 
# Saving Alex

### Unexpected 1 & 2

## Chris McHart

# Copyright

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, names, characters, places and incidents is coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 Chris McHart All rights reserved

No parts in this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher, except brief quotations in reviews or articles.

* * *

Cover Art: Cover Design by Chris

Depositphoto: ID 23191330, ID 2618605

Editing: Harper Jewel

* * *

Chris McHart

c/o Autorenservice Hartinger

Pischdorf 10

92543 Guteneck

GERMANY

Author contact:

www.chrismchart.com

chrismchart@gmail.com

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Trademark Acknowledgements

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Jaguar: Jaguar Land Rover

AK 47: Kalashnikov Concern, Mikhail Kalashnikov

### Contents

Part One

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Part Two

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Epilogue

About the Author

Also by Chris McHart

# Part One

Alex's Surprise

# Chapter One

_A lex_

* * *

Alex zapped through the channels. He lounged on the couch, bored out of his mind. Sam, his best friend and roommate, had taken up the recliner, reading something. Maybe Alex should do that as well? Watching TV wasn't going to keep him entertained, since nothing caught his interest, no movie, no documentary, nothing. He zapped on, but stopped at a news report showing a pregnant man. He sat up a bit straighter. What was up with that?

The man's stomach was swollen, showing he was at least five or six months along. His hands were cuffed in front of his baby bump and tears were streaming down his face. The camera showed a courtroom full of people, slowly sweeping over the interested men and women watching the process.

Alex turned up the volume. What had the man done? And why was he pregnant? He'd heard it was possible, but he'd never encountered someone who'd actually experienced that.

The reporter's voice came up. "Robert B. was tried for violation of the racial laws. Today's sentencing was long awaited. No one had heard of pregnant men for years, and there had been uncertainty about the actual jurisdiction in such cases. B., who is, according to doctors, six months along, was sentenced to five years in jail. His child will be put in an orphanage until he is released. The fathering sire has no legal claim over the child. He will be able to visit his child, but he can't get guardianship over him or her. The child and the carrier will be outcasts of society after that.

"B. broke down after hearing the judge's decision. Even though it's forbidden, he clearly hoped the old laws would be overturned. Instead, the judge confirmed that male breeding between the races is still forbidden and punishable. With that, back to the studio."

The picture changed, now showing a woman in a suit, smiling at the camera. "Thanks to our reporter in Berlin for a summary of today's events in court. Now to the weather..."

Alex turned down the volume, muting the forecast. He turned to Sam, who had apparently put down his book to watch the news as well. "Did you hear that? How can they judge someone because he got pregnant?"

"I have no idea? Maybe because it's wrong? Are these children dangerous? I've never met one, or heard of one, for that matter, but I guess there's a reason it's forbidden. The whole pregnant man thing is so strange, no wonder it's against the laws. Who knows what'll come out of such breedings."

Alex frowned. A new life was precious, not wrong. He couldn't imagine a child being dangerous, even if it was mixed. Children born from interracial relationships were allowed, as long as one of the parents was female and the other male. Why this didn't apply to children born from a same-sex relationship was beyond Alex. Even if it was unusual for a man to be pregnant, he shouldn't be put in jail for something like that.

This was the first case in a long time, according to the reporter, but he'd not given a reason why the laws were upheld. "It's still wrong to judge someone for getting pregnant."

"I don't know. Like I said, there must be a reason why it's forbidden." Sam picked up his book again, ending the conversation. Alex took a moment to study his friend's features as he buried himself in yet another sci-fi book. He was quite handsome with his blond, unruly hair and his strong jaw. The gaze of the piercing blue eyes that never seemed to miss anything flew over the page, pulling Sam into yet another outlandish adventure.

Maybe Sam was right. There had to be a reason it was against the law. Alex was kind of sorry for the man who now faced five years in prison, but then, the man knew what he risked with getting pregnant in the first place.

Alex settled back and focused on the TV again. Sam was not in the mood to discuss the matter anymore, his mind clearly on the story he was reading. As if they'd need sci-fi to experience something unusual. Ever since paranormals had come out of hiding back in the 1980s, going to certain clubs could be more adventurous than anything an author could come up with.

Maybe he should go out today? Blowing off some steam wouldn't hurt. He'd not gotten laid in quite a while, and a night in one of the mixed clubs sounded too good to resist. It was better than staring at a rerun of a movie.

Alex switched off the TV and stood. "I'm going out, do you want to come with me?"

"What do you have in mind?" Sam looked up from his book.

"Dancing? I thought of going to the Downtown."

"Na, go without me. I'm not in the mood for that crowd."

"You sure? It's been months since you've been out." Alex wasn't surprised, Sam wasn't one to go out much, and he despised big crowds. The Downtown is a huge mixed club, catering to all kinds of paranormals and humans. Not that paranormals were forbidden anywhere, but they, as well as humans, preferred to stick with their own kind. One of the exceptions was a club like the one Alex was going to visit. A night of dancing, and maybe getting laid, sounded better with every second.

"I'm sure, yes. I think I'll read for a couple of hours, then I'm off to bed. Have fun." Sam smiled at Alex. "See you tomorrow."

"Will do. Goodnight." Alex grinned back. He fully intended to have fun. The last months had been stressful enough with starting uni and working to support himself; he deserved some time out.

# Chapter Two

_A lex_

* * *

The hard beat of the club's music reverberated through Alex's chest, his heartbeat syncing with it, forcing him to follow the rhythm. His body moved on its own and no worries had a place in his mind as he danced with closed eyes in the middle of the other hot and sweaty bodies.

Yeah, that, and to find a hot man to fuck him senseless, was why he'd come here tonight. That'd be the icing on the cake of relaxing. The dance floor was packed, bodies moving left and right, pressing against him, only to back up, giving him some space, and then closing in on him again. Sweat beaded down his back, not unpleasant but letting him know he'd need a break soon.

Finally, Alex worked his way off the dance floor, got himself something to drink, and watched the crowd around him. Vampires showed off their greater speed by dancing like whirlwinds, while some of the weres had way too much fun with shifting partially during the dancing. One man sported a tail and wolfish ears, while his face and the remainder of his body were human-like. A woman in skin tight trousers raked long, catlike claws down a man's back, who shuddered and pushed a hand into his jeans. Those two weres would be gone soon, having a lot of fun together.

Someone shifted into a big cat in one of the corners, but nobody batted an eye. The huge, dark feline vanished between the other people as Alex downed his drink. _Time to get back to dancing._ He pushed through the hot bodies, trying to find a spot where he could move without getting squished. Eyes closed, he lost himself to the beat again.

Strong hands landed on his hips, slipping under his shirt, touching his bare flesh. Alex turned his head to look at the man behind him. Jet-black hair, a stubbled jaw, and a killer smile. He was a couple of inches taller than Alex, but since Alex was only five foot eight, that wasn't uncommon. He couldn't make out more of the man's face, but then, he wasn't going to marry the guy. He was going to get laid. That was all. The man would do.

Alex leaned back carefully, testing whether the guy'd hold him up. He did, pressing closer to Alex, who rocked back against the guy's crotch. His arms encircled Alex, pulling him tight to the man's front.

The stranger was already half hard, his cock pushing at Alex's ass. Just what he needed tonight. Alex closed his eyes as the man's hands ran over his stomach, down to the top of his trousers. The man slowly opened the button that held them together and trailed a finger under the fabric, getting closer to Alex's nonexistent pubic hair. Alex sucked in a harsh breath as his conquest's fingers touched the sensitive skin, inching closer to Alex's cock, while trying to at least keep up the pretense of dancing. It was more of a swaying than actual dancing, but at least they didn't stand stock still on the dance floor in the middle of all the moving bodies.

The man bit Alex's neck, sending a shiver down his spine. Not unpleasant, yet it was a tad harder than Alex liked it. Alex turned his head around to find the guy's lips, but the angle was all wrong, so he continued nibbling on Alex's shoulder.

Ah, well, that was as good, and then they'd get to business faster if they didn't stop to have some kind of foreplay. Instead of kissing, Alex rested his head on the man's shoulder, trusting him to keep Alex upright, and pressed his ass back against the crotch behind him, letting the man know what exactly Alex intended to do with him.

They swayed for a few more moments, Alex getting more and more aroused. Judging by the hard cock poking Alex's ass, his dance partner wasn't faring any better. Alex smiled to himself. They were going to have a lot of fun.

The man released Alex, taking a step back. Surprised by the loss of contact, Alex stumbled. The guy grabbed Alex's arm, steadying him until he regained his footing.

"Your place? Or mine?" he shouted in Alex's ear.

Sam was at home, most likely still reading. He might not be happy if Alex brought someone home. Then again, he knew Alex was out and knew that Alex planned on getting laid. It didn't matter what Sam thought about Alex's one-night stand, since it wasn't as if he didn't bring guys back home. What sealed the deal was that Alex didn't live far away.

"Mine?" Alex shouted back.

The guy nodded, his eyes nearly glowing in the flashing lights. He took Alex's hand and pulled him to the entrance, where they retrieved Alex's jacket. When Alex looked at him with a question in his eyes, the guy shook his head. _No jacket?_ It was winter and freaking cold outside. But then, it wasn't Alex who'd be freezing his ass off.

They stepped out into the icy night and Alex zipped his jacket. Holy shit, after the heat in the club it was _more_ than freaking cold outside. He could not only see his breath, but every time he inhaled his nose and lungs hurt. They needed to get into the warmth soon, preferably in Alex's bed.

Alex cast a glance at the man he'd take home in a couple of minutes. He didn't seem to be cold, or uncomfortable in the icy weather. Maybe a shifter, then. Some of the guys from Alex's classes had told him shifters had a different sensitivity to temperatures. All the better for him; Alex only wanted to get into a cab and out of the cold.

Two cabs waited already, but both had passengers lined up. "We'll have to wait until another one comes up," Alex forced out between chattering teeth.

"Looks like it. Are you cold?"

"No, everything's good." Alex cast a quick glance at the guy next to him. Nothing indicated what they'd done on the dance floor a few minutes ago. They didn't cuddle or stick close to stay warm. Alex wouldn't have minded sharing some body heat with the guy, but this was as romantic as a business deal.

"What's your name?" Alex asked instead, eager to finally get a name. He should've asked sooner, but he never got around to it.

"Gerome."

"I'm Alex." Shaking hands would've been too weird, so they just smiled at each other.

The next cab drove up and Alex signaled they'd take this one. Alex couldn't wait until he finally had Gerome in his bed. They climbed in, Alex very thankful he was out of the wind and cold.

"Good evening. Where do you want to go?" the driver asked politely.

Alex told him his address, and after the guy punched it into his navigation system, they were on their way.

Alex stared out of his window; Gerome probably did the same, bathing the car in silence. They both knew where this would lead. Maybe, if it was good, they'd do it again, but that remained to be seen. This knowledge didn't stop the lust running through Alex's veins, though. He needed to get fucked, badly.

Alex cast a glance in Gerome's direction. The light in the cab was low, but he was able to make out more of his handsome face than in the club. Damn, the man was hot. Clearly older than Alex by a few years, Gerome was not only easy on the eye, but he carried an arousing air of danger. _Just a few more minutes._ Alex shivered at the thought. He could barely contain the arousal rushing through his body.

As if he'd known Alex's thoughts, Gerome caught his gaze, smiled and leaned over to Alex. Their lips met in a sensual kiss, and Alex sighed deeply. Gerome raised his arms and pushed Alex back while coaxing Alex to open his mouth and let him in. Alex complied all too happily. While Alex wasn't a passive guy in any way, this time, before he knew it, he was on his back in the cab, Gerome pressing him into the cushions, kissing the living daylights out of him. All he could do was hang on for the ride.

Gerome's hands roamed Alex's body, apparently trying to touch him everywhere at once. He was limited because of the position, but that didn't stop him. Alex had more luck; he ran his hands down Gerome's back, tracing the strong muscles, and then he cupped Gerome's ass, smashing their crotches together, grinding at each other.

Alex broke away from Gerome's mouth, breathing heavily. Gerome nibbled on his neck again, sending a shiver of lust through Alex's body straight to his hard cock. Why weren't they at the apartment already? Alex needed Gerome inside of him, now.

Gerome claimed Alex's mouth again, ramping up the intensity of the kisses and humping against Alex. Alex's matching movements increased, pushing back hard at Gerome. Damn, he'd come in his trousers if they didn't stop now.

"Um, hate to interrupt, but we're here."

A voice broke through their lust filled haze. Alex needed a second to understand the meaning of the words. Right. They were there.

They sat up slowly, untangling themselves. Gerome climbed out of the taxi, then reached in to offer Alex a hand. He grasped it and Gerome pulled him out and into his arms, planting yet another kiss on Alex's mouth. Alex kissed him back, their tongues meeting and dancing.

Alex broke off though, since he had to pay the cab so they could make their way up to his apartment. Alex bent into the car to pay the driver while Gerome groped his ass, making it incredibly hard for Alex to concentrate on handing over the right bills. As soon as the cab sped off, Alex turned, mashing their lips together again in a toe-curling kiss. How they'd make it up to Alex's third floor apartment would be interesting. The building had no elevator, so they'd have to separate long enough to climb the stairs.

Right now, though, it didn't seem like they'd make it that far. Should he pull Gerome into the shadow next to the building? The scrub would provide enough privacy for a quick BJ. No, Alex needed to get fucked. Blowing Gerome might be hot, but Alex needed more.

Alex pulled away from Gerome's mouth long enough to pant, "Inside. Now." He went back to kissing Gerome, pulling him in the direction of the entrance of the building. They separated long enough for Alex to fumble with his keys and open the door, but inside, Gerome pressed him against the wall, attacking his lips again. At least they were out of public now.

Gerome dropped to his knees, pulling at Alex's jeans. "Shit, not here. Come up. Let's get up to my apartment."

Gerome shook his head and nuzzled Alex's cock through his jeans. Freeing himself from the confinement of the trousers sounded too tempting and Alex even pushed Gerome's face against his crotch, squishing his eyes closed. If they made it to actual fucking, it'd be explosive.

A shout rang out somewhere above them, pulling Alex back into reality. Shit. They needed to get going. "Come on, let's go." Gerome only nodded and got to his feet. Being caught in the hallway wasn't what Alex had envisioned for tonight. "Up. Third floor." He started climbing without looking whether Gerome was following and very much aware how his ass looked in his tight jeans. He added just a bit of extra sway.

They made it up without further incidents, which spoke volumes about their restraint, and Alex even managed to open the apartment door without getting attacked again, which was for the better. If they started again, there'd be no stopping anymore.

Gerome followed him into the small entrance area, and Alex closed the door with an audible click. The moment they were alone, all bets were off. Gerome shoved Alex backward against the wall next to the door, mashing their mouths together.

Alex pushed against him, trying to guide them the few steps to the privacy of Alex's room. Never breaking the kiss, never stopping to look where they were going, they stumbled into Alex's room. Alex panted hard, his chest heaving, and his hard cock rubbing uncomfortably at his zipper. He needed. Now.

During a short break from kissing due to lack of air, Alex pulled off his jacket and shirt, motioning for Gerome to do the same. Seconds later, they were back in each other's arms, their tongues meeting in a battle of lust.

They didn't make it to the bed. Gerome pushed Alex against the wall next to the door and, with a careless kick, closed it. At least Sam couldn't walk in on them now. Alex's fingers probably left bruises on Gerome's hips, on his arms, everywhere. After a last, hard, desperate kiss Gerome turned Alex, pinning him against the wall. Alex's jeans were yanked down his legs; an impressive move considering how tight they were. Gerome gripped Alex's hands, raising them over his head.

"Keep them there," he rasped in Alex's ear, running his hands down Alex's chest, pausing to tweak the little nubs. Alex gasped, a shiver running down to his crotch. Gerome explored further, grasping Alex's hips and grinding his still clad cock against Alex. Still too many clothes between them, definitely. And if Gerome didn't hurry the fuck up and get inside Alex, he'd go nuts.

Finally, Gerome's fingers trailed between Alex's ass cheeks and Alex sighed deeply, allowing his head to fall forward to the cool wall. Now this was more like it. It was just so... dry... Lube. Right.

"We need... lube..." Alex panted, already so aroused he could barely form a coherent thought.

"Already on it. How much prep do you need?"

"Finger. Two, or so. Then I'm good," Alex groaned and closed his eyes as Gerome started to get him ready. _Holy fucking shit_ , Gerome knew what he was doing. He got Alex ready in record time, stretching Alex without giving him a second to catch his breath.

Gerome's fingers alone had Alex on the brink of an orgasm. He latched onto Alex's neck again, his upper body covering Alex's back. Gerome bit down hard as he pulled out of Alex. Alex gasped. Fuck, the bite hurt, but in a good way. Maybe Gerome was some kind of bloodsucker? Not that it mattered, but it'd explain the hotness of the bites.

Gerome fumbled for a second with what Alex assumed was a condom, and then something thicker pushed at Alex's ass. He breathed through the initial twinge, then Gerome filled him and Alex fucking fell apart.

The pounding was rough, hard, fast, and just the way Alex needed it. Gerome thrust into Alex, holding him close, giving him everything he had. His teeth were, again, embedded in Alex's neck, and he bit down in time with an especially hard thrust.

Alex wasn't into pain, but this was good, so good, and the telltale signs of an orgasm tingled in Alex's stomach. He'd been on the brink for so long, holding back would be impossible. Alex came fast, the pace too much to stave off the orgasm for longer. The nearly touchable relief coming hand in hand with the release coursed through him, leaving him empty but satisfied. He hadn't even touched his cock.

Gerome followed a few seconds later with a deep groan. His fingers gripped Alex's hips in a borderline painful fashion. Damn, Alex was going to have bruises as well.

Gerome carefully licked one last time over the bite mark on Alex's shoulder. The flesh was a bit sore, but Gerome's licking soothed it. Alex had never been into pain, but that'd been hot. Gerome rested on Alex's back for a moment, breathing hard.

After a few moments in near silence, only their combined breaths audible, Gerome kissed Alex again on his shoulder and pulled out.

"Do you have a tissue for— shit!"

"What? What's wrong?" Alex turned around and switched on the light. He blinked a second, then he noticed Gerome's stricken expression. "What happened?"

"It broke. The damn thing broke."

Alex stared down at the condom, or the remainder of it. Cold settled around his stomach. "Shit. Please tell me you're clean."

"I am. There's nothing to worry about."

"Me, too." But Alex still was really uncomfortable that the damn thing broke in the first place. Such accidents shouldn't happen. But it had. Alex handed Gerome a tissue, who got rid of the sad remains of the latex. If Gerome told the truth, it wasn't much of an issue. Alex ran a hand over his face. He didn't want to think about the consequences if Gerome wasn't clean. STDs were nothing to be taken lightly.

Alex pulled himself together. There was nothing he could do now. "Do you want to stay?" he asked since it was polite to do so. Maybe Gerome would leave, then Alex could crawl into his bed alone. This was not the kind of fuck where you wanted to wake up the next day next to each other. There'd been one purpose. To get off. They'd done that. Now it was time for Gerome to get going.

"Na, I think I'll leave. I've got to work tomorrow." Gerome smiled at Alex. Apparently he'd hooked up for exactly the same reason. To say Alex wasn't glad would be a lie, so he pulled on his sweats and then helped Gerome collect his clothes, who quickly dressed and was ready to go in only a few minutes.

"Should I call you a cab?"

"No, I don't live too far from here. I'll walk. Thanks. Can I use the bathroom before I leave?"

Alex nodded. "Of course. This way." The small apartment had two bedrooms, but only one bathroom. Alex opened the bedroom door. "Second on the left."

Gerome stepped out into the hallway. "Oh, hi."

Oops. Apparently Sam was awake. Alex looked over Gerome's shoulder. Sam stood in the door to his room, wearing only his boxers and a frown on his face.

"Hi." Sam nodded more or less politely to the stranger.

"I'm Gerome." He didn't offer a hand to Sam, though. Considering where his fingers had been a few minutes ago, it wasn't even rude. But Alex wasn't going to tell Sam that.

Sam nodded. "I'm Sam."

"Uh, the bathroom is this way." Alex pointed to the door and Gerome vanished quickly.

Alex was left to the questioning stare of Sam, which didn't divide Alex's attention from how good Sam's muscled chest looked in the dim light, or how his package was visible through the fabric. He raised his gaze again to see the frown still marring Sam's handsome face.

Sam was Alex's roommate and best friend. They weren't in a relationship. Alex could fuck whomever he wanted, as could Sam. It was his loss that he didn't go out as much. Alex raised his chin in defiance. Sam might judge him for his one-night stand, but at least Alex had gotten laid. He didn't have to tell about the thing with the condom, though, as this would only lead to more frowns on Sam's side. Alex wasn't going to justify bringing a guy home.

Gerome interrupted their staring contest. "I'm off. Bye." He waved to Sam.

"I'll walk you to the door," Alex said, and followed Gerome down the stairs to the entrance door. Alex let Gerome out, and with a last peck on Alex's lips, he was gone into the night. Alex stared after him, not able to see anything in the darkness. It'd been fucking good and now Alex was tired enough to fall asleep standing up. He closed the door and climbed back up to the apartment.

Sam was nowhere to be seen as Alex closed and locked this door as well. The door to Sam's room was shut, which meant Sam had gone back to bed already. A quick shower was in order, and then Alex would be gone as well.

The hot water increased his tiredness even more, and by the time he made his way back to his room stark-naked, Alex was more asleep than awake. When he finally crawled under the covers, Alex didn't even register his head hitting the pillow.

# Chapter Three

_S am_

* * *

Sam listened to Alex closing and locking the apartment door, then the shower turning on and a few minutes later cutting off. He hoped Alex would come to his room and chat a few minutes about his evening, but apparently Alex had other plans.

Now Sam wasn't even good enough to talk to. It hadn't been bad enough hearing how Alex and this Gerome guy fucked like rabbits. No, Alex didn't even bother stopping at Sam's room. Sam pulled the covers over his head, although he was far away from falling asleep.

He should've gone out with Alex. A night of dancing was about the worst entertainment Sam could think of, but at least he could've stopped Alex from taking home Mr. Good-Looking. That would've gone over well, probably with Alex being pissed at him for days, but at least it would've spared him from hearing the two getting it on. Sam ground his teeth as the sounds Alex had made came back to his mind. It'd been a while since Alex brought a man home, but this time it'd been worse than ever. He'd heard every moan, every grunt.

He'd long ago discovered how thin the wall separating their bedrooms was, and that he could not only exactly pinpoint what Alex was doing, but where Alex was, since he had the habit of humming whenever he was concentrating. Although Sam couldn't make out spoken words since the walls muffled the sounds too much. Sam knew how often and at which times Alex jacked off. Not because he spied on Alex, simply because it was impossible to not hear him.

The man was loud in bed, no matter whether he was alone or not. Every moan and grunt sent shivers down Sam's back, and it took a lot of restraint on Sam's part to not barrel into Alex's room and help him out. Alex didn't know of Sam's feelings, and Sam intended to keep it that way. Alex was not interested. He had made it clear years ago, telling Sam in no uncertain terms he was Alex's best friend, but not more. There was no room for a boyfriend in Alex's life, and one like Sam? Even less. Boring, ever-reading Sam.

Sam trailed a hand over his stomach to his cock. He was not really hard, but maybe if he jacked off now he could sleep afterwards. He recalled the sounds he'd heard from Alex in the throes of passion, and his cock rose. If only Alex made the sounds with him, under him or on top of him. But no, he had to go and pick some stranger.

Sam forced the thought out of his head. As long as he concentrated on Gerome he wasn't going to finish his business. Alex, he needed Alex. Alex, as he'd smiled at Sam today, when they were cooking dinner. The finely chiseled face, which sometimes led people to assume Alex was soft or weak, which he wasn't. Those stunning green eyes and the full lips, made for kissing. Alex's ass as he'd bent over at the fridge to get something. God, that ass would be just the right size to have in his hand if he fucked Alex. Or if he blew him. He would hold on there, time Alex's thrusts with his head's movements. Alex would push deep into his mouth until he came, spilling his seed into Sam's mouth.

Sam could also pull those cheeks apart and rim Alex. He'd scream in pleasure and come so fast. Sam didn't know whether anyone had ever pleasured Alex with a tongue, but he doubted it.

His hand wrapped firmly around his now hard and aching cock, Sam envisioned Alex, how he'd fuck him, kiss him. How Alex would moan his name when he came on Sam's cock. Sam sped up his movements, jacking his long uncut cock. He grunted in pleasure, his orgasm near. He imagined Alex's face, how he'd look when he erupted in pleasure. His own orgasm took him by surprise, and he spilled all over his hand and the bedsheet.

Sam lay there, panting. That'd been mind shattering. He slowly sat up. It had only been his imagination. Alex was in the other room, probably fast asleep. He had no idea Sam just had an earth-shattering orgasm while he pictured himself with Alex.

He probably would either be creeped out beyond everything or drag Sam with him the next time he went out dancing so Sam could get laid as well. Little did he know about Sam's feelings.

Sam cleaned himself up, turned around the covers of his bed, and crawled under them again. Now he was tired. It was three in the morning, making it high time to be asleep. Sam closed his eyes and tried to forget about the sounds Alex made when he fucked another man.

# Chapter Four

_A lex_

* * *

Alex didn't sleep well. A nightmare about the accident with the condom forced him out of bed early. He stood grumpy in the kitchen, stirring his coffee. A test was useless until four weeks after it happened. At least he could get tested after the four weeks. Just a few years ago, it'd been a much longer waiting time until STDs could be proven, but new tests had been invented to stop the diseases from spreading. But, for now, the getting tested option was out. He hadn't come up with another one. The best thing was to get on with life until he actually got results, but that was going to be hard.

STDs were a real threat these days, especially HIV. Any of these diseases would destroy his career very, very fast. It wasn't like anyone wanted an employee with STDs. News traveled fast. One wrong word to anyone and Alex's career was done before it even started.

Right now, he was trying to find out what to do with a degree in business and marketing, but he still had a couple of years to go until he had to pick his major and thus to exactly figure out what he intended to do with his life. An infection with a STD would put a stop to all that. The students had to attend tests every year to make sure they were clean.

Allegedly the government wanted to prevent "sick" people from getting good jobs. The reason behind that was unknown. In any case, if Alex had caught something last night, he was fucked. And not in a good way.

They'd worked so hard, Sam and he, to become something, someone, after their parents died in a car accident. They'd been friends, too, since their kids were inseparable. They'd all been together in the car as a truck hit them on a highway, leaving both of their kids orphaned.

Alex sipped his coffee, thinking back to the dark times of his teen years. Sam and he'd stuck together, having each other's back. The first years in the orphanage had been hard, but they'd grown out of it eventually. When the time came, they'd found jobs, moved to Munich together, and continued to be best friends.

Alex couldn't let Sam down now, especially not because a one-night stand went wrong. Sam had worked for Alex as much as Alex had worked for Sam. So they both had a future, even if there was no one left to support them.

Which still left Alex with nothing to do but wait until he could get tested. Until then, he'd stick with his routine, which meant another coffee, a run, a shower, and then working at the bar where he earned just enough to get by. Alex sighed. This was going to be a long four weeks.

Alex's hands were shaking as he waited for the test results. It'd been four weeks since that night, and he'd impatiently counted the days until he could get tested. His arm hurt where the nurse had drawn blood, but it was nothing compared to the clenching of his stomach. Twenty minutes, and still no word. These tests were standard. What took them so long?

Finally, after ten more minutes, the nurse came back to fetch him. Alex followed her on weak knees. Had Gerome told the truth? Had he really been clean?

The middle-aged woman smiled at Alex, but his stomach still fluttered. "Everything's clear so far, sweetie. You've got to come back in six months to recheck about HIV, but other than that, you're good."

Thank the heavens. Alex rubbed a hand over his face, the tension finally gone. It'd been a while since he'd been so relieved to hear news. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I was really worried."

"You had unprotected sex?"

Alex answered, even if it wasn't any of her business, but she'd asked nicely, like she was really interested. "Something like that, yes. Rubber broke."

"Oh, that's horrible. You'd think they'd be able to make those things more reliable. Is the girl okay? Did she say she carried anything?"

"He said he didn't have anything, but I wanted to be sure."

She smiled. "At least you don't have to worry about getting pregnant then."

Alex laughed. "No, thank God, that problem won't happen with me. One of the perks of being gay."

The nurse chuckled. "Oh, yes, I know that. Nothing to worry about, if you didn't sleep with a vampire."

Alex's smile froze on his lips. "What do you mean, vampire?"

"Nothing. Really. Just saying there are vampires who can apparently impregnate men. You'd have to carry a certain gene, and he has to have the ability, but it's very, very rare."

A cold shiver ran down Alex's spine. Impregnate men? Fuck. This was the second time he'd heard about it in the last month. What were the odds of that?

"They don't teach about that in sex-ed. How do you know it's possible? The only thing I've heard about it was the case last month. If I recall right, the pregnant man got sentenced to serve time."

"I went to school years ago, in the 1990s. Back then, they taught it, but that stopped when the laws were changed. I didn't think it happened anymore. The men were either killed or run out of society, and nobody would want such a fate for himself or a loved one. Now there are laws in place to stop mixed breeding, which is for the better, if you ask me. I recall one man getting sentenced to a few years in jail, since he got pregnant. This was the first case I've heard of in a few years. But nothing to worry, sweetie," she said, ripping Alex out of his thoughts. "I don't want to scare you with my stories. You're fine. Perfectly healthy from your blood results."

"If you say so." Alex smiled at her. Gerome hadn't passed on any diseases, so Alex could stop worrying. "Thank you again. Have a good day."

She pushed her glasses up her nose. "You, too, sweetie. See you in six months for the checkup."

Alex left the clinic with a lot more energy in his steps than when he'd entered it. While he walked briskly to keep warm, his head was already on his studies. Now since it was pretty clear he wasn't sick, Alex could focus on his life again.

Sam would wait with dinner, and afterwards Alex had to read a bit more for an upcoming exam.

# Chapter Five

_A lex_

* * *

Alex stood in the kitchen, busy eating pickles and a peanut butter sandwich, while he had a glass of milk ready. The combination was odd, but he craved something sour with sweet, so he just went with it. If it tasted good together, who was he to judge?

Sam walked up on him, peering at the contents on the plate. "Please tell me you're not eating that stuff together?"

Alex chewed slowly before answering. "Why? What's wrong with that? It's good together, wanna try?" _I'd never guessed the combination would be so good_.

"Brr, go away. Never in my life. And are you seriously drinking milk with it? A pregnant woman doesn't eat stranger than you." He shook in a mock full body shudder, but Alex didn't laugh.

His hand with the glass of milk hovered in the air. _Shit. No._ Not really.

It was close to impossible. She'd said it was very, very rare. Gerome hadn't said what he was, but... _fuck. The bite, the not being cold outside._ Alex put his glass down, his appetite gone.

"Alex, are you all right? What's wrong?" Sam sounded worried.

Alex pushed down his panic, trying to form a coherent answer. It was nothing. That couldn't have happened. It was insane. "Nothing. Leave me alone, and don't criticize my eating habits." Alex forced out a laugh to take out the sting of his words.

Sam chuckled. "Okay, okay, if you really want to eat that, please go ahead. But don't come running to me if you get sick later." He turned and vanished out of the kitchen.

Alex fell down hard on a chair. _Fucking hell. Pregnant. Impossible. Fucking impossible. Or not._ He'd seen the pictures. Heard the story.

Tomorrow, he'd get a test to prove to himself that he was some kind of strange eater, nothing more. Resolution made, he stood, opened the fridge... and closed it again. The smell got him. It'd started a while ago, increasing until he couldn't even so much as open the door. He'd forgotten to hold his breath, and his stomach had turned upside down. He needed to clean it out, see what made it smell so nauseating, but Alex knew he'd puke his guts out if he even attempted to do that.

Sensitivity towards certain smells, another sign of a pregnancy. No. A sign of a dire need to clean out the fridge, nothing more. _Don't be a freak, Alex. Man the fuck up. You're imagining things._ But he'd get himself a test as soon as possible.

Alex stood in the bathroom, staring at the mirror, examining his flat stomach, which wasn't exactly ripped, but close. He could see some muscles, even if they were not steel. Not much longer, and the look of his stomach might change. That depended on the outcome of the test. He'd receive his answer in a few minutes. Alex dropped his sweater and wiped his clammy hands on his jeans. Buying a pregnancy test had been awkward, the clerk looking at him strangely. Peeing on the damn stick was way worse. Nauseated from the rolling in his gut, Alex had nearly puked on the thing, which was not what he was supposed to do with the test. But he'd finally managed, with shaking hands, to do what he was supposed to do.

Now he waited for the blue line to appear, telling him he'd done everything right. The second line would only get visible if he was pregnant. Which he was not. The test was lying on the wash basin, next to the mirror. Alex glanced over every few seconds, willing it to change, to see one line. Not two. There couldn't be two. He wasn't pregnant.

Alex picked up the test again, too nervous to have it simply sit there, and stared at the damn thing in his hand. It showed nothing yet. He willed it to stay that way. Maybe the stress had been too much? University was demanding, as was working on the side.

Maybe he just needed to get out again and get laid. Or not, since the last time landed him in trouble in the first place. Alex stared at the test in his hand again. It'd been nearly three months since he'd had sex with Gerome. If there were hormones in him that didn't belong— not that he believed they were there— they should be enough to color the lines. Only tests for women were available, but Alex hoped it would work with him. He couldn't go to a doctor with his problem.

A blue line appeared slowly on the indicator. It worked. The test worked. Next to it, faint, but getting stronger with every second, was a second line. No, please no. _No. Go away. Go the fuck away._

But it didn't help. Alex stared at the line, praying for it to vanish. But it got stronger, until he couldn't deny what he saw. The stick fell out of his hand and clattered over the tiles on the floor, but he didn't care. He sank down, coming to rest on his ass. Pulling his legs close to his body, he rested his head on his knees. Tears prickled in his eyes. Alex closed them, trying to get the images out of his mind. The impressions of him with a thick stomach, a baby on his arm. Alex's baby.

The tears won and Alex sobbed in his hands sitting on the cold bathroom floor. The chill inside him was way worse than any tiles could ever be. He needed to run and hide. Get rid of it. Could he have an abortion? They were considered murder and were against the law. Did it matter if he'd go to jail because he was pregnant or because he killed the baby?

