Survivor

Chapter 3

Pov Dan:

"But how come I've never heard of it before?", I wanted to know. Mia replied, "Well, it's really rare for an Alpha's mate to be of the same sex. That's why it's not very well-known, as it happens so infrequently." 
"And we're really expected to have a child?" 
"Yes. And preferably before the wedding; otherwise, you might not have a recognized successor." In my mind, I tried to process everything as best as I could. Who would have thought being with an Alpha would be so exhausting? Dejected, I let my head fall onto the table. Mia gently stroked my hair and said, "Don't worry. You've already been through so much; this is just a small thing." I looked up at Mia, who smiled encouragingly at me. "Thank you." 
"Don't mention it." 
We talked for quite a while before it was almost evening, and we said our goodbyes. 

I lay on the sofa, thinking about how to best tell Xaver about the child. We were both still very young, and I didn't even know if Xaver wanted that. Raising a child was a lot of work, and to be honest, I couldn't picture Xaver as a family man. I had to giggle when an image of Xaver with a little child appeared in my mind. Surely, he would be completely overwhelmed for the first time in his life. 
Suddenly, I heard the door click, and I saw a completely exhausted Xaver come in. Grumbling, he let himself fall between my legs onto me and closed his eyes. "So exhausting?", I asked, amused. My partner weakly nodded. I gently ran my fingers through his hair and scratched his soft ears, which made him emit a satisfied sound. "Xav?", I finally asked cautiously, and he looked at me attentively. "We're getting married soon.", I started. Xaver looked at me with his red eyes and confirmed my statement. I shyly glanced to the side, wondering what to say next. "Mia explained to me today that it's expected of the Alpha to conceive an heir before the marriage." The blond-haired boy looked at me confused. "Yeah, and?" I bit my lip and tried not to look Xaver in the eyes; it was just too awkward for me. "She also told me that male Alphas should be able to have children too, and, well, you're a male Alpha, so..." Xaver quickly sat up. "Are you saying you want me to get pregnant!?" 
"N-No, I mean yes, but..." Xaver stood up and walked towards the bedroom, horrified as he said, "I'm going to bed!" 
"Wait! Xav, that's not what I meant! Xav!" But already the loud bang of the bedroom door sounded, and Xaver was gone. I let my head fall back and sighed. Now I had really messed it up. At least I knew now that Xaver was fully aware of everything, which was logical since he was an Alpha, and he didn't seem to be happy about it. Unfortunately, he could be really stubborn sometimes, and I definitely wouldn't be able to talk to him today. So I decided to leave him alone for a while and go to bed later. 

"And he really went to bed without another word?", Mia asked in disbelief. I nodded sadly. We were back at the same table as yesterday, and I was telling Mia about Xaver's reaction the day before. "He just needs some time.", she said. I nodded, feeling down. "Hey, guys! Long time no see. How are you?", Jack suddenly called out, sitting down with us. "Hi Jack. We're just sorting out Dan's relationship problem.", Mia explained. Jack immediately seemed to know what it was about. "Ohhh, got it. The thing with the child, right?" I looked at Jack in disbelief. "Don't tell me even you know everything already.", I grumbled. Jack looked at me happily and said, "Of course. The great-grandfather of my cousin's father was once an Alpha who had a male partner." I sighed and asked, "And how did they do it?" Jack thought for a moment and replied, "They naturally had a child together. However, my cousin's father's great-grandfather wasn't as stubborn as Xaver." What Jack said made me feel even less confident. Although the three of us brainstormed several strategies on how to convince Xaver, in the end, it was up to me to change his mind. 
"I guess I should get going. Thanks for your help, guys.", I thanked my friends and stood up. "Anytime, and don't worry, it'll be fine. You just have to believe in yourself and Xaver." I smiled crookedly. "Yeah." 
Hopefully, Xaver had calmed down today.