Under His Dark Wings (Dark SBI)

Chapter Two

Kristin sat on the edge of the examination table, her wings twitching with discomfort. She had been feeling off for weeks- nausea that wouldn't quit, a persistent tenderness in her wings, and an exhaustion that clung to her like a shadow. She had hoped it was just stress or a passing illness, but when the symptoms didn't fade, she found herself back at the doctor's office, dreading the possibilities.

The doctor, an avian hybrid with bright green feathers and a nervous energy that Kristin had noticed even during her first visit, hovered nearby, his eyes darting from his notes to the floor, avoiding her gaze. Something was wrong. Kristin could feel it in the way he shifted from foot to foot, in the too-cheerful tone of his voice when he finally spoke.

"Well, Kristin, it seems you're a few weeks pregnant. Congratulations!"

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. Kristin stared at him, her mind struggling to process what he had just said. Pregnant? It was impossible. She had been told- he had told her- she couldn't have children. A bitter laugh escaped her lips as she narrowed her eyes at the doctor.

"Pregnant?" she repeated, disbelief and anger swirling in her voice. "How the hell can I be pregnant? You told me I was fucking infertile!"

The doctor flinched at her tone, his wings rustling nervously. "I, uh, I did say that, yes, but... let me explain."

Kristin glared at him, her patience hanging by a thread. "Please do. I'm dying to know how you screwed this up."

The doctor cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. "As you know, I specialize in avian hybrids, not elytrians. They're so rare that there's hardly any research on them, and frankly, I didn't think... well, I didn't think it was necessary to mention certain... exceptions."

"Exceptions?" Kristin's voice was a dangerous hiss, her wings spreading slightly in agitation. "What fucking exceptions?"

He swallowed hard, his feathers ruffling anxiously. "Elytrians, when paired with other hybrids, have an extremely low chance of conceiving- almost negligible, really. That's what I based my initial diagnosis on. However... when an elytrian mates with another elytrian, the chances increase significantly."

Kristin felt the blood drain from her face as the implication sank in. Phil. The only other elytrian she had ever met. The night they had shared, the connection that had felt too deep, too intense to be just a fling- it all rushed back to her in a dizzying wave.

"And you didn't think to tell me this because...?" Her voice shook with barely restrained fury.

The doctor looked sheepish, his eyes finally meeting hers, though he quickly looked away again. "I didn't think you'd ever encounter an unmated elytrian male. They're so rare, and most are already paired or... well, I didn't think it was a possibility."

Kristin's hands clenched into fists, her talons digging into her palms as she fought to keep her composure. "So, because you didn't think, I'm now pregnant, after you told me it was impossible. Do you have any idea how irresponsible that is? How fucking negligent?"

"I'm deeply sorry, Kristin," the doctor stammered, his feathers puffing up in distress. "I never intended-"

"Save it," she snapped, cutting him off. "You should have told me everything, even if it seemed unlikely. That was my right to know, not yours to decide."

She could feel the burn of tears threatening, but she forced them back, unwilling to show any more vulnerability than she already had. The reality of her situation was crashing down on her- pregnant, alone, and the father of her child was a man who had left her with nothing but a note and a feather.