Alex hugged himself tighter, stifling a sob. He couldn't be a father. There was no way. He was too young, he had his studies, he wanted... he never wanted kids. He was gay, for fucks sake. He was going to lose everything. He already saw himself, being on the run, forced to live under a bridge. Sam leaving him, turning his back on Alex. Being alone when the time came to give birth...

A low cry ripped through Alex and fresh tears spilled over. He dragged himself back to the bedroom, onto his bed, and curled up in a ball on top of the comforter. Then the tears came back full force. He sobbed and sobbed, until there was nothing left in him and he was completely drained. Hours had passed, it had gotten dark in his room, but he didn't get up to turn on a light.

Who cared if he was in darkness? One light bulb wasn't going to change that. Nothing was going to change that. It was done. He was going to have a child. Going to be a single father.

His thoughts drifted back to abortion. No, that was no way for him. At three months into the pregnancy, it'd be murder in his eyes. Besides, who could do it? Some shady guy in an alley? He couldn't even go to a doctor, since everyone who knew was a possible threat. Shit.

Alex started sniffling again. He needed help, Gerome's help, but he had no idea what his last name was, so he had no way to contact him. What if he told someone? His coven? The authorities? No one could know. Alex couldn't even cry anymore about that realization. Emptiness had gripped him, hugging him tight. No matter which way he turned it, he was fucked. And not in a good way.

He rubbed over his stomach, over his unborn child. Not that he could feel anything yet, but the baby was there, being already a part of him and his future, as dark as it was.

Alex fell asleep some time later, still on top of the comforter.

The shivering woke Alex. It was cold, his teeth were chattering, and his body shook. It came from inside of him, a bone deep chill. He needed to get under the blankets to warm up, even if that wasn't going to get rid of the ice in his veins. Nothing would help. He needed the night with Gerome undone, which was impossible. Nevertheless, he had to pee, thus he had to move.

Alex scrambled into a sitting position, and then stood, his back cramping from being in an awkward position so long. He stumbled to the bathroom, his eyes gritty and swollen, and while he managed to pry one open to see where he was peeing, that was all he could muster. Sam was thankfully still working at the library. Today, he had the late shift, which meant he got home around ten or so. The last thing Alex needed now was for Sam to see him in this state.

After doing his business, he hurried back to bed. Shivers continued to run through him, wracking his body. Alex's teeth never stopped chattering and his hands still shook. Alex crawled under the comforter and curled up again. The tears came back, together with the desperation. He couldn't have a child. He'd just started university. He couldn't be a father now.

How could he support himself? He barely made a living now with waiting tables. He wouldn't be able to do that much longer, since a baby bump would be hard to hide. The first few months, he could tell people he'd just gained weight, but at a certain point, he'd have to vanish out of the public eye. And then?

Even if he managed to somehow hide the pregnancy and give birth, he had to support the little one and himself. The money he made was barely enough for him to get by. Never could he buy all the stuff babies needed; like formula, diapers, clothes. Working while caring for an infant was impossible, so he wouldn't have any money for himself or his child. Shit.

He wept again. He cried until there were no tears left in him and he was beyond exhausted. Then Alex stared wide awake into the dark room, his thoughts running in circles. Alex heard Sam come home some time later, but since Alex's room was dark, he didn't look in. Maybe Sam would help him, get food and such. Tears welled up in his eyes again. Just when he thought he couldn't cry any more. _Sam._ His best friend. The man who'd been with him through everything.

Alex ran a hand over his flat stomach. How would Sam handle Alex becoming pregnant? He'd been strange since the night with Gerome. It wasn't the first one-nighter Alex had brought home, so he had no idea why Sam was acting distant now. And he'd had his fair share of guys as well.

Alex needed to tell him, try to get Sam to help him. Shit. Alex didn't want to start imagining what Sam would say. Alex curled up tighter, hugging himself. _Why me? Why the fuck me?_ It was a long time before sleep found him again.

# Chapter Six

_A lex_

* * *

Somehow Alex made it through the next day and a half. He never got the opportunity to tell Sam, though. In the morning, before Sam was even up, Alex was gone, and he spent the day at the University, like every other day. It wasn't unusual for Alex to be gone all day, so Sam didn't question him when he came home late, said goodnight to Sam, and vanished into his room. The following day, Sam had an early class, so Alex stayed in his room until Sam was gone.

He wasn't going to be able to hide much longer, but every small reprieve was welcome, before he faced Sam's rejection. He hadn't forgotten Sam's words to the news they saw a few months ago.

In the evening of the second day, though, Alex's luck ran out. His stomach had been clenching for a while, and he barely made it to the bathroom to puke his guts out. He wiped his mouth and brushed his teeth, telling himself the puking was because he was so upset, in no way was it due to the pregnancy. No way. He wasn't going to start throwing up every day now. Nope.

Sam had apparently heard Alex in the bathroom, since he had a very concerned expression as he asked, "Are you okay?"

Alex grabbed some milk out of the fridge to get rid of the lingering taste, ignoring Sam's question. He couldn't answer right now. How should he say it? _I'm pregnant? I'm going to be a father? I made a mistake? I ruined my life?_ That'd go over very well. Sam would look down on him, how something like that could happen. What a freak Alex was. So Alex drank, his back to Sam.

"Is it really so bad that you can't talk to me?"

Sam's quiet words ripped through Alex, and he closed the door to the fridge slowly. How could Alex look Sam in the eye and tell him? He couldn't. To see the disgust in his eyes, have him turning his back on Alex— he couldn't stand this. They'd known each other forever. Sam had been Alex's best friend from the moment Alex stole Sam's shovel in the sandbox and Sam dumped a bucket of sand over Alex. Seeing him turn his back on Alex would destroy him, so he hung his head, his back still to Sam.

"Please, Alex. It can't be that bad."

It was. Frozen to the spot, Alex's fingers grasped the handle of the fridge door like a lifeline. He tried to force his tongue to speak. The shaking of his shoulders was probably visible from across the room, but Sam didn't comment.

In fact, a few moments later Alex heard Sam's footsteps and he was gone. The door to his room closed a bit louder than usual. He was angry. And he had every right. Alex slowly turned around and shuffled out of the kitchen, the milk in his hand.

Alex curled up on his bed in front of the TV, watching some stupid comedy and drinking his milk, the whole bottle of it, as a tear ran down his cheek every once in a while. How was he supposed to get Sam to help him if he couldn't even tell him?

He had to work tomorrow and he had no idea how to stand the smells of ashtrays and stale beer. The last couple of shifts had been bad, but since Alex puked for the first time today, he suspected it would be worse.

Alex yawned deeply. He was always tired these days. At first, before he'd realized what had happened, he thought it was him being overworked with his studies and such. Doing the job was more draining now than ever, and the smoke and loud music probably weren't good for a child anyways, so he probably wouldn't be able to do the job much longer. He closed his eyes again and allowed the tears to come. It was hopeless. Alex sobbed into his hands, crying for the future he lost.

That was how Sam found him. He just came in and stood next to the bed, looking at Alex.

"Spill."

Alex shook his head. Tears ran silently over his face, and he wiped them away. Sam couldn't know. He thought it was wrong and should be forbidden.

"Spill! I'm not leaving until I know what's up with you."

Alex couldn't say. Telling someone made it so real. He didn't _want_ it to be real.

The bed dipped when Sam sat down. He pulled at the comforter Alex was wrapped in. Alex was a mess, he knew that. He'd spent the better part of the evening crying. His hair was probably standing up in all directions and his face was swollen and red. Didn't matter. Alex didn't care. Sam had seen him in worse conditions. And as soon as he found out the truth, he wasn't going to talk to Alex anymore.

"Are you sick? Has someone hurt you?" Sam asked, still calm, unconcerned by Alex's looks.

"No." Alex shook his head.

"Alex, tell. You're miserable. I won't leave, even if I have to sit here all night."

"No."

"Talk to me, please. I won't leave here. I won't leave you."

New tears welled up. Sam was going to leave if Alex told him. "I made— it was an accident. A terrible accident and I can't tell you."

Sam stared at Alex, clearly thinking about what to do now. "You know I'll always be there for you? No matter what?" he asked quietly. "I really wish you'd have more trust in me. I always thought we were friends. Appears we're not. Come find me if you actually want to talk."

Shit. Now Alex had hurt Sam. He'd hurt him more if he told him, but— Alex raised his head, took a deep breath and looked at Sam, pinning him with his gaze. "I'm pregnant."

# Chapter Seven

_S am_

* * *

Sam didn't know what to say. He stared at Alex, waiting for him to start laughing. To tell him it was a joke. But Alex just stared back, tears still glistening in his eyes, his whole face swollen from crying.

When he'd come to Alex's room to find out what was up with Alex, he'd expected everything, from Alex being sick, to a new crush that didn't want anything to do with him, but not that. Men didn't get pregnant.

"But— but— how? You can't..." he finally stammered out.

Alex smiled weakly. "Apparently some vampires carry the genes that can impregnate men. I'm not sure how it works and I haven't looked it up, but it's true. We saw it on the news a few months ago, if you remember?" He swallowed visibly. "I took a test a few days ago. I've been sick. I've had mood swings. I eat a lot and in strange combinations."

"But how... who? Weren't you careful?" Alex was the one who always told him to double check he had enough condoms when he went out. Alex was the one telling him about diseases all the time. How could he get pregnant?

Alex hid his face in his hands again. "Gerome. It broke. He fucked me. And afterwards we realized... it was... shit. I got tested four weeks after, but only for STDs, not pregnancy. But the nurse there told me something about men getting pregnant by vampires. It seems to be rare, but it has happened before."

Sam watched him, waiting for him to say something more to explain. Even if he didn't know what more there was. "But the condom. Were you really careful?"

"It broke, okay? I didn't mean for it to happen," Alex snapped.

"Hey, it's not my fault. I'm just asking. Do you think he set you up or something?"

"Sorry," he replied, much less on edge now. "I don't think so. He seemed to be as shocked as I was." He ran a hand over his face. "I just have no idea what to do now. I mean, I need to hide. I can't go to work much longer. Nobody can see me.

"I can't go to a hospital. I'd need to deliver at home. And a child comes out the same way it went in, at least that's what I think! Can you imagine that? Can you fucking think about that? It will cause internal bleeding, and then... then... then I might fucking die," he sobbed.

Sam stared at Alex again, dumbstruck. What had he just said? Die? What the fuck? Alex dying? Never would he allow that. No way. With his heart beating like mad in his chest, Sam put his hand on Alex's shoulder. "I'll help you. You know that, right?"

He couldn't say more. His throat closed, too many emotions in him, too close to the surface. Alex's words still ran amok in his head while he was trying to figure out a different meaning to them. There had to be something he'd missed. Some misunderstanding on Alex's part. Or not? Sam had seen the news as well. It'd been months ago, but now he remembered. Alex could land in prison because of the pregnancy. He could die. Alex looked the same as ever; it was so hard to imagine how everything would change. Except, Alex wasn't the same. Alex would never, ever, allow anyone to see him in tears. Never. Not since the first months after their parents died. And they were twelve back then. Alex was funny, carefree. No matter how hard his studies were. Always laughing, joking. A diva on his best days. A sassy brat on the others.

The Alex gripping his hand was a far cry from his best friend. Sam squeezed Alex's hand. "We'll figure it out, okay? I won't let anything happen to you." Not that he had any clue how to do that.

Alex smiled weakly. "Thank you."

"There's nothing to thank me for. You'd do the same. We'll find a way to help you and the child. I'm assuming you want to keep it?"

Alex nodded. He looked beyond miserable, tears still in his eyes, but at least he'd stopped sobbing.

"Scoot over."

"What?" Alex stared at Sam, bewilderment showing in his handsome face.

"Get over. Let me in." Sam stood long enough for Alex to raise the covers, then he slipped under them to Alex.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Alex protested, but Sam simply pulled him close, carefully forcing his head on Sam's shoulder. Alex resisted a few seconds, but finally allowed himself to take the comfort he so obviously needed. He relaxed against Sam's body, his breath evening out a bit.

Sam murmured nonsense in his ear, holding him tight. Alex fit perfectly in his embrace. Sam closed his eyes, allowing himself a moment to just enjoy having Alex this close.

He was Sam's best friend. He'd do everything to protect him and help him. And if that meant keeping him hidden the next— "Just how long will the pregnancy last? Nine months? Or longer? Or shorter? And is there something special with the baby being a half vampire?"

Alex tried to raise his head, but Sam held him down. "No, stay. You can talk like this." Alex did what he was told for once. Must've been one of the first times in his life.

"I have no idea. Nothing shows yet, so I don't think vampire babies have a shorter gestation period, but I have no fucking clue. All I know is that I'm apparently fucking pregnant. Or I'm crazy, which I think I'm not. I haven't found anything on the internet. I have no idea who I could ask, aside from Gerome. And I'd rather not tell him. I'm— I'm afraid he'll tell someone."

Sam grit his teeth at Alex's mention of the other man. Alex didn't know. He didn't have the same feelings. Sam needed to keep a clear head here, to help Alex. Even if the words he spoke tasted sour in his mouth. "Why? Maybe he could help."

"And what if he wants to take away the baby? Since it's his as well? Maybe his— his coven wants it?"

"But then the child would be gone. You could give birth and then let him have it?"

"I can't. I won't give it up. Not after... our parents..." he trailed off.

Sam closed his eyes at the mention of their parents. He still missed them, would miss them forever. He knew how it felt to grow up without them around, and he understood all too well why Alex didn't want to give up his child. It'd mean the child would have to endure things similar to what they had, but maybe with the knowledge Alex had given him or her away of his free will.

Sam pulled Alex even closer, burying his face in Alex's neck. "I'm sorry. I couldn't do that, either." They were silent for a few minutes, Sam lost in his memories.

Sam started speaking after a while. "Gerome might tell, but can we afford to not try to find him? For help?"

"I have nothing besides his name."

"Where did you meet? The Downtown? Since you wanted to go there?"

Alex nodded. That place was huge. To find a certain man in there would be close to impossible.

"Let's talk about it tomorrow, okay? Can I stay here tonight?" Alex was fiercely independent, so he'd most likely throw him out in under a second. But Alex just pressed closer. To say anything was probably beyond what he could muster, but at least he allowed Sam to be near.

Sam burrowed his nose in Alex's short, black hair and closed his eyes. He murmured, "Do you need to get up again?"

"No, all done."

"Me neither. Goodnight, then."

"Goodnight."

Sam couldn't sleep. He lay awake long after Alex had succumbed to slumber, thinking. He'd have to find Gerome. The man was their only hope. He was the father, yes, but he also was the only one they could turn to for help. Maybe Gerome would tell the authorities, but maybe he'd be up to supporting Alex to keep the little one.

Sam carefully ran his fingers over Alex's stomach. It was still mostly flat. Maybe in a few weeks, he'd have a real baby bump.

Sam pulled back his hand. Shit. That thought was wrong. Men didn't get pregnant. And other men shouldn't find that strangely arousing. Except... proof was in his arms, asleep from sheer exhaustion. And the knowledge that Alex was going to have a baby bump still didn't send him running.

He was in deep trouble, but he already knew that. And his best friend was pregnant. _Oh shit._

# Chapter Eight

_A lex_

* * *

The following days passed with not much happening. Alex went to work and to school, doing the best he could, considering there was only one subject on his mind. Alex knew he fucked up a few times, but he caught it before anything happened and he got yelled at for bringing anyone the wrong order.

Sam was gone every evening. He spent his free time hunting for Gerome. They'd agreed that he should look at the club where they'd met, since it was possible that Gerome was there again. Alex didn't dare to come with Sam, the loud music not what he wanted to subject his child to. Sam had no luck, though. It'd been three weeks since the day he found out, and still nothing.

Alex stood in front of his mirror, staring at his stomach. He did this every day, wanting the little the bump to grow, and yet dreading it at the same time. If his stomach got bigger, it meant the child was healthy. If he stayed slim, Alex could go to work longer. Leave the apartment in general. Once the baby bump was more visible, Alex's ability to move would be severely limited. He was going to be able to hide behind wider T-shirts and maybe snag jeans from Sam, but that was only going to buy him a couple of weeks, tops.

The door opened. Sam stood there, staring at Alex. "What are you doing?"

Alex pulled down his shirt, a blush creeping up his face. "Nothing."

"Are you looking at your stomach?"

"Yeah. To see how much I'm showing." Alex blushed harder. Time to change the subject. "Are you going out again?"

"I have to. Until I find him, I have to look every day."

"I know." _I just want another night in bed with you._ Alex didn't say that, though. The one night with Sam had been nearly too nice. He wasn't clingy by nature, but it'd been good to be held by Sam. Sam was family. Alex's family. With him it was okay to cuddle, even if they hadn't done that since they were teens. Maybe Alex should invite Sam to his bed again?

"I'll be home by one, as usual."

"Okay. And thanks."

"Don't mention it. It's okay."

It wasn't. Alex saw the dark circles under his eyes, the faint lines that spoke of the toll it took to stay up that long every night, searching for Alex's one-night stand. Alex pulled on a long sleeved shirt and went to the kitchen to get something to eat.

Sam had already left, not even taking the time to grab a bite. It was so unfair he had to do all the searching, but Alex didn't dare accompany him. The club had body scans at the entrance, and Alex didn't trust they wouldn't show anything. And even if they didn't, the loud music, the smoke, all that probably wasn't good for the little one. Every mom was warned against these things, so Alex and Sam figured the same rules applied to male pregnancies. The pub where Alex worked was bad enough; he didn't need to add the club to the mix.

Alex placed a hand over his stomach. He didn't want the baby to suffer, even if it might kill him or at least force him to hide in his apartment. The little one was innocent.

Alex ate then crawled into bed, even if it was only nine p.m. He was exhausted and didn't even bother with reading. He just closed his eyes and drifted off.

Images appeared in front of his eyes. A baby, looking like a cross between Gerome, Sam, and Alex, being carried away by a strange person. Alex trying to crawl after the person, but unable to do so.

Then, him again, lying on some hard floor, bent over in pain, and a voice telling him to stop crying. There was no one who'd help him.

Blood, blood everywhere, all over Alex, and a cruel voice laughing at him. He knew he was dying, since there was so much blood, more than anyone could survive losing. But he couldn't stop it. The voice kept telling him to stop fighting, since it was done and he was going to die. Alex was shackled to the ground, powerless to do anything but to wait for the end.

Alex, stomach swollen and heavy, in front of a judge, hearing he'd have to spend the next ten years in jail.

Alex jerked awake. Shit. Where was he? He was bound, unable to move. Alex pulled at the thing holding him down, robbing him of air. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move. His head was swimming and Alex thrashed around, trying to get out, to get free. He tried to force air into his lungs, get a deep breath, but it didn't work. His throat was closed, the air supply cut off.

"Shh, I've got you. I'm here."

_Sam_. Sam was here.

Cool air hit Alex's skin and the first batch of oxygen filled his lungs. He opened his eyes. Sam was kneeling next to him on the bed, and clearly visible in the dim light, he was wearing a very worried expression on his face. Alex was tangled in his covers. They'd been holding him down. Shit.

His heartbeat slowed down a bit and he was able to breathe better.

Sam sat down on the bed and put a hand on Alex's arm. "Are you okay?"

Alex nodded. Speech was beyond him right now. The images from his dream were burned in his mind. Sam pulled his shirt over his head and pushed his jeans down. "Scoot over."

Alex's gaze drifted down to Sam's package, lingering for a second, but then he jerked his eyes away. Had he just been ogling his best friend? But damn, who wouldn't stare at such a great offering right in front of his eyes?

Alex remembered Sam had said something and complied, making room for Sam. He needed Sam's arms around him now. Maybe he'd be able to chase away the lingering pictures of the nightmare. Sam settled in and pulled the comforter over both of them. He was nearly naked, only wearing his boxers, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that he was warm and familiar and he held Alex like he'd never let him go.

Alex's trembling subsided as he snuggled closer to Sam, who wound his arms around Alex. Alex closed his eyes, enjoying being in Sam's arms again.

"I found him," Sam murmured.

"Huh?"

"Gerome. I've found him. He said he'd come over tomorrow."

Alex raised his head. "Really?"

"Hmm. I told him what was up, and he was really shocked. Appears he didn't know."

He'd really found him. Maybe he could help them. The thought of someone knowing still caused his stomach to clench, but Gerome was the only hope they had right now. They needed some answers.

"Thank you," Alex said quietly. And he meant it. He'd seldom been so grateful for anything.

"You're welcome. You know that."

Alex raised his head and looked at Sam. All he could see were the shadows of his face, but it didn't matter. Alex knew how Sam looked. He was the man Alex had known forever. The man that knew him too well and still was his friend.

Alex leaned over and kissed Sam on the mouth. It was just a quick peck, nothing sexual, and he was apparently too stunned to react. Alex pulled back, resting his head on Sam's shoulder again. What'd come over him? These damn hormones had Alex doing things he never thought he'd do.

# Chapter Nine

_S am_

* * *

Sam raised his hand to trace his lips. They still tingled from Alex's touch. He carefully ran his hand over Alex's hip to the small of his back and rolled over to face him.

"What are you doing?" Alex asked quietly.

"Should I turn back?"

"No," came the reply. It was a bit breathless. What was wrong with Alex? They'd never crossed the boundary between friends and lovers. Alex never hinted he was even remotely interested. His peck on Sam's lips was the most sexual thing they'd done so far.

Except... Alex needed him. Now more than ever. And he'd need him after the child was born. Maybe... they could raise the little one together? Both of them being his or her dads?

A warm feeling settled in Sam's stomach. He'd resigned himself to never having kids, but if he had the chance... he'd take it in a heartbeat. Especially with Alex.

Gerome didn't want the child; he'd already told Sam that. When Sam had met him today, Gerome promised to help, but he'd made it clear he was in no position to take care of a child and it was more or less Alex's problem. Whether that made him an ass or not depended on how much he did to help Alex.

Alex turned around, putting his back to Sam, who pulled him closer to his body and buried his nose in Alex's hair. He smelled so good with hints of his shampoo, his shower gel, and simply Alex.

"Think you can sleep now?" he whispered in Alex's ear.

"Hmm." Alex burrowed even closer. "I hope so. Stay?"

"Of course." Sam yawned. It was long after midnight and while they could sleep in, as it was a Sunday, he was dead tired. The nights looking for Gerome had taken a toll on him.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Sam answered. But it was actually quite a long time before he managed to fall asleep.

Sam woke slowly, Alex still wrapped in his arms. Alex hadn't turned during the night, and his ass was still pressed flush to Sam's groin. And what a nice ass that was.

Sam slowly ran his hand over Alex's stomach. The muscles were still there, but a good bit of softness padded them. Alex had put on some weight during the pregnancy and it showed on his hips and ass. The not-so-small bump under his navel also indicated that he'd be a dad soon.

Sam's cock stirred even more. Damn. He shouldn't find that arousing— except he did. He wanted to kiss the long, slender neck until Alex woke. He ached to explore that ass, fuck Alex until he couldn't walk anymore. Or make it slow, draw it out, until neither of them could think anymore. Caress every delicious inch of the strangely sexy baby bump and the rest of Alex's body.

The soft skin of Alex's neck beckoned him. He shouldn't kiss him. He really shouldn't. Alex was his friend. He might destroy everything if he crossed that line. Alex didn't have other feelings than friendship for him. If he repeated it long enough, he'd one day even convince himself.

But then, the possibility that he might lose Alex still chilled him to the bone. During the days, he could put away the thoughts, get his mind to shut up. But at night or in quiet moments like this, the threats of Alex being thrown into jail or dying were there. Very, very real.

Sam leaned forward and kissed Alex's neck. Alex didn't have to know. It was one simple, innocent kiss. Sam lingered a few seconds, then pulled back, his lips breaking contact with Alex's skin. Damn, the man smelled good. How did he do that?

Sam breathed deep, still staying way too close to Alex. Well, Alex's ass was pressed to his groin. That didn't speak of friendship either, as did Sam's hard cock. It reacted to the kiss on Alex's neck in an "I don't want you as a friend" way. Shit.

Sam pulled back a little. These thoughts were dangerous. He couldn't have Alex. Although... he willingly snuggled with Sam, and he seemed to enjoy the intimacy with Sam. Maybe Sam could show Alex there was something more between them? Not that Sam had much hope in that department; Alex had been blind to Sam's love for him forever.

But for now it was time to get up. Gerome was going to show soon. They'd have to figure out how to help Alex. Then he could worry about changing their friendship to something deeper.

Sam kissed Alex's neck a last time and traced the skin of Alex's stomach with his fingers. Slowly he pulled back from the embrace and crawled out of bed. Alex had a little longer to sleep, but Sam needed to shower and be ready when Gerome showed.

He would talk with Gerome until Alex woke.

Gerome rang the bell at exactly ten. Sam was ready and opened the door. In the light of the day, Gerome was even more handsome. Sam studied his short, dark hair, his handsome features, and his killer smile. It was no surprise Alex had picked him.

He was so much more handsome than Sam. How could he make Alex fall for him if there were men like Gerome around? But then, Gerome had made it clear he didn't want anything beyond supporting Alex in this hard time, so maybe he wasn't in the queue for boyfriends.

Gerome's smile lasted only for a few minutes, until they were both sitting in the sun-flooded kitchen, Sam sipping his coffee. Gerome had declined.

"So, Alex is pregnant? And he claims I am the father?"

Straight to the point. "Yeah. He says there was a little accident when you two... hooked up."

"He hasn't been with anyone else?"

Sam bristled at the question. Who did he think Alex was? Alex didn't sleep around! "No, he hasn't," he bit out between clenched teeth, "and besides, he's careful. The broken condom was an accident, or so he said. You brought it, right? Was it prepared? Are you purposefully trying to impregnate innocent men? You must be a vampire to be able to do that. Are you trying to breed more vampires?"

"Hey, stop it right there!" Gerome's face had gone hard, his face a mask of rage. A hint of longer teeth glistened in his mouth. "I wanted a night of sex. As did Alex. Nothing more. Yes, I am a vampire. No, you don't _breed,"_ he spat the word, "vampires." Gerome visibly tried to pull himself together. The teeth vanished again. He spoke, calmer now. "I won't go into coven politics here, but let me tell you it'd not be a good idea for me to impregnate someone I have no intention to mate. I have every interest in keeping this under wraps, not since it's forbidden but because you wouldn't like the outcome if my fa— coven heard about it. This was an accident; something that shouldn't have happened. I've never had a condom break before. I don't carry any diseases, so I use condoms to placate human lovers or one-night stands, since I'm tired of explaining why we don't need protection. It's easier that way."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Not many male humans can carry a child. There is an anomaly in their blood, something that allows the changes necessary to get pregnant. It has something to do with one of their ancestors being a vampire, although the blood is mixed down too much for any obvious signs like enhanced speed. In fact, if you do a blood test, you'd find out Alex is completely human— except for the whole getting pregnant thing. There's more to it, and I don't know all the details, but I think that's enough to know for now.

"And before you ask, I spent the whole night looking this up. I had no clue I could father a child with a man. Nor did I know anything about it."

Gerome looked tired, indeed. Did vampires need sleep as well?

"So, it looks like we need to figure out a way to keep Alex and the baby safe. Nobody can see him, since he could get thrown in jail, which means hiding for at least three or four months." Sam had to make clear why they needed Gerome's help.

"My coven or other covens protect mixed children, but nobody can know about the baby, so hiding him there is out of the question. Alex has to stay here. Feeding will not be a problem. He or she can survive drinking blood, but it doesn't have to. I can eat what I want, but food does nothing to satisfy my hunger. It simply tastes good. The child will be able to do both. The little one can eat to get sated, and can drink blood and live off it. The baby will also have longer teeth, like I have, but other than that, the child will be like every other human. At least that is what I've dug up." Gerome sat back in his chair. "Oh, and the gestation period seems to be forty weeks as well."

"You've found all that out in one night?"

"I didn't go to bed. We need sleep as well, but we can be awake longer than normal people. I need a few hours rest every couple of days."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks for looking this all up."

"It seems I'm not innocent in this mess. So I think it's my duty to help."

"Yeah, but you're the father. Not that I don't appreciate the effort, but you could've also said that it's not your problem."

"And what the fuck am I, if he's the father?" A pissed off voice came from the doorway, where a very annoyed looking Alex stood. His hair was standing up in weird places, and while he was dressed, from the sweatpants he was wearing it was clear he hadn't even glanced in the mirror.

"You know what I meant. And good morning." Sam smiled at him.

"It'd be better if I didn't wake up to you gone and him," he nodded in Gerome's direction, "sitting in my kitchen."

Wow, someone was moody today. "Sorry, but I thought you'd need the sleep. And someone had to let Gerome in until you woke up. Next time, you can get your princess ass out of bed yourself."

"Sorry," Alex said quietly. His shoulders slumped. At least he came down as fast as he blew up.

Alex nodded at Gerome. "Thank you for coming." Then he looked at Sam, a little smile playing around his lips. "Thanks for last night. And for getting up earlier, and keeping Gerome company."

"You know you're welcome." Sam grinned back. "Princess."

Alex stuck out his tongue. "Maybe. But still, thanks." Alex fixed his coffee and sat down at the table. "I'm going to get dressed in a minute, just let me have some coffee first."

"You're drinking that stuff? You know how bad it is for unborn babies?"

Sam waited for Gerome to drop dead, from the look Alex gave him. No one came between Alex and his one cup of coffee in the morning.

Alex put his mug on the counter and turned slowly to Gerome. Every one of his movements was precise and deliberate. "Listen. I need this one cup. I have a lot of problems and no solutions, and for a lot of them, you're as responsible as I am. And you want to tell me I can't have my coffee? Think again, Mister."

"Phew, princess. I get it, okay? You want a few more minutes to enjoy your coffee or do you want to talk about what happened?" Gerome tried to placate Alex.

"Good, just give me a moment, okay?" Alex sipped his hot java, closing his eyes while savoring the taste.

Sam watched the whole exchange, smiling. His Alex might be short, but he was a force to be reckoned with. Gerome hadn't even dared to argue about the coffee.

Usually, Alex was pretty easy-going, except if someone came between him and his coffee. The kitchen was silent for a few moments, then Alex spoke. "Okay, better. Thank you. I'm going to put on some jeans and a shirt, and be right back."

He stood and vanished through the door, leaving Sam and Gerome sitting in silence again. Sam studied Gerome's handsome features again. He was certainly easy on the eyes. But he wasn't Alex.

The man in question chose that moment to reappear, a very distraught look on his face. He held his jeans with both hands. "I can't close them anymore. They are too tight..." he collapsed on a chair, tears welling up in his eyes.

Taken aback by the tears, Sam stood and kneeled down next to him. "Hey, come on, it's okay. Shh, sweetie, I've got you." Sam pulled Alex into his arms, gathering Alex's head to his shoulder. "Hey, everything is good. It's supposed to do that. No need to cry."

"I fucking don't want to cry!" Alex burst out. "It just fucking sucks I can't wear these jeans anymore."

He raised his head a bit. Tears still spilling over, but Alex seemed to be able to pull himself together. "Sorry." He buried his face in Sam's shoulder again.

Sam ran his hands up and down his back. "Shhh... it's really okay."

"I know, you dork. I know. I just can't help myself." Alex started laughing into Sam's shoulder, interrupted by some sobs and sniffling.

"What the— are you crying or laughing?"

Alex raised his head a little and looked at Sam, tears in his eyes, laughing, sobbing, all together, a totally confused expression on his face.

Gerome cleared his throat rather loudly, and Sam shot him a stern look before he concentrated back on Alex.

"Sorry... can't help... can't help myself." Alex ran a hand over his face, then chuckled again. Gerome offered a tissue, and Alex wiped off the tears. "Sorry. I start crying on the spur of the moment. It sucks, and I can do nothing to stop it. I just start. And it's really shitty I can't wear my favorite jeans anymore."

"The hormones getting to you?" Gerome asked calmly, either used to such breakdowns or simply unaffected by it. _Asshole_.

Alex nodded. Sam stood and sat down on a chair again, watching Alex closely. He looked better already, even if he was still red eyed.

"Seems like the hormones. I'm usually much more balanced."

Sam snorted before he could stop himself.

"What do you want to tell me?" Alex narrowed his eyes at him.

Sam raised his hands. "Nothing, I swear." But he couldn't stop laughing, even as Alex glared at him.

"Stop laughing!" Alex yelled, but he was smiling as well, even while he tried to keep glaring. "I'm not that moody!"

"You don't cry. But you are the least balanced person I've ever met!"

Alex stuck out his tongue. "I am. As soon as this is over, I'll show you."

Sam stopped smiling. Alex stared at his coffee mug. Gerome watched the cars drive by in front of the apartment building.

"Shit. Sorry." Alex ran a hand through his hair, clearly distraught now.

He'd been so carefree just a second before, and now he was back to the more brooding self he had become in the past weeks.

"I forgot for a second. Okay, Gerome, thanks for being here. Can you tell me a bit more about the whole pregnancy thing?"

# Chapter Ten

_A lex_

* * *

Alex stirred the remainders of his one allowed cup of coffee and listened to Gerome explain about male pregnancy with half-vampire babies.

"As I just told Sam, the baby would be protected by my coven, but they can't know. I can't tell you why, since it's too dangerous if anyone knows. The little one will be able to eat food and drink blood, and can live from either one. You don't see any differences right now, but vampires can drop their fangs to fight or drink. It'll be able to do that, as well."

Gerome paused. "Pregnancy will last forty weeks and the baby will be born the way it came in, which is the biggest problem with male pregnancies. Not all men survive that."

Alex winced. That was still one of his biggest fears. He'd done some experiments alone or with partners. He knew what fit and what didn't. Giving birth that way was definitely not a good idea in any case.

"My coven is in possession of certain herbs that are supposed to ease the process. The hormones from the baby help as well. A few of us had male lovers and pregnancies weren't that uncommon. It's also a way of securing the cooperation of a rival clan, and a way to ensure the king's bloodline lives on. This is nothing of our concern here, though. Your chances of surviving are not that bad, but I won't tell you everyone survives. And before you start freaking, I'm working on it, okay?" Gerome shot a look at Alex. He apparently knew how close to a breakdown Alex was. Not that it was a surprise, but still.

