“I understand that. And I appreciate that you’d rather not be having this conversation at all. But…it might be the only way. If Hayley married a shifter, Reiner wouldn’t be able to claim Danny. And she has, ah, very firm opinions on which shifters she might be willing to marry.”
“I imagine that it is a very short list.” It was the closest Griff had every heard Ash come to making an actual joke. The Phoenix was rattled, underneath that rigidly controlled exterior. “Griffin, I must tell you something. To my…perception, you are indeed different to other shifters. I can sense the divide in your soul. But I cannot tell which half is which.”
“That’s all right. In a way, I’m glad.” Griff smiled with black humor. “You know the old moral dilemma about only having one space in a lifeboat, and having to choose which family member to save? Better not to have to make that choice. Better to leave it to random chance.”
Ash took a sip of his water. “Best not to be at sea at all.”
“That ship sailed a long time ago, alas.” Griff leaned back with a sigh. “Ash, I promise, I won’t rush into anything. I won’t ask this of you unless there is no other choice. But…it is good to know that I do have at least one choice. If it comes to it.”
Whatever Ash said in response was drowned out by Chase’s agitated mental voice abruptly crashing into Griff’s head. *Griff, we’ve got a problem. Reiner’s here.*
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Hayley
“Let me get this straight.” Connie held up her hands, counting items off on her fingers. “Bloating. Vomiting. Swollen ankles. Heartburn. Mood swings. Weird food cravings.”
r />
“You forgot hemorrhoids,” Hayley said helpfully.
“I’m trying to forget the hemorrhoids.” Connie shuddered. “And on top of this, you spend the last few months unable to so much as get out of a chair without a fork lift truck. And, just to cap it all off, you then get to experience absolutely the worst pain of your entire life.”
Hayley sipped her cocktail, hiding her grin. “That’s about the size of it.”
Connie threw up her hands in despair. “Why would anyone do this voluntarily?”
“I’m beginning to wonder that myself,” Virginia murmured.
Hayley had only met Virginia once before, and she was still a little in awe of her. She was a world-famous archaeologist, after all. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she was also drop-dead gorgeous. Hayley had caught more than a few men wistfully eying Virginia’s stunning curves, accentuated by the skin-tight shorts and cropped vest of her Lara Croft costume. She was the perfect match to her mate Dai, as beautiful and strong as his dragon, and intimidatingly self-possessed.
Now, however, there was the tiniest crack in Virginia’s confident air. One of her hands had crept to rest on her rounded belly. Hayley put two and two together.
“Oh my God!” she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “Virginia, are you…?”
A hint of a blush darkened Virginia’s warm ochre cheeks. “We weren’t going to tell anyone yet, because it’s still so early. But yes.”
“I can’t believe it!” Connie threw her arms around the taller woman, hugging her. “Congratulations! When are you due?”
“Around May.” Virginia’s full lips curved in a wry smile. “From what Hayley’s been telling us, I’m now really glad I’m not going to be heavily pregnant in mid-summer, and wallowing in my own sweat like a hippo.”
“I wouldn’t have said all those things if I’d known!” Hayley exclaimed, feeling mortified. “I was exaggerating. Honest. It’s really not so bad.”
Virginia raised one eyebrow at her.
“Okay, it kind of is,” Hayley confessed. “But seriously, all the discomfort and everything…it’s worth it. You forget it all, the instant you have your baby in your arms.”
“Truly?” Virginia didn’t sound her usual polished, self-confident self. Her brown eyes begged for reassurance. “You aren’t just saying that?”
Hayley put her hand over Virginia’s, squeezing a little. “Let’s put it this way. When I had Danny, I was on my own, flat broke, having to take any temp work I could get just to keep a roof over our heads. I had no sleep, no money, no partner, and no support at all. And if I could go back in time…I would do it all again. In a heartbeat.”
Virginia squeezed back, the calm strength returning to her face. “Thank you,” she said sincerely.
“Now I feel like a complete wuss.” Connie folded her arms, glaring down into her drink. “I wish I was as brave you two.”
As brave as you two? Hayley couldn’t imagine being thought of in the same category as brilliant, bold Virginia. “Hey, you fly vintage fighter planes for a living. I teach little kids. Which one of us is the brave one again?”
“You,” Connie said promptly. “I’d rather face a tornado than a class of thirty children. I’m terrified of having to cope with even one kid. Let alone the whole herd that Chase wants.”