Page 31 of Accept Me (Fate’s Choice #4)

There was silence for a moment. Star was motionless, his eyes locked on mine in shock.

"What?"

I smiled and brushed a lock of hair from his forehead.

"Your scent has changed, you’re pregnant."

"How?" he finally managed to say.

"Well… your scent gained a vanilla tone; I know that aroma well."

"But… how did this even happen? I wasn’t with anyone… and we, well…"

I smiled gently.

"I don’t know either. But one thing is certain: even though it’s unexpected, it’s incredibly joyful. I’ve been buzzing with happiness since morning, waiting for you to wake up."

Star looked like he was in deep shock. "But I didn’t even have any other heat! I shouldn’t have been able to get pregnant," he said with a dazed expression.

I went silent for a moment, unease crept into my heart. I had expected a more positive reaction from him, but right now, panic was taking over. "It’s hard to say anything for sure, some things have to remain a mystery."

But Star shook his head, his face showing that he was desperately searching for an answer, trying to get to it right now.

"About a year and a half ago, I had a few days when I felt strange… but soon after, Dino found out I was working in a club. I went into such a state of shock that whatever was starting in my body… stopped. Just like now."

I kissed his forehead lightly.

"Star… it’s okay. Maybe you’re one of those omegas whose hormonal system is extremely sensitive to stress and nerves. But maybe your womb had already enlarged and matured enough back then, and even those few days were enough to set the process in motion."

Star squeezed his eyes shut, his whole body tense like a drawn bowstring. Wanting to soothe him, I gently slid my hands down from his cheeks to his neck, then to his back.

"How do you feel about this, Star? I want you to know I have no doubts, if that’s what you’re most worried about right now."

I knew instantly I’d hit the right point, Star was afraid I’d think I had bought a contract with a so-called ‘surprise’.

"I haven’t been with anyone for three years, you’re the father," he whispered…

"I know, Star. That’s why I’m asking how you feel about it. You already know my position, but what matters is what you think."

"I want to know exactly what you think first. Say it again, I need to hear it one more time…"

I took a deep breath.

"For me, it’s wonderful news, Star. Don’t have any doubts about that. I know we only just met, I know we’re surrounded by all this chaos… but I want to believe this is the light that will guide us, that we’ll both finally find joy and a safe harbor."

Unfortunately, I could feel fear and stress quickly building in his body. I pulled him closer, pressing him against me so he could draw a bit of calm and hope from my body, from my energy.

It actually seemed to help, the strong wave of stress that had started to rise in him slowed and seemed to dissolve into my own system.

It was strange how clearly I could feel him now, almost as if he were an extension of my own body.

Standing in such a tight embrace allowed our Bond to work more efficiently, letting us draw strength from each other.

I knew Star badly needed stabilizing energy right now.

His emotions were swirling wildly in his head and he pressed his forehead against my shoulder

This was such a big, overwhelming event for him… I heard a faint sob escape his chest, as I stroked his head and back in soothing motions, but the sob didn’t turn into crying. Instead, Star took a deep breath and whispered,

"It’s a lot… so much has happened."

"Everything will work out, Star. I promised you that, and I intend to keep my word," I said calmly but firmly.

Star lifted his eyes to me again, they were moist and slightly red.

"There are things you can’t promise, Hunter… not everything is in our control."

I felt my jaw muscles tense, but I forced a smile.

"But you can prevent a lot of things if you know what to do."

I knew he wasn’t entirely sure what I meant, but I also sensed in him a growing need to simply trust my reassurance.

"But I still don’t know, Star… are you ready for this child? I need to know, because if you’re not—"

Star hit me lightly on the chest with both open palms and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Don’t even finish that! I’ve always wanted to have children! That’s one of the reasons I went to that damn fair, I wanted to start a family!"

"This soon?"

He looked me straight in the eyes. "Is this too soon for you?"

"Star, I’m thirty-six, and I’ve already had one child on the way before, so the decision to have kids was made a long time ago for me.

I’m ready. But I’m asking you because you’re twenty-two, and we’ve only just started our relationship.