"Can the little one go out in the daylight? I'm assuming you can, since you're here now, but is the baby going to be the same way? I've heard rumors that young vampires can't go out in the sun?" Sam asked.

"Yes and no. It's a myth that we can't go out during the day. I don't like summer sun, and beach holidays don't sound appealing to me, but it doesn't harm me. The child might even like the sun, as it's only half vampire. Young vampires, which means the ones who were just changed, don't go out since their senses become overwhelmed with all the impressions." Gerome paused. "Any more questions?"

"Can you turn me? If that's the right term? Would that help me to survive?"

Alex caught Sam staring at him. They hadn't talked about him becoming a vampire, but the idea popped in his mind as Gerome mentioned newly made vampires. Sam clearly wasn't happy with Alex's question, but it was his life in the line here.

"I can't. I thought of changing you as well. It's been attempted a few times, but in every case the father and the child died. Turning someone involves a pretty demanding ritual, including the person who gets turned loosing so much blood he or she basically dies. That was too much for the pregnant men and they died, along with their children."

"Crap, there went that idea." Alex slumped back in his chair. "Can you tell me what exactly changes in my body? I mean, I have no uterus. Where does the baby grow?"

"You really want to know?" Gerome asked. Alex nodded.

"You do have a uterus now. It's located in your abdomen where it is in a woman. The hormones from a vampire's seed prompt it and an egg to grow there. Currently the uterus is closed off, but it will reopen shortly before birth. You'll feel this, as it was described, as a sharp stabbing pain."

"Oh, fun," Alex murmured. What else could a guy wish for?

"Any more questions?" Gerome looked first at Alex, then at Sam. They both shook their heads. That was enough for now. Definitely.

"I think I understood everything. The only thing really worrying me is the giving birth part." Alex fucking didn't want to die. "Can we find out more about the herbs? And maybe if there are ways to ensure the father survives? I mean, it's my life we're discussing here. I really want to keep it. I don't want to fucking die because of a one-night stand!" Alex sobbed the last words. Tears welled up in his eyes again, and he wiped his face. The last thing Alex needed now was to start crying again, but his hormone-laden body begged to differ.

Sam stood, raising his arms to hug Alex.

"Don't— just don't. I can't right now. I'm not someone who needs constant cuddling. I cry because of the hormones, nothing more. Just stay where you are."

Sam's face fell and he sat down heavily. _Shit._ Alex ran a hand over his face, again. He hadn't wanted that. He just needed a few moments for himself. Alex didn't recognize himself anymore on most days, but that made snapping at Sam no better. "I'm sorry. I know you mean well. I'm just... it's freaking too much right now. I don't cry because I want to, or need to, it just happens. I don't have a big chance of surviving this shit, so I can't even tell myself it'll get better in a few months. It all sucks. So much."

Gerome had the decency to look guilty. He'd better be. It wasn't like Alex got into this shit alone.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I really am." Gerome reached over and took Alex's hand. Gerome met Alex's gaze and spoke very quietly. "I didn't know I carried the genes. Not all vampires do. I also didn't know you could get pregnant. Not all humans can. To actually meet and then to have something like the condom breaking happen— that's against all odds. Nevertheless, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you're well and can give birth to the baby. I will be around as a father to the child, if you want, but I can't and won't try to have a relationship with you just for the sake of it. I'm pretty sure there's nothing between us that could lead to a mating anyway. Is that okay with you?"

Alex needed a moment to understand Gerome's words. Then Alex tried to formulate his answer. Not that Alex was interested in Gerome that way, he'd been a one-night stand, and that was it. But to be told that Gerome didn't see Alex as boyfriend material hurt. Mostly Alex's ego, but it still hurt. "I don't think we should try anything in the relationship department, no. But you can stay around and help with the baby. You're the father as well, you know."

"Smartass. I know that."

Sam interrupted by clearing his throat. Alex cast a glance at him, seeing a strange expression on his face. What was up with him? He never did that. But Alex currently had more important things to figure out. "For now, I'd like to concentrate on the other things. Giving birth. Hiding until I can actually give birth."

Gerome nodded. Sam stared at the table. Alex pulled his hand out from under Gerome's and put it over Sam's. "Hey, are you okay?"

Sam looked up and smiled at Alex. "Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

A few seconds ticked by until Sam spoke. "About you. The baby. The father part. Everything."

"Precise answer, I'll give you that."

"Brat."

"You love me anyway." It was Alex's standard response to Sam's 'brat', which he heard about ten times every day. Usually Sam laughed and said, "Don't you wish." This time, however, he didn't laugh. He said nothing. Absolutely nothing. Alex's stomach fluttered strangely. Why was he not replying? Was he hiding something? And if he was, what was it?

Alex couldn't focus on that problem now, though. He'd find the answers as soon as the whole pregnancy thing was over. For now, they needed to plan for the coming months. Which led him to the first, and most important question. "So, how do we do the whole me keeping out of public part? I need to stay at home. I hate to say it, but I need money. I get along okay right now because I'm still working, but I think I'll have to quit in a couple of weeks. I thought of calling in a family emergency, maybe a sick relative I have to take care of.

"But I still need money; for baby things, for food, for rent. Can you help me out? I know it's a lot to ask, but I... well studying is expensive and I really can't think of another way." Alex's gut rolled at the thought of asking someone for money and he swallowed hard.

"I assumed you'd ask that. I can help you out. I mean, I guess I'd pay child support anyway. I think it's only fair to help you until then. You can't stay here alone, obviously. You're okay on your own now, but as the time of birth comes closer, you'll want to have someone with you." Gerome turned to Sam. "I assume you're living here as well? Can you look after him? Buy groceries, help him if something happens?"

"Yeah, I'm living here. And of course I'll help him until the baby is here."

" _He_ is right here, you know that? And _he_ can care for himself," Alex threw in, slightly annoyed.

"You need someone to bring you food, at least until the baby is here. So tone down your anger and accept that you need help," Gerome answered, sharply. Alex got it. He just didn't like to be talked about like he wasn't there.

"Fine," he grumbled. Needing help was one of the things one never admitted in an orphanage. Alex had learned this lesson the hard way. But this time, Alex probably wasn't going to get around it.

Gerome pulled out his wallet and counted six crisp fifty Euro bills on the table. "Okay, now that that's settled, I'll leave you. I don't have more with me right now, but I'll drop by later this week. Here's my number, in case you need anything else." Gerome put a shiny business card on top of the money. "I'll try to find out a bit more about the whole giving birth thing. Until then, it was nice seeing you again."

He stood and turned to the door. Sam scrambled to get up as well and murmured something along the lines of, "I'll let you out."

Alex just shook Gerome's hand. Getting up from the table was beyond what he could do right now. He was exhausted. The empty coffee mug placed carefully on the table, Alex laid his head on his arms and closed his eyes. Finally they had some answers, yet they didn't know much more about surviving the birth.

And Sam was a completely different matter. He'd stayed in bed with Alex last night. Something Alex had enjoyed way too much. _Having his arms around me was... made me feel special. But Sam only stayed because he felt sorry for me._ Not the best reason to have a man in Alex's bed, even if he was his best friend.

Sam came back into the kitchen. "Are you okay?" He rested a hand on Alex's neck, the warmth of his fingers seeping into Alex's skin and tingling where he touched him. Alex didn't raise his head, just murmured, "Yeah, tired. So tired, and yet happy that we finally have at least some answers. I feel like there's some light at the end of the tunnel."

"I know the feeling, believe me. It was good Gerome was here."

The fingers on the back of Alex neck twitched, then left. The coffee machine hissed to life telling Alex exactly where Sam had gone.

He always drank the stuff, even at night before he went to bed. Sleeping after so much coffee would be impossible for Alex, but Sam didn't seem to be affected.

Alex watched Sam's fingers as he opened the carton of milk and stirred his coffee. He had long, slender fingers, yet Alex knew how strong Sam was. After all, these fingers had been on Alex's neck a few minutes earlier.

Sam still stood with his side to Alex, looking down at his coffee. His strong back muscles, clearly visible under the T-shirt, rose and fell with every breath he took. Alex watched them, mesmerized, unable to tear his gaze away.

A few minutes later, as Alex started to wonder if Sam ever was going to turn back and speak with him again, Sam finally asked, "Why do you do it? Only one-night stands?"

What the...? "Why are you asking?"

"I want to know. You could have anyone as a boyfriend. Yet, you decide to get your rocks off with strangers. What's the thrill?"

"I've never thought about it. I mean it's a way to get off. I am only a normal guy, nothing more. I'm not much into commitment. I only want a night of hot sex, no strings attached. Let's face it: I'm not the guy you'd want to wake up next to every day. And I've yet to meet someone _I_ want to have around every day. Except you, of course."

Sam was silent again. Then he slowly raised his coffee mug and left the room without a word. What had Alex done wrong now? He'd only told the truth. The only man he could live with was the one he'd just pissed off, even if he wasn't sure what he'd said wrong. But this was proof again. He wasn't even able to _not_ hurt his best friend, even unintentionally. Who'd want Alex around for longer? And he wanted nobody else in his life but Sam right now.

# Chapter Eleven

_S am_

* * *

It was hours later before Alex finally opened the door to Sam's room. He stuck his head in and smiled in the way that always robbed Sam's brain of every working cell. This time, it wasn't different.

"Hey. Can I come in? I'm... I'm sorry."

Sam raised his head from the textbook he'd been reading. "Do you have any idea why you're sorry?"

And, just with that, Alex blushed an adorable dark red. "I... um... I figured. I. No."

Sam patted the floor next to him. He figured Alex had no idea what exactly had set Sam off. "Just forget it. It's okay."

Alex slowly sank to the floor next to Sam. "So, are you okay with staying at home the last months of the pregnancy? I know it'll be hard, but I don't see any other way. And now that we'll have some money, paying for food shouldn't be a problem."

Alex played with his fingers, urging Sam to put his hand over Alex's. He stopped himself. Alex had made his point clear once again earlier. The last thing Sam needed was another hit with reality.

"I'm not okay with staying at home and hiding. Absolutely not. But I've known since I found out that it would be the only way to keep the pregnancy under wraps."

Alex's fingers twisted again. Sam hesitated, but finally reached over and covered Alex's hand with his own. Alex stilled under his touch and raised his eyes to look at him, the intensity of his gaze nearly robbing Sam of his breath. He was so beautiful. So handsome. Sam held Alex's gaze, not daring to break the moment. He didn't even breathe. Time stood still with the simple touch and the intensity burning in Alex's eyes.

Was Alex maybe not as unaffected as he always appeared to be?

Alex finally said very quietly, "I should... I should go." He looked down, to their joined fingers.

Sam released him and pulled his hand back into his own lap. Alex got to his feet without saying anything else. He quietly left the room. The snick of the door told Sam he was alone again. He rubbed his eyes. What exactly had just happened?

It was bad enough to hear how much Alex put himself down, how he thought he wasn't relationship material, and how much he didn't want to commit to anything besides a night of sex. He sounded like he never entertained the thought of settling down with a guy one day. Let alone Sam. But then, in this quiet moment, something had happened. The dynamics had shifted. Alex left the room, even though, or because, he felt the connection as well. Sam would wait and see. Maybe he'd find out what exactly had changed.

He picked up his book again. If he wanted to acquire his engineering degree, he'd better start reading again. Pining after the man he couldn't have wasn't going to help him.

Sam ticked off the list in his mind to make sure he had packed everything. Drinks, food, a blanket. Everything was in his backpack.

It'd been a week since Gerome had visited them, and Alex would have to stop going out very soon. That's why Sam planned to take him to the lake today and treat them to a day of doing nothing but relaxing in the sun.

While it was late spring, it was warm enough to stay outside for a couple of hours, and the necessary jacket would hide Alex's baby bump. He'd have to wear one of Sam's, since all Alex owned were skin tight, stylish jackets. These used to fit perfectly and highlight his great body, but they didn't fit anymore. Sam was a bit broader and taller than Alex, and he wore comfortable clothes, so nobody would see anything.

Sam closed the backpack and went in search of Alex. The man was lounging in the living room, reading some stuff for his studies. He'd have to switch to online classes soon, but that wasn't a problem. Attending the tests in person would be one, but they hoped he could stave them off until after he gave birth. Neither of them had talked yet about the possibility of Alex dying. Sam pushed the thought to the back of his head. They'd find a way for Alex to survive.

Sam paused in the doorway, just watching Alex. He was so lost in his reading that he didn't even hear Sam approaching, so Sam took a moment to study Alex's fine features. His dark hair was carefully styled today, and his expression of absolute concentration was plain adorable. Alex's hips and stomach were visibly rounded by now, and while he was wearing sweats, he looked delicious. All Sam wanted was to grab him, drag him off to bed, and make love to him all day. Explore that hot body. Kiss every inch of Alex's stomach. Hold those hips in his hands, as he fucked Alex into oblivion.

But since that day when Alex had come to his room, nothing had happened. Sam had tried to flirt with Alex, but Alex either wasn't interested or he didn't pick up on the signals. In any case, he hadn't come any closer to showing Alex his feelings.

But for today, they'd have a day in the park.

"What are you reading?" Sam asked.

Alex looked up from his book, a little frown on his face. It was his usual you-interrupted-me expression, cute as hell. Sam wasn't going to tell Alex that, though.

"It's about the influence of marketing. Interesting, but very dry writing. What do you need?"

"Can you stop learning for a few hours?"

"Yeah, of course. What's up?" Alex put his book away, marking the page he'd been studying.

"Let's spend the day at the park. I packed a picnic."

Alex wrinkled his forehead. "Why?"

"Just because? Isn't that reason enough?"

Alex smiled and got up. "Yeah, why not. Let me get some jeans and look in the mirror, then we can go."

He walked up to Sam, who still stood in the doorway. He stopped and hesitated for a second, as if he wanted to say something, but then he passed Sam and vanished into his room. Sam's gaze followed him until he was out of sight. Damn. The man was so sexy. And what had the little bit of hesitation been about? Confused, his mind not able to figure out what had just happened, Sam went to collect his backpack.

Alex joined him a couple of minutes later, having wrestled his stomach and hips into jeans Sam recognized as some of his own. "Ready?"

Sam handed Alex one of his jackets. Alex slipped it on and closed it, hiding his baby bump effectively from view.

"Ready when you are."

"Then let's go." Alex treated Sam to another of his breathtaking smiles and opened the apartment door.

# Chapter Twelve

_A lex_

* * *

Alex reclined in the sun, enjoying the warmth on his face. He'd love to take off his jacket, but it was too cold and he couldn't risk exposing his stomach. During work, he wore wide button down shirts, but when he leaned back like this his stomach would be too visible. He couldn't risk that. One wrong word from anyone, and he'd be in jail.

Alex had no idea what people thought of male pregnancies, and he wasn't keen on finding out. He glanced over to Sam, who sat next to him, relaxing as well. Eyes closed, he wasn't aware of Alex watching him. He looked as happy as Alex was. Despite everything going on in his life, today was just perfect.

Spending time with Sam was awesome, and since it was still spring they were relatively alone in the park. The silence— only interrupted by the birds singing— the sun on his face, the company, everything was perfect. This was one of the moments he'd remember for a long time.

Sam leaned back and lay down on the blanket, his eyes still closed, a small smile on his lips. How would it feel to kiss him again? He'd only tasted Sam's lips a week ago, in a moment of absolute gratitude, but now he couldn't stop himself from wondering how Sam would kiss if they really took the time to get to know each other better.

Was he more of an active kisser, demanding entrance in Alex's mouth and taking what he'd be offered? Or would he be the gentle type, waiting until Alex took the initiative? Would he place a hand on Alex's neck, to hold him in the kiss? This was one of Alex's favorites, to feel a man taking possession in such a way.

Sam opened his eyes, grinning widely at Alex. "What are smiling at?"

Alex needed a second to collect his thoughts. What had he been thinking? Had he really just fantasized about kissing Sam? What was wrong with him? Sam wasn't interested in him.

"Nothing. Just thinking about how beautiful it is here. And how much I love being outside."

"Yeah, me too." Sam sat up. He reached for his backpack and pulled items out of it. Sandwiches, fresh fruit, water, and lemonade. Muffins for dessert.

Alex's mouth watered, he was always hungry, and such a lazy day in the sun had increased his appetite. He dug in, eating the sandwich Sam offered him.

After Alex was so stuffed he wasn't able to move anymore, he helped Sam to pack away the remainders of lunch. Sam hadn't said if he had any more plans or if they'd just stay where they were. Alex opted for the latter. He didn't want to move and he didn't want today to end.

Sam leaned back again, and closed his eyes. Alex followed him, but turned to his side, so he could watch Sam. After a while, Sam opened one eye and peered at Alex. "Why are you watching me?"

"Just because? Am I supposed to not do that?"

"By all means, if it makes you happy, watch me."

Alex laughed. "That sounds creepy." He added, quieter, "Thank you for today. It's awesome. Just what I needed."

"You're welcome." Sam closed his eye again.

Alex rolled onto his back and did the same, knowing they'd have to leave eventually. He dreaded the moment.

# Chapter Thirteen

_S am_

* * *

Sam smiled to himself as he watched Alex eat the third peanut butter sandwich with cheese. Alex had put on a good chunk of weight by now. He wasn't fat, but definitely not slim anymore. At nearly five months along, the additional weight suited him, but Sam was going to keep that to himself. Alex's mood was bad enough without Sam telling him he liked the newly developed love handles on Alex's hips. He could do without the blowup that would follow. He'd been forced to quit his job the week before, since hiding his stomach was impossible by now.

Alex was oblivious to Sam watching him eat. He stared out of the window, into the bright spring day. He'd last been outside a week ago, and being trapped inside already took its toll on him. The next months would be interesting. It was only a matter of time until Alex got a bad case of cabin fever.

Sam watched Alex bend over the fridge, rummaging a bit and getting out the— no, pickles? With the peanut butter? That was just plain gross.

Not gross, though, was the way Alex's ass looked in the jeans he was wearing. They didn't close anymore, but he'd left the button open and wrestled them up his hips anyway. Now they hugged his ass and thighs like they were painted on.

A deep sigh left Sam and he nibbled on the bread in his fingers. Sam had no idea how Alex felt. If he really didn't have any deep feelings for Sam, that would be hard, but acceptable.

But did Alex know Sam was interested in him? That Sam saw him as more than a friend? Probably not. The feelings in Sam had grown over the last years, and Sam didn't know if Alex ever realized the change. Maybe he had done too good a job of hiding them?

He shifted to get up, to simply tell Alex the truth, but stopped halfway. What if Alex didn't feel the same? Would he destroy everything then? Sam would be devastated by the rejection.

Did he have to find out now? Or should he carefully try to get more information about how Alex felt? Might be better. Sam sat down again, staring at his breakfast. What should he do? All he could do was to stay around, help Alex, and prove to him how much he cared.

He started eating, his eyes glancing back at Alex again, who had returned to looking out of the window. Alex slowly raised a hand to his stomach, a distraught look appearing on his face.

"What's up? Everything okay?" Sam was already moving. "Alex? Has something happened?"

Alex raised his gaze to Sam's. "It moved. The baby. It moved. The little one kicked me."

"That's... that's. Wow!" Sam pulled Alex in a tight hug. "That's simply awesome!"

Alex hugged him back. "That it is. Absolutely."

They stood for a few moments in each other's embrace. Then Sam pulled back, releasing Alex, whose eyes glistened again. Sam smiled at him. "It's a great sign that you feel it, right?"

"I guess so. I mean, yes, I think. But mostly I find it amazing to feel the life in me. It's... I can't even start to describe it."

Sam pulled Alex close again. He couldn't even begin to name the feelings running through him. How must it be for Alex? "I know," he murmured in Alex ear.

Every new life was a wonder. This one even more. And Alex allowed him to be part of it. That was even more of a wonder, even if he didn't share it in the way Sam wanted.

Gerome dropped by twice in the following weeks. Each time, he'd give Alex an envelope with money and vanish again without even sitting down. Sam saw how it pissed off Alex to no end that he delivered money as if he was trying to buy Alex. Yeah, they needed the money and it was nice of him to help them out, but he could at least ask Alex how he was doing. That wouldn't hurt him and would give Alex the feeling that he wasn't just a nuisance to Gerome.

Alex was furious after this day's visit. Hours after Gerome had left, he was still seething. Sam watched him punch his finger at the remote of the TV like it was the one who'd done him wrong, although Gerome hadn't offended him. He'd just not even bothered to ask how Alex was doing. He seemed to be completely distracted by something else, and Sam hoped he still searched for a safe way for Alex to deliver. So far, they'd come up with nothing, which was another reason for Alex's bad mood.

Sam approached Alex, taking in the dark circles under his eyes. "Can I get you anything? Do you need something?"

"No, I fucking don't need anything! I'm not that fat already, and I can fucking take care of myself! You don't have to hover around me every second of every fucking day! Don't you have anything else to do?"

Sam recoiled at Alex's yelling. What the fuck? "You think I've got nothing better to do than being there for you? You think I like being around you and your sour mood? You're wrong! You're so wrong! You think you can do all this shit alone? Then go ahead. I won't be around anymore!"

Sam turned and half ran out of the room. Alex's words stung in his heart and his ears. He did everything to make it easier for Alex, and that was what he got? Alex's mood was bad, but Sam understood. Had he been in Alex's shoes, his mood would be the same.

The helplessness was the worst. Alex spent hours at the computer, trying to find out as much as he could about male pregnancies, but the search was fruitless. Either the men survived or they didn't. All info dated back from 1980 to 1995, when male pregnancy seemed to have mysteriously stopped. Either there were no other cases or everything was kept under wraps. It was frustrating. Sitting at home finding nothing would drive anyone nuts, and especially such an active person as Alex.

But that still was no justification for Alex yelling at Sam. Not like that.

Sam didn't wait to see if Alex said anything else. He grabbed his wallet, his jacket, and his keys and let himself out of the apartment. It was definitely time for some fresh air and a drink or two. The door closed quietly behind him. Sam headed to his favorite bar, intending to have an evening out, even if he'd rather curl up with a book somewhere. But Alex was at home, and he needed some time away from him now.

# Chapter Fourteen

_A lex_

* * *

Alex took a deep breath. What the heck had just happened? Did Sam really leave? Just like that?

_Asshole._ He and his hovering, his constant waiting, helping, trying to make things easier for Alex. He was fucking pregnant, not sick. He didn't need constant attention. Alex closed his eyes and rested his head back. The TV was blaring at him, but all he could hear was the silence now that Sam had left.

What if he was gone for good? Would he do that? Just because Alex yelled at him? Would Sam leave Alex? Would Sam tell someone about him? No, not that. Leaving Alex for good? Unlikely. But not coming back for a few days... Alex had no idea. He'd been kind of moody in the last weeks, there was no point in denying that. This was the first time he'd yelled at Sam like that, but he _had_ snapped at Sam quite often. Usually, Sam was not impressed by Alex's moods, and he either told Alex to stop it or to go bitch at someone else. But lately, Sam had started to act strange whenever Alex was around. Or when he had one of his fits. Not that Alex had them too often, but it happened. Alex was sorry the second it was over, and spent the better part of the following day making sure everything was fine between them again, but he just couldn't stop himself from throwing the fits in the first place.

Alex didn't know if the fits came from the pregnancy. But why had Sam acted so strange? Was he sick of Alex's moods or was it because Alex was very visibly pregnant by now? He was thirty weeks along, and there was no hiding Alex's stomach anymore. It must be hard for Sam to see Alex getting thicker and thicker, but it wasn't Alex's fault. He was innocent in getting pregnant.

Not in the making, of course, but in the way the accident happened. He never wanted any of that, even if he looked forward to it. Feeling the little one move in his stomach was beyond beautiful and amazing at the same time. Alex wanted to share the wonder with him, but he never was sure how Sam would react.

They weren't a couple, so there was nothing offensive with Alex being pregnant with another man's baby, but when Alex invited Sam to touch his stomach, it was as if he rubbed it in Sam's face that he'd been with another man. Sam knew, anyway, and yet, he was there, through everything with Alex. Until now, at least.

Now Alex had chased Sam away, driven him out of the apartment, maybe look for someone to get a quick fuck. The sick feeling in Alex's gut increased. What had he done? He'd not only yelled at the man who did everything for him, he'd maybe driven him into the arms of another man. He barely made it to the toilet before he threw up violently.

Alex wiped his mouth and brushed his teeth, the nausea and guilt still lingering. His heart constricted at the thought of Sam with another guy. Sam belonged to Alex. Nobody had a right to touch him.

Alex paused. _Where did that come from?_ He was not in love with him. Alex was not... they never... but Sam was— If Alex ever wanted to settle down... he'd accept him. He could deal with Alex's moods. He already knew Alex was going to have a child.

And he never even hesitated when Alex told him. He was there for Alex. He always had been. He always would be. And he was hot as hell.

Why had Alex never seen that? Was this the answer to Sam's strange behavior? Or was there another reason and Alex was totally wrong? Now that he thought of it, was it the opposite? Did Sam hate Alex's guts since he had a child from another guy? He'd agreed to help Alex, but was it because they were friends for so long and he thought he had to?

Alex stood, intending to go to bed. He'd get a headache if he tried to keep up with the thoughts running wild in his head.

Maybe Sam would be back in the morning. Then Alex could sit him down and talk to him. Maybe he wasn't going to like Sam's answers, but Alex needed to know.

Alex headed to his room, but just shy of the door, he stopped short. He didn't want to sleep alone. He wanted to curl up in Sam's arms, bury his face in Sam's hair, and breathe in Sam's scent. Those were the only nights Alex really slept well, when Sam was at his side.

That in itself should've been a clue, but sometimes Alex wasn't the brightest guy in that department. He turned and made his way to Sam's bedroom. Alex doubted Sam would be home before morning, and until then, his bed was free. Maybe sleeping in his bed would help him get some rest.

Alex curled up under the comforter, pulling it tight around him. Hopefully, sleep would come soon, and by the time he woke again, Sam would be back. Then Alex could find out if Sam had feelings for him, if there was something to explore.

Alex saw Sam's face in his mind, his smile, his unruly, and therefore short cropped, blond hair. His handsome face. His eyes, a dark, startling blue. They crinkled at the corners when he smiled.

Damn, Alex really wanted him. Now Alex was hard and aching for Sam. If he hadn't driven him away, they could've spent the night in bed, doing whatever they wanted to do. But Sam was gone, maybe getting his rocks off with another man. Time to sleep, otherwise Alex would start calling Sam on his cell or doing something equally insane. Stalking him was a sure way to win his heart. _Not_.

The only thing Alex could do now was to wait, hoping he'd come home soon and then to get a vibe for Sam's feelings for Alex. And to find out what Alex's feelings for Sam really meant.

Alex didn't dare to think the L-word. He never fell for anyone. But there was no other word to describe the feelings inside of Alex. It was definitely time to sleep now. Alex's head was pounding. He snuggled deeper into the covers. Sleep would find him. And maybe, with a lot of luck, so would Sam.

# Chapter Fifteen

_S am_

* * *

As Sam stumbled out of the bar hours later, he still seethed. Yes, Alex was moody. Yes, Alex had a temper. Yes, it was understandable that he snapped. But Alex had said some hurtful things, and it wasn't Sam's fault he was in this shit. He'd not gotten pregnant all by himself, but he wasn't innocent either.

If they hadn't been best friends, like, forever, Sam might have walked out on Alex. It'd be his right. If they got caught, both of them would spend a lot of time in jail. Sam paused. Okay, he wouldn't have walked out on Alex. The man needed help, and who was Sam to deny him? Best friends or not. Even if it made Alex's behavior even worse. They were best friends. It wasn't okay to treat a good friend like this. A lot of Sam's anger had settled, but he still bristled over the outburst.

He'd have to go back and see if Alex had cooled down and then see whether he planned on apologizing. If he didn't... Sam refused to follow the thought, since it hurt too much.

He walked back to the apartment, breathing in the warm summer air. Everything was quiet when he let himself in, no TV running, no lights on. Should he stop at Alex's room and see how Alex was doing? Or not? Would Alex consider that hovering again? Nope, they could talk tomorrow if they needed to. For tonight, he wanted some more peace. Sam opened the door to his own room and switched on the light.

He stopped short, seeing who was already in there. Sleeping peacefully in his bed, only his head peeking out from under the covers, was Alex. Sam drew closer, staring. Alex's cheeks were red, and his eyes looked swollen. Had he been crying again? And what exactly was he doing in Sam's bed? Not that Alex in his bed was a bad thing, but it was unexpected, to say the least.

Sam wouldn't get an answer to his questions now, and he wasn't going to wake Alex up. Sam undressed, switched off the light, and crawled in beside Alex, wearing only boxers. Alex stirred, but didn't wake. He only burrowed closer to Sam, resting his head on Sam's shoulder.

Sam pressed a kiss to Alex's forehead and closed his eyes.

"I thought you wouldn't come back," Alex murmured.

So he was awake. Oh, and he had felt the kiss. Damn.

"I wouldn't leave you. I just thought it was a good idea to get away for a few hours."

"I said some awful things. I'm sorry. I... I'm just so frustrated. I'm pent up here, with nothing to do. I can't read all day; I can't watch TV all day; I'm going crazy here. Research turns up nothing, and I... I think I hate myself right now. But I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm sorry for that. You do so much for me, and all I am is a burden, and... fuck." Alex started to rise.

Sam put a hand on his shoulder. "Stay. You're not a burden. I like taking care of you." Alex still tried to get up, probably to run away again. Sam bent over and kissed him full on the lips. He lingered there a second, then pulled back. "Stay? Please?" _Did I really just do this?_

From the shocked look on Alex's face, he had. Alex stared at Sam like he'd grown a second head. He had grown one, but that was currently trapped in his boxers, which was better right now.

Alex hesitated a second, then smiled shyly and laid his head back on Sam's shoulder. What had Sam done? And why was Alex not yelling at him? His lips tingled from the kiss and he suppressed the urge to touch them, to get a better taste of Alex.

"What... what was that?" Alex asked quietly.

Sam chuckled. "Do I really have to tell you that?"

"No! I mean, why? And..."

Sam turned his head, his face now inches away from Alex's lips. What would he give to be allowed to kiss him again?

Alex's answered his unspoken question as he wrapped his fingers around Sam's neck, and slowly pulled him forward to his lips. They were kissing again.

Despite the need burning in Sam's stomach, it was a slow, lazy kiss. Their tongues met, touching, caressing, though without the immediate need to get off. Sam pulled Alex closer, trying to press him flush to his body. Alex's stomach was trapped between them, and Sam scooted back a bit.

"Stay," Alex breathed against Sam's lips. "It's okay." Their lips closed the distance, meeting in another long, languid kiss. Slowly, as air became necessary, they pulled back, only inches separating them. "That was... that was..."

Sam stopped Alex from saying more in the best possible way. He kissed him again. Meanwhile, Sam's fingers explored Alex's back and stomach, but nothing more. Alex was as shy, his hands never going down near Sam's boxers. Sam was hard, painfully so, but this was not the right moment to take things further. Alex allowed him close, which was absolutely enough for now.

They slowly separated, until they were looking at each other again. "Here. The little one is awake," Alex said quietly and brought Sam's hand to his stomach. "Feel."

Sam closed his eyes and rested his head on Alex's shoulder, waiting for another kick. There. Something nudged his hand. The baby. Their baby. It nudged again, harder, kicking against Sam's palm.

"He or she is strong."

"Wait until tomorrow, then I can show you how it looks when he jumps. My whole stomach moves. I saw it happen a few days ago for the first time. Looks funny as hell." Alex chuckled. "My stomach has a life of its own."

Sam joined in laughing, the kicks against his hand getting stronger and stronger, then vanishing only to come back again. He swallowed around the lump which was suddenly in his throat. This was beyond amazing. He kissed Alex again, simply enjoying it. Alex pulled him close and kissed him back.

This was no kind of foreplay. This was simply enjoying the moment.

They fell asleep sometime later, still wrapped in each other's arms, Sam's hand resting against their baby. Nothing besides a few kisses had happened, but that'd been enough.

# Chapter Sixteen

_S am_

* * *

Sam pulled Alex's warm, strong body closer to him. He breathed in, the mix of Alex's shampoo and his unique, intoxicating scent teasing his nose. Alex always smelled so good, Sam wanted nothing more than to cuddle next to him.

Alex was the man Sam longed to have in his arms, the man he dreamt of, fantasized about, but who wasn't interested. That was what he'd thought until last night. Right now, Alex rested in his arms, just where he belonged. He was asleep, snoring ever so slightly. His ass rested against Sam's groin, pressed as close as possible.

Sam's cock hardened, ready to take Alex and show him Sam's feelings. Sam shifted a little, trying to get more comfortable, which was close to impossible with his cock throbbing between them. He didn't want to poke Alex, but he needed some friction, _now._

Sam carefully caressed Alex's swollen stomach. While the baby technically wasn't his, he or she belonged as much to Sam as to Alex.

The baby moved again, not kicking as hard as yesterday, but clearly stating "here I am." Not that Sam could forget for a second. He breathed again deeply, trying to wrap his head around the fact Alex was with him. He'd do everything to help Alex survive, and then they would raise the little one as theirs.

"Mmmhh, what are you doing?"

Sam carefully pulled back a little. He didn't want to come on too strong, as long as he wasn't exactly sure what was between them. Alex wouldn't get out of this _thing_ between them— and Sam's bed, for that matter— without a good reason, but they both needed to be clear about what they wanted. Sam wanted everything, but Alex needed to be on the same page before they took things further.

His hand was still on Alex's stomach, and the embrace was quite intimate. Sam tried to unsuspiciously pull back a bit, but Alex stopped him by laying his hand over Sam's.

"Stay a little longer? I don't want to get up yet."

Sam closed his eyes and nodded against Alex's neck. If Alex wanted some more cuddling, he'd get that. They could talk later. "Of course. Think you can sleep a bit longer?"

"I hope so," Alex mumbled. His breathing was already evening out and the tension left his body. Sam scooted closer again and stared at a point over Alex's head. He wasn't going to sleep, since he enjoyed having Alex in his bed way too much. Happy, Sam closed his eyes and let his mind wander, imagining their future together.

Alex woke two hours later, still in Sam's arms. He hadn't even stirred the whole time.

Alex turned around to Sam, his face still sleepy. "Good morning." His mouth pulled into a soft smile. He stared at Sam, not saying anything. Sam's heart beat like mad, trying to get out of his ribcage. Alex's smile did this to him every time, but having him in his arms made the sensation even worse.

