Grace awoke to a feeling of intense nausea in the pit of her belly. Her stomach felt like a roiling ocean, the acids and foods inside of her sloshing and mixing together in a wild torrent, the feeling so unpleasant that she burst out of bed and rushed to her bathroom without even thinking about it. Dropping to her knees in front of the toilet, she vomited.
After a bit of retching, Grace felt a little bit better. She sat back on her legs, taking in slow breaths as her stomach calmed. She wondered if she was getting sick – after all, this had been the third bout of this strange nausea in as many days. Grace had chalked it up to something she'd eaten, but with it still happening, she realized it wasn't something she could ignore any longer.
"Morning, darling," said Cassius as Grace walked into the kitchen.
"Morning," she said to her parents.
Glancing out onto the balcony, she saw that Corvo was, as usual, taking his coffee outside. Part of her felt compelled to tell him about the nausea for some reason, but she pushed that urge aside.
"I think I need to see a doctor," said Grace, leaning back against the kitchen counter.
Cassius looked up.
"What?" he asked. "Why?"
"Just been feeling a little sick to my stomach recently," said Grace. "Probably nothing, but I just want to make sure."
Sophia narrowed her eyes in skepticism.
"This sounds a little like an ‘I'm too sick to go to school' excuse in the making," she said.
Cassius snorted.
"If you think that you're going to get out of the commitment ceremony with Marlon by claiming sick, then you've got another thing coming, little miss," said Cassius.
The commitment ceremony – Grace realized then and there that she'd managed to get through the morning without thinking about it once. And now that she was, it brought a new, fresh wave of nausea to her stomach, though this one was more rooted in disgust than sickness.
After the incident with the wolves, Grace and Marlon's families made the decision to hurry along with getting the two of them to
gether. The first step of this process was the traditional commitment ceremony which would bind them together in the eyes of the shifter community. It wasn't a legal marriage –all the necessary paperwork and the official wedding would come later- but in the eyes of everyone they knew, it was as good as one. Grace couldn't believe that both families had been so eager to rush into this. Typically, commitment ceremony planning took the better part of a year. But she realized that with wealthy families like hers and Marlon's, there was more than enough money to go around to hurry the process.
"It's not that," said Grace. "I just feel like I'm coming down with something."
"Fine," said Cassius. "I'll make an appointment for you with Dr. Hartford for this afternoon. If only so you don't have this excuse to fall back on."
"I don't know why you're so hesitant to go through with this," said Sophia. "Marlon's a perfectly nice young man."
"This is just all happening so fast," said Grace. "Why do I need to be committed to him so soon? Can't this wait?"
"We've been over this, darling," said Cassius. "Once you two are committed then you'll be a part of his family, and they can take you under their protection. The Yorks have more money than even we do, and will have no problem spending whatever it takes to get to the bottom of who's been trying to kidnap you."
"Not to mention, it's far better to do all of this now than later," said Sophia. "Who knows how things are going to be looking with the wolf clans in a few months; things might be too chaotic for even commitment ceremonies."
Grace understood that there was a certain sort of logic to what her parents had planned. That didn't mean she had to like it, however.
"Go let Corvo know that he'll be escorting you out later," said Cassius. "And I'll make the appointment."
Grace hurried out of the kitchen and onto the balcony.
"Lucky you can have your mornings to yourself," said Grace, stepping out into the fresh air. "And not have them be about your future getting planned out for you."
"They're really pushing the ceremony up to this weekend?" asked Corvo. "You wolves sure don't mess around when it comes to getting hitched."
Grace's eyes drifted over Corvo as he sat at the small, round table, a steaming cup of coffee in front of him. There was a longing in her heart; she long realized that there was more going on between her and Corvo than a mere physical attraction. The feelings that she'd had for him had taken her by surprise, but she knew now that there was no point in thinking about them any further. Soon, she'd be paired off with Marlon and Corvo would be sent back to his mercenary group, and that would be that.
"Not when there's a catch like Marlon for me to get hooked up with," said Grace, taking a seat across from Corvo.
A sly smile forming on her lips, she reached under the table and grabbed Corvo's package. His gorgeous green eyes went wide and his hand shot to hers. Rather than move it away, however, he held it here for a moment, letting Grace drag her fingers over the denim-clad outline of his thick prick.
"Okay," said Corvo, finally pushing her hand aside. "I don't feel like getting tossed down onto Columbus Avenue by your father, so let's keep that in check for now."
"Gotta get it while the gettin's good," said Grace. "Not long before this little mission of yours is over."
She meant it to be playful, but sadness took hold of her as she spoke the words.
"Anyway," she said, quickly removing her hand. "I have a doctor's appointment later."
"Noted," said Corvo. "You feeling okay?"
"Just...making sure I don't have anything severe."
Corvo narrowed his eyes slightly, making it clear he knew that there was more to the story. But he didn't pry.
Hours later, the two of them were walking through Central Park, enjoying the sunny afternoon as they made their way to the doctor's. Once they arrived at the brick walk-up, Corvo headed inside to scope the place out, returning a few moments later to take position by the front doors.
"All clear," he said, his face serious.
