Covenant (boyxboy)

Chapter Ten

I didn't go to the bidding kiosks on opening night, opting instead to go pick Connor up from Bo's. Grace was home for the second weekend in a row, and Connor had pleaded to spend Friday evening over there again. Everything went so uneventfully last week, I couldn't justify saying no. But it had been another long night of worrying about him.

Bo clapped me on the shoulder when I arrived, with a huge, delighted grin. "I'm liking this, my friend! We haven't hung out this often since our grad school days."

"I need to use your bathroom," I said quietly.

His grin got bigger. I bet you do. Want me to send Connor with you?

He knew that was the last thing I wanted. I glared and stepped past him, going down the hall. Connor and Grace were fixated on the TV in the living room, so I was able to get to the bathroom and close the door without interruption. That was a relief, because I didn't trust myself to face Connor until I took care of the erection that had been plaguing me for the last hour. The Elioud at the school had been especially excited tonight.

Once I had finished and washed my hands, I found everyone gathered around the television. Some news show was doing a live report from Brides of Heaven, showing lines of Nephilim extending out the front doors of the administration building.

"Smart man," Bo said as I entered, "not bothering with that mess. Opening night is always a nightmare. You'd be in that line for hours."

"I seem to recall you in line on opening night." Ji-Soo said with a smirk.

Bo snatched her hand and brought it to his lips with a smacking noise. "For you alone, my love. I'd have stood in line for a century to make sure I was first on your list."

"Idiot, it's not like you had much competition." She withdrew her hand with a stern face, but her dark eyes were twinkling, just a bit.

"Is your old man gonna be bent out of shape that you didn't go?" Bo asked me.

"Not when Kabelas said it wasn't a good strategy." Actually, the First Council Seat's advice had been to wait until the last few days of bidding to go in. That way I could see which Elioud had the highest bid counts, and choose ones with fewer suitors to increase my chances of acceptance. It was apparently better manners than changing bids at the last second.

As far as I was concerned, it would also buy me time to figure out which women were most likely to reject me.

I noticed Ji-Soo was leaning on Bo, her lips pale. She hasn't taken the drug I made for her, has she? I asked silently.

He shook his head. I don't know what to do, man. She's so stubborn. The pregnancy sickness is starting, but she won't budge.

I glanced at the back of Connor's head, where he was sitting on the couch next to Grace. I knew what that frustration felt like. Connor continued to refuse the hysterectomy he needed. I was trying to be patient, but every day that passed was a risk. Every report Bo and I worked up carried the possibility that one of us would make a mistake, that Connor's secret would be exposed and he'd be plunged into a nightmare of cataclysmic proportions. I didn't understand why he was hesitating, his periods made him miserable.

He'd started getting angry whenever I tried to bring it up, though. It's my body, leave me alone!

Ji-Soo gave me almost the exact same rebellious face when she realized I was looking. Only hers held an edge of challenge. Have you figured out how to save my son? she prayed, and I shook my head. I couldn't even figure out how to save Connor.

"Hey, is that your girl?" Bo nodded at the TV where Keisha's profile picture was being displayed. The reporter's enthusiastic voice-over proclaimed she was up to a record number of bids already. "Dang, she really is a stunner. Looks like you're not the only one interested."