Slowly, very slowly, Alex bent and pressed a kiss to Sam's lips. Sam's heart stilled, his world stopped. In the light of the day, not tired and worn out from crying, Alex was kissing him again. And Sam kissed Alex, breathing him in, devouring him. His hands ran over the swollen stomach, Alex's ass, his back. Hell, why hadn't they done this months earlier?

Alex pulled at Sam's boxers, his hands as impatient as Sam's, shaking, tugging, yet not getting anything done. They slowed down a bit, their movements getting a bit more coordinated, and soon Sam was naked, and Alex was busy pulling his shirt over his head. He still wore his sweats, but they'd go soon enough.

Alex's lips were red and slightly swollen. His dark hair, longer than usual, was already disheveled, and he was panting slightly.

"You do know there is no going back? I want everything, if we do this," Sam asked quietly.

"I know. I fucking know." Alex wound his arms around Sam and pulled him into a kiss again. Sam closed his eyes, giving in to his lust. They lay down next to each other, Alex's stomach between them. Sam caressed his hand down Alex's back, who pressed as close to him as possible. His stomach got in the way, keeping them apart too much.

That wouldn't do. That wouldn't do at all. Sam got on his knees, and settled next to Alex, who turned on his back, exposing the swollen stomach and his nipples. They were pebbled and hard already, begging Sam to lean down and suck them, much like he planned on sucking something else in a few moments.

He bent down and took one of the small buds in his mouth. Alex moaned softly, pressing his chest closer to Sam's face. Fuck, the man was responsive. Sam shifted to the other side, alternating between carefully biting, sucking, and teasing with his tongue. Alex's breath came in harsh pants, a few moans here and there thrown in. If he got that aroused by simply having his nipples sucked, he'd explode as soon as Sam took his dick in his mouth.

Alex's fingers clutched in Sam's hair. "So good. So fucking good," he half moaned, half said, and then he tried to guide Sam lower. That was absolutely fine with Sam. He pulled on the string of the loose fitting pants Alex wore these days and with a few quick movements, he had Alex lying naked in front of him.

His long, slender cock stood out like a flagpole, practically begging Sam to suck it. Sam licked a long line up from Alex's slightly fuzzy balls to the red tip.

"Sorry, I haven't shaved, I didn't think..."

"Shh, I don't care. It's perfect. You are perfect just the way you are."

"I'm not. I'm far from—"

Alex stopped midsentence as Sam sucked on the hard shaft, pulling it deeper into his mouth. Yes, that was probably the best way to get Alex to be silent. He really should do that more often. Sam pulled off for a second, only to whisper, "You are. And now stop arguing."

Then he went back to his task of driving Alex out of his mind. He ran one finger down Alex's crack. If he was careful, there shouldn't be obstacles to Alex bottoming. They could switch up, Sam wanted to feel Alex inside of him, but for this very first time, he wanted to be inside of Alex.

A full body shudder wracked Alex's slender frame as Sam found his ass. Oh, yes, someone was eager to get fucked.

"Here..." Alex panted, and dropped something next to Sam on the bed. Lube. Where had he gotten it? His nightstand, probably. _How did he know where to look?_ For now though, Sam was going to be grateful. He slicked up his finger without letting go of Alex's cock in his mouth. Before he pressed in his finger, he looked up to Alex's face to make sure everything was all right.

His lips slightly parted, his eyes closed in pleasure, Alex was beautiful. Sam watched him, his reactions, as he slowly pressed in a finger, looking for signs of discomfort or pain. It'd been a while since Alex had had sex, and Sam needed to be careful.

"Put it in, damn it. I can take it."

Sam shook his head and smiled around the cock in his mouth. Impatient brat. He wasn't going to hurt Alex, no matter how much he wanted to fuck Alex senseless. Alex fisted Sam's hair again, holding on as Sam pushed in a second finger. Alex was tight, his muscles clenching. Fucking him was going to be heaven.

Alex's whole body shook, and he moaned even louder. Sam's own cock was painfully hard and ready, yet not allowed to play. Not much longer. Alex panted, begging to be fucked, for Sam to get into him. His pleas were music to Sam's ears, ramping up his own arousal a few more notches.

# Chapter Seventeen

_A lex_

* * *

Alex watched Sam kneeling next to him, his mouth sucking Alex's dick, his fingers in Alex's ass. It was everything, and more than Alex ever wanted. Sam slowly pressed in a third finger, and Alex closed his eyes for a second. It hurt. It'd been months.

Doing it himself just wasn't the same. But the twinge of pain subsided as fast as it had come, and all it left in its wake was the need to get fucked. _ Now!_

"Fuck me. Please, fuck me." Alex hated pleading and he hated sounding needy, but he wanted Sam in him. "Come on, I can take it. Please." Nope, definitely not above begging. Not when he sucked Alex's cock like a pro, and not when his fingers were on his— _oh yes, there, exactly there._

Alex closed his eyes, his fingers tangled in Sam's hair. _Oh god, what is he doing?_ Alex panted, his breath coming in harsh gasps. He needed Sam, ached to feel Sam in him.

Sam let go of Alex's cock and smiled up to him. He got in between Alex's spread legs, ready to—

"Condoms?"

"I'm clean. The only time I was without was Gerome and he can't carry anything. And before that, I got tested regularly. And I know you did as well. I want to feel you. I've known you for so long. Let me have everything of you." _Where did that come from?_ Alex didn't know. And he didn't care as Sam slowly pushed in, past the tight muscle of Alex's ass, until he was inside of him. It burned, and Alex needed to take a deep breath, and another one. But then it was perfect, Sam inside of Alex, hot, hard, and oh so good.

And with that, it was clear. It made sense like it never had before. Alex had never been in love because his heart belonged to one man. Always had and always would. And now Sam was here, making love to Alex.

Sam pushed in the last couple of inches, and Alex tried to raise his legs, but his stomach got in the way. His usual flexibility in bed was only a distant memory.

"Wait, let me help." Sam grasped Alex's legs and laid them over his shoulders.

"Thanks." Alex smiled up to Sam. It should've been embarrassing for Alex that he was too thick to raise his legs on his own, but Sam didn't seem to care. He just kissed Alex's left ankle and grinned back at him.

"No problem. Are you good to go or do you need a bit more time?"

The burning had lessened and Alex nodded to Sam, who still watched him closely. Sam started, the first slow thrusts bringing tears to Alex eyes. Not because of discomfort, though. Because having Sam inside was so right.

Alex watched Sam as he fucked him, gentle enough so he wouldn't hurt him or the baby. Sam's face was a mask of lust and want, probably the same emotions that showed on Alex's own. He looked so happy.

Alex reached down to his cock, wrapping his fist around it, but the position was awkward, since Alex's stomach was way too big to jack himself off.

"Wait. Can you turn around?" Sam interrupted Alex's attempt to stroke himself.

Alex nodded and Sam pulled out of him, leaving Alex feeling empty. "What do you have in mind?"

"Get on all fours, this should be easier for you."

Alex complied, moving into the suggested position, his back to Sam and waited for Sam to come inside of him again.

He did what Alex wished within moments. Sam kissed Alex's neck, which sent a shiver down Alex's back. His arms found their way around Alex, pulling him close to Sam's chest as he pushed into him again. It was as slow as it'd been previously, when he filled Alex up, connecting them. Alex closed his eyes, the emotions overwhelming him.

Sam's hand wound down to Alex's cock, gripping it, stroking him in time with his gentle movements. No urgent need to come ran through Alex. This wasn't sex to get his rocks off. This was lovemaking.

Sam kissed Alex's shoulder again, telling him how beautiful he was.

"I'm not. I'm fat," Alex replied, although without any heat.

"I love your stomach as much as I love you. And you can kick my ass for it later, just accept it for now."

Alex misheard. He absolutely got everything wrong. Sam didn't— "Did you just say you love me?"

"I told you, you could kick my ass later, okay? I just wanted you to know."

So Alex hadn't misunderstood? "I love you, too." And he meant it.

"Really?"

"Really." It was mushy, but in this moment, everything was all right.

"I love you, and I want the baby to be mine as much as yours, if you let me."

How could Alex not love him? "I want the same," he whispered, his throat closed from too many emotions running through him.

Sam rescued him from saying anything else by stroking faster, his thrusts getting stronger. Yet, it was a far cry from the hot, sweaty kind of sex Alex usually had. This was something different. And it was so much better.

A few more jerks brought Alex to a great, eye-crossing, getting-out-of-breath orgasm. His arms trembled with the effort of holding him up, and his body relaxed. Sam steadied Alex's hips, helping him stay on all fours, and with a few last thrusts, Sam followed Alex over, spilling his cum into him.

"I love you," Sam murmured.

"Love you, too." Alex raised up against Sam's chest and met him in a sloppy kiss over Alex's shoulder. "Let's sleep a little longer?"

"Hmm. I'm gonna clean up and be right back." Sam kissed Alex one last time before pulling out. Alex missed him already, but he was going to have more of him. Sam stood and stumbled out of the room. Alex laid down again and waited for Sam. He heard the bathroom door open and the water running. Sam would be back soon, and then they could cuddle again.

He smiled into the empty room. He was happy, simply happy, and he looked forward to having a family with Sam. He was going to give birth somehow, and then they could raise the child and live their own happily ever after.

Sam was back a few moments later, before Alex could get all teary-eyed because of his feelings. He wiped Alex clean then pulled him against his chest, Alex's stomach trapped between them again.

"You do know this is serious, right? I want everything. You, the baby, a family."

Had he known Alex had been thinking about the same a moment ago? "You know how corny you sound?" Alex couldn't stop himself from ribbing Sam gently, but he couldn't keep the smile out of his voice. They were on the same page here, apparently. Alex kissed Sam and murmured, "I want exactly the same with you. Love you so much."

"Love you as well."

# Chapter Eighteen

_A lex_

* * *

Gerome showed up the next week again. It was nearly lunchtime and Alex was bored and lonely. Sam was working and Alex had been alone since this morning, missing him. The nights were awesome and hot, but the days were long, leaving Alex with too much time to think and worry.

Alex invited Gerome in, happy he had some company. Gerome hadn't even bothered with asking about him or the baby the last few times he visited, but today he didn't seem to be as stressed out. He'd accepted the invitation and sat down in the kitchen while Alex rummaged through the fridge, looking for something to snack on.

"Do you want something to drink?" Alex turned around to Gerome. He never drank anything, but it'd be rude to not ask.

"No, thanks."

Alex shrugged and got himself a bottle of water and a couple of yogurts out of the fridge. His stomach didn't make it easy to bend down, but he managed. Alex sat down across from Gerome and fiddled with the bottle in his hand.

"How are you feeling?" Gerome asked into the silence of the kitchen.

"I'm okay, thanks. The baby is growing," Alex ran a hand over his very round stomach, "and I'm just hoping it's healthy."

"That's one of the things I'm here for. I found a doctor. He runs a very reclusive, hidden, and secret hospital. He treats humans and paranormals, and he agreed to do a check-up."

"You found a doctor? Who treats pregnant men?" He'd really found someone? Hope! Finally, finally a silver lining on the horizon.

Gerome smiled, looking a little smug. Yeah, he had every right, having found someone. Alex had to give him that. He was just beyond grateful they had more than a little hope for actually having a shot at being a family now.

"Thank you," Alex murmured, his eyes suddenly tearing up again. Damn these hormones.

"Your appointment is tomorrow evening. Since it gets dark at around nine, I'll pick you up at nine thirty. That way we have the cover of darkness to get you there undetected. Is that okay?"

"I will be here," Alex answered. Not that he could be anywhere else, but he didn't have to rub it in.

"Okay, then. I'll see you tomorrow." Gerome stood and smiled at Alex again.

"Thank you. Really. I mean... it's awesome you found a doctor."

"Don't mention it. I want you and the little one to be healthy and happy."

Alex rubbed over his stomach. "I want the same."

"See you tomorrow, then?"

"I'll be ready."

True to his word, Gerome stood in front of the door the next night. Alex followed him down the stairs, but stopped outside to take deep breaths of the warm summer air. It was still pretty hot and damp, but oh so good after being inside for so long. Opening the windows was simply not the same as being outside. Alex had contemplated going for a walk, but it was too dangerous. Earlier in the pregnancy, he'd snuck out a few times, but not recently. There was no way he could hide his stomach.

The few meters to the car were no problem, though. Alex slipped into it, Sam close on his heels. Gerome got behind the wheel of the sleek, black car.

Alex settled back in the seat, took Sam's hand, and tried to get comfortable with his stomach in the way. Today, his back ached like a bitch. A few days before, his right leg continually fell asleep whenever he stood for a minute. He breathed deep, hoping the little one would change position so he could sit down comfortably. The next nine weeks were going to be fun if it was that bad already.

Gerome sped up, and soon the city flew by. He drove for about twenty minutes, during which Sam didn't let go of Alex's hand once.

They stopped in front of a very normal looking house. Alex didn't know what he had expected but was somehow disappointed. From Gerome's words, Alex had anticipated more, like armed guards or hidden entrances. This was supposed to be a secret clinic, and yet, they drove right up, without anyone hindering them. If he stopped and thought about it, it was clever, since no one would look for a clinic here, as this was just a house and a small parking lot. Two other cars were standing there already, and on a lawn nearby stood a swing and a sandbox. Alex was really curious to meet the doctor who ran such an institution.

Gerome led them to the entrance area. No sign announced who worked here. He pushed open the door and they walked into a large reception area.

A friendly smiling woman sat behind a desk, looking up as she saw them. Alex pulled the jacket he wore closer over his stomach, in a very useless attempt to hide, but there was no hiding a thirty-one-weeks-along stomach.

She was probably used to it. She'd seen more pregnant men, at least Alex hoped so. The knowledge didn't ease his anxiety. Alex took a deep breath and stepped over to the desk. Before he could say anything, she spoke. "Hello. Dr. Brown is awaiting you. Would you please go through to the second door on the left? You can wait there, he'll be with you shortly."

"Thanks," Alex stammered. That was really fast. Alex turned in the direction the woman had pointed, and Sam and Gerome followed him. They entered the room together, neither of the men making any move to wait outside.

Alex wanted to have Sam by his side, since this was his baby as much as Alex's. Gerome? Not so much, even if he was biologically the father. Alex had no idea how the doctor was going to examine him, but he didn't want to have Gerome in the room with him.

Alex just had no good reason to tell him that without looking like a total asshole. Gerome had organized the whole appointment, driven them there, and he was the father, so it was only fair he be allowed in the room, yet this was something very private, and in Alex's eyes, Sam was the father, biology be damned.

Alex perched his pregnant ass on a chair, while his boyfriend took the one next to him. Gerome remained standing at the door.

The opposite door opened and Dr. Brown stepped in. He was in his late thirties, with sandy-blond hair and a stocky build. A welcoming smile lit up his entire face.

"Hello." He shook Alex's hand, then greeted Sam and Gerome.

"Who of you two is the father of the child?" Dr. Brown asked and glanced between Sam and Gerome.

"I am," Sam and Gerome answered simultaneously.

Dr. Brown's smile grew wider. "Oh, I'm sorry. Who of you is the sire, then?"

"That would be me," Gerome answered.

Dr. Brown hurried around the desk and bowed deep in front of Gerome. "Your highness, it's an honor to have you and your partners here."

_Wait, what— sire? Your Highness? What the fuck?_ Alex tried to make sense of what he'd just heard.

"Highness?" he mouthed to Sam, who sat wide-eyed next to Alex. Sam shook his head. He didn't know either.

"Gerome, what do you want to tell us?"

Gerome's shoulders fell. "I'm a prince. A vampire prince. Only descendants of the royal line are able to impregnate men. I learned that tidbit of info after I accidentally got you pregnant. I'm not first in line or anything, so me being the biological father or sire of the child has no consequences to you. That's why I didn't tell you anything about it. I wanted to keep it under wraps as well." Gerome ran a hand through his hair. He addressed his next words to Dr. Brown. "And while I'm flattered you think we're in a relationship, I may be the sire, but actually, Alex and Sam are a couple."

"Oh, okay, I understand." Dr. Brown went back behind his desk. "There are a few things I need to tell you, then I'll examine you, okay? But first, let me get an extra chair."

Dr. Brown vanished for a second, while Alex's mind still reeled. Gerome was a fucking prince? And he'd never even dropped a hint. Nothing about this had turned up in his online search. Nothing. Not a single clue. He'd ask Gerome about it as soon as they were in the car again.

Dr. Brown interrupted Alex's thoughts as he returned with a chair. Gerome sat down with a "Thank you" and waited for Dr. Brown to continue speaking.

"So, the legal stuff first. We offer medical advice and help for a minority here. That includes pregnant men, vampires, and weres. You are in a situation yourself where nothing about your pregnancy can be public. You might meet other men here, pregnant or wounded... you get the picture. I'm asking you to keep silent about the patients. I can help you, and I will help you if you want, but I can only do my job if nobody knows about this clinic. It's as simple as that. You can give my address to someone who needs medical help as well, but not the authorities. I have papers here that you'll need to sign, basically that I can sue you if you tell the authorities, and that everything you see and hear here is strictly confidential." Dr. Brown looked every one of them in the eye for a second. "I'm sorry I have to go to such lengths, but I have a family to protect as well."

"I understand." Alex couldn't say he was comfortable being basically accused of possibly wanting to harm him, but he understood all too well where Dr. Brown was coming from.

Dr. Brown pushed three papers over the desk, together with a pen. Alex flew over the contents of the contract, and it was basically all what he'd just told them. Tell about his clinic and he could sue them. Keep under wraps what Alex saw here.

Alex signed on the bottom line, then passed the pen to Sam. He and Gerome scribbled their names on the documents as well. Sam's expression revealed he was not too happy with the contract they'd just signed, but there was no way out if they wanted help. And since Alex had no intention of telling anyone about his visit here, he shouldn't have trouble keeping up his end of the agreement.

"Thank you. I appreciate it." Dr. Brown collected the papers. "Let's take a look at you now, shall we? If you could please follow me?"

He waited until Alex nodded, then stood and opened the door to the room he'd come from. Alex dragged his ass out of the chair and followed him to the room, Sam and Gerome close on his heels.

"Please, lie down here. We'll start with an ultrasound. Could you pull up your T-shirt?"

Alex took his place in an awkwardly formed chair. It had strange rests on the sides for the feet and was leaned back in a slightly skewed angle.

The doctor poured some cold, lube-like stuff on Alex's stomach. He jumped slightly, but forced himself to be still as the doctor had the hand-piece ready. It took a few moments until the picture became clear, but then Alex was able to see something resembling a leg on the monitor.

Dr. Brown fiddled with some knobs. A loud, rushing and pulsating sound filled the room. It was a very fast, strong pounding. The baby's heartbeat, most likely. Alex stared at the monitor, as Dr. Brown explained he'd found the umbilical cord. He was measuring it to see if the child was getting enough blood.

All Alex could think of was that he heard the heartbeat of his child. His baby. The constant kicks in Alex's stomach were apparently not enough sign that the little one was there. He needed to hear it as well. Tears streamed down Alex's cheeks as he listened to possibly the best sound in the world. Sam came over, wiping Alex's face dry.

"Hey, it's okay. Come on." He kissed Alex gently on the forehead.

"Everything looks good to me. Do you want to know the gender?"

They both shook their heads simultaneously.

"Okay. Anyway, the baby is healthy as far as I can tell."

Sam leaned over and kissed Alex again. "I'm so happy everything's okay," he murmured.

"Me, too," Alex whispered back.

Alex focused back on the ultrasound and the last questions he had. "So, Gerome told me you'd do a C-section? How are the results? Can you tell me about the technique you're using? Where are you cutting?"

"Of course. I've done about one-hundred and twenty C-sections. There is a certain risk, but I don't have to tell you that. Nevertheless, the possibility of dying at birth is much higher if you give birth the natural way. All of my patients survived, as did the children." He ran his finger over Alex's stomach close to the waistband of his trousers. "I'll cut here. That way the scar will be hidden if you're shirtless."

Alex smiled at him. That was what he'd wanted to hear. "Thank you. Can we make an appointment, then?"

The doctor wiped down Alex's stomach, getting rid of the lube-like stuff on it. "I suggest we find a date about two weeks before it's due, so you don't accidentally go into labor."

"That sounds good to me."

"Have Lizzie look up a date. I assume you know when it happened? Since you're too far along for me to calculate that?"

Alex shot a look at Gerome. "Yes, I know the exact date. I've got about nine weeks left."

"Good. Then please make an appointment in two and four weeks for check-ups, and then let's schedule in seven weeks for the C-Section. I'm going to keep you here for about ten days afterward, and then you shouldn't be alone at home. But I think that's not a problem?"

Alex cast a glance at Sam. "No, that's not a problem."

"Okay, then. I'll see you in two weeks. Have a nice evening."

They shook hands, made the appointments, and then stood outside in the pleasantly cool summer air. Gerome stared in the distance, an odd look on his face. Why was he acting so strange? And what was up with the prince thing?

Alex stomped over and pulled on his sleeve. "Can I talk to you?" It took Gerome a moment to understand what Alex wanted, but then he followed him. Alex stopped in front of an overgrown bush. "What's up, Gerome? Is it the money? We'll come up with it."

"What? No, I already settled that."

"Oh. Then, thanks. Really. But— what's up? Is it because you're a prince? I don't get why you hid that from us, but I figure you have your reasons. But you're acting really strange today."

"It's nothing. Everything is fine."

"Do you really want to tell me everything's okay? I see how sad and tired you look. Is it because Sam and I are together now?"

"No, it's not. It's okay. Really. Nothing to concern you."

His closed face told Alex he wouldn't get any more out of him. Well, then. He'd done everything he could, and while it stung a bit that Gerome didn't trust him with his problems, maybe it was for the best. If he wanted to talk, he'd find Alex. "Then let's go home?"

Alex didn't look forward to getting home, but he was exhausted from the trip, and it was after eleven as well. Gerome stopped him from turning around and getting back in the car.

"Alex, just a moment, please. I'm happy everything will be okay now. I'm happy for you. Please don't worry about me. I'll be fine." He pulled Alex into his arms, baby belly and all, and hugged him tight.

Everything would be well. He had no intentions of denting Dr. Brown's statistics, and the baby was healthy.

A few feet away Alex's boyfriend waited for him, so they could get home and crawl into bed together.

Yeah, everything was good.

* * *

THE END

# Part Two

Saving Alex

# Chapter One

_A lex_

* * *

Alex clumsily attempted to climb out of the shiny black car as his stomach, which was always getting in the way, made every move an exercise. Nothing was as easy as it had been a few months ago before he'd gained enough kilos to feel like a whale. He'd put on _a lot_ of weight, which showed on his hips, his thighs and of course, his stomach. In short, he was huge. At only five foot eight, he'd had the look of hot twink down perfectly, since he'd always been on the slim side. But now, his stomach protruded greatly, and he was as far from sexy as possible. He also couldn't leave the apartment to get a haircut, so his dark strands had grown longer, falling into his eyes constantly. His blue eyes had darkened in color with the pregnancy. They now resembled a nighttime sky instead of the bright daytime they used to resemble. This seemed to be one of the side effects of carrying a half vampire child.

Alex pushed himself off the seat. Gerome's Jaguar complicated the whole getting-out-of-the-car business. The car was everything, but definitely not designed for heavily pregnant men or women. Stylishly low, sleek, and athletic, it made a great impression, but it was hell to get in or out of. His boyfriend, Sam, grasped his hand, pulling to help him stand upright.

Alex winced as he stretched his back completely. Movements like straightening hurt sometimes, thanks to his sciatica. This time, however, he managed it with just a little twinge, evading the stabbing pain in his leg as he came to a stand in front of Dr. Brown's private hospital. It was a beautiful evening, still warm, and the birds sang in the bushes around the clinic. The light of a lamp bathed the parking lot that held only two other cars tonight, which wasn't a surprise. Although after ten at night, Dr. Brown treated a lot of paranormals and pregnant men who couldn't risk being seen in their condition.

Two weeks had passed since his last visit and today, he was due for another check-up. One more in two weeks and then, in pregnancy week thirty-eight, it would be C-section time. Alex didn't know exactly how he'd make it through the next weeks. He was so done with the pregnancy. Everything hurt, and his stomach got in the way all the time.

The baby moved and Alex rubbed a hand over his stomach. He or she kicked against his hand, something the little one liked to do. He rubbed over the abused spot, then turned to Sam. "Thanks. Gerome really needs another car. I won't be able to get out of it much longer."

Alex grinned sweetly at the dark-haired vampire, who waited next to the car. He loved ribbing Gerome, even though the man usually ignored his little teasing. It wasn't any different today. Instead, he studied the bushes and trees around the parking lot, apparently not listening. Just as well. One day, he'd get a rise out of the biological father of his child.

Alex grabbed Sam's hand and intended to steal a quick kiss from him. Sam didn't stop with just a peck, though, and drew Alex as close as possible. Their tongues met and teased each other, accompanied by a quiet moan. Alex grew hard in his loose fitting pants and snuggled even closer into the embrace. Since Sam stood a couple of inches taller than him, Alex fit perfectly against his body. He forgot about everything around him, only the perfect, hot body pressed against his own mattered. He wanted Sam so badly. They'd made love only the day before, but his body already hummed with lust. Maybe he could talk Sam into vanishing behind the greenery around the parking lot? A quick BJ should be doable.

Sam ran his hands down Alex's back and cupped his ass. Yep, a BJ really didn't sound bad at all.

"I hate to break you two love-birds up, but we really need to get inside. It's too dangerous here." Gerome's voice forced them apart. Panting hard, Alex reluctantly broke the kiss. What the fuck was wrong with Gerome? Didn't he see they needed a minute alone? Sam pulled back, though, releasing Alex, who licked his lips, chasing the last taste of his boyfriend.

Alex took another deep breath of the fresh air. He didn't want to go inside, even if Gerome had stopped them from doing something naughty. He'd been cooped up for so long, and he wanted out. A walk through the night, or better yet, through the daylight and the sun, sounded so tempting. But no, he'd been confined to their apartment for four fucking months already. Being pregnant sucked. Big time. At least it did if you lived in a world where being male and pregnant was forbidden.

"Come on now. Inside." Gerome's voice carried a strong tone of impatience. He seemed to be nervous. It wasn't the first doctor's appointment, so why was he so tense? The parking lot was secluded and while two other cars sat there, nobody could see them. It wouldn't hurt to give a few more minutes of relative freedom.

But the vampire prince sniffed the air, his stance speaking of the tension running through his body. Now the hairs on Alex's neck stood up as well. "What is wrong?"

"I don't know. I just thought I smelled something, but I can't place it, and I lost the scent before I could get enough to identify it. Please, let's just get inside."

A cold shiver ran across Alex's neck and over his back. Was something wrong, or was Gerome just overreacting?

Just to be on the safe side, Alex stopped every argument lying ready on the tip of his tongue as they hurried up the stairs to the heavy entrance door and into the hospital. Gerome visibly relaxed as soon as the door closed.

Lizzy, the receptionist, already waited for them, greeting them with a smile and explaining that the doctor would be with them in a few minutes. Despite Gerome being more relaxed, Alex couldn't stop himself from glancing around and trying to see whether something looked different today. He couldn't pick up on anything but then, he was only human. Gerome's vampire senses might have caught something he'd simply missed.

Lizzy sent them into the doctor's office before Alex could dwell any further on the scents Gerome might have picked up on. The check-up was quick and soon, they were standing outside the hospital again. Gerome ushered them to the car before Alex could even take a glance around the parking lot.

They drove in silence through the night, with Sam holding his hand. His boyfriend trailed his thumb over the palm of Alex's hand and a shiver of pleasure wracked his whole body, his lust flaring up once more. They'd be home in a few minutes and hopefully, Gerome wouldn't stick around to have a chat with them. They had more important things to do. Like finding which position was best with Alex's stomach so he could fuck his partner senseless. Or get fucked senseless. Alex didn't care, as long as it involved fucking.

Alex snuggled closer to Sam and ran a hand over his flat stomach. He traced the trail of a few faint hairs to Sam's groin, stopping just shy of his cock and back up again. Sam moaned quietly and scooted as close as possible, with Alex's baby belly trapped between them.

Sam gently kissed him, his tongue tracing his lips. Alex opened up, inviting his lover to play with him. Sam took over, raising himself on one elbow and running his hand over Alex's stomach, then he broke the kiss to nibble on Alex's neck.

"I love your stomach," Sam murmured against his skin between kisses. "I love you." Sam trailed down to his nipple and took the small bud in his mouth, biting down gently. Alex arched into the touch and reached up to Sam's neck, pressing him even closer to his sensitive nipples. Because of the pregnancy, his nerve endings were more responsive, and the right amount of stimulation brought him close to orgasm. Something Sam apparently liked to explore again and again.

"I love you, too," Alex whispered back, then moaned loudly as Sam bit him. His fingers clenched for a second, then Alex remained on Sam's neck to hold him over his chest, encouraging him to keep teasing his nipples. In the meantime, Sam's fingers had already made their way down to his hard cock.

"Fuck!" Alex's eyes rolled shut as Sam wrapped his slender fingers around his erection. Thrusting up into Sam's fist, he was unable to stop himself from moving to get the friction just right. A shiver ran down Alex's back and he moaned again, low in his throat. "God, Sam... I want you."

Sam only groaned his approval, his own breathing as ragged as Alex's, so he ran his hand over his partner's back and down to his ass, cupping one of the globes. Sam released the nipple he'd been teasing and panting hard, rested his head against Alex's.

Alex reached down with his free hand to grasp his lover's cock, giving it a couple of strokes. "I want you. I want you so much. One day, I want to fuck you, long and slow until we are totally spent." Sam's cock twitched in his hand, causing Alex to smile.

"Fuck, Alex. I'd love that." Sam breathed the words against Alex's neck, his breathing speeding up again. His lover took his lips in another kiss, this one long and lingering and oh so hot.

Finally, as air became necessary, Sam rested his forehead on Alex's. "I love you, babe," he whispered, then kissed him again.

Sam stroked Alex's cock once more, then trailed his palm down to Alex's crack. Raising his legs in anticipation of what would come, he gave Sam easy access. His lover teased and rubbed the sensitive skin, coaxing another muffled moan from him. He couldn't wait for Sam to get inside.

Without breaking the kiss, Sam reached across him and fumbled for a moment. When he came back, his cool, slick fingers pressed against Alex's pucker, which clenched in anticipation. Knowing what would come made waiting for it even better—or worse, depending on the point of view. Sam's hot breath on his own flushed skin sent shivers of lust through him, and he wanted Sam inside him... now.

But it would take a few more minutes, so he held the man in the kiss, while Sam gently teased the tight muscle into relaxing. His skilled fingers slipped in and out easily, coaxing a few more moans from Alex. Eyes closed, he allowed Sam to play with him, get him ready, and ramp up his lust even higher, if that were possible. His fingers clutched in Sam's soft skin, he concentrated on not coming on the spot. It was going to be hard to stave off his orgasm long enough to get fucked. His ass clenched around Sam's fingers, ready to be filled up. Finally, when Alex took two fingers comfortably, Sam released his lips and whispered, "Turn over."

With a last peck, Alex complied, giving Sam his back. His partner spooned close, guiding his dick between Alex's ass cheeks. A shiver of lust surged through him again, his arousal taking over completely.

Sam pressed in slowly, knowing exactly how fast he could go without hurting Alex and giving him as much pleasure as possible.

"Fuck, yeah. Give it to me," Alex moaned.

With one hard thrust, Sam complied, filling him up. His lover pulled him even closer, teasing his nipples again and gripping his hard length. Alex arched into the touch, the triple pleasure bringing him close to orgasm already. Sam set a gentle pace, nothing too demanding. Alex gave himself over to the motions with his eyes closed, his whole body humming with lust and love. With soft lips on his neck, Sam caressed him there as well, sometimes biting down gently, driving him higher and higher toward the orgasm pooling in his belly.

When Sam changed angles, his cock hit Alex's prostate, pushing him so much closer to the edge. He tried to breathe deep in order to go on longer, but it was too much to bear, too intense, and the arousal burning in him threatened to break free. Alex gripped his own cock, jacking himself in time with Sam's thrusts. "Fuck, yes. Come on, give it to me," he panted, his hand flying, driving him closer and closer. He wanted to come with Sam, feel him pulse inside of him when they tumbled over the edge.

Sam's thrusts sped up. "I'm gonna."

Alex jacked himself even harder, his orgasm bubbling close under the surface now. With a low moan and two hard thrusts, Sam came in his ass, pushing him over into his own orgasm. Alex shivered hard and spilled all over his hand, the release robbing him of all his strength. He breathed deep through the sensation of being filled, satisfaction humming through his body. Panting behind him, Sam's arms still held him. _Fuck, that had been good._

Sam slowly pulled out, and Alex winced at the feeling of emptiness left behind. If it were possible, he'd like them to stay connected like this forever.

Wiping himself clean with the tissue Sam handed him, Alex watched as his partner did the same, then reached to turn down the light. With a last kiss, they snuggled close, Sam spooning Alex again.

"Good night. Love you," Sam murmured.

"Love you too," Alex answered, stifling a yawn. "Good night."

# Chapter Two

Rummaging through the fridge, Alex searched for something, anything, to eat. The baby seemed to have his or her head, or ass, or leg, or whatever parked firmly in his stomach, yet he was always hungry. Whether because he was pregnant with a half-vampire child, or just a normal effect of pregnancy, he didn't know. But in any case, he needed food. Now.

Alex pulled out a sandwich Sam had made earlier along with a jar of pickles. He loved them. They tasted awesome with most of his food. No matter if he chose peanut butter sandwiches or cheese, he could eat everything with the sweet-sour vegetables. Hmm... peanut butter, yes, that sounded good.

He took the sandwich and the pickles, then slowly started to straighten himself. Pushing himself into a standing position, Alex winced as a stabbing pain ran through his back, his ass, and down his leg. With deep breaths to help him with the pain, he carefully tested his ability to move. Bending to reach into the fridge was one of the worst positions for his back. Of course, this was absolutely not due to the fact that he spent so much time looking for something to eat in there. Absolutely not.

Munching on the pre-made sandwich while he fixed himself some peanut butter sandwiches that he'd eat in front of the TV, he would wait for Sam to come home. Then they would cook dinner together.