Grace gave him a playful salute before heading into the office. After checking in, she was soon in the examination room of Dr. Hartford, one of the most trusted shifter doctors in the city. He was a middle-aged, gray-haired man with a soft face, and after discussing her symptoms, he posed to her a question that she wasn't expecting.
"Have you been sexually active, Grace?" he asked.
Very, very much so. This is how Grace knew she ought to answer, that is. But she thought better of it.
"Um, are you going to tell my parents about this?" she asked.
"This is just between you and me."
"Then yes," she said.
Dr. Hartford chuckled.
"You and Marlon haven't been wasting any time getting to it, then," he said. "I don't blame you. When I was your age, my wife and I-"
"It hasn't been with Marlon," said Grace, the words shooting out.
"Oh, boy," said Dr. Hartford. "Then we don’t have any time to spare. Let's do some quick blood work."
"Why?" asked Grace. "What do you think it is?"
"Bloodwork first," said Dr. Hartford. "I don't want to speculate."
A nurse entered and took a small bit of blood from Grace. Anxiety welled in her stomach as she wondered just what Dr. Hartford had on his mind. The two left, leaving Grace alone for several long minutes. After around a half-hour of waiting, Dr. Hartford returned to the room, a manila folder in his hands and a grave expression on his face.
"I suppose some congratulations are in order," he said.
Grace knew right then and there what he meant. But she didn't want to believe it. The walls of the office began to spin around her, and she felt as though she might faint at any moment.
"How, um, what, er, who-"
"I think you know how," said Dr. Hartford with a coy smile. "And as far as ‘who'…I suppose the first question would be if you know any dragons."
Grace nodded slowly, Corvo appearing in her mind's eye.
"So, I'll just say it officially: You're pregnant, Grace. And you're pregnant with a half-dragon, half-wolf child. Do you know what that means?"
"It means…I'm about to be disowned by my family," she said, feeling the color drain from her face.
"Well, I can't speak on that, but one thing I can say for sure is that this pregnancy is moving along very, very quickly. Let's do an ultrasound and I can show you what I mean."
Grace was led into another small room where an ultrasound device had been prepped. Getting her onto the table and coating her bare belly in cool gel, the process began.
"There," said Dr. Hartford, gesturing to a small, human-shaped being on the black-and-white screen. "That's him."
Grace was shocked to see just how far along it was. She could already make the beginnings of hands and feet.
"How is that even possible?" she asked. "We've only been sleeping together for a couple of weeks!"
"Hybrid vigor, you might call it," he said. "And the dragon blood. It can cause pregnancies to develop much, much faster than usual. You've only been pregnant for about ten days, but the child's already about two months along.
"This is crazy," she said. "That means I'm going to be giving birth in a couple of months."
"That's right. And if I could make a suggestion, I think you should let your parents know sooner than later. You're going to be showing here in the next few weeks; better they find out from you, in my experience."
The rest of the appointment was a blur. By the time Grace was back out onto the sidewalk, she felt like she might pass out right then and there. Corvo sensed something was wrong, and rushed to her side, slipping his arm around her waist and holding her up. In Corvo's grasp, she felt safer and calmer instantly. At that moment, there wasn't anywhere else she wanted to be.
"We need to get you home," he said. "You look totally wiped."
"No," she said. "Dr. Hartford just said that I've been under a lot of stress. Told me that being cooped up in the apartment would only make things worse."
She didn't like to lie, but Grace knew there was some truth to what she said – being in the apartment and going over what she'd just learned in her mind again and again would only make her more of a wreck.
"Then let's get your mind off all this," Corvo said. "Your parents are out for the night, so what do you say to a little night on the town? My treat?"
Grace nodded. Nothing sounded better.
"Then let's do it."
The two of them took a long walk down to Hell's Kitchen where the Silver Talons headquarters was located.
"What are we doing here?" asked Grace, looking over the three-story building of gray stone.
"Just picking something up. Wait here."
Corvo ducked into the building. Moments later, a small garage opened up, the roar of an engine sounding from within. Corvo then emerged on the back of a massive motorcycle of gleaming chrome and black trim. He pulled up to her side, handed her a helmet, and gestured for her to hop on.
Corvo drove through the city streets, taking the scenic routes whenever possible. They went up and down the length of the island, along the waterfront where the roads were clear and the views were lovely. Grace rested her head on the cool leather of the jacket Corvo wore, a small smile of contentment on her face.
The evening soon came along, the lights of the city slowly coming to life. They stopped at a small bistro in Harlem, a place that Corvo insisted was the best burger in the city. There, they ate and talked, Corvo regaling her with stories of his life as a mercenary, complete with embarrassing stories about the rest of the team. Though she sensed there was something important that he was glossing over, Grace didn't want to pry – she was just happy that he was so easily taking her mind off of everything.
"Now what?" asked Grace as they stepped out onto the evening streets of Harlem.
"Got something I want you to see."
They got back on the bike and Corvo took off. This time, they traveled through the Lincoln Tunnel and into Jersey, the city soon disappearing behind them. After a while, they arrived in a secluded, forested area, the road narrow and winding. Finally, Corvo brought the bike to a stop atop a large hill. He killed the engine, and the sort of silence Grace never heard in the city came over them.
