“Yes, it matters,” she pushed his shoulder – not like he was going anywhere. “You could be getting me pregnant right now, and I can’t even stop you. Focus!”
His eyes drifted down again. Past her tits this time, to the place where their bodies connected. From this angle, she could see him disappearing inside her. The white of his cum leaking out around her stretched entrance. His eyes darkened and she felt him pulse within her again.
“Damn it…” She panted, shivering.
He put a hand on her back and brought her back to his chest. Holding her gently. She melted against him again, snuggling in close. Needing the comfort of being held.
“If you get pregnant, then you get pregnant,” Tanin said simply.
“Just like that?”
“I always assumed there was a good chance. You human femalesarehighly fertile. Especially with alien males. It’s kind of what your species is known for.”
“And that never bothered you?”
He kissed the top of her head gently. Lingering as he rubbed his lips against her hair. Like he was luxuriating in the softness of it. “My female bearing my young? Why would that bother me? I told you: I made my choice. Now, if you never want any young, let me know now and we’ll find a way to fix that. You want a hundred young, we’ll get to work on it. I don’t care one way or another. If I only get you, that’s just fine with me. You drop a couple pups for me, and I’ll do everything in my power to take care of them. Go ahead make that choice, and I’ll go along with whatever you decide.”
“Don’t you have a preference at all?” She breathed, stunned by how serious he sounded. Like it really didn't matter one way or another. But surely he must have some opinion.
“My preference is whatever you want,” he promised. “One young, two young, eight young, no young – I’ll be happy with…”
His voice trailed off and she looked up. Did he change his mind? Did he figure out what he wanted?
But the stunned look on his face was like she just told him shewaspregnant. His arms tightened around her and he lowered his gaze, focusing on her. Eyes burning with a sudden seriousness that made her heart stutter.
“What?”
“I’ll be happy.”
“What?” She blinked.
But he was squeezing her tight, burying his face in her neck.
“I’ll be happy,” he repeated, like it was the greatest wonder he could have experienced.
It took her a second to realize that, maybe, it was. He’d come from a horrible background. A place without a lot of love or light or joy. Maybe this really was the first time he was truly happy.
She smiled, embracing him back. Letting him come to peace with that idea. Right now, that was more important.
Chapter 37
Tanin
Truly, Tanin had no opinion on having young or not. It was up to Garnet if they did or didn’t, and he would adjust himself accordingly. Of course, he’d take care of his young. He’d make sure that they never had to live the life he did. Their hands would not be stained with blood either. Like their mother, he’d keep them safe and protected in a world that couldn’t even acknowledge the kind of place he came from.
But if Garnet wanted no young, that was alright with him too. In fact, it was just as good. That meant he wouldn’t have to share her attention or her love. He could selfishly keep it all for himself.
Either way, he had what he really wanted. Something he now realized was more precious than just surviving or escaping his past.
He was happy.
Honestly, Tanin had been feeling this way for a while. It had been coming on slowly since Garnet punched her way into his life. He enjoyed spending time with her. More than that, he craved more of it. He just didn't recognize the emotion because he’d never really felt it before.
Tanin was, for what felt like the first time in his life, happy.
He wasn’t merely satisfied, he wasn’t gleeful in the wake of revenge, he wasn’t feeling successful or fulfilled. He was just happy.
Was this what the others were feeling? When Rok finally stopped having nightmares, when Sway could start eating again, when Trove stopped cutting himself, when the twins began talking to others, when Vytln settled enough to start building his trap – was this contentment what they felt? Like things were finally good. Like they could finally relax.
