After spending an awkward breakfast with her family, who had been
uncomfortable after finding Killan and Morgan in the same bed, they headed
out to Alyce's store.
"We don't have to tell her what we're looking for, do we?" Morgan asked.
"Not if you don't want to," Killan replied.
After they had pulled into the parking lot, Morgan felt a strange sensation pulling at her, but disregarded it. They got out of the car and walked toward the store. Just as Killan was opening the door, Morgan realized what she had been feeling.
"Oh, no," Morgan said, trying to prevent Killan from opening the door. She was too late, and there in the store stood Hunter.
Morgan's knees went weak when he glanced her way, then she felt her face burn as she remembered what had transpired only the night before.
"We need to talk," Hunter said softly. Killan nodded and walked to the back room, presumably to speak to Alyce, leaving Morgan without a glance in her direction.
"What do we need to talk about?" Morgan asked, trying to pull off the anger she would need to get rid of him.
"Something Cal said to me yesterday," Hunter replied.
"You want to talk about Cal?" Morgan said suspiciously.
Hunter ignored her, "He said that I would be an uncle soon. See, that's interesting seeing as Alywn isn't having any children."
Morgan froze, how could Cal know if she didn't?
"When did you talk to Cal?" Morgan asked quietly.
"Yesterday morning, Morgan. What does that matter?!" Hunter replied angrily.
But, that was before...Oh, goddess. Morgan pushed past Hunter to the shelves, pulling out the book she vaguely recalled seeing the presentation Cal had prepared in. Flipping wildly through the pages, she collapsed to the floor when she saw it: a fertility ceremony.
It had all been planned, by Cal and Ciaran, and even Killan.
Hunter looked over her shoulder to see what she was looking at, "Morgan, are you okay?"
"No," Morgan replied, her eyes filling with tears. "No, I'm not okay. This is all so wrong."
Hunter's anger seemed to have faded, "Morgan, what's wrong?"
Morgan fell against his chest, wishing she could undo so many things, "I think I'm pregnant."
Hunter tensed and pulled away, "Is this what Cal was talking about? Is it his?"
Morgan looked away and nodded slightly, "It couldn't be anyone else's."
"Shouldn't this be a happy occasion?" Hunter asked scornfully.
Morgan decided she might as well get it over with now, rather than later, "While Cal and I were – uh – , well, I think part of the spell broke down, and I – uh, remembered you."
Hunter snorted cruelly, "Isn't that nice. So what, now you want me to take you back."
"No," Morgan replied. "If I'm pregnant, then I am going to have to stay with Cal."
Hunter's eyes were full of pain, "Then why did you even have to tell me this? To try and make this hurt more? To let me know that we are in love, but you are still choosing him over me?"
Morgan felt tears running down her cheeks, "What do you want me to do?"
"What I want doesn't seem to figure into this," Hunter replied.
"You won't seek my child out of vengeance, will you? Or his father?" Morgan asked tentatively.
Hunter looked deeply hurt, "You think I would take this out on a child? A child that was part you? A child that should have been mine?"
"What about the father?" Morgan persisted.
Hunter sighed, "I won't promise anything. In fact, I think that I will be watching him much more carefully." Hunter paused for a moment, then asked as if each word pained him, "Will you marry him?"
"He didn't ask me," Morgan replied.
"He will," Hunter replied surely. "And when he does, what will you say?"
"I don't know," Morgan said, hesitantly. "I'll deal with it when it comes."
"Would you marry me?" Hunter asked cautiously.
"I can't," Morgan said agonizingly. "Cal is the father."
Hunter shook his head, unwilling to give up, "I could be as much of a father as he could, better so."
"To a child with Cal's eyes?" Morgan asked. "Could you even look into those eyes without flinching or feeling rage."
Hunter looked uncertain, "I would try."
Morgan shook her head, "We belong to Cal."
"Morgan," Hunter looked at her pleadingly, "If nothing else, please, don't bind yourself to Cal."
"Well, I can't promise anything," Morgan said, echoing his earlier words.