He missed Sam so much. The days dragged on endlessly without him, but Sam was either busy at college or working to support the two of them. The money from Gerome helped a lot, but Sam had to work on the side to make ends meet. Plus, they had to put something aside for after the birth, when Sam would stay at home with him and the baby for the first few weeks.

Gerome was nice and everything, but he'd made it pretty clear he wouldn't stick around to care for Alex and his child, and he was good with that. Gerome might be the biological sire, but he considered Sam the baby's dad. Whether they'd tell the little one exactly how things had happened remained to be seen. Given that male pregnancies were forbidden and punishable, they'd have to put a woman's name on the birth certificate anyway. With Alex listed as the father, Sam could adopt the little one later.

Dr. Brown had already taken care of some of the paperwork. Alex didn't want to know how the doctor did it, but for a decent amount of money, the little one would have a mother who gave the baby up for adoption and Alex listed as his or her father. This solution was far from optimal, but there was nothing else they could do.

They could fight for a change in the laws, but only after Alex gave birth. If he got caught in public with his baby belly, he'd be thrown in jail. His plans didn't involve spending the first years of the baby's life in prison and the baby in an orphanage. Absolutely not.

Chewing on the peanut butter sandwich, Alex wandered into the living room. He touched an item here and there in the tiny hallway, but they didn't have many knick-knacks, as neither of them cared about such things. He stopped at a picture, from a few years ago, of him and Sam arm in arm on a school trip. How could he have been so blind to Sam's love? He didn't know, but he was more than happy to call Sam his boyfriend now.

In the small living room, Alex took his usual seat in the recliner, put his swollen legs up on the couch, the only other piece of furniture that fit in there, besides the TV and a small table. They'd have to get a bigger apartment sometime in the near future, when the baby grew. But while their current home was small, it was actually nice. They'd painted the walls in white, with the occasional yellow or green highlight, which gave the rooms a nice atmosphere. Their furniture didn't really match, but Alex had grown to love the different chairs and table. Everything was paid for and _theirs._

Each item held memories of picking it up together, of throwing money together to have enough for the couch, buying first one, then another chair, depending on their financial situation. Their home was small, but clean and comfortable. Alex wouldn't swap it with anyone, except to accommodate their growing family.

Alex picked up the remote from its place on the table, started the TV, and zapped through the channels. Nothing held his interest for long, but it was only normal after being cooped up inside for so long. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back. What he would give to be allowed outside. It was late summer and a beautiful day. The sun shone brightly, yet it wasn't so hot that it was unbearable. Just the perfect kind of day to lie in the sun or have a picnic in the park, much like they'd done shortly before he was forced to stay at home.

He smiled. That was before he and Sam had gotten together, before he realized he loved his best friend with all his heart—and in a completely un-best friend way. But since Sam showed as well as told him daily how much he loved him back, it wasn't a bad thing at all.

The lock on the entrance door clicked quietly a few times and then opened and closed. Was Sam home already? It was too early for him, but maybe he was able to leave sooner than he'd expected.

"Hey, babe," Alex called out and started putting his feet on the floor. Nobody answered. Strange, but maybe Sam wanted to surprise him, or he had his keys or phone between his lips. Alex pushed himself into a standing position, needing a few seconds until his back stopped cramping and aching. Then he turned, a smile on his face. It froze the second he saw who had entered. The remote clattered to the floor.

_Shit!_ Two strange men, clad in black, with hoods over their heads, stood in the living room.

"Who—who are you? What do you want?" Alex clutched the headrest of the couch. If they came to check on whether or not he was pregnant, he was fucked. If they only... "Do you want money? I don't have much, but I can give you some." His voice wavered a little but not much. If they wanted to rob him, they could go on as long as they didn't hurt him or, worse, the baby. Or told the authorities. Blood rushing in his ears, Alex sought their gazes. "My wallet is in the kitchen. I won't try anything. Please, take it." He knew he sounded pathetic, but maybe they'd leave if he gave the money up willingly.

The bigger guy spoke. "You can come with us without a fight, and we won't hurt you." The man visibly examined Alex's body, his gaze stopping briefly at the baby bump. A shiver, as cold as the man's gaze, ran down Alex's back. _Shit._ They were here for him?

"What—what do you want?" Should he back away? There was no room to flee, since they blocked the door. _I can't go anywhere. I'm trapped. Caught._

"Come with us, and we won't harm you _or_ your child," the bigger man repeated, his voice more impatient than before. Would they really hurt him? Or the baby? Or was that just an empty threat? If he went with them, who knew what they planned to do or where they planned to take him. On the other hand, he couldn't fight these two and if he did, they might harm the baby while knocking him out. _Shit._ Either way, he was absolutely fucked.

"Listen, tell me what you want. Maybe we can find a way." Alex forced his voice to stop wavering. "I can give you some money. Or if you want to know something, maybe I can tell you."

"We need you to come with us and you'll either leave quietly, or we'll have to force you. Whatever you decide, it has to be now." With that, the men took a few steps forward. Alex matched their steps, stumbling backward. His heartbeat increased and sweat beaded down his back. Where was Sam? Why hadn't he come home earlier today? On the other hand, then he'd get kidnapped as well.

The men came closer, their eyes showing their intent. They were hard and calculating. Alex's gaze darted between them. Should he make a run for the door? Not that he could get out, but maybe he could hide in his room. Or Sam's. Or the bathroom. Whatever kept him away from these men.

They came closer, nearly close enough to grab him. _Now or never._

Alex dashed forward. One, two, three steps. An arm around his chest forced the air out of his lungs. He tumbled back again, held up only by the man who had wrapped his arm around him, pulling him against a broad chest. _Fuck._

"I told you not to run." The man's grip was like a vise, holding him way too tightly. _Shit, double shit._ He'd been too slow. Alex tried to break free, fighting against the man. He wouldn't leave without a fight. Definitely not. Who knew what these men would do to him. He struggled, trying to kick one of them, but they were well practiced and held him without getting hurt. No matter what he tried, the arms of the man holding him didn't relent.

"I told you to be silent and come with us," the man rasped in Alex's ear.

Pulling at the unrelenting arm around his chest, Alex didn't gain anything. Then the other man pulled his hands back and bound them with tape. He was strong, fucking strong, leaving him with no chance to fight again. _Fucking hell!_ They were not going to take him! He struggled, fighting for all he was worth but with his hands bound, it was fruitless.

The smaller guy, although he was still bigger than him, approached with a piece of tape in his hand. Alex turned his head away, but he had nowhere to go. The guy held him in a death grip and stopped him from saying anything else as he placed the tape firmly over his mouth. Alex's breathing increased, and his legs started shaking. Sweat beaded on his neck and back. His eyes darted around, searching frantically for a way to save himself—to get out of the situation—but he couldn't come up with anything. He tried to breathe, but the tape stopped him. He'd suffocate. He'd pass out, then puke and simply die, without ever telling Sam how much he loved him, without seeing his baby, and without doing all the things they wanted to do. Unable to get enough air through his nose, his vision dimmed. He didn't—couldn't—wasn't... His heart beat like mad, and he couldn't think of anything except dying.

The voices of the men holding him faded into nothing as the panic took over. He'd die. Here. Now. He'd never see his baby. Alex forced one last labored breath through his nose and then everything went black.

# Chapter Three

_S am_

* * *

Sam climbed up the stairs, already kissing Alex hello in his mind. Taking the last turn to their apartment, he smiled at the thought of what they'd cook tonight. He fumbled in his pocket for his key, ready to.... He stopped short at the sight of the open door. _Oh God!_ Something had happened. Alex would _never_ leave the apartment like this. He even closed the door when he brought the garbage down. Something must have happened. Alex had absolutely no business leaving the security of their home.

Blood rushed in his ears as Sam carefully opened the door a bit more and stepped in. His hands were sweaty and shook slightly. He listened, but the apartment was silent, except for his own harsh breathing. He cautiously looked in every room, his heart beating faster and faster. What if someone lay in wait for him? But then, what if Alex was in there, waiting for help? Sam opened the door to his room. Nothing. Empty like the kitchen and Alex's room. He came to the living room, where the TV was still turned on. A peanut butter sandwich lay on the small table, and the remote lay on the floor. Sam's breath stopped for a second. Putting the damn controller in its place on the table was one of Alex's pet peeves. And the ultimate sign something had happened. Something bad.

Stumbling out of the apartment, Sam's thoughts ran frantically. Should he call for help? He couldn't involve the cops. If they found Alex, they'd see him. Whoever had taken him now knew Alex was pregnant, which was bad enough. On the other hand, if the authorities caught Alex, they'd call him, right? They'd at least tell him where his partner was, even if Alex was pregnant. That's what he hoped.

Would they throw Alex in jail with the other men? Where he could—oh God. Alex was not helpless, but he was in no state to put up with anyone who might have other ideas. Alex was pregnant, so it was clear he was gay, not to mention pretty—way too pretty for jail. Sam sat down hard on the stairs. _Shit, shit, shit!_

He rested his head on his hands, desperately trying to come up with an idea. What should he do now? Whom should he call? _Gerome?_ Yes, the prince might be able to help. He pulled out his cell phone and searched for the man's number.

Gerome answered after the third ring, sounding stressed. "Gerome here."

"This is Sam. Something has happened. Alex is gone. The door's open."

"Shit! Have you looked to see if there's something else missing?" Gerome sounded alerted now.

"I haven't checked for his wallet or anything, no. I haven't seen his phone, though. And Alex is gone, fucking gone. We've got to find him! What if they do something to him?" His stomach clenched at the thought of what could happen.

"I'm on my way. Have you checked to make sure you're alone?"

"Yes, I did. I checked all the rooms, hoping Alex would be—would be..."

"Shhh, I'll be there in a few minutes. Close the door if you haven't done so already. I'm on my way to my car. I'll call you as soon as I'm outside."

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Stay as calm as you can. And don't touch anything. I might be able to pick up the scent of the kidnappers."

"Will do." Sam disconnected the call without saying goodbye, got up, and stumbled on weak legs inside again. He closed the door and turned the key. It didn't make him feel any better, but at least no one could get in now. He stood there, just behind the door, his thoughts running wild in his head, each thought worse than the previous, until he was close to banging his head on the wall just to stop his mind. Gerome finally saved him when he arrived and told him to buzz him in.

Sam waited in the open door and as soon as Gerome came up the stairs, he threw himself into the other man's arms. A sob broke free, his emotions too much to hold in. Gerome pressed him close, running his hands up and down Sam's back. "Shh, we'll find him. Come on, let's get inside and then I can get to work."

Stepping back, Sam ran a hand over his face. He knew he looked like shit, but it didn't matter. Finding Alex mattered. He needed to keep it together. "Yeah. I'll show you where he must've been when they took him. He never likes the remote to be anywhere else but the table. I left in on the floor where I found it. Do you think you can get a scent?"

"Let's get inside first. We don't want the neighbors getting too nosy."

Sam turned and led him inside. Gerome sniffed a bit, but didn't say anything. Without any comment, he vanished to the living room, where he sniffed the air. It looked strange, a grown man in his late twenties taking deep breaths with a concentrated look on his face.

"Are you getting anything?"

"I have something, but I can't place it. I know the scent, but hell if I can remember where I've encountered it before. Crap." Gerome rubbed a hand over his face. "Do you think he fought? Or did he go willingly so they wouldn't hurt him?"

"Alex? He'd fight. He never does anything the easy way. He'd fight with everything he had. But that means he probably got hurt. I haven't seen any blood, but that doesn't mean they didn't do anything to him." Sam stopped himself from talking. He couldn't even think about what might have happened. He'd go crazy or break down and cry. He'd have to stay calm, think, and discuss things with Gerome.

With only a little waver in his voice, he asked, "What are we going to do now? I mean, anyone could have taken him. What if it was the police? Or someone else? But who? Do you think it was by chance that they took Alex? Maybe they just wanted money and he surprised them?" Or had someone seen Alex and reported him to the police? Who knew of him? Dr. Brown, Gerome, and himself. No one else. Who could have spilled the beans?

"I have no idea. We can't call the cops, obviously. At least not officially. I have someone I can contact to get some answers, though. If the police have him, I'll find out." Gerome pulled out his cell. "Can you come with me? I need to call in a lot of favors, and I need to be at home so I can get access to my father's contact list. Take your cell and wallet, but no clothes. If we come back here to have another sniff at the scents again, I need the rooms to remain as undisturbed as possible."

Sam nodded, thankful Gerome had a plan. He didn't know where or how to begin looking for Alex, not to mention who he could call without setting off any kind of alarms.

"Do you have a landline?" Gerome suddenly asked.

"No. We only use our cells. It's cheaper than a landline. And with both of us having no other family, we don't make that many calls. We both have a couple of friends we keep in contact with, but nobody close."

"Okay, then a possible ransom call won't come in that way. That's okay."

Ransom? Sam hadn't thought of that. Holy shit, they had no money. How could they pay anything? Why would they take Alex if they wanted money? The kidnappers had to know they didn't have much.

"Can we go? We really need to start looking for him." Gerome interrupted Sam's frantic thoughts.

_Get your shit together. Alex needs you._ Sam collected his wallet and phone and was ready to go in under a minute. After locking the door behind him, he hurried after Gerome, down the stairs and to the car. The vampire slid behind the wheel and fired up the engine. Sam hadn't even closed the door before Gerome accelerated and fishtailed out of the parking lot.

Clutching the handle above his head, Sam prayed he'd make it out alive as the car weaved through the heavy traffic, unimpressed by the annoyed honks of the other drivers.

"Don't you get speeding tickets?" Sam asked with a glance at the dashboard. If they got pulled over, they were fucked.

"Nope. I don't. Now let me drive."

Sam was silent. He couldn't talk and pray at the same time. And praying was necessary, for Alex and for himself, considering the break-neck speed they were traveling at. It took them only ten minutes before Gerome slowed down and pressed a button on the car's console. An ominously plain, black, wrought-iron gate, framed by high stone posts, opened, and they pulled in slowly, stopping in an inner courtyard, surrounded by buildings.

Astonished, Sam looked around. From the outside, it had looked like a normal apartment building, but from here, it resembled more of a palace than anything else. Gerome had told them he was a vampire prince and this looked like a royal palace, but it had never occurred to him that the man might really live in a palace. Sam had never asked. Come to think of it, he knew very little about the biological sire of Alex's baby.

Sam jumped as the vampire in question rapped on the window, a look of impatience on his face. They had more important problems to solve right now. Before he could grab the door handle, a man in a black suit opened it. Astonished and dumbstruck that someone actually opened his door, he climbed out slowly. He'd try to make sense of it later. The man closed the door before he even had a chance to do that. As another man, also wearing a black suit, fired up the car's powerful engine, he hastily took a step back. Gerome even had someone to park his car? What the heck had he gotten into?

"This way." Gerome pulled Sam out of his thoughts and indicated a door on the left. The man who had just closed the car door went into a little hut and appeared to be waiting as Sam just stared. What could he be waiting for? Someone else? Could his job really be to stand by all day and open and close car doors?

Sam hurried to follow Gerome to the door he'd pointed out and noticed that the vampire hadn't even reacted when another man took his car, which meant he was used to it. Things got stranger and stranger by the minute here.

He watched as Gerome put his index finger on a pad next to the door that clicked open after a second. "Please, come in." The vampire indicated for Sam to go first. He stepped into a large entrance area, with four or five doors going off in different directions, all, except one on the far end of the hall, were closed. The hallway itself was about as big as his and Alex's whole apartment. Painted in warm, welcoming colors, with some earth shades and brown, but not dark in any way, the room appeared comfortable and nice.

Sam slipped off his sneakers and saw Gerome do the same with his more expensive looking shoes.

"Come on, this way." The dark-haired prince led the way to the open door. Cautiously, Sam followed him. If the entrance area was big, how large would the other rooms be? And who'd wait there? The King? He might be totally out of his league here, but it'd be interesting, nevertheless, to discover more about the enigma named Gerome.

Stepping through the door, Sam stopped short as he took in the living room spread out in front of him. It was huge. Really huge. A big, white leather couch and a monstrous flat screen TV dominated the room, set a couple of steps up on a platform. The stairs and the floor were covered in a soft, deep-pile, white carpet. Sam curled his toes into it, enjoying the feeling. Huge windows invited the sun in, bathing the room in light. Modern, abstract paintings decorated the walls, the colors matching the brown of the furniture. Someone had spent _a lot_ of money to design this room.

"Please, sit down. I'll have someone bring you something to drink and then I'll go make some calls about our problem."

"Yeah, of course. Thanks." Sam padded slowly to the couch. If he weren't so afraid for Alex, he'd love to have a movie night here. He turned around to ask Gerome what exactly he intended to do now, but the man was gone already. Instead, a man in a _—surprise—_ black suit entered with a tray of drinks—water, juice, or coffee from what Sam could make out. He nodded, stepped up to the couch, and put the tray on the table.

"Can I get you something else?" the man asked.

"No, thanks." Sam shook his head. How had he managed to make some coffee in such a short period when they'd only just arrived? Studying the tray, he really wanted some hard stuff to ease some of his tension, but he needed to keep a clear head until Alex was back home. Sam wiped his wet palms on his jeans, still so nervous, but at least he was able to function now. The knowledge that Gerome was looking into things helped a lot. They'd find Alex. Sam believed it. But a drink or three wouldn't hurt right now.

# Chapter Four

_A lex_

* * *

Alex woke slowly. Every bone in his body ached, though his head hurt most of all. The room swam around him as he pried open one eye. All he could make out was a lonely light bulb hanging from the ceiling, its light shining in his face. Testing and moving his hands freely, he knew his bindings were gone. Something kicked him in the belly. The baby! His hand flew down, frantically touching his stomach. Running his fingers over it, he felt the strong movements and kicks and his breathing evened out a bit. Everything seemed to be well, the baby was still jumping up and down, which meant it was unharmed.

"We'll be fine, I promise," he whispered to his baby bump and to himself. Oh! No tape covered his mouth. They must've removed it once he passed out. Alex carefully opened a second eye, sitting up and looking around. The room was small, but seemed to be clean, as far as he could tell. The walls were painted in something like crème-white, the floor covered with brown tiles. Aside from the bed he was lying on, the room only contained a small table and a chair. An open door across the room most likely led to a bathroom, and a closed one to freedom, although it was probably locked.

Moving his legs, he found them free as well. Okay, he was unharmed, not bound, and in a room, not some dark hole. He even had access to a bathroom. His kidnappers hadn't done anything to him. If he remembered right, he passed out on his own. That didn't explain why his head hurt, though. Most likely, it was more of a pounding headache due to panic and passing out than a hit. At least he hoped that.

He had no idea how long he'd been out or how late it was. He didn't see a clock, but his stomach rumbled. But he was always hungry, so this was no sign of passing time. Question was, would his kidnappers feed him? Since they hadn't harmed him, did that mean they wanted him healthy? If they wanted to kill him, they wouldn't have bothered with such a room, right?

Alex rolled to his side and curled up around his round stomach. He was afraid, of course, yet he was surprisingly calm. Sam would find him, he had probably already realized he was gone and had called for help. If only he could figure out what the guys who'd taken him wanted, he could either help them get it or try to break free. But first, he'd have to wait until someone came into the room so he could ask why he was here.

With nothing to eat in sight, they'd have to feed him at some time. At least he prayed they would. Starving to death didn't sound appealing at all, especially now that he was pregnant and had found love. Alex wiped a tear out of his eye. Even if he was calm, he was afraid. He wanted Sam by his side, wanted to curl up in his arms, wanted to make love to him, fall asleep in his arms afterward, and wake up cuddled next to him. He yearned to see Sam's expression as he felt the baby jump. Another tear ran down his cheek. He really needed Sam by his side right now.

# Chapter Five

_S am_

* * *

Sam had waited for about thirty minutes, according to the clock on the wall. He'd drunk a lot of coffee and water to distract himself, but the silence was slowly driving him nuts. There was nothing he could do until Gerome came back with news. And he prayed the vampire had some information. His fingers drummed an impatient rhythm on the table. What was taking so long? Surely, he could at least share what he'd discovered.

Biting his fingernails down to the point where he had to stop or he'd draw blood, he got up and paced nervously through the spacious room. The plush carpet under his feet did nothing to soothe the nervousness running through his body. They had to do something, _anything._ Just sitting here and doing nothing wasn't going to bring Alex back. What was Gerome doing all this time?

Another ten minutes ticked by before Gerome, with a frown on his face, came back. He allowed Sam to pace for a couple of seconds, then said, "Sit down, please. I'll fill you in on what I've done."

Sam sat on the edge of the couch, too nervous to relax. What had Gerome found?

"I know someone who has access to police files. Please keep that to yourself, by the way. It doesn't look like Alex is in custody anywhere. At least it's not registered yet. If he shows up anywhere in Europe, although I doubt he's very far, we'll know immediately."

Gerome paused and ran a hand through his hair. "I also contacted some trackers, who can scent way better than I can. They'll arrive shortly, and we'll go back to your apartment. Maybe they can find more. If they recognize the scent, at least we'll have a trace to go with. If they don't, then we'll have to wait until the kidnappers call and demand a ransom or tell us what they want."

Sam clutched his fingers. "You think they'll want a ransom?" Gerome had brought up that subject briefly when they'd been at the apartment, but he had dismissed it as illogical. Who'd blackmail two university students? He was nobody, and Alex was as well. "But why? How? We have nothing. We can't pay anything."

"You forget that he's pregnant. I know you see the child as yours, and I'm more or less okay with that but biologically, I am the sire _and_ I'm a prince. I have money, and it wouldn't take much for anyone to add it all up in their mind that I would pay a ransom for my first child _and_ the man carrying it."

"Shit, I hadn't thought of that." Sam sank back on the couch. The baby was his and Alex's and while Gerome visited and brought money and even drove them to the doctor appointments, he was not the baby's dad. Sam was. Alex was, of course. But not Gerome. "I'm sorry. I hadn't realized... we didn't really include you in anything during the pregnancy so far."

Gerome's black eyes fixed on him. "I have a lot of reasons why I want to keep the baby a secret. One of them is that the little one is a vulnerability to me. If I'd wished for more contact or for a—don't hate me now—relationship with Alex, I'd have pursued that. But I stayed in the background, never letting anyone know where I was going or what I was up to. Seems I slipped up somewhere, though."

"But what does all this mean for Alex?"

"Basically, it means as long as we appear to do what the kidnappers want, Alex should be safe. He only brings them money as long as he's healthy. We can't know for sure, though, so I'm hoping we'll get some answers as soon as the trackers are here." Gerome glanced at his watch. "They should be here in about five minutes. We should get ready to head out. I have already filled them in on the phone. We can leave as soon as they arrive."

Sam nodded, still dumbstruck by all the news. Kidnapping? For money? All of this seemed so unreal. So strange. He faltered for a moment as he got up. Strong arms caught him before he could fall, though, and pressed him against a solid chest.

"I've got you. You okay? You need to be strong now for Alex. We'll find him. I promise." Gerome wrapped him in his arms, and Sam welcomed the touch. They stood in silence, giving each other strength. Judging by the way the vampire pressed close and laid his head on Sam's shoulder, he wasn't the only one who needed someone to lean on, which was completely understandable.

"We need to go," murmured Gerome a few moments later. He stepped back slowly and blinked a couple of times.

"Yeah." Sam cleared his throat. They'd be strong and find Alex. After he had his lover back, he could break down as much as he wanted.

The trackers were a colorful bunch of people. They met him and Gerome outside, refusing to even come in. Gerome introduced all four of them: Lindsay, Anthony, Jeremy, and D.

Lindsay, a small, wiry guy with sharp eyes didn't seem to miss anything going on around him.

Anthony stood nearly a foot taller than Sam but had a friendly expression and a contagious smile. A black beard covered more than half of his face and seamlessly blended into his long, dark hair. He had a very gentle handshake for such a big bear. Sam liked him on sight. He reminded him of his father, although he would keep that thought to himself.

Releasing Anthony's hand, Sam stepped back to welcome the other two guys. Jeremy was as blond as the summer sun and lean, standing nearly as tall as Anthony. His closed-off, emotionless face gave him an air of distance, though. Sam quickly turned to D, whose bright smile evened out some of the tension floating around Jeremy.

D was shorter than Sam, but was just as bulky, tattooed, and as hairy as Anthony, with striking similarities in his features. They had to be brothers. They both wore biker clothes, despite having arrived by car. The other two were clad in jeans and shirts, like everyone else. Okay, Gerome's clothes were definitely more expensive, but still jeans and a shirt. The two brothers stood out in their clothes but then, their appearance with or without biker gear was eye-catching.

As soon as the introductions were finished, Gerome handed Anthony a sheet of paper. "Let's get to work. Would you please follow me to this address?"

The tracker studied it for a moment, then nodded to the other men. "Let's get going, guys." He stepped around the car and got in behind the wheel of the black SUV, while D took the seat next to him. The others piled into the backseat.

"We'll take my car." Gerome nodded to his Jaguar, which stood waiting with the motor running. Sam hadn't even realized someone had brought it. It'd be nice to have people do everything for him and to have all the money Gerome seemed to have. But as long as he had Alex and the baby, nothing else was that important to him. He wanted to provide a home and enough money for the two of them to get by, but that was it. He didn't need more. Even though it'd be nice to be able to afford a car, at least.

Shaking himself out of his musings, Sam got in next to an impatiently waiting Gerome. They sped out of the court as soon as the door shut, the trackers following close on their heels.

In silence, they rushed over to the apartment. Sam wanted to ask so many questions, go over everything they knew and examine it for possible answers, but Gerome didn't look like he was in the mood to talk. His face was a hard mask, and a muscle in his jaw twitched in a nervous rhythm.

Hopefully, the trackers would find something. He didn't want to think of any other possibilities.

Nervous, Sam stood in the entrance area of the apartment. The trackers had split up after he'd given them one of Alex's worn t-shirts. Or rather, it was one of his and Alex had worn it recently. It'd been in the laundry basket, but the trackers had sniffed him and then the t-shirt, telling him they could distinguish the scents. Gerome hadn't mentioned what kind of shifters they were, but Sam figured it didn't really matter. If he had to take a guess, he'd say wolf, since they seemed to have a great sense of smell, but he really had no clue. He'd have to ask if he wanted to know.

But for now, he waited for the men in question to talk to him. Gerome appeared beside him with a quick shake of his head, then pulled out his phone and started checking it.

Sam tapped his foot, then bit his lip. D entered the apartment, he'd checked the stairway and sidewalk, but he didn't say anything to them, causing his nervousness to increase even more. Running a hand through his hair first, he then fiddled with a loose thread on his shirt and picked some invisible dust from it. This was his home, where he relaxed, laughed, loved. Strangers had invaded it, taken away the security he'd had here. And his lover. That was the worst. Sam needed to talk, distract himself, before he went nuts. Maybe it was time to find out a bit more about Gerome.

"How many brothers and sisters do you have?" he asked, figuring it was a safe topic for now, as well as a good starter. It would also distract both of them. Gerome stuffed his phone in his pocket and stared at Sam as if he'd grown two heads.

"Why would you want to know?" he finally asked.

Sam shifted his weight. "Um, because I'm curious? Because I figured I'd ask something I wanted to know to distract both of us." So much for this being an easy topic.

Gerome didn't seem appeased by the answer. He was silent for a couple of minutes before he finally replied. "I have four siblings, two brothers and two sisters."

Sam whistled. "You have a big family. Which one of you is going to take over the throne? Or isn't that decided yet?"

Gerome tensed even more, the muscle in his jaw ticking again. "The king decides when he plans to step down. I know who'll be the future king, but I can't tell you. It's too dangerous for the one chosen."

"I understand. Can I ask another question?" Sam noticed the ticking in Gerome's jaw increase. Maybe he should stop the questions.

"Sure, go on." Gerome checked his phone again, then caught Sam's gaze.

"How about mortality? I don't have much to do with vampires, and I don't know how... are you immortal? Alex and I talked a lot about the baby but never the dying or not-dying part."

"This is a difficult question. Do you want the short answer or the long one?"

Sam looked around, but no tracker was back yet. "Long." At least that'd keep him from freaking out while he waited.

"We can be immortal, but only if we're full-blooded vampires. My mother is. She can go through a ritual to become immortal. But since most of us pair up with humans or mixed breeds, it's rarely done. Living forever without all of your friends is nothing to look forward to. It's a very lonely life. Those who don't choose eternal life have an average life span. We don't catch diseases, which means we don't die from them. But we do die. Average age is about one hundred, I think. That's enough, in my opinion."

"You're right. And it would be horrible to think about living on and seeing all your loved ones die. Children, partners, friends. I wouldn't want that."

"Right. My mother's full-blooded, but my father isn't. My grandfather was human. There are about two hundred full-blooded vampires out there, and I've never heard about one who chose immortality."

"I don't think I would do it either." Sam looked around. Still no tracker in sight. "Should we go look for them? Surely they've found something by now?"

"I think so. Let's see what they are doing."

Gerome led the way to the living room, with Sam close on his heels. He was anxious to find out if the trackers had found a clue. Surely, there had to be a trace. Alex couldn't have vanished on his own.

The trackers were talking quietly when he and Gerome entered the room.

"Anything?" Gerome asked the same word burning on Sam's tongue.

"We have two scents. I don't recognize either of them, though. From what we've been able to tell, Alex apparently entered a car downstairs, as the scents stop there. We couldn't find any traces of blood, though." Anthony stopped talking and stepped closer to Gerome, then took a few deep breaths. "You're carrying one of the scents. Very, very faintly, but there. Can someone please double-check?"

Sam stared wide-eyed at Gerome. He carried the scent of the kidnapper? How was that possible? Was he involved in the events here?

Gerome had paled visibly at Anthony's words. "I carry the scent? But how's that possible?"

Jeremy crowded the Prince's space, sniffing deeply. "Yup, very, very faintly. I'd guess you had contact with the person involved. One of them, anyway. There is only one trace on you."

Gerome rubbed his eyes. "Shit. Double shit! This most likely means the kidnapper is from my coven. This wasn't an out of-the-blue kidnapping. This was deliberate. Someone knows Alex is carrying my child. I can't explain it, otherwise." Sam watched as Gerome paled even more while speaking, then stumbled to the couch where he sat down heavily. "Shit, shit, shit. I need to inform the King. I need to... God, why fucking now? I don't need this shit."

Sam went over to Gerome and sat down next to him. He carefully wrapped an arm around the upset Prince and pulled him close. To see this powerful man lose his shit like this was frightening. He never freaked. He had control over everything... always.

The trackers quietly left the room in order to give them a moment of privacy.

"Gerome, come on, we'll find Alex. Why is it so bad someone from your coven took him? Does that mean they'll kill him?" Sam shuddered at the thought.

"No, they will not kill him. Most likely not. But when it's my coven, they want something other than money. Such things are about one thing only. Power. On one hand, I'd hoped it'd be a kidnapping for ransom, although we know now that Alex is more or less safe. I really just had hoped it wouldn't come to a power play. Shit." Gerome slowly lifted his head from Sam's shoulder.

"We can try to figure out if the scent lingers somewhere in the coven and maybe catch one of the guys who kidnapped him, but most likely they were hired hands. If that's the case, all we can do is wait and see whether we get a call with their demands."

Gerome's words chilled Sam to the bone again. "What can they want? Power, but how?"

"They might want to have a higher ranking in the hierarchy. That's the only explanation I can come up with. My coven is wealthy enough, and if you're in a higher rank, you have even more money. So ransom just for money is unlikely. My guess is that we'll get a call soon with their conditions." Gerome sat up straighter. "I need to tell my father. He needs to know what's happening. Let's head to the coven, see if the trackers can find something and then we'll have to involve the King. So much for my plan to keep Alex's pregnancy a secret."

"Why? Why would you want to keep it a secret? Other than it being illegal? If I understood you right, your coven protects mixed children."

Gerome's shoulders slumped. "Because the baby will be heir to the throne."

"What?" He must have misheard the vampire.

"I'm destined to be King, Sam. As soon as I mate, which I might have to do sooner than I want, I'll be King. That makes the baby Alex is carrying the heir, since none of my siblings have children yet."

Wide eyed, Sam stared at Gerome. Blood rushed in his ears and his vision dimmed. He faintly heard his name, but he couldn't react as everything went black and he slipped away into unconsciousness.

# Chapter Six

_A lex_

* * *

Alex had no idea how much time had passed. He'd been to the bathroom four times, drunk two bottles of the water he'd found on a tray on a table nearby, and inspected the room closely. Twice.

There was no way to escape. As he'd suspected, the bathroom had no windows and neither did the main room. What kind of rooms were these then? Who built a room without windows?

The door leading outside was locked, as he'd expected. No one had been in to bring him some food, so he had no idea what was on the other side of the entry door. If his captors opened it for a moment, he might be able to get a glimpse of the hallway or whatever was out there.

He'd discussed the events with himself a few times already, but he had no clue what this kidnapping was about. It made no sense. This was not a police holding cell. Why kidnap him? He was a normal guy. He was pregnant, yes, but was this a reason to take him? He had no money. He couldn't pay anything.

And nobody knew who the father of the child was. If they'd somehow found out he was pregnant, which they must have, since the men hadn't looked surprised at all, they would have suspected Sam to be the dad. There was absolutely no way they could know Gerome was the father.

But this didn't answer the question about what they wanted. Alex walked, or padded, given how he currently moved, circles in the little room, each only a few steps long. He was nervous. At first, when they hadn't harmed him, he tried to remain as calm as possible, which might have had something to do with his head pounding like mad. After the headache had lessened and he could think clearly, he'd started freaking more and more.

What if the kidnappers wanted to take away the baby? He was close to giving birth, and they could easily force him to give the little one up. What if they threatened Sam? Or told Sam they'd hurt him or the baby? Could they force him to sign papers to give them guardianship over the child?

He wouldn't give up the little one. No way. The baby was his and Sam's. And Gerome's. But nobody else's. He wandered up and down the small room as fast as he could with his round stomach. He was hungry, had been for quite a while now. Yes, he was nearly always hungry, but the kidnappers hadn't fed him yet.

Was it strange to be hungry in such a situation? Maybe. Alex stopped himself from laughing hysterically. He'd been kidnapped, had no idea why or by whom, and yet, he worried about being hungry. Apparently, his body didn't care much about the stress he was under. It wanted something to eat, period.

