Page 29 of His Human Rebel
I glance over at Lucy and Mica, who are staring at me with mouths wide open. They are literally the only ones in the room who didn’t know because I'm not showing yet, obviously.
I look at both now as I talk. “I had a one-night stand that I did not expect to be anything. The biological father of my baby is not around and never will be. I am about three months along.”
“So, it's fully human,” Mica blurts out. “Your baby is fully human. And it won't be…” She glances over at Rake.
“Yes, I am carrying a fully human baby. If Rake decides to stay with me, he is not the biological father.”
Rakes parents both look at him with confused expressions.
“Both Stella and her child are mine.” Rake says firmly. “Stella is human and does not understand, she can’t help but still apply human motives to what I tell her. I am adopting this child. This child is mine. And when we go to the courthouse, this human infant will be a Flagstone and raised as if it were mine.”
His father nods. “Good.” He waves a claw at me. “Continue.”
“When they found out I was pregnant out of wedlock, which is illegal in that town, they were then allowed under their law to make sure I got married. I was fired from my teaching position and kicked out of my apartment and everything packed and sent to my mother. Then they immediately set me up with this mail-order bride service and the next thing I know I'm here.”
“Oh wow,” Lucy exclaims. “That's pretty nutty.”
“I agree,” growls Erid. “It is entirely inappropriate and should in fact be illegal.”
“Thank you, of course I thought it was wrong too. But the real problem here is what has happened to Rake because of my being forced to arrive here against my will. Rake thought he’d purchased a real mail-order bride who really wanted to marry someone and was looking for a change, ready to arrive and work hard. Someone who wanted to start a family too right away. I feel bad because I feel like he’s getting a bad deal. I am obviously already carrying a baby that isn’t of his species. And I was sort of shoved onto a disk and then I'm here. And to be truthful I have my own accounts and I don’t really need to stay. If I could get access to my currency I could pay for my own trip back to New Earth and maybe he could get a refund.”
I glance over at Rake and see a muscle twitch in his jaw. Gray smoke puffs from his nostrils. Uh oh.
“I’m just trying to be honest. I want what’s best for Rake. And if I’m not what’s best then I don’t have to stay.”
“I understand your worries,” his mother says, “but the problem with what you're saying is that you arrived and learned that you are attracted to my son and want to be his mate now that you've met him.”
I look at her with surprise.
She taps her nose. “I can scent how you feel about him.”
Mica laughs. “It happens to me too. You just get used to it.”
“Son, what are you going to do about this?” his father questions with a deep voice of authority.
“I met Stella and soon after realized that she was my future bound,” Rake answers. “I’ve already explained that I consider both mine.” He turns to meet my gaze. “You have already told me all your concerns about wanting me to have the ability of a refund and I explained that I don’t want that. I want you and the child you carry, if you’ll have me.” He looks back at his parents and then around at the table. “I have one moon cycle to talk this female into staying and walking with me to the courthouse.”
Sten lets out a snort. “I think that’s the most I’ve heard Rake speak at a family meeting in the last five years. I like her simply because she makes him livelier. She must truly be his future bound. I understand why he would take on a female not of our species, who carries a child already that he will have to adopt. He’d only think that way for a female who is his.”
There are rumbles of agreement and they’re all staring at me.
His mother asks. “So what are you going to do now, Stella? Are you staying or are you leaving?”
I open my mouth and then shut it again.
“My future bound has one moon cycle to decide,” Rake repeats. He takes my hand in his. “Stella will not be rushed. She must know this is a good and safe place to stay and raise her offspring, so I will give her the time to show her that this is where she belongs.”
My eyes grow hot and watery. “I've told you every bad thing about me and none of the things I've said so far make you want to run in the opposite direction?”
“I want you as you are.”
I start to choke up. “It's just that I came from a place where I was discarded for being who I am. And I can't change. This is me.” I point at myself. “I'm this weight. This is the way my hair looks. The way my voice sounds. I talk kind of loud. I like to organize people and fight for people's rights, but I also like to teach and I love children.”
“There is nothing wrong with that,” he says. “These are all admirable qualities.”
“I just want to land somewhere where I’ll know that my child, even though he or she will be fully human, won’t be raised and treated as less than for not being the same species as the majority of beings on the planet.” I sniff and take a deep breath. “Okay, I'm done. I'll shut up now.”
And I look up and they're all smiling.