Ellida (36 page)

“Can you smell them? Is that how you know?” I
asked, sniffing the air. My senses were much sharper now, but still
not developed to perfection.

“No. Nobody can smell them. They neutralize
their scent. I happen to know Etienne, that’s all.”

During the intermission Jack and I strolled
through the
Cirque
gift shop. I asked him to buy me a
keychain.

“You want a keychain?”

“I collect their key chains. I have one from
every performance I’ve seen,” I said. “Over the years, Ingmar and I
saw almost all the shows in North America. If it was safe, we often
traveled to the opposite side of the continent to watch them.
That’s how my
Cirque de la Lune
keychain collection
started.”

“In that case, I’m starting my own
Cirque
de la Lune
collection,” Jack said and chose an elaborate mask
and a CD with the music from the show.

“I DON’T want to sound patronizing, but it’s
time to say goodnight to your friends, Astrid,” Jack said later,
while we were having a drink in our suite. “You’ll see them
tomorrow.” He turned to the Blakes with a sly smile. “You two, take
a hike.”

Tristan laughed. “Did I mention that married
life suits you, too, Jack? Remember, Livia, when you told him he’d
like Astrid, and he accused you of matchmaking?”

“Regarding how fiercely he resisted any
chance of falling in love with her just a few months ago, he’s made
a quantum leap,” Livia said.

“I did not
fiercely
resist anything,”
Jack said. “Astrid, don’t listen to them. I merely pointed
out—”

I clasped my hands in excitement. “So he
didn’t like it, huh? How come I don’t know that story? Oh, please
tell me!”

“I’ll tell you, baby. Liv and Tristan are
leaving now,” Jack said with a sweet smile, opened the door and
escorted the Blakes out. “Have a good night. See you in the
morning.”

Jack closed his arms around me, pushing me
gently toward the bedroom. “I’m surprised you didn’t know about
Livia’s matchmaking streak,” he said.

“She sure didn’t try to match
me
with
anybody.”

“That’s because she always had me in mind for
you.”

“I know who she didn’t like, though,” I
started, but Jack interrupted me with a kiss.

“You talk too much, Astrid. Not a word
anymore,” he murmured against my lips.

“Is that an order, Einhamir?” I whispered
back.

“Uh-huh. Now let me tell you what I’m going
to do to you in the next few hours.”

IN SPITE of his kinky words, Jack’s
lovemaking was tender, his kisses and caresses so sweet that they
made my heart ache. He moved inside me slowly, unhurriedly, hard
and solid, and I felt safe and protected.

“I love the way you give yourself to me,
Astrid.”

Jack’s hot whisper brushed over my neck,
sending tremors down my spine. For a long moment I shuddered on the
brink. “Come for me, baby… I have you…”

He knew the exact way to take me to
paradise.

The knot swelled even more and I felt Jack’s
semen filling my womb. Lost in a feverish, shattering response, it
took me a while to realize it shouldn’t have been happening.

EYES FILLED with sudden dread, Jack
stiffened. His fingers pressed hard at the sensitive spot between
my legs. The knot released immediately.

“The damn thing broke!” he yelled and jerked
me out of bed. “Into the washroom, Astrid, quickly!” he shouted,
his voice filled with fear. He grabbed my wrist and hurtled me
toward the bathroom. I stumbled behind him, shocked more by Jack’s
response than by the condom accident.

He pushed me inside the shower stall and
turned on the faucet. Cold, prickly water sprayed over me.

“Stop! Stop!” I screamed, hurt, humiliated
and cold, trying to get out of the shower. My hand found the handle
and turned it off.

I stood in the tub, wet and shivering. In an
instinctive movement my hands covered my breasts and pubis. I
closed my eyes.

“Get out, Jack.”

He nodded quickly and left.

I adjusted the water temperature and
carefully cleaned myself. That wouldn’t make any difference, of
course, if my body was ready to conceive tonight. Jack’s semen was
planted deep inside my womb, where nothing could reach it, heading
blindly toward its target. According to the timing of my last
period, it might easily hit it as well.

When I returned to the room, Jack was sitting
on the bed, fully dressed.

“I’m so sorry, Astrid…” He picked up the
wrapper of the treacherous condom from the nightstand, examining it
carefully. “It looks normal.”

