Zara
This is terrifying. More terrifying than facing Caspian. More terrifying than the merger. More terrifying than anything I’ve done in six months of being a symbol and an ambassador and a bridge between peoples.
Because this is personal. This is us. This is the future arriving faster than I expected and demanding I be ready for it.
“I’m pregnant,” I say.
The words hang in the air. Simple. Final. World-changing.
Torin stares at me. Through the bond, I feel his emotions cascade—shock, joy, fear, wonder, all crashing together too fast to separate.
“Pregnant,” he repeats. Like he’s testing the word. Making sure it’s real.
“Two months along. Maybe three. Hard to tell exactly because—” I gesture vaguely at my transformed body. “—the doctors aren’t sure how bonded pairs work reproductively. Apparently we’re the first case they’ve studied where both partners survived the transformation.”