I want to know you’re entering this with full awareness.

For me, it’s only a positive thing, of course there will be challenges, but I believe we’ll handle them, because we’re… fated!"

"I want this too! Don’t even think otherwise!

The only thing that scares me in all this is the chaos from the past few days, and this strange fear, this general uncertainty.

It feels like Fate has thrown us into a whirlwind where there was no space to think about a family.

That’s why it hit me so hard… I keep asking myself, is this possible? It just feels unreal…"

I smiled and gently ran my fingers over his hair. He stared at me, standing in full light; his dark navy eyes seemed to have a brighter shade, with a delicate dark sapphire hue.

"Nothing happens without a reason… at least that’s what I believe."

In the doorway leading to the living room, I noticed Norman’s figure. He was holding an electric mop. He looked at us with curiosity but quickly backed away.

"Let's sit down," I pulled Star by the hand, and we sank onto the loungers out on the patio.

"Looks like we're about to become a real family." Star spoke softly, almost as if talking to himself. He lifted his gaze to the sky, stared at the blue for a moment, then glanced at me.

"You know, I don't have a family. No one I could call to tell…

to share this news, to share the joy," he said, a vertical frown forming between his brows.

"My dad's brothers never accepted the fact that after their father died, my granddad had a brief relationship with another man, and from that relationship my dad was born.

They hated each other. I have no relationship with them. "

"I'm sorry to hear that," I murmured, playing with his fingers.

"And you? Do you…"

"You know, my situation isn't much different. I don't really have anyone close either. Except you now."

Star studied me for a moment. I had never told him anything about my family. It just never came up. Maybe now was the right moment, since we were about to bring a child into the world.

"My parents died in a fire soon after I left for my first military mission. My only brother, Nathaniel, was badly burned. Uncle Aiden and Uncle Lake, you know, Storm’s parents, took him in and practically raised him, since he was only fourteen and a half at the time.

I always had the feeling Nathaniel resented me for not leaving the military back then to take care of him.

And maybe I should have. But it was a very hard situation for me, because Nathaniel never liked Olaf.

He accused him of things, thought Olaf was selfish.

He hated that I had joined the military mostly because Olaf had this dream of becoming a field doctor, and I had given up my own career in witness protection.

At the time of the accident, we were just starting out, it was our first mission.

I felt terrible leaving my brother in our uncles’ care instead of taking him in myself.

I was like I had chosen Olaf over Nathaniel.

And I'm sure he saw it that way too, which is fair.

Since then, our relationship has been very distant.

I saw him only occasionally… I don't even know if he’d be interested in my life now. "

Star looked at me intently.

"You're still family. That means something."

"Well, our relationship is very formal. It's more like we're cousins. And for Nathaniel, Uncle Aiden's family feels closer. He gets along really well with Storm, they're good friends. I'm more like a distant relative."

"Still, I believe he'll be happy for you. Time has passed, and people change. Were you close before the accident?"

I shrugged lightly.

"Yeah, we were quite close. We're over twelve years apart in age, so I treated him like my little brother and he looked up to me. But when I started dating Olaf, we grew apart."

"Maybe it's time you reached out to him and tried to rebuild that relationship," Star said quietly. "I have no one, so Nathaniel is the only close relative we have. He'll be our child's closest uncle."

I hesitated for a moment. I knew how important it was for Star to have family. He had been deprived of it for years, forced to make decisions alone, lost, isolated… I felt a strong urge to follow the impulse he had just given me.

"You know… maybe you're right. This is a good time. Yeah."

I glanced at my phone screen and typed a spontaneous text.

"Hey bro, how’s it going? A lot has changed for me."

Then I showed Star the message. He smiled broadly. "That's a good start!"

Just then Norman appeared in the doorway again, holding two mugs of tea. I knew he was desperately looking for an excuse to join us on the patio.

"Maybe you’d like some tea?" he said with a wide smile.

"Thank you," Star replied.

We took the mugs.

Norman looked at me, then at Star, bit his lip, and I could tell he was wrestling with something.

