The Struggle(108)

I stared at him, unsure if he was having some kind of medical emergency.

“He’s right. That kid will want for nothing.” Alex leaned back, her lips pursed. “Wait. Does this mean your kid is a god? I have no idea. I need to find some books on this.”

“Not sure if there are books on this, Alex.” Aiden turned his grin on her.

“All right,” I said, standing. “This convo is over.”

Aiden rose. “We really are happy for you, Seth. I still want to punch you in the throat, but I am happy for you.”

“Uh-huh.” So, knocked off-kilter by their words, I actually walked out of the door instead of taking the cool way out.

~

After ensuring Josie about a hundred times that Aiden was looking into the name on the delivery truck, we grabbed food from the cafeteria. She wanted to go outside, and I had no problem with that. Who knew if the whole sitting in the sun thing was helping with the bands and the pregnancy, but it couldn’t hurt. There was at least an hour or so before the sun went down.

I wanted to take her back to the island, but we wouldn’t have the blood results until tomorrow. Although Josie was fairly confident nothing was going to change in those results, she wanted to stay.

Honestly, I think she missed everyone and wanted to be at the Covenant, and if that was what she wanted, then we’d be here. For now, she was probably safer here.

But I’d have to go back in a couple of days to recharge. I wasn’t thinking about that. Kind of like pissing on your own parade right there.

Carrying our trays outside, we walked to the courtyard, passing through the vine-covered gates. Josie led the way, heading past the benches. She roamed until she found a pretty large patch of grass, then sat down, placing her tray in front of her. I’d loaded her plate up. Fries. Chicken tenders. A salad, because she figured she should eat some sort of vegetable. A bottle of water and a soda. A side order of strawberries.

The early evening sunlight glinted off her bowed head, turning all the shades in her hair into spun gold. Its length fell over her shoulder, brushing her thigh as she bent forward to pick up the can of soda.

She lifted her chin. “You going to join me?”

“I was thinking about just standing here and staring at you some more, to be honest.”

She grinned as she popped the lid to her soda. “Well, that doesn’t make me uncomfortable or anything.”

Laughing, I sat beside her. My plate just had a burger on it. I wasn’t hungry, obviously, but how could I pass up a burger? “I thought you liked it when I stared at you.”

“Not when I’m about to stuff my face full of food.” She dug into the fries first. “It’s weird that I still have to eat as a demigod, but you really don’t have to eat as a god.”

“I don’t make the rules,” I murmured, hoping she didn’t connect the dots back to the fact I did have to feed. “Have you been sick at all today?”

She shook her head. “Just nauseous this morning. I’m kind of surprised I’m having symptoms already. I hope that doesn’t mean I’m going to spend nine months puking my guts up.”

My eyes widened as I picked up the burger. “You and me both.”

“I also have no idea if I’ll be pregnant for a full nine months.”

That reminded me. “By the way, Alex told Aiden.”

Her lips twitched. “Of course she did.”

“You’re not mad?”

She shook her head and then took a drink. “Aiden’s the love of her life. I doubt there’s a single thing they don’t share. People are going to find out eventually. I just didn’t want him to find out before I told you.”

I smiled at that. “We should keep the news to people we really trust. We don’t need the news getting out there to those we don’t want to find out.”

Josie nodded in agreement as she moved on to the tenders, dipping the crispy pieces into ranch dressing.

“Anyway, I think Alex is going to be searching for books on pregnancy. She wants to know if we’re having a god or not.”

Her hand froze halfway to her mouth. “Those are some words I never thought I’d hear before.”

I chuckled as I glanced over at her. Her levels of aether were still low and the lights flickered. Was it the bands or the baby? Speaking of the bands, where in the hell was Apollo?

And what in the hell would he do when he found out Josie was pregnant?

That should be interesting.

Sensing an approach, I glanced up to the gate. “We’re about to get company.”

A few seconds later, Alex and Aiden entered the courtyard, and right behind them were Luke and Deacon.

“We’d figured you be out here,” Alex said, carrying a small paper bag. As she came closer, I could smell the buttery popcorn. “So, we’re interrupting you.”