Lord of the Rings. My people can access the power of the earth. Well, the elemental aspects of it.”
That analogy was completely lost on me, and it must have shown.
“My magic is linked to the earth,” Lulu said. “Romani, my people, are able to siphon the magic that already exists in nature and manipulate it, but there are limits. It’s not a free for all.”
“Limits to your magic,” Tate emphasized.
Another giggle bubbled past Lulu’s full mouth. The sound was sweet and airy. “Sure.”
As fun as all the magic talk was, my mind was still caught up in the bomb Elias had dropped in my lap. And since the idea of going to Dimitri or Nikolai was less than ideal, maybe Lulu was my answer.
“Is there a drug store or something around here?” I asked hesitantly, my eyes sliding back to the window and the small town.
Tate’s astonishment over actual freaking magic vanished as she realized what I was talking about.
Lulu frowned, her nose wrinkling. “There’s a pharmacy in town, yes, but odds are we have whatever you need on hand here.”
“What if I didn’t want to ask anyone here for what I need?” I hedged, shifting nervously on my feet.
Lulu’s head tilted to one side, a wave of glossy black curls spilling over her shoulder. “What’s going on?”
I exchanged a look with Tate, who gave me a helpless, tiny shrug with a nod.
“I need a pregnancy test,” I muttered, looking away. My eyes caught on the flames licking up the fireplace.
Lulu stood up slowly, eyes wide. “Excuse me?”
I exhaled hard, puffing my cheeks out. “I spoke with Elias, the doctor who used to visit Nikolai?”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’m well aware of who that asshole is. He thinks it’s okay to fuck with the natural order of things to get his way. Also? He smells like bengay. It’s gross.”
I blinked slowly. “Right. Well, he said something to me earlier, and … and I need to know if I’m pregnant.”
Her lips thinned as she assessed me with almost clinical precision. “How far along do you think you are?”
“Less than a week,” I replied, heat blooming on my cheeks as I remembered vividly all the ways and times I had been with Remy in such a small amount of time. Parts of me I had forgotten existed tingled to life at the memories of his hands and mouth on my skin.
She shook her head with a small frown. “It’s too soon for a test, even by shifter standards. You’d need to wait at least two weeks and have a blood test to be sure.”
Freaking awesome. A week of this hanging over my head.
I didn’t hate the idea of a person that Remy and I created growing in me. I actually kind of loved the idea. Anything that came from the love we had for each other would be welcome, but I didn’t love the idea of bringing a baby into our current chaos.
Plus, I selfishly wanted more time with just Remy before we had a family.
“But, maybe I can help?” Lulu offered. She waved a hand at my stomach. “May I?”
“Uh, sure,” I stammered, watching as she came closer.
She stepped over to me with a small smile before reaching out and lifting up my shirt. I jumped at the contact when she splayed her hand flat against my lower stomach and closed her eyes.
My wide eyes met Tate’s over her shoulder. This was beyond weird.
“You’re not pregnant,” Lulu announced, opening her eyes and stepping back, her hand falling to her side.
“I’m not?”
“How can you be sure?” Tate chimed in.
“I would be able to sense the soul of the baby even a few hours after conception,” she replied. “All I sense is you in there. No baby.”
Relief hit me fast and hard, but there was the bitter taste of regret and disappointment mixed in as well.
No, I didn’t want to have a baby right now, but it still made me sad for some inexplicable reason.
“That’s a good thing, right, Skye?” Tate pressed, clearly reading the conflicted look I was giving.
“Yeah,” I said quickly. Too quickly and too brightly. “It’s what I wanted to hear. Teenage pregnancy wasn’t high on my checklist of things to do before I went to college. It’s great news.”
That sounded forced even to my own ears.
Lulu frowned, the corners of her mouth tightening. “You’ll probably have another year before your first estrous cycle. If you want to get pregnant then, you probably will. Or, you know, use condoms if you