Belly of the Beast

Chapter 31

It didn't take long for Vincent to round up a posse to accompany him to Peekskill. While I didn't hold out much hope that he and his talon-wielding comrades could intimidate a magical necromancer with threats and brute force, I had to let my gollum lover do what he felt was necessary to defend his family.

Despite my unwavering confidence in Vincent's battle skills, I spent the evening fighting bouts of worry. Bonnie and Clyde had become increasingly clingy and wouldn't let me leave the room without following on my heels. It was sweet but also kind-of annoying.

When morning arrived, Vincent still had not returned, so I decided to take my mind off the anxious knot in my stomach by paying a visit to Adele and her new baby. I had been putting it off, mostly to give her and William time alone with their newborn, but also because my life had been a complete circus. I grabbed my phone and dialed up my sister.

"Hey, Amelia? Will you go with me to the Lassiter's place?"

"Of course. Adele was just telling me she's going stir-crazy inside the penthouse. I'll send Griffin over to fetch you, and I'll bring the Escalade around front. We'll meet downstairs in twenty minutes."

"Perfect."

Griffin arrived five minutes later, bright-eyed and bouncy, and she followed me into the bathroom while I got ready. "So, Travis and I have been talking about more serious things lately," she said. "And I was wondering if I could ask you a personal question."

"Sure, Griffin. What's on your mind?" I felt a little wary at the mention of Travis, but I let her know I was in Aunt Reese mode as I offered a smile.

"How old were you when you lost your virginity?"

Shit.

I wasn't surprised by Griffin's question. Amelia had mentioned things were brewing on the relationship front. I just hadn't expected Griffin to come to me with her inquiry, and embarrassment threatened to give me away. Fortunately, I was in the process of applying make-up, so I grabbed my blush brush and started dabbing.

"I was fourteen."

"So, only one year older than me, then. That's kind-of young for humans, isn't it?"

"Yeah, pretty young."

"So, I guess you were influenced by your gollum nature. Our hormones kick-in a lot sooner. Mine have definitely kicked-in."

"So, are you and Travis talking about it?"

"Yes. I was the one to bring it up, but I could tell he wanted to. We've seen each other go through the change. He says I have beautiful breasts."

I nodded because I didn't know what else to do. My skin had begun to prickle with sweat. "It sounds like you're getting to know each other intimately. That's an important step."

"Do you think you would have done it sooner if you'd known you were a gollum?"

I tugged at my lip as I divulged the truth. "Probably. I was seeing a boy at thirteen, and we might have gotten together if his family hadn't moved to Texas. Have you and Travis thought about protection?"

"No. Should we?" Griffin looked at my belly bulge at the same time I did.

"That's up to you. Do you want to look like this before your fourteenth birthday?"

"Not really. But gollum births are rare, and I know my mom feels badly that she hasn't had another baby. Maybe a tiny part of me wouldn't care, but the other part would be scared about being a mom so young. Kids are a big responsibility."

"Yes, they are. And having a mate who supports you is just as big. What would you do if that happened? Would you move to San Francisco or would you stay in New York and raise the child without Travis?"