Jean's motorcycle was not subtle. It was a beautiful chopper colored black and silver with blue accents. Add that to his scarred, undoubtedly intimidating appearance and he was a moving target for attention. He drove slowly through the small town, weaving through people and animals and the dirt. People stared. Animals called out. It didn't bother him. He had long become accustomed to attracting attention.

Eventually, he neared the dead-end path leading up a hill. The moment he spotted the house atop it, he broke out into a smile. The faint pulling of his mate to him grew even more powerful. It had been singing for him ever since he arrived in the town, luring him closer. It was akin to a deep pulsing in the core of his being.

Pulling up to the house, he sensed his mate was impatient. The idle amusement of wondering why his mate didn't just meet him outside tickled his thoughts. He parked his bike in front of the small garage, then turned it off and approached the second floor's staircase that led into the house from the back. The back door was already open. He stepped up the stairs and moved inside, closing the door behind him.

It was silent.

A smile crept onto his face. The house was pleasantly warm, smelling of rain. He stood in the dining room for a moment, swaying gently, letting the smell of his mate fill his nostrils. It had grown even stronger since he last saw him. Licking his lips, he moved through the kitchen towards the hallway. The smell grew stronger, still. He felt the blackness of arousal bleed into his eyes, and he moved soundlessly down the hall into the seating alcove.

He spotted the reddish brown hair first, then the black eye as it turned his way followed by a widening, cheeky smile. "Hey, there, Jeanie-boy," Celezar purred.

A tingle ran down Jean's back, and he took in a good eyeful of his mate's form.

Celezar stood near the back window wearing a sleeveless grey turtleneck that put his muscular arms on display and black pants that hung far too low on his angular hips. His nostrils were slightly flaring, twitching, and he turned to face Jean with slanting eyes.

Over the past month, something had changed. Jean knew, he just couldn't put his finger on it. He had noticed since his last monthly visit when Celezar's scent first began to change. It was pleasant, even sweet. The first time he took it in, he had changed. His eyes narrowed as he observed the growing, knowing smile on Celezar's face.

He couldn't forget. When the smell first graced his senses, he had been in outside on the back porch. Something took over him, then. Before he knew what had even happened, he was downstairs where Celezar had been and frankly jumped the hybrid in the laundry room.

He swallowed. They had sex too many times that day and into the next. But what struck Jean as unusual about it was how he took control of their mating. There was nothing remotely wrong about it, it was simply something he typically preferred the other way around.

Their black gazes penetrated one another. Heat began to grow within him, a melty, burning heat that made his lips part. After several seconds, his eyes darted to Celezar's when a black tongue slipped out to wet them. The air simmered before his mouth.

Who would break their pose first?

The corner of Jean's mouth rose, and he took a step forward. In the blink of an eye, Celezar stood in front of him, looking down at him with a heaving chest. Swallowing the thick, sweet scent before him, Jean slowly raised his hand to place on Celezar's cheek. He leaned forward and was met halfway by a savoring kiss. The moan made in his mouth sent more tingles through his body, made him wrap an arm around his mate and bring him closer, only for Celezar to mold against him. He moved his hand, placing it on the back of Celezar's head, and brought him closer, deepened the kiss.

Something had changed...

"Zarryel," he murmured. His low voice made his mate shiver, and he relished the power he had over him. "You gonna tell me what's going on?" he asked teasingly.

A black tongue licked his lips. "You haven't figured it out yet, love?"

Brows furrowing, he made a low hum. He brought the head of auburn hair closer to inhale the ever-growing, strangely but wonderfully sweet smell of rain and herbs. "I feel like...I should've by now."

There was pawing at his chest; nimble hands began to unbutton his shirt. "Mm hmm?"

"Mmn, can't think with this...this wonderful...scent...in the way." He slanted his eyes open. His shirt was almost completely unbuttoned.

"Tell me what you've noticed..."

His eyes closed with a soft groan when a warm mouth latched onto his neck. He massaged his fingers into his mate's hair. "Hmm. I acted strange the last time I was here...but you weren't entirely surprised, were you."

"Not...at all, love."

"Our mating was...different. Feral, almost."

"Mm hmm." One of Celezar's hands lowered to take his at his side. "How so?"

His nostrils flared, his eyes fluttered, as he recalled. "You..."

