“You want to do it? Now?” I frowned. “Aren’t you a little dressed up just for a conversation?” I pointed out, looking at him once more.
He blushed, glancing down at his clothes before he lifted his gaze. “I had to dress up since I’m meeting the queen. I didn’t want to seek disrespect.”
“You didn’t have to do it.” I sat up, biting back the pain that threatened to escape my lips at my action. I didn’t like how much this pregnancy was affecting me today.
He must have noticed my discomfort because he took a throw pillow from the couch he was sitting on and walked over to my side. “Permit me to serve you, my queen.”
I nodded, not saying a word because I knew a painful moan would be the first thing I let out. Bowing to me, he placed the pillow behind me. However, instead of walking back to the couch he was sitting on, he knelt in front of me.
“I can help you, my queen,” he offered, answering my questions without me voicing them out.
“How?” I managed to let the word out without moaning in pain. My belly seemed to have gotten larger. I didn’t even know what was happening. Were the babies kinda growing each minute? Would they like, ‘jump out of my stomach by nighttime?
“You are a hybrid, mated to hybrids, my queen,” he said like it explained my question. “I can help you ease the pain, but it won’t help as the babies are about to be born.”
“Born? What do you mean?! It’s not even up to nine months! Forget how big my stomach is. I believe it’s because I have three babies in there!”
I should have known this was what I was getting myself into when I agreed to sleep with two men instead of one. I just didn’t know pregnancy would be this painful.
“We are not like humans, my queen. You -”
“You know about humans?” I frowned. “How did you know them?”
“You said it yourself. As you have been in the human world for so many years and lived like them, you would think you are like they are. But it’s not the same. As a hybrid with hybrid mates, the day of conception would be nearer than you would ever think possible.”
I listened to him, my fear spiking with each word he spoke. If all he said was the truth, which I wanted to believe they were, it would only mean the babies would arrive earlier than I thought.
“Oh.”
“I can help you ease the pain with my powers, but that will be all. If only your powers weren’t locked, you would have done this yourself. It wouldn’t have been difficult.” As he said those words, he raised his hand. Locking his gaze with mine, he placed his right palm on my stomach.
“Close your eyes.”
I did as he asked, closing my lids as I relaxed on the couch.
As his palm contacted my skin, a surge of warmth spread through my body, like a gentle wave washing over me. I felt his powers stirring, a soothing energy that seeped into my pores and calmed my racing heart. The pain that had been throbbing in my stomach dissipated, replaced by a sense of tranquillity that radiated from his touch.
I sighed, leaning back on the couch. Who would have thought all I needed was a touch from a witch to get the pain away?
I breathed deeply, feeling my muscles relax, one by one, as his powers worked their magic. The tension in my shoulders eased, and my mind quieted, letting go of the anxiety that had been gripping me. The warmth spread, creeping up to my chest, and then down to my toes, leaving a trail of calmness in its wake.
As I exhaled, I felt my eyelids growing heavy, my lashes fluttering downward. My body seemed to melt into the couch, sinking into the soft cushions as his powers wrapped around me like a comforting blanket.
Time lost all meaning as I drifted on the tide of his powers. I was conscious of his presence, of his gaze still locked on mine, even though my eyes were closed. I felt his focus, his intent, and his care. It was as if he were pouring all his attention into healing me, into soothing my hurts.
As the minutes ticked by, I noticed his powers withdrawing, slowly, gently, like the ebb of the tide. I felt a sense of loss, of longing, but a deep sense of gratitude quickly replaced it. My eyes fluttered open, and I met his gaze, my heart full of thanks.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I needed that.”
“Anytime,” he said, smiling. His eyes crinkled at the corners, and his hand lingered on my skin for a moment before he withdrew it.
It was then that I noticed his hair had changed to orange.
“This?” He touched his hair when he felt my gaze, grinning. “It changes to this colour when I use my powers for healing.”
“This is so beautiful. I wish I could do that.” I reached over to touch his hair before I could stop myself. When he caught me reaching for him, he brought his hair closer, so I wouldn’t have to strain to touch him. “It’s so soft,” I whispered, my voice in awe. “If I have your type of hair, I will touch it every chance I get.”
“You can do that if you want. Each day, I can give you my hair to feel.”
“Really?” I perked up at that, my eyes shining like a kid who just got a new toy. “You will let me do that?”
“Anything for you, my queen.” Nodding, he got up from the floor. This time, his hair had changed to pink, the colour of his cheeks at the moment. He averted his gaze and when he returned them to me, his face had gone back to the normal shine, and his hair had turned to white.
I didn’t ask about the change of colour this time, figuring I would learn about him gradually. As he was not living with us, it wouldn’t be difficult not to.