He looked thoughtful.
“If it was just Ophelia, I’d say yes, one hundred percent. Because she wants to believe.”
I snorted.
“What she wants is her own live-action Hallmark movie that’s rated X instead of G. And in her mind, we’re the stars of the show.”
“True.” Jake nodded. “So it’s easy to sell our ‘conversion’ to her. Sorenson, however, is another story.”
“How can we convince him?” I asked.
Jake shook his head.
“I don’t know. I don’t know if he’s as credulous as Ophelia. And of course, Tainer is just fucking crazy,” he added darkly.
“Let’s try not to think about him,” I said. “We haven’t seen him yet today—let’s hope we don’t.”
“Fingers crossed,” Jake said dryly. He cocked his head to one side. “I think Ophelia’s coming back up. And she may be bringing Sorenson with her.”
“Okay,” I said. “If you think of a way to convince him, just go with it and I’ll follow your lead. But if I think of a way, you have to follow mine.”
“Agreed.” Jake nodded. “You’ve come up with some good ideas so far. Hopefully he’ll believe the ‘silver inhibits conception’ idea you started with Ophelia.”
“Hopefully,” I agreed. And then we both fell silent as two sets of footsteps began to climb the ladder.
TWENTY-THREE
“So…I understand the two of you are getting a lot closer today than you were yesterday,” Sorenson said, looking speculatively from me to Jake and back again.
“We can hardly help it,” Jake growled, glaring at the other man. “The things you forced us to do yesterday, combined with sleeping naked together under the nearly full moon, have really ramped up Ani’s Heat Cycle.”
As he spoke, I scooted against him so that my back was to his chest. Taking his free hand, I brought it around me and placed it firmly on my breast.
“Jake still doesn’t believe in your prophecy,” I told Sorenson. “But I do. I think it’s awful that the regular Weres are all going to be wiped out if the two of us don’t do our duty and breed.”
Sorenson’s eyes narrowed and he looked at me skeptically.
“That seems like a pretty quick turn around, if you don’t mind me saying so, Anastasia. You went from being a skeptic to a believer in less than twenty-four hours.”
“Ophelia explained everything to me really clearly,” I said, making my eyes wide and innocent. “I don’t want to be a mom yet, but I also don’t want all the regular Weres to die, either. So…” I cleared my throat. “I…I’m willing to let Jake breed me and…and get me pregnant.” Just saying it made my stomach do a little flip, like a thousand butterflies had just taken flight in there, but I tried not to show it. It’s an act, I reminded myself. Just an act!
“Hmmm…” Sorenson frowned at me and then he looked at Jake. “And what are your thoughts on breeding your ‘little sister,’ Jacob?”
“That it’s fucking wrong,” Jake said, glaring at him. “But Ani’s Heat Cycle is getting out of control. So who the hells knows what I might have to do in order to help her?” He shook his head. “I guess I’ll breed her and knot her if I have to, but it won’t do you any damn good. I mean, I could knot her all night long, but she still won’t get pregnant by me.”
“I beg your pardon.” Sorenson frowned reprovingly. “If her Heat Cycle is high enough—which it very nearly is—and you knot her and fill her with your seed under the full moon, she cannot help getting pregnant.”
“No, she won’t,” Jake said flatly. “Not if either one of us is wearing any kind of silver next to our skin, she won’t. Silver inhibits conception in Royal Weres.”
Sorenson’s frown deepened.
“That’s a lie! I would have known something like that—I have studied the Royal Family in all its aspects for years.”
“Yes, but you’re on the outside looking in,” Jake pointed out. “You don’t know the secrets passed down from Alpha to Heir—why would you? They’re secrets.”
“Why would you tell me this?” Sorenson demanded. “When you don’t want to breed the Royal Omega?”
“Oh, I want to breed her, all right—I just know that I shouldn’t.” Jake squeezed my breast gently, making me moan. “Besides, I’m not telling you for me—I’m telling you for Ani. She believes your crazy prophecy and now she wants me to get her pregnant.” He shook his head, as though I was nuts, but he didn’t stop touching me.
“I do…I really do.” I turned my face up to look at my stepbrother. “I know you’re not a true believer, Jake, but these people are going to die if you don’t put a baby in me,” I said pleadingly. Then I looked at Sorenson. “And I know I can’t get pregnant if either one of us is touching anything silver. So how can I help save the regular Weres?”