“I’m sure it’s sabotage,” I snapped. “I think
Seth sent his little ghouls to poke a hole in your condom so that I
get pregnant and helpless. Come on, Jack, these things happen.”

“Yeah, then tell me some statistics to put my
mind at rest.”

I decided to disregard his exasperation.
“Okay, then. According to the Federal Health Institute, condom
breakage rate among men aged 20-40 is about 2.7 percent, which
means 1.8 percent of all condoms break. Slippage appeared to be
three to four times higher.”

“And you just happen to know the latest
statistics?”

“Well, they are not the latest. I read them
in one of the medical journals when I was a student.”

Jack continued with his angry tirade. “You’d
think the quality and safety would have improved by this time!
Considering how many times we made love so far, we were way
overdue. Remind me, why do we use condoms as protection in the
first place? According to your statistics, they break. They slip.
They aren’t a reliable method of contraception.”

“Because, as a doctor, I’m a great supporter
of condoms for all sorts of protection. They are a reliable and
safe method of contraception and the best prevention against
sexually transmitted diseases.”

“We don’t have a damn sexually transmitted
disease! We’re werewolves; we can neither get infected nor pass on
any infection, including venereal! You know it!”

“Of course I do. I was talking in general
terms, but you’re upset and now you’re talking nonsense, Jack.”

He closed his eyes and let out a sharp
breath. “I know… I know… I was gentle, and the darn thing broke
nevertheless,” he said, as if defending himself.

“You were rough this morning and it didn’t
break.”

I’d finally managed to distract him.

“That was rough? But you said you liked it!
”

“I did, a lot. Don’t you see I’m trying to
divert your attention?”

He managed a small, crooked smile, and some
of the tension broke. “Astrid, I’m sorry.”

“For the condom malfunctioning or for that
freezing shower that was somehow supposed to neutralize the
possible consequences of the above mentioned malfunction, or for
this anti-condom campaign?”

“I have nothing against condoms, Astrid,
generally speaking, you know that. What if you get pregnant?”

“I may not.”

He threw me a meaningful look. “It’s the
right time of the month.”

“And you know this
how
? You keep a
record of my monthly periods?” Now I felt my anger coming back with
a vengeance. Was there any segment of my life that somebody, at
some point, hadn’t tried to control?

He threw his arms into the air. “Of course I
do,” he said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“You’re regular as clockwork, every twenty-seven days, which puts
your ovulation between days ten and thirteen. Ahmed told me that.
Today’s day ten,” he glanced at his watch, “or rather eleven. By
the way, how come Liv and Tristan are not all over the place? We’ve
made quite a commotion.”

I was still fuming over Jack’s quietly
accurate assessment of my monthly cycle and the fact that he’d been
discussing it with Ahmed instead of me, so I ignored his question.
I was glad the Blakes hadn’t heard anything.

“Astrid? Why are your guards not here?”

Oh, well. He wasn’t going to like it. “I
soundproofed the rooms, to give us all some privacy. Come on, Jack,
give me a break. I’m here with you, I don’t need extra
protection.”

Well, apparently the storm wasn’t over yet.
Jack’s face turned red and he started yelling again.

“How can you be so careless and
self-centered, Astrid!? Tristan and Liv are here because of you.
Show some appreciation, for heaven’s sake!” He abruptly stood up
and banged several times on the wall between our suites.

He must have been scared to death, otherwise
he would have never come out with such a bunch of absurdities.

“They won’t hear you,” I said quietly,
knowing that everything I said would get him even more worked
up.

“Then undo it! Now!”

“If you promise to stop yelling. I don’t want
to discuss condom-breakage with them. They wouldn’t believe it was
such a gentle lovemaking.”

I threw a glance at Jack. He sighed and
pulled me into his arms. “Oh, God! Please forgive me, baby. God,
did I actually call you careless and selfish?”

I smiled. “And self-centered and
unappreciative.”

“I’m scared, Astrid, and when I’m scared I
yell. You’ll be so vulnerable when you’re pregnant. The timing’s so
wrong.”

I pressed my forehead against his. “It takes
time to conceive, Jack. It’s usually not that easy.”