Finally he muttered, "I just wanted to say that before I retired, I worked in a preschool. So if you ever need any extra help, like babysitting or something, I’m offering my services."

A flush spread across Star’s cheeks. He lowered his face, hiding it in the mug.

I answered, "Thank you, Norman. We’ll definitely keep that in mind."

◆◆◆

Saturday passed with Star and me spending most of the time in bed. Our sex life had shifted somehow, or maybe it had simply become what it was always meant to be: more tender and at the same time more… relaxed.

There were moments when I would just come up to him, wrap my arms around him, and that’s how things would start.

Sometimes it was Star sitting down beside me, and somehow, from a look to a touch, we’d end up in bed.

But I can’t say I was able to focus entirely on our budding relationship, because in the back of my mind, my conversation with Van kept coming back.

My thoughts, chaotic and scattered at first, slowly began to form a plan. Dark. Dangerous. And I was aware I might not have much time to carry it out. I just knew it had to be me who made the move. Before he could make his.

I also believed I shouldn’t leave Star alone. And what I had to do meant being gone the entire day or more.

I hesitated for a while, then decided the best option was to have Veyron handle it.

When Star was busy nesting, which he now seemed to do with great passion and dedication, I snuck out to the patio and called my cousin.

"Listen, Vey, could I ask you for a favor? I need to go somewhere for the whole day, but I can’t leave Star home alone for many reasons. One is that Star’s pregnant, and the other is that he might be in danger."

After he congratulated me, I briefly explained to him that Star’s ex-boyfriend had gone wild and I had to tie up some loose ends. "So… I’d like an alpha with at least minimal martial arts training to be with him."

Veyron took it surprisingly well.

"Star can come to the yacht. As it happens, there’ll be someone on board with much more martial arts training than me!"

I hesitated. "You’re hosting someone?"

"But I told you about this last week. Our famous cousin, Bay."

I was floored. I’d never had any real relationship with Bay. I’d always been irritated by his strange sense of superiority and tense, aggressive energy.

"You’re kidding. Bay has any training? I’ve never heard of that. Gabriel was always the family martial arts star!"

"Weird, right? I found out by accident. I had trouble with some guys at the marina who would break into boats and steal. The marina security couldn’t handle them. While staying at Uncle Aiden’s, I mentioned it, and Bay said if I knew who they were, he had his ways…"

I listened to Veyron with growing fascination. This was certainly interesting news.

"I didn’t know what he meant, but I told him fine, I’d take any help I could get.

The next weekend Bay came over. I explained the details of the situation to him, and we also went to the marina office to check on the progress in dealing with these guys.

Just as I suspected, they were local punks who drank regularly at one of the nearby taverns.

I didn’t know what to do with that info, but as luck would have it, when we were heading back to the yacht, we ran into that group near one of the boats.

The boat’s owner was trying to make a citizen’s arrest, and they started beating him.

Then Bay stepped in, and I’m telling you…

I’ve never seen anything like it outside of movies.

It took him a few seconds to turn four guys into a pile of wreckage. "

My jaw was practically on the floor.

"You’re telling me this guy’s a singer and he has combat training? What the hell?"

"I’m serious. My mind was blown. I just stood there useless, my three years of jiu-jitsu were no help. He took them all out himself, and told them in a tone you’d never want directed at you that if they ever came back to the marina, he’d find them, and they’d have a very different conversation."

"Holy shit, wow…"

"And get this, all the break-ins stopped. It’s been a whole year now, and it’s been peaceful here.

So yeah, total shock. But since then, feeling grateful, I’ve invited him over from time to time because he likes just sitting and staring at the sea.

He can sit there for two or three hours, totally still. Strange guy. He’s coming tomorrow."

"Well, you’ve actually made me feel a lot better. At least I know Star will be even more safe!"

"For sure. I was tempted to ask him when he practiced, but there’s something about him… a kind of abyss. You just feel you shouldn’t push him."

"Mysteries, mysteries. Anyway, I’ll bring Star over tomorrow, I’m even more calm knowing you both can handle any danger."

"Okay. Do what you think is right for his safety. I’ll see you both tomorrow."