"Yes?"

He grunted from a nip. "Zarryel...are..."

"Am I what?" Their hands moved over Celezar's abdomen.

His lips parted as his eyes finally opened fully. He slightly moved back to look into eyes that were no longer black, but glowing a deep, passionate green.

He could sense it, now.

Life. There was life, young and miniscule, growing within Celezar.

Tears stung his widening eyes. "Celezar, you're pregnant?"

With a soft laugh, his mate nodded. "Yes, you ridiculous man. My dear love..." He lowered his head, keeping Jean's hand over his abdomen.

The largest smile broke out on Jean's face just as tears ran down his cheeks. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was abruptly hit by sudden sorrow. Yet, it wasn't coming from him. His smile wiped away. "What's wrong?"

When Celezar didn't respond, he reached and raised his mate's head with his fingers to see he was crying, but they weren't tears of joy.

No...They were, yet he was still sad. Painfully so.

Wrapping his arms around him, Jean kept the panic out of his voice when he softly asked, "What's wrong, Zarryel?"

Celezar placed both hands over his abdomen. "There's...only one," he whispered.

"One...?"

"One embryo, Jean." The teary green eyes looked up into his, and his heart nearly shattered at the expression of horror and concern piercing him. "This...this isn't normal. H-hallows...d-devils..."

Jean's shoulders slightly fell. "Zarryel..." He brought their foreheads together, raising a hand to wipe away the grey tears. "Yes, for hallows, mahres, and devils, that isn't normal. But our child...our children will be human hybrids."

Lower lip trembling, Celezar whispered, "But what if...?" He looked at his hands. "They'll be...so lonely...!"

Jean's heart finally broke when his mate began to sob. "No, Zarryel..." He took the hybrid by his sides and brought him into his arms, holding him by his head so he could cry into the crook of his neck. Long legs hooked onto his hips, arms wrapped around his neck, and he brought them to one of the sofas.

He sat and remained quiet, gathering his thoughts as his mate cried out his emotions. He was firmly of the mind that there was nothing wrong with having a single child, not if their children had human DNA. But he knew to Celezar, this was unimaginable.

Rocking his mate in his arms, he didn't know what to say for the longest time. He could only gather his thoughts. Once Celezar's sobs began to ebb, he softly asked, "Do you want to talk to Ba'arhuzra or Majihl?" He felt Celezar tense. "Are you...ashamed?"

Celezar looked up at him. "I..." He looked away, lips pursing. "Not even Gareth had a single child born at a time...and his mate was human, too. There's something wrong, Jean, and I..." Shaking his head, he shut his eyes and lowered his head back against Jean's neck.

"Do you sense something wrong?" Jean sensed his mate's hesitance.

Celezar placed a hand on his abdomen again. "No..." After a moment of silence, he made a soft chuckle. "It's a healthy embryo."

Nuzzling into his hair, Jean hummed in agreement. "Then...all we can do is wait. Please don't panic; that's the last thing you need now, right?" He felt the nod and gave a gentle squeeze.

Celezar quieted, keeping his hand atop his abdomen. Reaching out with his senses, Jean let his eyes close and focus on the miniscule life within. Life they created.

"I love you, Zarryel," he murmured, kissing into the auburn locks. Celezar shifted in his arms, looking up at him with a small, amorous smile. He returned the expression, then lowered to kiss him.

His chest began to vibrate as his mate started rumbling. "I love you, too, Jean. More than any...well." Once more, Celezar chuckled and raised a brow. "How does this work, anyway? I love you more than anything, but we'll have a little one on the way..."

"We have a little one on the way," Jean gently corrected, entwining his hand with Celezar's over his abdomen. He then broke into a wry smile. "I don't know how that works, either, I'm afraid."

A cheeky smile flashed at him. "Can I still love you more than anything and love our children more than anything? They can be two different anythings."

Glad his mate was in better spirits, Jean nodded with a smile. "Yes, Zarryel..." He took their entwined hands and brought them to his mouth to kiss Celezar's. "Do you trust me?"

Celezar nodded as realization and adoration sparked in his glassy eyes. "Oh, love..." His rumbling grew louder, and he pressed their foreheads together. "Always."

Satisfied, Jean let his eyes close, enveloping his small, growing family with his strong presence.