Slowing his steps, he finally stopped. Walking around like a caged tiger would bring him nothing except blisters on his feet. He dropped on the bed and stared at the door, wishing for it to open so he could peer out, or find out who had kidnapped him, or anything. As long as he remained alone, he wasn't going to discover a thing. And waiting was one of his worst traits. But this time, it seemed like he'd just have to endure.

Long after Alex had given up any hope of someone coming, the door finally opened. A man, carrying a food tray, stepped quickly into the room. Somewhere around thirty, he had brown, shoulder-length hair and a tight face. He looked as if a stiff wind could blow him over. A faded, saggy shirt and baggy trousers added to the impression. Currently slouched over, he'd be about Alex's height when he stood straight. The man closed the door, and Alex heard the key on the outside turn, locking them in, while the stranger set the tray on the small table.

"Why did you take me?" he asked, then clapped his hand in front of his mouth. Way to go and have the kidnapper choose not to answer. He needed to do it like they did in the movies—make friends with them first, then find out their motives. The man didn't even react to the question.

Alex released his mouth and took a deep breath. He'd try a different approach. "Thanks for the food. I'm Alex. What's your name?"

The man turned his head and stared at him with dark, unreadable eyes. One, two, three seconds. Alex squirmed under the intense gaze and averted his face to stare at his hands instead. So the man wasn't one of the talking sort. Crap. He'd have to find another way to get some information about his kidnappers.

"Ash."

Alex looked up, startled. Did the man just speak? "Your name is Ash?"

The man nodded.

"It's nice to meet you." What else should he say? Ash busied himself, arranging things on the tray, but he'd leave soon, as there wasn't much to do. What do you chat about with a kidnapper? 'How's the day? Already killed someone today? Have you been to jail? How did you chose this job?' Alex snorted to himself—that would go over well.

He settled for something he considered harmless. "Can you tell me how late it is? And how long I've been here? I've lost all track of time."

Ash slowly turned his head again, missing a few beats before answering. "It's about eight at night."

"Thank you." This meant he'd been here almost six hours, although it felt much longer.

"Do you need something else?" Ash asked.

_You to let me go? An opportunity to flee?_ All of it was out of the question. "No, I'm okay, I think. Thank you."

"Good night." Turning around quickly, Ash shuffled to the door and knocked three times before the key turned again. Ash opened the door and vanished out of the room before Alex had a chance to ask anything else.

_Shit._ So much for his plans to get some information about the reason for this kidnapping.

At least they'd fed him. He stood and walked over to the tray. There were a few snacks and something like rice with tomato sauce. The odd combination made him shrug. He'd eaten stranger things.

He took the plate with the food over to the bed and sat down, balancing it on his knees. The first forkful was on the way to his mouth when he paused. What if the food was poisoned? And he'd fall asleep? Or die?

Even though he was unharmed, he didn't know what they were up to. What they planned for him. On the other hand, they had no reason to poison him. Crap, they had no reason to kidnap him in the first place, but that was beside the point.

Alex sighed deeply. He could take the risk and hope it didn't kill him or the baby or not eat and starve. The few snacks wouldn't do anything to help with the hunger. He had to eat the rice if he wanted some nutrients.

It tasted unusual, but okay and Alex emptied the whole plate without a pause. Afterwards, he ate one of the snack bars and decided to take a shower. He figured if he continued to be held there, he'd at least be as comfortable as possible. It wasn't going to help him if he stank to the heavens. The worry about his situation was never far from his mind, but he pushed it away as much as possible.

As he curled up under the blanket on the single bed, the tears came back. He missed Sam so much. They'd never spent a night apart since they'd been together, sometimes making love, sometimes just cuddling and then falling asleep in each other's arms.

He missed the way Sam would kiss his stomach and tell him how beautiful he was. How he'd pull him into his embrace as if he never planned on letting him go. If Alex got his will, he'd stay at Sam's side forever.

And as soon as this nightmare was over, he'd propose to Sam. He was going to get out of here, give birth to their baby, and then they'd marry.

Resolution made, Alex closed his eyes and willed himself to fall asleep.

# Chapter Seven

_S am_

* * *

Sam slowly came awake to find Gerome's worried face close to his. He blinked to get rid of the blurriness. Gradually, his eyes focused and he realized he was in his apartment, on his couch, with Gerome kneeling next to him.

"Hey," he said quietly. "What happened?"

"It looks like you fainted. I guess the stress of the last hours were too much. And then I told you Alex is carrying the heir to the throne, my child, which seemed to be the final straw."

Sam blinked again. His mind wasn't working as it should. Alex carried the heir to the throne? And Gerome was next in line to be King? "Are you messing with me? Is this supposed to be a funny joke?" He knew he sounded like a jerk, but it was all so unreal, it couldn't be the truth. No way was a crown prince behaving like this. Yes, Gerome had money, but he never flaunted it. But then, he never let it slip that he'd already been chosen to be the next King, either. Until a short while ago, that is. And after the kidnapping, it made sense.

"No, I'm not messing with you. Think about it. It all makes sense. As soon as you're feeling better, we're going to meet the King. He needs to know about this. Meeting him will prove to you that I'm telling the truth. Unfortunately, I might add."

Sam finally sat up and Gerome leaned back on his heels, giving him space. "Meet your father? I don't—I never met a king. And how should I address you in front of him? Prince Gerome, or your Highness maybe?"

"You don't need to be nervous. Bow to him, refer to him as King Harold, and you'll be fine. As for me, I'm still the man you knew before. Call me Gerome, as you always have. I don't want people to know I'm a prince, and I hate the title." Gerome's face went hard at the words.

"Okay, then. Thanks." There had to be more to the story than the Prince was letting on. Alex had said as much when Gerome had driven them to the doctor the first time, but he'd never let on what exactly was up.

"Let's go, then. The trackers haven't found anything new, I assume?"

"Unfortunately, no. They're waiting outside."

"So we have to inform your father now?"

"Yes. I don't see any other way. We need to be ready when the demands come in."

Sam stood, determined. "Then let's go."

Gerome followed suit, the look on this face showing exactly how reluctant he was to meet his father. He looked like he had to attend the funeral of a loved one. Surely, the King wasn't such a bad person.

The drive to Gerome's home was silent. Sam still tried to process the fact that the man he'd known for a few months now had hidden such a big fact about himself. It was a lot of stuff to wrap his mind around.

Would things change now? How was this going to affect the relationship between them, and how would this affect his and Alex's lives in the future?

They arrived at Gerome's palace, where the trackers already waited. Climbing out of the car, the vampire sent the trackers to the guest quarters, then visibly took a deep breath and turned to Sam. "Ready to meet my father?"

"As much as I will ever be." Sam steeled himself. He was really curious to see how the King would react to the news. Hopefully he'd be happy to have a grandchild soon.

Gerome led the way into a big room, which resembled a meeting room in a large company. White walls held a few pictures, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. In one corner, on a small couch, a man sat talking to a beautiful, middle-aged woman.

"Father, Mother, may I have a moment with you?"

They both looked up at their son. Gerome stepped closer to the couch, Sam following behind. To say he was a little bit intimidated would be an understatement. His knees were weak and his hands wet. He wiped them on his trousers but didn't succeed in making them any drier. They were still clammy. He only hoped he didn't have to shake Gerome's parents' hands.

"Gerome, we were just talking about you. Come on. Let's go to the meeting room, where we can talk. Who is your companion?" the King asked.

"Can we sit down first, please? Then I'll introduce you." Gerome's voice was calm, but Sam saw the tension in his shoulders.

The King, clad in an expensive looking suit, and the Queen, dressed in a nice pants suit, stood and led the way to another door.

Sam followed slowly. Was he invited, too? Should he wait there until he was called? Should he have bowed? Uncertainty gripped him hard, his hands getting even clammier. Shit. What if he fucked this up? They might need the King's help to get Alex back, and he had no idea how to behave around royalty.

Gerome nodded to Sam, rescuing him. "Come on, we won't talk about anything you don't already know."

Did the King and Queen have any clue as to what their son wanted to tell them? King Harold led the way into a small room, where a big table took up most of the space. He sat down at one end, indicating for the others to take seats as well.

Why did they have talks in such a formal meeting room? Why not in the living quarters or Gerome's apartment? It was highly impersonal here, not friendly or welcoming like a living room would have been.

When everyone had taken a seat, Gerome didn't wait for his father to speak. He took another visible breath, most likely steeling himself for what he was going to do next.

"Mother, Father, I have to tell you something. I'm going to be a father. It was an accident. I didn't know I could father a child, while the man I was with didn't know he could conceive. I do not intend to mate Alex, the father of the child, since he's in a relationship with Sam here. I wanted to keep this under wraps so nobody knew of the child, but it appears Alex has been kidnapped. He went missing some time during the afternoon. The trackers I called in only found a trace of a scent, a scent that also lingers on me."

"You did what!" the King yelled and leapt halfway over the table, grabbing Gerome's neck.

Sam didn't know exactly how it all happened, since both men moved so fast. Gerome fell backward out of the chair, his father on top of him, choking him. What the fuck was going on? Was he trying to kill his son?

"You fucking fathered a child and didn't bother to tell us! You don't intend to mate, despite knowing we want you to mate and have a child! You're a fucking disgrace!"

Gerome struggled against his father's hold, but it was clear the older vampire was much stronger. Sam wanted to help, but he knew he had no chance against a vampire king. It was the coward's way, but what could he do?

"I'm going to kill you! You and your fucking child! To not even bother to tell us! You have no idea about the danger you've brought on the family!" The King still yelled at Gerome, who was slowly turning a sickening shade of blue. Sam had to do something. He couldn't allow King Harold to kill his son. Frozen in place, he frantically wracked his mind for an idea on how to help, but he came up with nothing.

"Harold, that's enough. Stop it." The Queen spoke quietly, but it seemed to be enough. The King loosened his hold on his son, who took a few deep breaths, but didn't let go.

"What do you want, Mathilda? He deserves to die."

"He's destined to be King. You can't kill him."

"He shamed us. Having an illegal child? And not even bothering to tell us?"

Sam shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Gerome mating Alex? Absolutely not. And what was this shit about having an illegal child? Was the offense that bad? Surely, they wouldn't harm Alex? Or Gerome?

"Father, no. I won't mate Alex. He has a partner. Both of them are the baby's fathers. I won't come between them. And before you think of anything, don't you dare harm Alex or Sam." Gerome seemed to have overcome his shock and now pushed at the King to give him some space. The man growled deep in his throat, but retreated a bit as his son growled back. In this moment, Sam saw why Gerome was destined to be King. He matched his father in will and determination, even if his father had had the upper hand a few moments ago. Gerome hadn't fought back and seeing his expression now, Sam wouldn't bet money on the King.

"All right, then. But we need a solution. I don't want your name on any paperwork. This is not your child, do you hear me? It can never discover who you are. We don't need bastards claiming the throne."

"Hey!" Sam yelled.

"Stop right there." Gerome stared at his father, his eyes cold as ice. If Sam thought the Prince's expression before was dangerous, it was nothing compared to this. He was on the verge of snapping.

"The baby is not an it. You will refer to him or her as a child, like every normal person. And, while I totally get you're not happy with Alex's pregnancy, if you force me to cut all ties to the baby, you cut yourself off from your first and only grandchild as well. Ever thought about that?" Gerome pushed hard at his father, his hate clear in his eyes. "I'd never have guessed you'd react so badly. If I'd known, I would never have told you. I'm not the one who is an embarrassment to this family. You are. Your title and what others think are more important than your personal happiness, right?"

Gerome got to his feet and stalked over to the table again. He sat down, visibly trying to collect himself. Sam was shaken up as well. Gerome had never indicated his family was that bad. He'd never spoken about them and after seeing this, Sam knew why.

Shit. He thought back to his own parents, how happy they'd have been to discover Alex and he were together and that they were going to be grandparents. It wouldn't have mattered how forbidden or illegal having a child was. They would have loved the little one, no matter what.

It was a shame Gerome's family wasn't the same. They needed help in order to get Alex back, and King Harold offered nothing better than a rant about Gerome being a father.

"Now that we all know how you feel about my child, even though I didn't tell you so you could start knitting socks, Alex is missing, as I said. And I believe the kidnapper is from our coven."

"It was you who called the trackers? None of my guards knew anything other than that you ordered it. Now it makes sense." The King also took his place at the table again, even if the rage still swirled in his expression. He didn't look like a violent man, but he'd shown his true colors. Luckily, he let Gerome's knitting comment go.

"Yes, it was me. I was hoping someone else took him, like the police." Gerome ran a hand through his hair, a clear sign of his agitation.

"And you think someone from this coven had a hand in this?" the Queen asked before her husband could say anything.

"I can't be sure. But it appears to be related."

"And now? You need my help?" The King had apparently found his words again. At least he sounded mostly calm again.

"Yes. I wouldn't have come to you if I could have taken care of it alone, but I have no idea who's taken him, and I fear for his life. I need all of us to be prepared... before the ransom call comes in."

"Just to get it right: you want me to help you protect your bastard child _and_ the man carrying it, a man you don't want to mate, when all I'd have to do is sit back and wait in the hopes that all the problems will fix themselves?"

Sam shivered at the King's smug expression. He looked like he knew more than he let on.

"You wouldn't do this to me," Gerome said, ice in his tone.

"I can and I would." The King's smug expression increased. He looked ready to deliver a deadly blow any second now.

The man had a heart of ice. He wasn't going to help them find Alex. And if he did, he'd stand by and watch the man be killed, if it came to that? What a bastard.

"Please, Father, Mother. For Alex, for Sam, for the baby. Help us find him," Gerome pleaded.

The King slowly put his fingers together, appearing to be lost in thought. A few seconds ticked by, while Sam squirmed in his seat.

"Under one condition. Your mother and I have been telling you that you need to be mated soon. You declined, saying you wanted the right partner. We let you get away with it, which might have been the wrong thing to do. Seeing the trouble you are now in, we should have stepped in sooner. I will help you, but you will mate a man we choose for you."

Sam stared at the King. He wouldn't marry his own son off, would he? Gerome seemed to think the same. He watched his father, wide-eyed and silent.

"The King of the Nuremberg coven has been riding me hard for a union of our covens. He wanted to introduce me to one of his nephews. The man seems to be willing to mate you. I already met him, he's nice enough. And the union will not only bring peace, but strengthen our covens."

"Yes, no worries. I can meet him," Gerome said, his voice tight.

"I don't want you to meet him. You're going to mate him."

"No way!" Gerome shouted, jumping up from his seat. "I won't mate a guy I've never met!"

"Then good luck finding Alex." The King leaned back in his chair, the smug expression still on his face.

"Shit. You won't do that to me, right?" Gerome sat down and eyed his parents. "You don't have anything to do with Alex's kidnapping, do you?"

"No, we don't. I wanted to introduce you to Luis anyway, and I was hoping you'd mate him. This would have made the whole process easier. I want you to mate Luis, and you will mate him. He's mostly human, so he shouldn't give you too much trouble. And don't think I would have sunk so low to resort to kidnapping to get my will. If I'd found out about this Alex earlier, I simply would've gotten rid of him."

Sam sucked in a harsh breath. The way the King said it, so off-handedly, as if Alex were an annoying fly, nothing more. He hurt for Gerome. How could his parents dare to force him into a mating? He'd never met the guy and yet, they wanted him to spend the rest of his life with the man? How cold were they?

Gerome seemed to weigh his options. He was white around the nose, and the fight seemed to have left him.

They sat in silence until Gerome spoke again. "If I agree, do you promise me you'll not only let Alex and Sam live, but you'll do everything to help find him? Your men, your money, everything?"

The King smiled with satisfaction. "Yes. I can promise you this. You know I have never broken my word."

"Then I'll do it."

He—what? "Gerome, what are you doing? You can't mate a man you've never met."

"You'll see I can. The most important thing is to find Alex soon, before he goes into labor, before he's hurt, if he isn't already. We need to be ready to move as soon as we know what the ransom is." Gerome turned to his father. "Can we do the ritual tomorrow? I'm very tired and I believe Sam is as well. I'd like to retire now."

Sam stared at Gerome, dumbstruck. Was he really agreeing to mate this Luis guy? Was he giving his chance at finding love away so he and Alex could have a family? Holy shit, he owed Gerome a lot, if they came out of this.

"No, we will perform the mating ceremony now. You can manage a couple more hours. It's only eleven, after all."

"You don't want to give me a chance to back out, right?"

"Right. I know you'll hold your word, but I want this done. If it pleases you, I'll give my supervisor instructions and details so they can start looking into things and get ready for the call to come in. You can stay here and listen, so you'll know I've upheld my part of the deal. Afterwards, we'll mate you to Luis." The King sounded very pleased.

"All right, then." Gerome didn't sound all right, but who was he to stop him? He could only hope this would work out for the vampire.

"Sam, why don't you go to bed? I'll have someone show you the guest bedroom in my apartment. You can stay there, it's safer. I'll discuss things with my father's supervisor, then get the mating done, and try to get some sleep as well."

Sam stood, clearly dismissed. "Good night, Your Highnesses." He squeezed Gerome's shoulder and turned to leave the room. In the doorway, he stopped and turned. "Thank you for your help." He didn't think the King and the Queen had heard him. They were already talking to their son again.

# Chapter Eight

Outside the door of the conference room, a butler waited for Sam. "Would you please follow me? I will bring you to the guest room in Master Gerome's apartment."

How did he know where he'd be sleeping? He couldn't stop and think about it, as the man had already walked off. He hurried to follow him through the dark corridors. They took a different way, not across the court, but through dark corridors and hallways. It was kind of creepy. Night had fallen while they'd been talking to the King and the Queen and he was tired. Whether he could sleep without his lover by his side remained to be seen, but he had to try. Tomorrow they could look at the evidence again and maybe, with the help of the King, they'd find something.

He half ran after the butler, his mind deep in thought. When the man finally slowed down and keyed open a door, Sam was surprised to see they were at Gerome's apartment. The butler led him in and to another door on the right side. "This is the guest bedroom. You'll find a private bathroom adjoining it as well, with all you might need. If you're hungry or thirsty, please pick up the phone and press one. That is the line to the house service. Please ask for me, my name is Allen and I'm Prince Gerome's butler. Can I do something else for you?"

Sam peered into the room. Was the man really asking him whether he needed anything else? That was too weird. He was used to doing his own chores, not having someone else serve him. "Can I get myself something to drink or eat in the kitchen?" He'd seen a kitchen next to Gerome's living room, and he hadn't eaten dinner.

"I can bring you whatever you wish for. But the kitchen is stacked with food and drinks. If you want to prepare something for yourself, please go ahead."

"Thank you. I might fix myself a sandwich."

"It is no trouble to bring you one, Sir."

These men might be used to working for the royal family, but Sam was not going to order a sandwich when he could prepare one himself in no time flat. It was gracious enough for Gerome to give him this guestroom, even if he hadn't asked if Sam wanted to stay. He'd assumed, but it was all right with him. He didn't want to be alone at home right now. He'd probably crawl up the walls.

"No, thank you. I'll ring if I need something else, but I think I'll be fine. Good night and thank you."

"As you wish, Sir. Have a good night." The butler bowed and walked out.

What the fuck? Sam stepped into his room, taking in the tastefully arranged furniture. The guest bedroom looked like it had cost more than his and Alex's whole apartment, which wasn't so hard to do, but still.

Stripping out of his clothes, he stepped into the bathroom. A shower was in order and then he'd find himself something to eat. He wasn't particularly hungry, but he needed to put something in his stomach.

The bathroom, completely designed in marble, was also bigger than the one they had at home. Alex would love the big shower with the different showerheads that sat in one corner. He was a shower whore and loved to take long, hot, showers. Sometimes, he'd join his boyfriend.

When all of this shit was over and Alex was back where he belonged, Sam planned to talk Gerome into letting them stay a night so they could have a very long, very hot shower together. Maybe even after Alex gave birth, then they wouldn't have to be careful of Alex's stomach. He could push his boyfriend against the wall and take him, or rim him until he screamed. Or both.

Sam closed his eyes as the tears overwhelmed him. He missed his partner so much. As long as he remained busy, he could force the worries out of his mind. They lingered, of course, but he wasn't going crazy with fear for Alex.

But now, in the silence of the bathroom, under the shower, it hit him again how much was at stake. The King had agreed to help them, but what if they were too late? What if the kidnappers had already hurt Alex, or the baby, or both of them?

Sinking down in the shower, he rested on his ass, the tears overwhelming him. The hot water beat down on him, but he couldn't enjoy it. He cried for all he was worth, the pain and sorrow too much to bear.

The water didn't run cold, but finally Sam pulled himself together. He wasn't going to help Alex if he sat in the shower crying. He needed to find something to eat and then get some sleep so he could help as best he could with the search.

The apartment was still empty as Sam, dressed in a robe he'd found on the door of the bathroom, finally emerged from the guest room. He had figured the robe hung there so guests could use it and had slipped into it.

He padded over the soft carpet to the kitchen. Apparently, Gerome really liked his luxury, but when Sam thought about the mating the vampire was going to be part of, all the comfort wasn't as shiny anymore. Gerome was paying a high price for all this.

He didn't know whether it was custom to mate children off into arranged marriages to gain power, but it sounded beyond cruel to him. Matings were for life, and Gerome's parents had just used the hold they had over their son to force him into a union that brought them power and peace.

The poor guy. Sam didn't even want to imagine what awaited the Prince. He couldn't imagine living his life beside anyone other than Alex. How must Gerome feel right now? He couldn't envision it. Beyond sad, of course. Heartbroken? Lost?

As soon as Gerome came back to the apartment, he would talk to him. The vampire probably needed a shoulder to cry on, and it was the least he could offer.

Resolution made, Sam opened the fridge and peered inside. It was stacked beyond his wildest dreams with everything he ever dreamed of eating. From caviar to champagne, it was all in there. Vampires didn't need real food, they survived off blood, so having a full fridge was nothing but decadent. Gerome once told Sam he only ate because it tasted good and apparently, he _really_ liked to eat.

Sam fixed himself a sandwich without using any of the fancy stuff the fridge offered. He wasn't going to eat the expensive food after all the man was doing for him.

Should he go to his room or eat in front of the TV? The silence in his room would probably drive him nuts, so he settled for the TV. It took a few tries until he'd figured out how it worked, but then he had the big thing running.

While watching TV, he slowly ate his sandwich, but his mind was on Alex. They would find him tomorrow. He didn't believe in God, but he prayed to anyone who might listen to help them get his partner back.

# Chapter Nine

_A lex_

* * *

Alex stirred as he heard the door open. Someone turned on the light and stepped closer to the bed. Hearing footsteps, he couldn't even react before he was shaken roughly.

"Wake up, you have to do something."

"What?" Alex murmured and turned around to face the man, who still held his arm. He blinked at the bright light. Then, as his vision cleared, he peered at the man standing in front of him. It wasn't Ash, but someone he'd never seen before.

The man was in his late forties, with short, dark hair, a round face, and dark, calculating eyes. His expression was hard and Alex realized this might be the man behind the kidnapping.

"What time is it?" He'd been awake forever. First his fear had held him awake, but once his body demanded he rest and he was on the verge of falling asleep, the baby had started kicking and jumping. The little one hadn't stopped for a long time.

"Half past four. I need you to read this text out loud." The man pressed a piece of paper into his hand.

Alex wanted to groan, but stopped it. Instead, he read the scribbled words. "You're kidding me? You want me to read _that_ out loud _?"_

"You will read it. I'll record it on my phone and then I'll call Gerome." The man smiled dangerously. "He will comply."

"Why should I help you? Give me one reason?" He may be vulnerable due to his pregnancy, but he wasn't going to help the man without a good reason. Other than being a prisoner, but... well, he wanted a reason.

The man didn't seem taken aback by Alex's questions. "That's pretty easy. You comply, and we'll let you go after we have what we want." He grinned again, his smile sending a shiver down Alex's back. "And your partner, Sam, is going to pay for it if you don't comply."

Alex's heartbeat sped up. "What have you done to Sam?"

"Nothing, yet. He's as safe as you are, _if_ you do what I want."

He took a deep breath. The man could be bluffing. He could be lying. He was most likely telling a lie. But then, Sam would be alone at home, and he wasn't a big fighter. Overpowering him wouldn't be hard. _Shit_. He'd do anything to keep Sam safe.

"Where is he?" Alex stared at the man, hoping to gain some more information. "I won't say anything as long as I don't know whether or not he's really safe."

"I can't tell you. But here is a picture to show you that we can easily take him. He will be safe as long as you follow my orders. That's as easy as it gets." The man pulled out his phone from his pocket and tapped on it, then turned it around so Alex could see the screen. A naked man in a shower, from the looks of it. The picture was blurred, and the man in it had his face hidden in his hands but it was, without a doubt, Sam. Naked. In a strange shower.

"What the fuck have you done to him?" he yelled. He worked himself up on his knees, getting in the man's face. "You will fucking tell me why he is in that shower, and you will bring me proof you've done nothing to him!"

The man didn't back down, but came even closer. "Speak the lines on that paper into my phone, then I will bring you proof that he's okay. Otherwise, he won't be alone in that shower for much longer..." the man trailed off.

He didn't have to say anything more. Alex knew where this was headed. His stomach rolled. Sam. His beloved Sam. With another man, being forced to— Alex heaved, his stomach revolted, and bile rose in his throat.

"No need to freak, he is safe for now. But you see now why you better comply?"

Alex forced his stomach to behave, even if he was sick inside. "I'll read it. But please, don't harm him." Tears prickled in his eyes. He shouldn't let them know how much Sam meant to him, but it was probably too late now.

The man didn't comment but tapped away on his phone for a minute. Alex read over the text in the meantime. What was he doing here? He was helping these men blackmail Gerome. He had no other choice, not if he wanted to keep Sam safe.

With no way of knowing if it would help or if they planned on killing both him and Sam after they got what they wanted, he needed to try.

"Here, speak."

With a heavy heart, shaking hands, and a strangled voice, Alex started reading out loud.

# Chapter Ten

_S am_

* * *

Sam looked up as the door to the living room opened. Gerome and a strange man entered. Neither of them noticed him in front of the TV. They went straight over to the kitchen, where the stranger started pulling things out from the fridge. Should he go over and say hello, or would they come to him when they wanted to talk to him? He didn't want to impose, and it was bad enough he cramped Gerome's style.

The men didn't seem to want to talk to him. They stood next to each other in the kitchen, Gerome watching as the other man, who he assumed was Luis, fixed himself something to eat. A gorgeous blond man, Luis was probably in his early twenties, like Sam. He was tall, slender, but with a solid frame. And he looked pissed, which was no surprise. Maybe it would be better if he stayed in front of the TV. He decided to give them some privacy and turned around to watch the black and white movie.

"Sam, I want to introduce someone to you," Gerome called over from the kitchen, startling him. Apparently, the Prince didn't want a moment alone with his mate. Sam got up and made his way to the kitchen.

Gerome's face was a mask of stone as he looked at Sam. "Sam, this is my _mate_ , Luis." He spat the word "mate" as if it were an illness. "Luis, my friend Sam. The partner of my child's father."

"Pleased to meet you." Sam held out his hand. Luis ignored it and just nodded. Sam waited a few more moments, then dropped his hand, feeling silly.

"Can I go sit down or do I have to eat standing here?" Luis asked, with ice in his voice.

"You don't have to ask me, do what you fucking want," Gerome spat back. Whew, he'd need cover if these two kept the animosity up. The Prince turned to Sam, effectively dismissing Luis. "Someone showed you the guestroom, I hope?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, thank you. I hadn't thought of it, but it is easier for me to stay here."

"It's no trouble. It's safer anyway. I guess you waited up so I could update you. My father went to work with his men, and we should have some results soon. Until then, there is, unfortunately, nothing I can do. I have to do one last thing to make this mating official. My father won't tell me anything without seeing proof."

"What do you have to do?"

Gerome blushed and looked at his hands. "I have to consummate the mating. You know..." he trailed off. "There will be a mark on my neck, which will tell everyone I'm mated. It only appears after the mating is fully done, and it can't be undone."

"But you—you never even... is this allowed?" Sam stammered. Gerome was not only being forced to mate the man, but also being forced to have sex with him too? Whether he wanted to or not?

This was rape, pure and simple. What Luis thought about it, Sam didn't know, but from the look on his face, he was as excited about this mating as Gerome. Shit. The poor men. Gerome was a really nice guy, he didn't deserve this, no matter how nice Luis might be.

"Can I do anything?"

"I wish, but no. We'll retire soon and get it over with. You go to bed and get some sleep and in the morning, we will see what my father and the trackers have come up with."

"Really?" Sam stepped closer to Gerome, who still leaned on the kitchen counter as if he'd fall over once he let go. Sam pulled the bigger man into a hug in the hopes of telling him without words how grateful he was for all he'd done for him and Alex.

Gerome stiffened for a moment, then hugged Sam back.

"Thank you," Sam whispered in his ear. He would've loved to say everything would be okay, but that'd be a lie.

"You're welcome." When released, Sam stepped back as Gerome ran a hand over his face, wiping away a tear or two. Gone was the coldness in his face. A lost, hurt, exhausted expression had taken over. It made Sam want to hug him again and never let him go. This was the second time today the vampire lost it.

"Go to bed. It will be okay." Gerome turned his lips into something like a smile. Sam didn't want to leave, but it'd be rude to stay after that clear dismissal.

"Okay. Good night." He cast one last look at Luis, who stared at his empty plate, and went to his room. Sleep would be far away, but he'd try.

Someone shook him, ripping him out of his sleep. "Sam? Sam? Are you awake? We have something."

"Gerome?"

"Yes, who else? They called me. They want what I feared they'd demand. But Alex appears to be fine. At least the call suggests it."

"Wait, what?" Sam sat up, rubbing his eyes. The room was way too bright for his tired eyes, and he squinted in order to see Gerome. "Slow down and tell me what they want. And how Alex sounded."

Gerome sat down on the bed. "They rang my cell phone, and Alex spoke to me. He read a message, with the demands, to me. It was definitely someone from this coven. Alex said he's fine and will be, as long as we do what they want."

"But what do they want? Money?"

"No. They want me to mate one of their men."

"What the fuck? You are mated."

"Yeah, I am. It's done, there's no going back. But the kidnappers don't know this. I need to talk to my father, maybe we can stage a mating until Alex is safe."

Gerome's joy at having a lead was contagious and Sam smiled. "Right, so now we at least know a bit more." His smile faltered, though, a moment later. "How do we know Alex is safe? They could've killed him by now."

"Not if they want to use him as leverage. The kidnappers know we're going to want proof before we agree to anything. As long as he's alive and well, they have a hold over us. Dead, he's useless to them. At least, that's what I'm hoping for."

This logic had flaws, but Sam simply hoped Gerome was right. He couldn't do anything else. "So, what do we do now?"

"The note said they'd send someone I need to mate. After the mating is done, they'll release Alex."

"That's fucking sick." This was the second time today someone wanted Gerome to mate, without any care for his feelings about the whole thing. They treated him like a prized animal.

Gerome ran a hand over his face. He looked tired. "Yeah, it's sick. But the law is you can only rule as King if you're mated. As long as I'm not King, I can't change the laws. My father has been riding me hard to get mated, since he wants to retire. I didn't want it to be like this, with a man I'd never met, but currently, I'm grateful, otherwise I'd have to mate the man the kidnappers have picked. At least now, I can go on and pretend to mate the guy the kidnappers send without anything happening in reality."

Sam placed a hand on Gerome's arm. "But you didn't chose the man you're going to have to spend the rest of your life with. I'm so sorry it happened because of us."

"It's not your fault. My father's been telling me for years now that I should pick someone. I don't know what I waited for, but I waited. Now I've missed my chance. He picked. And don't beat yourself up, he'd have eventually found something to hold over my head to force me into the mating. It wasn't a coincidence that Luis was already here. My father 'invited' him here to mate me off to him." Gerome air-quoted invited. Sam could only guess what the invite had said.

"Aren't you pissed at your father for what he did to you?" He'd probably never talk to his father again, if he'd done something like this.

Gerome was silent for a few minutes. "I don't hate him, no. I know why he did it. I guess I can understand it. It's the way things are done in a coven. He mated my mother because their fathers agreed to it. Hell, my grandfather paid a nice sum so my father could mate my mother. She was basically sold."

"But that—that's horrible! How can... I mean, there are laws..." Sam stammered. He didn't know what to say. What the fuck was wrong with these people?

"It's been like this since the old times. Mine at least gave me the chance to choose my partner. I just missed it." Gerome sounded sad but also like he'd accepted his fate. How fucked up was this world?

"Can I do anything to help?" He wanted to do something so badly. This was all so unfair.

"No, you can't. There is nothing you can do. We'll concentrate on getting Alex back and then I'll figure out the rest."

"You sure?" Sam waited until Gerome nodded. "I feel so bad about all of this."

"It's okay. I will survive. And I'll find a way to make myself accept the situation. Let's concentrate on Alex."

"Okay, if you say so. How are we going to do this?"

# Chapter Eleven

At nine in the morning, everyone waited for the mysterious soon-to-be-mate to appear. The note Alex had read didn't say who'd be arriving, so all they could do was wait. Sam paced nervously through the living room of Gerome's apartment, while his host was in the kitchen, making coffee. The Prince wore a turtleneck sweater, most likely to hide his mating mark. Luis was nowhere to be seen. Either he was still asleep, or he simply didn't want to face the two of them. Or their drama.

Sam, following the delicious smell of freshly brewed coffee, wandered over to Gerome. He took a mug and poured himself some of the heavenly stuff.

"What does your father say about the demands?"

Gerome looked over the rim of his own coffee. "He was speechless at first, but then laughed. He'll wait for the man to show up, then we can discuss exactly how we're going to do this so we can make sure Alex is well and free before they figure out I didn't really mate the guy."

Sam took a sip of his coffee. Now he knew why Gerome never drank the stuff at their place. This was a very different kind of coffee and worlds better than what he had at home. It probably cost twice as much, if not more, though.

Coffee in hand, Sam wandered back into the living room. All they could do right now was wait. He'd have loved to talk to Alex for a few minutes, just to hear his voice and find out if they were treating him well, to hear with his own ears that Alex was alive.