He kissed my lips and held me tight. The warm
current flowed between us, soothing us both.

Next time we argue, I decided, we should hold
hands. That would bring every fight between us to a quick end.

“Don’t underestimate Canagan’s little
swimmers, baby. If there’s a slight chance for it, one of them will
wiggle its way to its destination.”

I locked my arms around his neck and smiled.
“Think about this, then. If you got me pregnant tonight, I’m sure
it would be a girl. It was so gentle and beautiful. I was over the
moon.”

Jack smiled. His honey-gold eyes shone with
indefinite tenderness. “A daughter?” he whispered. “Really? I would
love to have a daughter first.” He tucked his finger under my chin.
“In spite of everything, I’d be the happiest man alive, you know
that, don’t you?”

“I know. Jack, don’t worry in advance. Let’s
not jump to conclusions. Even I would need a week or so to be
sure.”

“I’d bet on my boots you’ve gotten pregnant
tonight.”

I sighed. “Okay, then. Fine. If you’re so
sure, I have an idea now. How about testing the rest of the box? If
another condom leaks, we can sue the manufacturer for child
support.”

He laughed. “How about let’s not? Enough
stress for one evening. Let’s watch TV.”

“HOW LONG before the whole town figures out
you’re pregnant,” Jack asked me some time later. I was safely
tucked beside him in the bed, watching a movie.

“I may not be pregnant, Jack.”

“Let’s say you are.”

I sighed. I didn’t have the energy to argue
with him. “I don’t know. I’m a half-wizard, so it might take longer
to identify my condition through scent. Not very long anyway. And
there are some other changes, too. Hair, skin… Some women look
quite miserable at the beginning, some others get that glow.”

“I bet you’ll glow. So, a few weeks,
huh?”

“If we are optimistic.”

One glance at Jack’s face told me he’d
already been adjusting his plans.

THE NEXT morning, Jack informed Tristan and
Livia about the newest development. For him, my pregnancy was a
matter of fact. Apparently, he had a supporter.

“Princess, you got pregnant on my watch!?”
Tristan said shook his head in mocking disbelief. Then laughed and
hugged me. “Well, congratulations, to both of you!” When he turned
to Jack, however, his face was somber. “That complicates the whole
situation, doesn’t it? What are we going to do now?”

“I might not be pregnant!” I said angrily.
“No matter what Jack says, it’s not very likely. Tristan, Liv, you
are doctors. Try to reason with him.”

“Is she pregnant? Could you tell, Livia?”
Jack asked.

She couldn’t, nor could Tristan, but that
didn’t shake Jack’s conviction in the slightest. I was annoyed with
his stubbornness and even more with the guilt written all over his
face.

“That’ll speed things up a bit,” Jack said to
Tristan, answering his question and ignoring my anger. “Astrid must
stay away from Red Cliffs until we’re done with Seth. I’m going to
talk to Darius.” He turned to Livia, still avoiding meeting my
eyes. “You’ll take Astrid to Gelltydd Coch. Take some of your
people with you and keep her there.”

Okay. That was it!

“Tristan, Liv, I need to talk to Jack in
private,” I said in a calm voice.

They exchanged a look and went to their
room.

I walked to Jack, and, remembering my own
advice for calming down, took his hand between mine. “Now listen to
me carefully, Jack Canagan, because I’m not going to repeat it.
Pregnant or not, I am not going to Wales, Alaska, or Galapagos,
with Liv or without her. I am not going anywhere without you.
Period. You better stick to your initial plan, and make sure when
you go to Copper Ridge, you win the battle. Jack, I’m telling you
this as your wife. Don’t make me assume my official role to tell
you the same.”

I was dead serious, and Jack instantly
recognized it. There would be no negotiations this time.

“You’re aware of the possible
complications?”

“
Assuming
that I’m pregnant, yes. I
can’t leave my clan, Jack,” I added softly. “I’m their Ellida. And
I certainly can’t leave you. I am not that strong. Those are your
words, but they apply to me as well.”

He looked at me for the longest moment, a
thousand emotions written in his eyes: love, fear, respect, courage
and determination. And then his muscles relaxed and the serious
expression on his face gave way to a warm, sunny smile. My heart
made a happy somersault.