Hunter winced, realizing the meaning, "Alright, I won't seek Cal if you don't bind yourself to him."
"We don't have to tell her what we're looking for, do we?" Morgan asked.
"Not if you don't want to," Killan replied.
After they had pulled into the parking lot, Morgan felt a strange sensation pulling at her, but disregarded it. They got out of the car and walked toward the store. Just as Killan was opening the door, Morgan realized what she had been feeling.
"Oh, no," Morgan said, trying to prevent Killan from opening the door. She was too late, and there in the store stood Hunter.
Morgan's knees went weak when he glanced her way, then she felt her face burn as she remembered what had transpired only the night before.
"We need to talk," Hunter said softly. Killan nodded and walked to the back room, presumably to speak to Alyce, leaving Morgan without a glance in her direction.
"What do we need to talk about?" Morgan asked, trying to pull off the anger she would need to get rid of him.
"Something Cal said to me yesterday," Hunter replied.
"You want to talk about Cal?" Morgan said suspiciously.
Hunter ignored her, "He said that I would be an uncle soon. See, that's interesting seeing as Alywn isn't having any children."
Morgan froze, how could Cal know if she didn't?
"When did you talk to Cal?" Morgan asked quietly.
"Yesterday morning, Morgan. What does that matter?!" Hunter replied angrily.
But, that was before...Oh, goddess. Morgan pushed past Hunter to the shelves, pulling out the book she vaguely recalled seeing the presentation Cal had prepared in. Flipping wildly through the pages, she collapsed to the floor when she saw it: a fertility ceremony.
It had all been planned, by Cal and Ciaran, and even Killan.
Hunter looked over her shoulder to see what she was looking at, "Morgan, are you okay?"
"No," Morgan replied, her eyes filling with tears. "No, I'm not okay. This is all so wrong."
Hunter's anger seemed to have faded, "Morgan, what's wrong?"
Morgan fell against his chest, wishing she could undo so many things, "I think I'm pregnant."
Hunter tensed and pulled away, "Is this what Cal was talking about? Is it his?"
Morgan looked away and nodded slightly, "It couldn't be anyone else's."
"Shouldn't this be a happy occasion?" Hunter asked scornfully.
Morgan decided she might as well get it over with now, rather than later, "While Cal and I were – uh – , well, I think part of the spell broke down, and I – uh, remembered you."
Hunter snorted cruelly, "Isn't that nice. So what, now you want me to take you back."
"No," Morgan replied. "If I'm pregnant, then I am going to have to stay with Cal."
Hunter's eyes were full of pain, "Then why did you even have to tell me this? To try and make this hurt more? To let me know that we are in love, but you are still choosing him over me?"
Morgan felt tears running down her cheeks, "What do you want me to do?"
"What I want doesn't seem to figure into this," Hunter replied.
"You won't seek my child out of vengeance, will you? Or his father?" Morgan asked tentatively.
Hunter looked deeply hurt, "You think I would take this out on a child? A child that was part you? A child that should have been mine?"
"What about the father?" Morgan persisted.
Hunter sighed, "I won't promise anything. In fact, I think that I will be watching him much more carefully." Hunter paused for a moment, then asked as if each word pained him, "Will you marry him?"
"He didn't ask me," Morgan replied.
"He will," Hunter replied surely. "And when he does, what will you say?"
"I don't know," Morgan said, hesitantly. "I'll deal with it when it comes."
"Would you marry me?" Hunter asked cautiously.
"I can't," Morgan said agonizingly. "Cal is the father."
Hunter shook his head, unwilling to give up, "I could be as much of a father as he could, better so."
"To a child with Cal's eyes?" Morgan asked. "Could you even look into those eyes without flinching or feeling rage."
Hunter looked uncertain, "I would try."
Morgan shook her head, "We belong to Cal."
"Morgan," Hunter looked at her pleadingly, "If nothing else, please, don't bind yourself to Cal."
"Well, I can't promise anything," Morgan said, echoing his earlier words.
Hunter winced, realizing the meaning, "Alright, I won't seek Cal if you don't bind yourself to him."