He'd actually managed to sleep a bit after Gerome left him last night, but it had been restless. He'd dreamt of Gerome's mating and his own relationship with Alex. How he'd feel if someone forced him to mate someone else. He'd be sad and pissed beyond words.

But Gerome seemed to be holding it together. Maybe he was a cold bastard. Or he just hid his feelings well. Since he'd proven he wasn't that cold, the latter was more likely.

Taking a seat on the couch, Sam sipped the hot brew while waiting for the trackers and Luis, who was going to be a part of their lives, whether he wanted to be or not. Now he was the partner of the sire of Alex's child, therefore, he'd be around. Sam wanted to get to know the man, see a bit more than the quick glimpse he'd gotten last night.

Waiting for this mysterious fake "mate" for Gerome, he really wanted to know who had the balls to pull such a move. It took a lot to go against a king.

Annoyed, Sam tapped his fingers on the couch. Couldn't they hurry? The sooner they got this over with, the sooner they could get Alex and forget about this nightmare.

At nearly noon, a butler he didn't recognize announced the arrival of a guest. Watched by the trackers who killed time drinking coffee as well as ribbing Lindsay about a one-night stand he'd apparently had just before they left home, wherever that was, Sam had taken up his pacing again.

Hastily throwing on shoes, they hurried out of the apartment to a meeting room close by. Sam had no real idea whether he was welcome to follow and be a part of the meeting, but he figured Gerome would say something if he didn't want him.

They entered the sun-flooded room the butler indicated. Two big windows allowed the bright daylight in, which was reflected by the white walls. A big meeting table and about twenty chairs around it took up most of the space. Next to the table, looking like someone had forgotten him there, stood a young man, clutching his hands in front of him.

Two of the trackers, Anthony and Lindsay, stood to the side, close to the wall. Sam followed Gerome, who took the lead and approached the man. He looked young, barely eighteen to be precise. His face, framed by light brown hair, carried a youthful softness. Sam towered over the man by at least half a foot, and the man was much slimmer than him as well. Gerome nodded at the stranger, his face a hard mask.

The man introduced himself in a quiet voice, as if too shy to say anything out loud. "I'm Josh."

"Nice to meet you, Josh," Sam said, nodding to the man. He didn't have the heart to be as cold as Gerome. Josh looked so nice and innocent. He really had trouble imagining him as a man who'd blackmail and kidnap. But then, this was, most likely, not the leader of the gang.

Gerome was silent for a few minutes as he watched Josh, who squirmed under the gaze. Gerome finally broke the silence. "So, you want to mate me?" he half-growled. The way he said it sent a shiver down Sam's back. By the look on Josh's face, the man had just peed himself, or was close to it.

The poor guy. Apparently, he hadn't thought about what he was getting into.

"I—I suppose. Yes. I was told... I had to," he stammered, his face red.

"Who told you? And you know they can't force you?" Gerome's voice softened a tad.

"Nobody. I got a letter. And I'm not being forced." Josh looked down, hiding his eyes. His tone implied, even if he'd just said the opposite, that he wasn't there of his own free will.

"Anthony, can you please sniff him?"

Anthony gave up his position at the wall and stepped close, breathing deeply.

Sam waited anxiously, regretting that he never asked just how good these trackers were or exactly what they could do. Could they only track trails left by people, or could they follow a car too?

Anthony shook his head, crushing Sam's hopes. "I get a faint scent of him. But nothing else that would help us."

Crap. There went his hope they'd find Alex this way.

Gerome didn't seem to be defeated. "Okay, then. Let's have some privacy, and we can do the ritual bonding. Afterwards, we'll go to my apartment and complete the mating."

Josh paled even more. He looked like he was on the verge of fainting.

"I need to talk to my men first, then I'll be back with you. Shouldn't be more than a couple of minutes. Wait here for me." Gerome nodded, indicating that Sam and the trackers should leave the room. Puzzled, he complied. What was Gerome doing? Was he really going to fake the mating? What would Luis say to all this? He doubted it'd go over well if Gerome took Josh to his bedroom to have sex with him.

Would he force himself on Josh? He'd had sex with Luis, since he'd said they'd completed the ritual, but had one of them forced the other? And would he press for sex with Josh so the kidnappers would believe he was mated? The young man looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here, which made Sam believe Josh really wanted no part of this mating just like Gerome hadn't wanted to mate Luis.

The coven rules were truly all kinds of fucked up. He made a mental note to talk to Gerome about changing the laws as soon as he was king. This shit had to stop.

Gerome closed and locked the meeting room door, then ushered Sam, Anthony, and Lindsay into a room nearby. Sam stepped in to find they were in a small kitchen. Most likely designed to fix snacks during meetings, it would do for a little talk. With this door closed as well, it gave them privacy.

"Anthony, what do you have?"

"Two strong scents of people from your coven, probably someone high-ranking in your father's service, Prince. The second scent belongs to one of your butlers. I haven't seen him around today and haven't smelled him anywhere else, but he's had contact with Josh."

Gerome clenched his fists and his fangs dropped. "I fucking knew it. These assholes! They want me to mate a young human, and blackmail us into doing what they want and give them power over the coven. It's all beginning to make sense. Finding out who is the traitor among my father's men shouldn't be too hard. I'll tell him to call a meeting, maybe to inform them I've mated. And I have only two butlers, which means I need to find Allen, who is off today. I doubt he's at home, if he's involved in the kidnapping, but he's got a shift tomorrow, if I'm not mistaken. Good thing he didn't see me with Luis yesterday, otherwise things would be much more complicated."

Unclenching his fingers, he took a few deep breaths, probably to keep his rage down. His fangs didn't retreat, though, giving away how pissed he really was. He spoke slowly around them, "So, this is how we are going to do this: I'll fake the mating with Josh, then I'll try to talk him into helping us. If I'm not mistaken, he received a threat to mate with me. The fear rolling off him was very strong, which leads me to believe he didn't want this."

"That actually sounds good. What are we going to do if he doesn't want to help us? Or if he rats us out?" Anthony threw in.

"Maybe I should tell him about Alex? What is in store for us? Or I could simply go on with the mating and let him believe there's nothing wrong with us being together."

"I'd say go on with it. We can figure out what to do with Josh after Alex is free. If he is blackmailed or threatened, then maybe we can help him. But for now, we need Alex freed and safe." Sam knew he was biased, but Josh was free and safe as long as he was around Gerome and the trackers, Alex was not.

"Okay, then it's settled. I'm going to do the bonding with Josh, then take him to the guest bedroom to mate him completely. Nothing will happen, as I mated Luis last night, but Josh hopefully won't realize that. Sam, I'm sorry, but can you please make sure the guest bedroom is ready for us? I'd put Josh in a different part of the house, but I want to have him under constant surveillance, which means he has to stay in my apartment. I'd rather keep him away from you and Luis, but I don't see another way right now." Gerome ran a hand through his hair, clearly lost in his plans.

"Anthony, I'll call my father and have him meet with his advisors so you can take a sniff. Hold your opinion to yourself until you can speak to the King alone and tell him who the traitor is. My father will most likely want to wait until Allen comes in to work his shift and catch both men at the same time. This way they can't warn anyone. After that, we'll have to see if we get a scent off one of them that we can track to Alex or if we have to force them to give away his location." Gerome's smile indicated the interrogation was not going to be a pleasant one.

Sam wanted to feel sorry for the men, but he couldn't. They had kidnapped his pregnant boyfriend. They deserved no mercy. He nodded. He'd stay out of the way and hope for news. He couldn't do anything more.

"Okay, then, let's go. And Lindsay, you and Sam stick close to each other. I will be occupied, and I don't want anyone getting ideas about Sam. Until we know who else is involved in the kidnapping, I don't trust anyone in my household."

Sam slapped a hand in front of his mouth. He hadn't thought about that. Surely, no one would kidnap him. But then, he hadn't thought of someone kidnapping Alex, either. He nodded to Lindsay. Yes, he'd stick close to the man.

# Chapter Twelve

Gerome went back to the meeting room to proceed with his fake mating, while Anthony hurried off to tell the King about the new development.

"What are we going to do now?" Sam turned to Lindsay. All the waiting was driving him totally nuts. Everyone had something to do, or a goal, or anything, and all he could do was wait and hope someone else came up with an idea on how to rescue Alex. He was so fucking sick of it. He wasn't a helpless damsel in distress, but the feeling intensified more and more.

"I think we should go back to Gerome's apartment again. The bonding will not take too long and afterwards, we can look for the other trackers and for Luis, who should be awake by now."

"I want to do something other than wait. All we do every day is fucking wait. Nothing else. I can't do this anymore!" Sam ran a hand over his eyes as tears welled up. He didn't want to cry. But it was all so much. Too much.

Alex had been gone less than twenty four hours and yet, Sam was on the verge of a breakdown.

"Come here." Lindsay pulled him into his arms. Sam stiffened for a moment, he'd only met the man yesterday, but then he relaxed into the embrace. "We have such cases sometimes. I know the waiting is the worst part. But please, we have traces now, and we'll find Alex."

"I know. But it's so hard. I want to do something, anything, but I can't. All I can do is wait."

"I know. But you need to trust us in this, even if it's hard, and hold it together. It leads to nothing if you fall apart now, even if you feel like it." Lindsay ruffled Sam's hair, then hugged him again tightly. "Come on, let's see what we can find for breakfast and check on Luis. D and Jeremy should be in the apartment with him, but I want to see with my own eyes that he's okay. We don't need another kidnapping here, and since the butler is involved, no one is safe. Things will be okay. We've got a lead now. Trust the Prince and my men. They know what they're doing."

Sam stepped back from the embrace. Lindsay was right. He needed to keep his shit together. And he trusted the others, it was just so hard. But Lindsay was right. "Thank you. For all you're doing."

"You're welcome." Lindsay smiled at Sam. Together, they walked over to the apartment to check on Luis and to find the other trackers.

Sam knocked on the door to Gerome's bedroom. No one answered. The trackers had assured him Luis was in there, since they'd checked on him earlier. He just refused to get up.

Gerome's new mate didn't answer on the second knock either, so Sam carefully opened the door. Luis was lying on the bed, curled up into a ball. Sam couldn't tell whether he was awake or not.

He waited a minute to see whether Luis would acknowledge him in any way. He looked around, taking in the design of the room beautifully decorated with warm, brown colors. It was also as big as Sam's entire apartment. The same plush carpet found in the living room covered the floor, this time in a brown tone that complemented the colors of the furniture.

A big bed stood in the middle of the room, taking up a lot of space. If he put something like this in his bedroom, he probably wouldn't be able to squeeze the dresser in as well.

"Luis?" Sam whispered. If the man was asleep, he'd let him sleep. "Luis, are you awake?"

"Go away."

Not asleep then. "Can I talk to you first? I wanted to know how you are." He took a couple of steps closer.

"I don't want to talk. Please, go." Luis didn't look up.

"I just want to make sure you're okay. I know a lot happened yesterday and maybe it's not my place to come and talk to you, but I'm worried." Sam took another tentative step.

"About me? There is nothing to worry about." Luis finally looked up. His eyes were red and swollen. He'd been crying.

"Can I come closer?"

"No."

Ouch. That was clear. "Okay. Um... if you need someone to talk to, you can come find me. I won't push myself on you."

"It wouldn't matter if you did." Luis looked away, staring at the wall again.

Shit. Whatever had happened with Gerome hadn't been good. Sam really couldn't imagine Gerome forcing himself on anyone, yet Luis clearly hurt very deeply.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I wish I could help you. Let me bring you breakfast and a coffee. You have to eat something."

"Don't bother."

Sam sighed deeply. This was all kinds of fucked up. Definitely not how a newly mated man should behave. And all this was partially his fault, even if Gerome told him differently. If Alex hadn't been kidnapped, none of this would have happened. Should he stay and try to coax Luis out of his shell, or just leave and give him some space?

Maybe some quiet time would help, so he turned and quietly left the room. Lindsay, D, and Jeremy talked in low tones as they sat around the kitchen table. They all looked up as Sam closed the door, walked over, and sat down next to them.

"How is he?" D asked. "I was inside earlier, but he refused to speak to me."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, about the same with me. I told him I'd bring him breakfast, but he only said I shouldn't bother. He looks miserable."

"He is. These matings are hell for everyone involved."

"Why are the laws still enforced? It's against human law, why can't the covens follow along? I've never heard of such things, despite having had shifter education in school."

Jeremy stirred his coffee. "The coven laws are older and when paranormals came out of hiding, they made an agreement with the President, basically saying that shifter and vampire law outranks human law. That way, the kings and alphas remained in control."

D took over. "The tradition to mate your children off is as old as time, unfortunately. In the medieval times, it was common to secure power through such unions. It's a tradition that never died. This is why we left our home pack. Anthony and I are an alpha's only sons, and he had plans to mate both of us off. It didn't matter to him whether we wanted it or not, he just told us one day. So we ran. We were both in our early twenties. Now, over ten years later, we haven't been home once. He didn't track us down, since it would be below his dignity, but if we set a foot on his lands, we'll be mated before we can even say hello."

"But that's a horrible tradition." His child would be free to choose his or her partner. He would never, ever, force his own kid to mate someone he picked. Sam tried to wrap his mind around being mated against his will, but he couldn't. He'd been in love with Alex for so long, he couldn't imagine being with anyone else, let alone someone he hadn't picked.

"But you see that even King Harold has no intentions of changing anything. Maybe Gerome will, but I doubt it. Paranormals are too stuck in their ways," Jeremy said between sips of his coffee, as if it were an everyday thing, which it apparently was for shifters and vampires.

"But it's basically human trade. It's wrong." He would never understand how anyone could do something like that. Then, another thought occurred to him. "What if one of the mates is abused by the other? Gerome said it's for life. Are there at least laws to protect them?"

"In a mating, no. One mate is the property of the other. Usually, one of the parents pays money to the other one. It means once sold, you have no rights. Luis is Gerome's property now. I can understand why he refuses to even talk to any one of us." This time D answered, while Jeremy sipped his coffee.

Sam sat in silence. It was too much to take in right now. Germany was a free land, with a lot of tolerance but apparently, there was a dark side, one he'd never heard of. This sounded like a bad movie, or some medieval practice.

"So that means Gerome can do whatever he wants to Luis, and Luis would have no right to go to the cops or anything?" Sam asked, just to make sure he'd heard right. He half hoped he'd misunderstood something.

"We don't recognize the human law enforcement. If someone goes to the cops, he or she will be taken into custody within the coven to make sure they don't stir up waves again," Lindsay told him.

"This is... this is... I don't know what to say."

"I know it's a lot to take in. And it sounds worse than it is. There are a lot of couples who are happy, despite being in an arranged mating. And most of us can hold their own in a fight, so abuse is very rare. While mates have to stay together until one dies, the dominant partner can have affairs outside of the mating, while the submissive partner is forbidden to sleep with other people. That has to do with the owned mate and the possibility of pregnancy. They can't mate anyone else, though." Lindsay's words did nothing to placate Sam.

"Still. This goes beyond everything I've learned and believe in." He rubbed a hand over his eyes, suddenly tired. A whole new world was before him, one where not all the things he knew counted anymore. The whole "mates" thing was sick beyond belief, and he was just glad in this moment he was human and had a boyfriend he loved with all his heart.

"You get used to it. We grew up with the old laws, and most of us are okay with it. Abuse is pretty rare. Most get along okay. Being mated to someone with more influence also offers a great deal of protection for the family of the mate. This is especially important if someone mates into a royal family and gets pregnant. He or she is under the protection of the law then. With women, it isn't much of an issue anymore, but with men, it still is. Think of Alex. Had he been mated to the Prince, none of this would've happened. And that doesn't mean you or he did wrong, but it's an example," Jeremy added, a smile on his face to soften his words.

He was right. If a mating with Gerome would have protected Alex, he'd be safe now. But Gerome had refused to mate Alex. He probably would have gone through hell if he had mated Alex against his will when this all began. The King and the Queen would've gotten their will, but Sam was sure his lover and the Prince would've been a bad match. Sam shuddered. He didn't want to imagine what kinds of hell Alex would raise. He hadn't thought about what would have happened if Gerome had pressed Alex to mate him. Not only would Alex have made his life hell, but he'd have been forced to watch, unable to do anything, condemning all three of them to misery. He doubted Alex and Gerome would have gotten along very well.

Gerome had saved Alex from that. If he'd mated him, he would at least be with someone he knows. But no, he'd given Alex his freedom as well as the chance to fall in love with him instead. And now Gerome was mated to someone he didn't know. _Shit._ He owed more than he could imagine to Gerome. Sam hadn't liked the man much in the beginning, but now that he had more background, a lot of things made sense. He needed to thank Gerome.

Then another thought occurred him. "There was a guy on the news about nine or ten months ago. He was pregnant. I saw it on TV. Do you know anything about it? He was sentenced to jail for five years, if I remember right. Wouldn't he be under the protection of the law as well? Why was he in front of a judge in the first place?" Sam hadn't thought of the man on TV in what felt like a lifetime ago, back when he and Alex were just friends. But now, with all the things he'd just discovered, he remembered the man with the big baby belly.

"Robert, I think his name was. He's safe. The sire of the child mated him. For a good amount of money, such things can happen, especially since we're talking about royal families here."

"Good, at least he doesn't have to stay in jail. But did he mate willingly, or was this just to get him out of jail?"

"I don't know. It doesn't matter. He was pregnant. He had to mate. It's the way things work here," D chimed in.

The front door opened, and Josh, followed by Gerome, entered. Josh looked as if he was in a personal hell, while Gerome's face bore the mask of stone Sam knew well. Only the vampire's eyes gave away a tad of the emotions running through him.

When Josh stopped, Sam assumed he was waiting for something. Gerome reached forward, gripping his shoulder, and Josh flinched as if he expected to be hit or hurt. The poor guy. Whatever had driven him to agree to this mating must've been something very serious or dangerous for him.

Gerome led Josh into the guest bedroom, which Sam had tidied up earlier. Even if Josh had something to do with Alex's kidnapping, he felt he should help, and he really didn't know if Gerome would take out his frustrations and anger on the young man.

# Chapter Thirteen

_A lex_

* * *

Alex's stomach still turned every time he thought about the ransom note he'd read to Gerome. What they'd demanded from the man was so awful. He'd come to like Gerome in the last few months, and to force the man to mate in order to free him was upsetting. The picture of Sam alone in the shower also sent shivers down his spine. He prayed with everything he had that his lover was unharmed. He didn't trust the man who'd apparently kidnapped him.

He would have to ask Ash whether he'd seen anything. With no idea whether Ash was involved in this scheme as well, it was risky, but he had no other option. If he knew Sam was safe, he could resist the kidnappers a bit longer if they ordered him to read another ransom note.

He didn't want to be responsible for such things. If Gerome mated, it should be out of love, nothing else. What he'd just read, however, suggested something else. Apparently, they expected Gerome to mate someone he'd most likely never met, all because of the kidnapping.

Alex punched his pillow, angry with himself and the world. This was so unfair. He shouldn't be here, and he shouldn't have been forced to make such demands. He sat on his bed, thinking about what else he could've done. He could've tried to refuse to read the message, but he was too scared for Sam's safety. Until he knew more, he couldn't refuse anything.

If he only had a clue where he was being held, he could have worked out a way to give Gerome a clue, but he had nothing. Absolutely nothing. Ash and the man who'd come to his room this morning were the only ones he'd had contact with. Ash didn't speak much, and the man this morning hadn't even given his name. He had nothing to go on.

He still should be thankful, though. At least he'd been fed yesterday, had a clean room with a bathroom attached and most importantly, he was unharmed, and he hoped Sam was as well. Nobody had forced him to do anything besides read the message, and he'd be forever grateful if it stayed that way. So far along in his pregnancy, Alex knew that rape would be very risky. If someone forced himself on his body, he doubted they'd be concerned about the baby's wellbeing. He still feared this would come, but he just had to hope for the best.

The minutes and maybe hours ticked by until finally, the door opened. Like yesterday, Ash came in, closing the door behind him. The lock clicked into place when the man had only taken one step inside, which meant someone was outside waiting.

It also cut off all thoughts Alex had about overpowering Ash, or trying to get through the door as he came in. _Shit_. He hated being helpless.

Ash carried a tray with food and what looked like coffee on it.

"Good morning," Alex said, trying to sound friendly so he could try to get some information from Ash today.

But Ash was silent. As he turned his head a bit, Alex could see him better. The right half of his face was swollen and his left eye was black and blue. Someone had hit the man, and quite hard from the looks of it.

"Are you okay?" Alex had to ask, even if this was one of his kidnappers.

Ash shook his head. Did that mean he couldn't talk? Or shouldn't?

The door was closed, if they talked quietly, no one would hear them. Alex got up and padded slowly over to Ash. He didn't want to startle him, but he needed to be quick before the guy had to leave. The man looked away from Alex, probably trying to hide his injuries, but he reached forward slowly anyway. He really shouldn't be doing this. This was the enemy. Instead, he should be glad the servant got what he deserved.

But he couldn't look away from the hurt man. He ached to help him, and he needed to find out more. His fingers touched Ash's arm, who jumped slightly at the contact. Was he expecting more hits? Shit, what had happened to him to instill this much fear?

"I won't hurt you," Alex whispered. "Who did this to you?"

Ash shook his head. "I'm not allowed to talk to you."

Alex smiled weakly. "But you do. I won't tell anyone, okay? Can I do anything to help you?"

Ash looked up from his task of fiddling with the snacks on the tray. The open eye met Alex's gaze.

"He knows I talked to you yesterday. It's not bad, I've had worse, don't worry. He shouldn't hear us talking again, though. How are you holding up? I didn't have a chance to ask you yesterday," Ash whispered back.

"Who's he? The man who hurt you?"

"It's the same man who's responsible for your kidnapping."

"Shit. Where am I? Can you maybe help me? Do you know anything about Sam, my boyfriend?"

Ash looked away again. Damn, was this too much? He should've started with apologizing that he got Ash in trouble and then started to bring him over to his side. That way, the man might've been more wiling to help him. But it was too late now.

"I wish I could. I'm not allowed outside. But I know most of what is going on here. There is nobody here besides you. The Elder only has this house, or his townhouse, so I think you can be assured that Sam is not in his hands. Did he make you believe your friend is here?" He looked around. "I need to go. We'll talk later, when I bring you more food."

So he hadn't fucked things up with Ash. And Sam was safe. Thank the heavens. "Okay. Take care. And thank you." Alex stared at the slim man as he took the tray from the previous evening and hurried to the door. He looked like he was very much afraid of getting caught talking. Given the shiner Ash sported, that wasn't surprising. _What the fuck is wrong with me?_ He had no business feeling sorry for Ash, although from what he had said, he seemed to be a prisoner here as well.

He couldn't help the man. Their only hope was Gerome, and if Ash had spoken the truth, Sam was also out there. They would come up with a plan to save him, and then they could take Ash with them. Until someone came to save the day or he found a way out of here, they were both stuck, though. Resolution made, Alex decided to have breakfast first, then try to find a way out of his prison, even if he had turned this over in his head quite a few times already.

A quick look into the small pot on the tray revealed some tea. Alex groaned. No coffee. He wasn't supposed to drink the stuff, but he needed his one cup every morning. Without it, he was grumpy as hell all day.

Since he was alone here, he figured it didn't matter, but it still sucked. And, yes, he knew he was a spoiled brat for wanting coffee. He was a prisoner and could be treated so much worse. There was a reason Sam called him queen or princess at times.

With a sigh, Alex stirred some sugar into his tea and began eating. He'd have to talk to Ash again, see if he could convince him to help. It was his only chance. He had to get out of this prison.

# Chapter Fourteen

_S am_

* * *

Gerome and Josh emerged from the guestroom some two hours later, while Sam asked the trackers more questions about this mating thing. He still couldn't wrap his head around the slavery practiced by the covens.

They all stopped talking when the door opened. "It's done," Gerome said instead of a greeting, as he strode over to the kitchen and Josh followed quietly. The Prince pulled the neckline of his turtleneck away, revealing the mating mark on the nape of his neck. "This should do it. I will reveal it to the Elders in a few minutes. Josh will wait here with Lindsay and Sam, while D and Jeremy will stay with Anthony."

"Do you—do you know anything new?" Sam asked, trying to hide his shock. So Gerome really had followed through and "mated" Josh. The man was ruthless. Sam didn't know how he'd managed to convince Josh that the mating was real, since the young man couldn't possibly have a mating mark. Gerome was already mated, and the mark he'd just showed off was the one he'd gotten when he'd mated Luis last night.

Gerome grinned. "Oh, yes. It turns out his uncle, Elder Adali, is one of my father's advisors. Anthony might be able to pick up on his scent from the ones he got at your place, Sam. I strongly suspect he's responsible for the kidnapping, but I need to be sure before we act. He's an Elder, after all."

"That's awesome!" Sam embraced Gerome. They had something more to go on. A real, solid clue.

Gerome hugged him back, chuckling. "We don't have him back yet."

Sam stepped back and released Gerome. "Yeah. Sorry. I was just so happy we have something at last."

"I know. I'm quite happy myself."

"So, how do we proceed? Do we confront the uncle? Can we track him to where Alex is being held? And how do you know all this?" Sam looked at Josh, who stood next to Gerome, his hands clasped together, shaking slightly.

"Josh is willing to help us?" D asked.

Lindsay eyed Josh, the suspicion clear in his stare.

"Yeah, because—" Gerome started, but Josh interrupted him with a hand on his arm.

"Because my uncle, Elder Adali, sold me into this mating. He only did this to gain more power, thinking that once I mated Gerome, he could control me and, therefore, the future King. I'm mostly human, and therefore, weaker than he is. He and his family have treated me like dirt these last few years, and I won't help him with his schemes."

Josh wrapped his arms around himself. None of the other men moved. "I told Gerome all I know, which, unfortunately, is not much. I don't know where they've taken Alex, although he has a summer house a few kilometers outside of Munich. I can give you the address, if you want to check it out. I don't know any more, though. I'm so sorry. For everything. Bringing this situation to you and forcing you to mate." He slapped his hands in front of his face, just in time with his first sob.

Gently, Gerome put an arm around him and guided him to a chair. Josh sat there, sobbing quietly. It was a lot to handle, especially since Josh appeared to be so young.

Sam watched Josh for a couple more seconds, then turned back to Gerome and the trackers. They were already discussing plans.

"We can't do anything as long as we don't have a location," Lindsay said.

"We also need to know where Alex is, so we can make sure they don't kill him once the Elder has what he wants," Gerome added.

Sam sat down hard. Kill Alex once Josh's uncle had what he wanted? Somehow, he thought they'd just return his lover safe and sound as soon as their demands were met. It might have been stupid of him, but he'd never fully realized killing Alex was a real possibility.

"Okay, then it's clear. We'll meet Anthony outside my father's meeting with his advisors and hopefully confirm our suspicions, then we'll try to track Alex through the scent on Elder Adali. If that fails, we wait for my butler, Allen, to come to work tonight. We'll get a scent from either Josh's uncle or him. If necessary, we can hold Allen and question him. One of us is also going to follow Elder Adali home tonight to make sure he isn't hiding Alex in plain sight. I don't trust this rat. He might very well have him in the basement of his house somewhere. Any questions?"

Gerome looked at his men.

"No? Then it's set. Lindsay, you stay with Sam and Josh. Josh, I'm sorry, but you can't leave here. It's for your safety, as much as ours. I thought about sending in one or two of my father's warriors as additional protection, but I trust no one right now, except those who are here. And Anthony, of course." Gerome nodded to the men. "Let's get going."

With that, Gerome strode over to the door, the trackers high on his heels. Sam watched them leave, wishing he could do something to help, but he couldn't. Not really.

"What should we do to kill time? Do you want to cook something? The others will be hungry when they return," Lindsay offered.

Sam nodded. Better to stay busy than to mull over what could happen. He was not going to change the outcome anyway.

He decided to throw himself into cooking, so he want to the fridge and set to work. Lindsay only watched, while he kept one eye on Josh and talked with Sam. He asked about his degree as an engineer, his plans once he finished college, whether he thought he'd find a job close by so they wouldn't have to move.

Sam answered, then pestered Lindsay with a lot of questions as well. He learned the panther shifter was thirty-two and had left his pack eight years ago. Single, he was not looking for a boyfriend. He preferred sex without any strings attached.

During their talk, Alex was never far from his mind, but before he knew what had happened, an hour had passed and he found a meal cooking on the stove. He'd thought about Alex, of course, but with the chitchat it hadn't been as bad as watching the hands of the clock ticking by.

Lindsay's phone interrupted their conversation. He answered it but didn't say anything besides, "Yes. Okay. Will do. Take care."

As he hung up, Sam sought his gaze. Did they find something new? He didn't dare ask any questions. Josh still sat at the table, not saying anything as he sipped at the tea Lindsay had put in front of him a while ago. If Gerome didn't trust him, he and Lindsay were not going to discuss anything related to the case while he listened.

Lindsay shook his head slightly. Damn, did that mean they had nothing new? Or did that mean he couldn't say anything? He needed to know. But they couldn't talk, not with Josh sitting next to them. Even though it was unlikely, he might try to call his uncle.

Was it wrong to feel sorry for the young man? He looked so innocent, and he felt sorry for what Josh was going through. Even if Gerome couldn't mate him, he'd basically been sold, if he'd told the truth. He must be feeling awful.

Sam looked over at Lindsay again, yet his gaze and stance gave nothing away. He looked relaxed, at ease, as he leaned against the counter. Sam was dying to know what the caller told him. How could the tracker be so cool with all the things going on around them?

# Chapter Fifteen

_A lex_

* * *

Ash came back some time later with another tray. He looked even worse than he had in the morning. His entire face was swollen now. The purple of his skin stood out more as well. The hits had to be fresh, because they were so dark. The man didn't even look in his direction. Instead, he just arranged the stuff on the tray.

Alex needed to help him. He couldn't leave him here. Sam would get help as soon as he realized what had happened. Hopefully he'd gotten to the authorities or Gerome before they caught him as well. Gerome would know what to do.

Slowly, so he wouldn't scare the man, he approached Ash. "Hey," he whispered.

"Hey." Ash smiled shyly at him.

"I can help you," Alex breathed in the man's ear.

"Nobody can help me. I'm mated. I have to stay here."

"Maybe we can take your mate with us as well. Please, you only have to let Gerome, the Prince, know where I am. He'll come and get me. I'll talk to him, you and your mate would be safe with him," Alex hurried to say. He had to convince Ash to help.

"My mate is the one that kidnapped you. I don't think you'd want to him near the Prince's place."

Shit. Double shit. No. He shouldn't have said anything. He'd known Ash was with the kidnappers, but he'd believed, due to his appearance, the man was a victim himself. How could he have misjudged so much?

Alex stepped back. There went the last hope he'd had. Now it was solely up to Gerome to find him. Ash's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Wait." Ash glanced at the closed door. "Do you love him? The father of the baby?" he whispered.

Alex thought of Gerome, then of Sam. He considered both of the men the baby's father, but Ash had asked about love and that meant Sam. "Yes. With all my heart." Smiling, Alex ran a hand over his round belly. "As soon as I'm free again, I'm going to ask him to marry me."

"You know he's going to say yes?"

Alex stared at Ash. "Of course. He loves me as much as I do."

"I guess that's all a person can wish for." Ash was silent for a second, then said quietly, "Please, if something happens, try to get out, okay? He won't let you go. I believe he plans on keeping you here so he has a hold over the Prince. Now that I think of it, your boyfriend and the baby's father are not the same person, right?"

"No, they aren't." Alex smiled. "It's complicated. Sam's my boyfriend, but Gerome is the biological sire."

"It must be nice to be so loved. Promise you'll try to get out?"

"What's going to happen? Do you think Gerome is coming to free me?" What exactly was Ash talking about? Alex's heartbeat sped up. Did he know something was going on? "What time is it, by the way? I've lost every sense of it in here." Maybe a different subject would make Ash linger and talk a bit longer. He seemed to be in the mood to talk, even if he was afraid of his mate.

"It's Sunday, shortly after two in the afternoon." Ash smiled shyly again. "Please, just try to get away. You don't deserve what he has in store for you. And don't worry about me, I will survive."

"Thanks. And—are you sure?" Alex had to ask. He couldn't just leave Ash here.

"Yeah. There is no way out for me."

What should he say to that? Take care? That sounded hollow. Don't stop hoping? Even more hollow. _Shit_. Alex ran a hand through his hair. The baby chose that moment to jump up and down in his stomach, kicking him in the process. "Shit," he groaned. This one hurt.

"Are you all right?" Ash sounded concerned.

Alex took a deep breath, trying to get through the pain. "Yeah. The baby just jumped. Everything is good." Ash stood closer now and, in a spontaneous move, Alex embraced him. "Please, stay safe," he said quietly.

Ash hugged him back, pressing Alex tightly to his scrawny chest. "You, too. I need to go before the guards start wondering what I'm doing."

He'd been there not even five minutes but, yes, the guards would get suspicious soon.

"Okay. And thanks." Alex didn't know whether Ash would help him, but at least he took the time to feed him and share a few words with him, even if he might be punished for it.

Alex released Ash, stepping back. He looked at the slightly larger man. Were there tears glistening in his eyes? Before he could be sure, the guy had turned and knocked on the door to be let out.

Staring at the door long after it had closed, he wondered if he'd ever see Ash again. He doubted it.

# Chapter Sixteen

_S am_

* * *

Evening descended, and Sam decided to bring Luis some more food. They hadn't seen the man at all the entire day and, truth to be told, he hadn't thought of him very much.

He quietly opened the door and looked inside to find Luis lying on the bed and watching TV.

"I brought some dinner. You must be hungry."

"I'm not. But thanks." Luis didn't even look away from the TV.

"You could come out to the living room with us, if you want."

"I said you don't need to bother. I don't want to eat, and I certainly don't want to watch TV with you. I don't want to see anyone, okay?"

Sam carefully put the tray on the small table next to the tray he'd brought in the morning. Only a few crumbs remained of the breakfast he'd brought. So the man had eaten after all and wasn't as withdrawn as he appeared to be. Sam decided not to comment on it, though. He lifted the tray and turned toward the door. "Come find us, if you want some company. We don't bite." With a smile showing much more confidence than he was feeling on the inside, he looked at Luis, but the man continued to watch the TV.

