Page 28

Three Weeks Later.

Prowl looked at me in alarm.

“What happened? Do you need a doctor?”

I pushed at his chest, stopping his frantic search of my body.

“You can… smell it?”

“You’re bleeding.”

I swallowed, nodding.

“Yeah. I got my period.”

I didn’t have the most regular cycles, and we had a lot going against us, but I’d still hoped.

“It’s okay, Angel,” he whispered, wiping my tears with his thumb.

“He said our chances were small.”

“He?”

“Doctor jerk-off.”

I snorted a laugh, despite my aching heart.

“I hate he was right.”

“Me too,” I whispered, letting him pull me into a hug.

“Me staying will be harder now.”

He kissed the top of my head.

“We were always going to need to fight for it. We just have more motivation now.”

“I want to ask you something, but I’m worried it’s too selfish of me.”

He gripped the back of my neck, his eyes flicking between mine.

“Anything.”

“Can you be the first volunteer?”

“For the fertility testing?”

“Yeah,” I whispered, wiping another tear.

“I don’t think I can handle feeling like this every cycle, only to find out it’s never been possible. I feel awful asking. I know how you all feel about tests?—”

“I’ll do it.”

“You will?”

“If it spares you this? Yes.”

I lifted onto my toes, pulling him down for a kiss.

“Thank you.”

“Do you want to take your birth control pills until we know the answer?”

“Is that okay?”

“Whatever you need.”

“Are you upset with me?”

“Why would I be upset? This isn’t your fault, and I don’t want you feeling like this if you don’t have to.” The immediate frown on his face backed up his words.

But it stayed instead of melting away.

“Please talk to me,” I whispered, reaching up to touch his jaw.

“I need you to be honest with me about this. This kind of thing can break people, and I love you too much to risk us because we didn’t want to hurt each other with how we’re feeling.”

He sighed.

“I’m worried you’ll choose to leave if I can’t give you a family.”

“That’s not gonna happen, big guy. I won’t lie and say it’s not what I want, because I want everything with you. But the most important part of that picture is you.

“If it can only be the two of us, then that’s what it’ll be.

A part of me will be sad, but it’ll never be more than the happiness of us being together.

”

He pressed his forehead to mine.

“I love you so damn much.”

“I love you too, Prowl.”

The door alert sounded.

“Ugh. If I never hear that sound again, it’ll be too soon.”

He gave my forehead another kiss and stepped aside, looking at the guard who’d entered.

“Lara needs you,” he said, looking at Prowl.

“King’s taken an unwilling female into the Wild Zone and is keeping her hostage.”

“What?”

“How do you know she’s unwilling?” Prowl asked.

“It’s Kara.”

He grabbed my hand, already moving for the door.

“There’s a cart outside. They’ll fill you in on the drive.”

“Thanks,” he called over his shoulder.

“What the hell happened to make King abduct someone? And Kara, of all people!”

Prowl shook his head.

“I don’t know. But we’re about to find out.”