Stepping out of the room, he closed the door softly behind him. Gerome was really going to have fun with this mate. It might be for the best that Josh and Luis didn't see each other right now as it would only add to the drama and they'd have to come up with something to explain why Josh was here. Sam had already wracked his brain but came up blank. There was simply too much going on right now to even think of explaining anything to Luis.

With the dishes in the dishwasher and the kitchen clean again, Sam found himself with nothing to do besides kill time. Lindsay was watching TV with Josh, who hadn't moved even a muscle in the chair at his side, yet the tracker never let him out of his sight. He was as withdrawn as Gerome's real mate.

Sam plopped down on the couch, focusing on the screen. They were watching a rerun of a comedy, nothing that required much thinking. He considered sitting with a book, but he couldn't focus on reading right now.

Lindsay's phone rang shortly after eight. He answered it, nodded a few times, then disconnected and turned to Sam where he sat next to him, smiled, and whispered, "We've got the son of a bitch."

"What? What do you mean?"

Lindsay leaned to whisper in his ear. Josh continued to sit in the recliner, staring at the TV as if he were miles away. "They have him. We'll talk later."

They had him? Oh God, what if something happened? Sam's stomach clenched. Either they'd free Alex, or things would get nasty very fast. He couldn't sit and just wait for more news. It was going to kill him. He wanted to be with Gerome right now, to make sure Alex was safe.

But Lindsay wasn't simply going to drive him there, and he doubted he could steal a car from the King's garage. Besides, even if he managed to steal a car, he had no idea where to go. _Shit_. Sam got up and started to pace. What if something happened to Alex? Would he see his man again?

Until now, he'd hoped Alex was safe because he was valuable. But now, if the kidnappers knew they would soon be discovered, they might kill Alex to prevent Gerome and the others from taking him away.

Lindsay came up to him. "Stop it. Don't let Josh suspect something is wrong. I don't want to give him any reason to think he has to warn his uncle."

Damn, Lindsay was right. He needed to remain calm and act as if nothing was worrying or aggravating him. Running a shaky hand through his hair, he nodded. "I'll get myself something to drink, okay? You want something as well?"

Lindsay shook his head. "No, I'm good. Thanks." He wandered back to the couch and took his seat again. Lindsay leaned toward Josh and spoke quietly in his ear, but whatever he said, it was too low for Sam to hear. Turning, he went to the kitchen and got himself a bottle of water from the fridge.

Strong alcohol was what he craved now, but he needed to keep a clear mind. Alex could be free in a few minutes, or in a few hours. Or never, his mind added. Boy, did he need a schnapps.

The waiting was endless, yet Sam kept it together until midnight. Josh finally went to bed in the guestroom, leaving Sam to wonder where he could sleep. On second thought, he wouldn't be able to sleep, so he'd just bunk down on the couch.

As soon as Josh was out of sight, though Lindsay didn't allow him to close the door, Sam started pacing again. Even though the nervous energy running through him was unbearable, he'd hold it together. Until now. Now it needed out.

At the fourth or fifth round trip around the room, he realized Lindsay was watching him, a small smile on his lips. What did he know? Now was the time to ask. Sam stopped in his pacing and hurried over to the tracker, who whispered in his ear "Now that Josh is out of earshot, I received a text message earlier. They are still scoping the perimeters of the Elder's summer house. Apparently, they caught the butler and the scent on him is Alex's. Allen didn't sing but with the scents on both him and Elder Adali, they tried the summer house Josh mentioned. They found Alex's scent there as well. Very faint, but they have him. Now they're trying to find out more about the layout of the building. It's a pretty big two story house, and Prince Gerome and the others are working to find a way in without raising alarms, as there is a bit of movement in the house."

Sam's knees buckled, threatening to give out. Move in to save Alex? Oh God, what if something happened? This was, most likely, the most dangerous part of all. What if the kidnappers realize they'd been caught? He couldn't breathe, couldn't think. The fear wrapping around him was too strong, too much. Faintly, he registered Lindsay wrapping an arm around him and guiding him to the couch.

"They'll move in some time during the night, or tomorrow. It's going to be okay, you'll see. I know you're way too nervous to sleep, but you should at least consider lying down a bit. It won't help Alex at all if you're on the verge of a breakdown because you didn't sleep," Lindsay said quietly.

Sam dropped on the couch. He was tired, yes. But sleep? How could he sleep when Alex was in danger? He buried his face in his hands, then rubbed his eyes furiously. This was all too much. It was well over twenty-four hours since Alex's kidnapping, and he was close to a meltdown. He couldn't just sit by and hope.

"Come on, let's lie down a bit. I have to get some shut-eye, but it won't be a deep sleep, since I'll need to keep an ear on Josh."

"No worries about Josh. I won't be able to sleep anyway, and I'll hear him if he tries anything." Sam leaned back on the couch. Maybe he should find a book to kill some time. It felt wrong to read while Alex was in danger. There was absolutely nothing left for him to do, other than wear a hole in the carpet or bite his nails down. Two of his fingers already bled, so reading might be the better option.

"Okay, then I'll get some rest now." Lindsay laid back on the couch and closed his eyes.

Sam got up again and wandered over to the long bookshelf on one of the walls. He browsed the selection, the range going from classic to contemporary authors. He chose what looked like a romance, even though he didn't recognize the author. The two sexy guys on the cover suggested he'd like the book.

Book in hand, Sam made his way over to the guestroom. Josh was asleep, only his head peeked up from under the blanket. He looked so innocent, so young. Satisfied that Josh wasn't going to call his uncle and warn him, he crossed the living room again and settled back down on the couch. Lindsay didn't react to the dipping couch cushion as Sam curled up on the other end. He'd try to get lost in the book and hope time would go faster this way.

# Chapter Seventeen

_A lex_

* * *

Alex was lying on his bed, staring into the near darkness. He'd left the light in the bathroom on, since turning off everything wasn't a good idea. He'd tried, but the room had gone pitch black, and he'd panicked. With the door of the bathroom nearly closed, it was dark enough to sleep, at least in theory. In reality, the baby did some exercises, jumping up and down, hitting his bladder and his stomach with absolute precision. No matter which way he turned, something hurt. He'd been awake for what felt like hours, unable to rest.

The small click of the door as it opened signaled him and before he knew what was happening, a dark figure slipped into the room. A scream rose in his throat, but before a sound could slip out, he slapped a hand in front of his mouth. He didn't know who was there. What if it was someone to free him? He couldn't give the man away. If it was someone intending to hurt him, though, he was fucked.

The dark figure quietly pushed the door until it was almost closed, then moved silently over to the bed. Alex sat up, trying to see through the darkness.

When the man was only a couple of steps away, Alex realized why he hadn't been able to recognize the man. It was Ash, but he was wearing a hood over his head, disguising himself.

"What...?" Alex whispered.

"Shhh. Your friends are coming," Ash murmured back. "They are fighting the guards right now. Get dressed and be ready to move."

They were coming! Alex's heart beat madly in his chest. He'd be free soon! He rose quickly and slipped into his pullover. He hadn't taken off his jeans, so he was ready in seconds.

Ash peered through the slit of the door.

"Should we go out and try to find them, or is waiting here better?" Alex asked, unsure of what to do.

"I'll go and check, okay? If they get here, go with them. Don't look for me."

How did the man know he'd look for him? He was not going to leave without Ash, since the man had already risked a lot. He wouldn't leave him here.

"Just make sure you're close, then I'll get Gerome to take you with us."

"Please, don't worry about me." Ash said the words, but there was a gleam of hope in his voice. Alex would make sure he wasn't left behind.

Ash opened the door and slipped out as silently as he'd come in. Alex padded after him and peered out into the hall. The only thing he saw was the darkness, which had swallowed Ash up completely.

Should he try to find his rescuers? He felt stupid waiting there, but if he moved, Gerome and his men would have no idea where to find him. And they might accidentally shoot him if they spotted a lone figure wandering around in the dark corridors.

He'd wait inside until someone came. Alex ducked back into his room, never taking his eyes off the slightly open door. Nevertheless, he didn't see the man approaching until he stood directly on the other side of the door. For the second time in only a few minutes, he suppressed a scream. Pressed against the wall at the side of the door, blood rushed in his ears. He forced his breath to be silent and even, taking slow, deep breaths instead of fast shallow ones. _Please, let this be Gerome and not one of the kidnappers._

"Are you Alex?" the man whispered. He moved away from the open door into the shadows of the room.

"Who wants to know?" Alex asked, his voice shaking. He wasn't going to leave with just anyone.

"I guess it's you then. I'm D. Gerome sent me."

"How can I be sure you won't bring me to a different location and not to Gerome?" Alex asked, his heart still beating hard. How did the guy know it was him?

"You can't. I think you'll have to take my word that I'm really going to bring you back to the Prince's palace where Sam waits for you."

The man knew Sam? But that still said nothing. The kidnapper who'd made him read the blackmail letter had had a picture of Sam as well. "How can you prove Sam is waiting? I was told he'd been taken as well."

"I can't, really. Sam is free and waiting for you. I speak the truth. I just don't have time to go and fetch the Prince so he can explain things to you."

"Sorry, but I don't trust you. I can't go with you."

The man sighed. "Listen. We came here to free you. We've killed men just to get you out. Would you please move your princess ass out of here? I don't want to carry you. I could hurt the baby. I will do it, though, if you don't get moving... now."

"I guess I don't have a choice, then. Can we look for someone I'd like to take with us, though? He helped me while I was in here."

"You are seriously telling me you want to wait and take one of the kidnappers with you?" The way this D guy put it made the idea sound stupid.

"Yeah, he was beaten just because he talked to me for a couple of minutes. I can't leave him here. They will hurt him if he stays, maybe even kill him. Please, he was really kind to me and made sure I was fed and everything."

"Still, my job is to get you out of here. I have orders. The Prince will have my ass if I let anything happen to you, just because we waited for some stranger." D's voice was dangerously low.

"I won't leave here without him. I'll talk to Gerome so he won't think you're responsible."

"You really want to risk your life for another man who could very well be your kidnapper? Did they give you something?"

"No, they didn't. I know what I'm doing. I owe Ash a lot, and I won't leave without him," Alex explained for the third time. Didn't this D guy get it? He couldn't abandon Ash here.

"Alex? It's them. Let's go." Ash's voice whispered through the darkness and a heartbeat later, his shadowed figure appeared next to them.

Finally. Alex wrapped his arms around Ash, hugging the man fiercely. "We were waiting for you. Ash, this is D, a friend of Gerome's, as he says. D, this is Ash. We'll be taking him with us. And now we can go," Alex said in D's direction.

"You've got to be shitting me," D muttered, disbelief lacing his voice. "We'll have to move quickly and silently. Stay close to me but stay in the shadows. We don't know yet if there are other guards around."

"Which ones did you take out?" Ash asked quietly.

"North and south end of the house, but we really don't have time to go over all that," D whispered impatiently.

"There is another point with guards on the east end of the house but other than that, we should be able to make it out. Seems like all the other guard stations have been taken."

"Which way should we take then?" D asked. "Can you lead us? You must know a faster way out."

"I can. I've been living here for the last seven or so years," Ash said quietly. Then, with more confidence, he went on, "We'll go left, to the end of the hallway, up the stairs, then turn right. Four doors down from that, we'll turn left into a storage closet, which has two entrances and leads to the main entry hall. If we take this route, we'll have cover until we enter the main entryway, then we'll have to make a run for the front door. When we are through the front door, we need to run to the scrub on the left side to get cover. Where are your cars parked?"

"Close to the outside gates, hidden in the trees on the left side of the street."

"Okay, that's good. Then we run for there."

Ash threw his arms around Alex, who returned the hug. Ash whispered quietly in his ear, "Fight to get out of here, my friend. And thank you with all my heart for waiting for me."

Before Alex could even answer, Ash released him and cautiously opened the door. "Looks good. Let's go."

Ash stepped out into the dark hallway, Alex hot on his heels. D followed close behind, his presence tangible. Only silence met them as they quietly padded through the empty corridor to the staircase leading up.

Alex suddenly realized the reason his room had no windows: he'd been in a basement all this time. Following Ash closely, they snuck up the stairs, stopping every few steps to listen for someone approaching.

But everything remained silent and while his stomach and the backache made it hard to climb, he had no other choice but to keep moving. They made it up the stairs unseen and rushed to the storage closet. He clenched his teeth against the pain racing through his back and forced his breathing to remain steady, even if it was hard. He needed to function, goddammit!

They hurried through the hallway and into the storage room. Ash seemed to be sure no one would be in the room, as he simply opened the door and slipped through. Alex followed him, stopping short when his eyes needed to adjust to the luminously lit room. The hallway and stairs had been nearly black, but this room was lit with moonlight. Alex blinked a few times, willing his eyes to adjust.

Ash turned to them. "We are safe here for now. This is my room, the guards won't come in here."

"Didn't you tell us this was a storage closet?" D asked.

Ash shrugged. "Both. When I don't sleep with my mate, I sleep here."

"You sleep in a closet? What the fuck is wrong with your mate? Who is this asshole?" D was clearly upset. Alex's feelings were the same, even if he already knew about the Elder.

"My mate is Elder Adali. He has a lot of things wrong with him, kidnapping Alex for example. But, it's okay. We can get out of here now. And speaking of that, let's go. We need to keep moving. Adali is not here yet but if he returns and catches us, there'll be hell to pay."

Alex nodded. He could feel sorry for Ash later, after they were safe.

"Let's go. We don't have any other choice but to run. Alex, I'm sorry you have to do this, but there's no other way. Can you run?"

"I doubt I'll be very fast." He ran a hand over his stomach. "But I will try."

D opened the door slowly and peeked outside. He watched for a few seconds, then nodded and stepped back, letting Ash go first.

Ash slipped out and he followed, while D took the rear. They ran along the wall, Alex fighting hard to keep up. He had trouble breathing, and his stomach flopped around in front of him awkwardly.

The front door was in sight. Just a few more steps and they'd be outside. Alex didn't hear much more than a _plop_ , but Ash stumbled and fell. A second later, before he knew what was happening, a stabbing pain ran through his leg. He stumbled, his hands grabbing for the wall, trying to hold him up and keep going so he could reach Ash and run for freedom. Behind him, D muttered a curse, but Alex couldn't think, breathe, or do anything through the pain.

Someone, probably Ash, groaned. Alex tumbled to the floor, his hands in front of him, trying to protect the baby. He failed and landed hard on the stone floor of the entrance hall, his breath leaving him in a rush. He gasped at the fresh shot of pain stabbing through his leg and his lower body.

"Shit, tell me where it hurts," D whispered in his ear. Alex hadn't heard his approach. Now his rescuer was kneeling at his side, a hand on his arm.

"Leg. Back," Alex gasped, the pain overwhelming him. He wanted to tell D to help Ash, to get him to safety. He wanted to say it was only his leg, but he couldn't. His mouth refused to get the words out as the world around him went black.

# Chapter Eighteen

_S am_

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Lindsay's phone hummed quietly in his pocket and within seconds, he was awake and tapping on the screen. Unable to concentrate much on the book he was reading, Sam sat up and watched Lindsay read the message.

"What's up?" Sam asked before Lindsay could even get a word out.

"They've found Alex. He's out, but he's been shot. They had to rush him to Dr. Brown's hospital. Apparently, the baby's coming as well."

"Shit!" Sam sat up straighter. "Will they make it?"

"I don't know yet. Jeremy called. D was also hurt trying to help another guy escape after he'd carried Alex to safety. Let's get Josh and then we can go to the hospital. Alex will most likely be in surgery, but at least we can wait there."

Blood rushed through Sam's ears. Alex was hurt. The baby was coming. They needed to go to the hospital. Oh God, what if Alex died? What if the baby died? It was too soon, there were still six weeks of his pregnancy left. Four, if he considered that Dr. Brown wanted to do the C-section a bit early. The little one would be tiny and weak.

Lindsay vanished into the guestroom and pulled Josh, who rubbed sleep out of his eyes and still wore his loose fitting pants and a t-shirt, along behind him as he rushed back out. "Come on, let's get to the hospital, you can go as you are."

Not giving Josh time to even reply, he ushered both of them out the door and over the court to a big Jeep. Late summer air, warm and comfortable, greeted them as they climbed in the car's back seat. Until they knew differently, Sam wasn't letting Josh out of his sight.

"What's going on? Where are you taking me in the middle of the night? I didn't do anything!"

"They found Alex, but he was hurt during the escape. We're headed to the hospital." Lindsay clearly wasn't going to give Josh any more details.

Josh cast his eyes down, a stricken look on his face. "I'm sorry. Any word about how badly he's hurt?"

"No, nothing. I only got a very quick message from Jeremy, telling me we should get to the hospital. It will probably be a few hours before we know anything," Lindsay said from the driver's seat. He flew through the streets of a sleeping Munich toward Dr. Brown's private clinic where they'd been only a few days earlier for Alex's checkup.

It seemed like a lifetime ago, yet it had only been a week. They'd looked forward to the appointment, eager to see the baby on the ultrasound again. Now, Lindsay rushed them to the hospital, and he had no idea how things would turn out—if he'd see his partner again or his newborn child.

Tears began to prickle Sam's eyes. He didn't want to cry. He needed to be strong for Alex and the baby. So he bit back the sob wanting to get out and stared out the window. Josh and Lindsay were talking, but he couldn't focus on them. He just watched the streets flying by, praying with all he was worth.

They pulled up in front of the hospital, Lindsay not taking the time to park properly. He just stopped and jumped out of the car, Sam and Josh hot on his heels. Josh didn't say anything as they hurried up the stairs and through the entrance doors.

Sam led them to the front desk where Lizzy the nurse sat. "Can you tell me anything about Alex? How is he?" he asked, fingers clutching the desk tightly.

"He's still in surgery. Dr. Brown had to perform the C-section because Alex went into labor due to blood loss. I can't say anything more, sorry. You'll have to wait until Dr. Brown is finished and Alex is in the recovery room. We have a family waiting room over there, and Dr. Brown will be with you as soon as he has news."

"Thank you," Sam mumbled. No news was good news, right? Or not?

"Come on, let's get some coffee and sit down. We're here, and there's nothing we can do right now." Lindsay led the two of them to the room Lizzy had pointed out and sat Sam down on a hard plastic chair.

His head swam, and his legs trembled. God, what if Alex died? He'd made it through the kidnapping and the escape, so he had to make it through this. A soft hand rubbed his shoulder. Not Lindsay's, his grip was stronger. Josh?

"I know you still think I had something to do with the kidnapping, but I really didn't. My uncle forced me to mate Gerome. I wasn't given a chance to say no, you know. He'd have hurt Ash if I resisted. I'm very sorry that this happened, though. If I'd known what he was planning, I would've found a way to warn you."

Josh continued to rub his shoulder, comforting him. Sam didn't know what to say. Josh's words sounded genuine, and he wanted to believe him. "Thank you. I believe you. But who is Ash? Your boyfriend?"

Josh chuckled quietly. "Thank you. No, Ash is my uncle's mate. We are friends, nothing more. But my uncle discovered that hurting Ash upset me, so he used it to control me. I wouldn't have minded if he'd threatened me or hurt me but with Ash, it was different. I couldn't be responsible for his suffering. I wouldn't do that to him."

Sam didn't know what to say. Elder Adali sounded like a real piece of work. "Thank you for telling me this. I hope we'll find a solution once this is all over. And maybe we can help Ash as well. He's still at your uncle's house, right?"

"I think it's only my duty to tell you the truth. I already told all this to Gerome, but I don't know if he believed me." Josh ran a hand over his hair. "I wish I could do something to help Ash. My uncle treats him poorly, you know. And he's always tried to keep my uncle from hitting me, putting himself in the way instead. Do you think I can talk the Prince into helping me free him?"

"Maybe. I don't know. You'd have to ask him." Sam sat up straighter. He hadn't even thought about Gerome. How was he? And the trackers? He'd only asked about Alex and the baby. What kind of friend did that make him when he never even thought to ask about those who'd helped rescue Alex?

Sam looked around in the hopes of finding Lindsay. Maybe he'd know more, but they were alone in the waiting room. "I'll go look for Lindsay or speak to Lizzy again. Maybe they have news on the others." Sam pushed himself to his feet.

"Can I come with you? I mean, I don't want to pry, but I don't want to wait here all alone," Josh asked, his eyes downcast. He even blushed a bit.

Until Gerome could tell Josh the truth, the man obviously considered himself the Prince's mate. He had a right to hear any news. Anything else would've looked suspicious. "Of course. Come on, let's see if we can get some updates."

They took the way they'd come back to the front desk. The hallways were eerily quiet, not like in a normal hospital, but more like a morgue. Sam stopped that thought before it could stick in his head. Alex _would_ live.

The front desk was unmanned. Lizzy was nowhere to be seen. Now what? Sam's heart sank to his trousers. Who would they ask now? He really didn't want to wait any longer. It was bad enough he considered himself a shitty friend, seeing that he'd forgotten about the others and thought only of Alex.

Soles squeaking over linoleum alerted them to someone's approach. Sam turned around, looking toward the noise. Lindsay came down the corridor, juggling three cups in his hands.

Sam hurried to him, taking one of the cups.

"Thanks. My hands were getting hot. The other one is for Josh." He handed the man his drink, who nodded a thanks.

"Thank you." Sam took a careful sip. It was hot and surprisingly good for hospital coffee.

"You're welcome." Lindsay smiled at him.

"Do you know what happened to Gerome and the others? I totally forgot to ask whether they are okay."

"D was shot as well, but he was able to shift, so he should be good to go soon. Gerome and the others are fine. They attacked the shooters from behind. The guards must've put up a good fight, so they're a bit beat up. But otherwise, they're fine. They are with the King right now, debriefing. I don't know anything more, Jeremy only had a minute to tell me they were all fine."

The news made Sam happy. The idea of one of the others being hurt more seriously or being killed sent nausea rolling in his gut. But they were all safe. Now, if only Dr. Brown would appear with good news that'd be awesome.

"Let's return to the waiting room. There is nothing we can do right now. Hopefully, Alex will be out of surgery soon."

# Chapter Nineteen

It was a long wait. The sun had risen and shone through the windows of the waiting room. Josh had finally dozed off in one of the chairs, and Sam himself was fighting off sleep. He'd nodded off earlier for a few minutes, but the chairs were uncomfortable, and he was still too nervous to sleep. If something had gone wrong, they would have heard by now. He wandered across the room, like he'd done a thousand times already. He'd studied all the pictures on the wall, rifled through all the magazines, and drunk more coffee than was healthy.

The door to the waiting room opened and he turned around. A very exhausted looking Dr. Brown stood there, his gaze on Sam. A tiny smile played around his lips. "He's stable. The baby as well. Very small, but she's okay. You can visit your partner as soon as he wakes up, and I'll tell Lizzy to bring you to the baby now, okay?"

"He's... he's... thank you! Thank you so much!" Sam rushed to the doctor and threw his arms around him. The doctor hugged him back a second, then released him. Sam stepped back. "I'm sorry." Blood rushed to his face.

"No, no, it's all right. I understand. And you're very welcome. Now, I need a shower and a coffee, while you go see your baby. Prince Gerome is not here, I assume?"

"Thank you. No, he's still in debriefing, I think, and hasn't been here yet. I'll call him as soon as I've seen my baby. I'll find Lizzy now, okay?" Sam could barely contain his excitement. His baby. Their baby. Alex was alive and would be okay.

He wanted to hug the entire world.

The baby girl was even tinier than he imagined. She was in a little incubator, with equipment to monitor her heartbeat and vital signs surrounding it. Currently, she was sleeping, her little fists clutching the sheet.

She was the most beautiful child Sam had ever seen. Carefully, he reached into the bed, touching his daughter for the first time. Her skin was soft, her hand much smaller than his fingers. How would he ever hold her? He'd break her.

Lizzy stood next to him, a smile on her lips.

"And she's really okay?" Sam asked.

"It looks like it. I understand Prince Gerome is the sire? Strong vampire genes make very strong children."

"Yes, he is. So it's not a problem she's premature?" Sam questioned, only to be sure.

"As far as we can tell, no. She'll have to stay here at least three weeks so we can measure how much she drinks, how much weight she gains, how her lungs develop and so on, but that's a precaution. After all, she was six weeks early."

Sam still stared at the tiny face. A few dark hairs sat on her head and she had a cute button nose, but her face didn't resemble either Alex or Gerome. She looked like— "We didn't even pick a name for her." They'd thrown ideas around, but nothing more. He couldn't name the little one alone. It was Alex's decision as well.

"You can pick a name later, when Alex is awake." Lizzy placed a hand on his arm. "Do you want a few minutes alone with her? I can wait outside."

Sam nodded. He didn't want to leave his daughter. Would they allow him to sleep in here? Probably not.

Dragging a chair over, he sat down in front of the incubator and just looked at her. She was a wonder, a gift. And she was their daughter.

Sam did nothing but watch the baby—how her chest moved when she breathed, how her hands waved in search for the blanket. Her lips were perfectly shaped, as was her whole face. She looked like an angel.

Lizzy came back in some time later. "Alex is more or less awake. Would you like to see him now?

Sam looked at the bed. The baby was sleeping, and he really needed to see Alex. "Let's go." He reached into the incubator one last time and ran his finger over his daughter's hand, then he followed Lizzy. His heart beat madly in his chest. His Alex. Finally. After all the fears and tears, he'd finally have him in his arms again.

Lizzy opened the door, and Sam stepped into a dimly lit room. Alex lay unmoving on the bed. "Hey."

"Sam?" Alex croaked.

Sam rushed closer. "I'm here." He stopped next to the bed, taking in Alex's features. Battered, one of his eyes bore a dark circle, a stark contrast against his white face, but he was as beautiful as he'd ever been.

Alex cast open one eye. "Thought... never see you again. Baby?" he rasped.

"I'm here. The baby is fine. Very small, but healthy. It's a girl."

Alex's lips pulled into a smile. "A girl."

"Yeah. Do you want to have a sip to drink?"

"No, fine. Sleep now."

Alex's eye closed slowly and Sam watched as he drifted to sleep. He took his partner's limp hand and held it for a long time after he'd succumbed to slumber.

It was afternoon before Alex woke up again. Lindsay had stopped by and brought something to eat and drink, although Sam wasn't very hungry. He just sat quietly next to Alex's bed and either read or watched him sleep. He'd been with their daughter twice, but found himself drawn back to Alex's bed.

"Hey, sleeping beauty." Sam grinned at Alex when he opened his eyes and looked around.

"Hey." His voice sounded much better now. "Where is... a daughter, or did I dream it?"

"No, we have a beautiful daughter. You didn't dream it. She's well. Lizzy fed her a while ago, and now she should be sleeping again."

Alex smiled weakly. "That's awesome. I can't wait to meet her. Can you... can you come closer?"

"Of course." Sam slowly sat on the bed. He leaned down and pulled Alex into his arms, careful not to disrupt one of the many cables. He hugged Alex tightly and buried his head against the man's shoulder. "I was so afraid I'd lose you," he whispered in Alex's ear. "I love you so much."

"I love you too. It was horrible, not knowing what would happen—whether I'd see you and our baby again. I thought he had you as well. One of the men who kidnapped me showed me a picture of you, huddled down in a shower. Where did he get that from?"

Him in the shower? That must've been... Allen, the butler. Yes, he'd brought him to his room, and maybe he'd snuck back in and taken that picture. A cold shiver ran down Sam's spine. He hadn't even noticed someone had been in the bathroom. _Shit_.

"I think it was Gerome's butler. He took the picture when I was taking a shower in the guest bathroom. I was never in danger, believe me."

"Good," Alex whispered. "I was so worried they had you as well."

"No, they didn't. And it's over now."

They stayed like that for a long time, while Sam breathed in Alex's unique scent, and he thanked whoever listened that his lover was alive and safe. He couldn't release Alex. Not now, not never.

Alex clutched at Sam the same way, although his grasp was weaker. He also sniffled a few times, which was more than understandable. "Sam?" he finally asked.

"Hmm."

"I thought... would you... would you want to marry me?"

Sam's heart sped up again. "Are you proposing?"

"I think?" Alex chuckled. "Sorry, it's not really romantic. But I'd really like that, and if you think..."

"Yes, of course, in a heartbeat!" Sam tentatively touched his lips to Alex's. He didn't want to kiss his man's cracked lip and hurt him, but a tiny peck might be okay. "We'll marry as soon as you're out of here, okay?"

"Okay. As soon as I can stand on my own two feet, we have a deal."

They sealed the deal with another kiss.

"Think you can talk Lizzy into driving my bed to the nursery? I'd really love to see my baby girl."

# Epilogue

_S ix months later_

Alex

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"I do." Alex smiled at Sam, so handsome in his black tux.

"I do." Sam answered as well.

They were in the King's palace, celebrating their marriage. After a short, formal signing in the city hall, they came here to repeat their vows in a more festive way.

The King himself was kind enough to officiate, something that had surprised even Gerome. Once the King heard what they had planned, he'd taken over. One look at his first grandchild, and he'd apparently forgotten what he'd said earlier about her not being legally born. Angela was theirs, no matter what.

"I declare you to be husband and husband. You can now kiss!" King Harold smiled and clapped his hands as the small crowd joined in. Alex stood on his toes and kissed Sam. Who was he to go against the vampire King's orders?

Sam's lips tasted as awesome as ever, and Alex didn't want to release him. He wrapped his arms around his husband and took the kiss deeper. If he had his way, he'd never let him go again.

"Hey, get a room!" someone shouted.

Alex slowly released Sam and smiled shyly. Yeah, he hadn't just played tonsil hockey in front of the King, a lot of the Elders, his friends, and their daughter. _Shit._

"No need to blush," Sam whispered and squeezed his hand. "Come on, they're waiting to serve the cake."

"Yeah," Alex murmured, his face still hot and probably glowing. But then he looked up into the smiling faces of their friends and family. It didn't matter what they thought. It was his wedding and if he wanted to drag his husband behind a corner to ravish him, it was none of their concern.

He tugged on Sam's hand, eager to cut the cake and then have a dance with him. Afterwards, they could have one of the guests babysit Angela so they could vanish for an hour.

Two grooms sat on top of the big, beautiful wedding cake decorated with red roses. Gerome had generously gifted it as part of his wedding present.

Alex took the knife sitting next to the cake and held it out to Sam. "Together?" he asked. Sam nodded and put his hand over Alex's.

Under the cheers and the flashes of the cameras, they cut the first piece. Alex put it on a plate and handed it to Gerome who held Angela in his arms as if she were on a throne. She looked very much like the princess she was.

They handed out the cake until everyone had a piece and then helped themselves to a slice. Alex watched his family, wishing that both his and Sam's parents were there to celebrate with them. He knew, deep down, that they watched, but it wasn't the same. He'd miss them forever, but he had his own family now. He smiled at Sam. "I love you."

"I love you as well." They kissed briefly, stopping before the guests again demanded they get a room. "Let's go get Angela so Gerome can eat his cake in peace."

"With the looks he's getting from Luis? I doubt he can do _anything_ in peace," Sam said dryly.

Alex looked over to their friend. Luis was, in fact, giving Gerome the cold shoulder. Would they ever find a way to live together? He seriously doubted it. He'd heard that Luis still slept in the guest bedroom, putting a definite strain on his relationship with Gerome.

Upon realizing his hostage and his mate had fled, Josh's uncle flat out challenged King Harold for leadership and died during the fight. Gerome had only told him it was a short fight, the Elder's power not even close to that of the King's. His death, however, set Ash free, and left him with enough money to live without financial sorrow. Allen, the butler, was awaiting trial. Chances were he'd be dead soon as well for the part he played in the conspiracy against the King. Allen was the one who found out about Alex's pregnancy, and he was the one who hired the hands who'd taken him. Unfortunately, they were still looking for those men.

Ash and Josh, using Elder Adali's money, had moved into an apartment together. They'd become even closer in the days after the shooting, even if they still claimed they were only friends. It had been touch and go for a few days for Ash. He'd taken two bullets, one in his chest and one in his stomach. Mostly human, it was a small miracle that he was alive and walking around again. To everyone's surprise, D had spent a lot of nights at Ash's bedside, waiting for him to wake up.

Alex took his daughter from Gerome's arm, wincing at the small pain in his leg. He needed to avoid certain movements that still hurt. He also dealt with the fear of being alone, an aftermath of the kidnapping. But, with a lot of patience and a good therapist, he improved every day. And Angela didn't leave him much time to dwell on worries.

They took their places at the head of the table, looking over the room. The big hall was beautifully decorated in white, with red roses adding a touch of color.

Angela got a small piece of cake to play with while Alex settled back in his chair to eat his cake and watch his husband. He was happy. More than a year ago, when he'd been crying in the bathroom after discovering he was pregnant, he never would have dreamt he could be so happy. So much had changed, though.

Around them, people were talking, joking, and celebrating. Sam nudged him gently. "Josh is staring at Anthony like he wants him for dessert." The men had met briefly after Alex's rescue, but then the big tracker had been called away on an assignment. Their job with Gerome was done and as far as Alex knew, only D visited Ash and Josh on occasion, which meant Josh hadn't seen Anthony for a few months now. The Elder's nephew had been very relieved to learn he wasn't really mated to Gerome, even if he'd been pissed at the Prince for lying to him the first couple of days. Now it looked like he had an eye on the big tracker.

"You think?" Alex watched Josh flirt openly with Anthony.

"Yep. I think. Anthony just doesn't know what he's getting into," Sam said with a smile in his voice.

# About the Author

Chris McHart lives in Germany, with her husband, partner in crime, and muse (all in one person, not even she's that kinky!). She loves her husband, men in kilts and Scotch Whisky. Her idea of a perfect evening is to curl up with her laptop and write (the other options are not suitable to post in public).

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Visit her blog or friend her on Facebook, where you can join her author group.

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# Also by Chris McHart

Saving Alex (Gay M-Preg) Unexpected #1 & #2

Unexpected Powers (Unexpected #4)

Two Ruined Christmas Eves

Small Steps

From: Lon To: Adam

Truly Yours 1 - Toby & Dalton

Loving History

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**G erman books:**

Doppelt Ruinierter Heiligabend

Langer Weg zum Glück

Von: Lon An: Adam

Wahre Gefährten 1: Toby & Dalton

Arizona Feeling

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**I talian books:**

La sorpresa di Alex (Sorpresa #1)

Salvando Alex (Sorpresa #2)

Amami, se puoi (Sorpresa #3)
