Page 160 of Trove’s Purpose

The combination of both in Garnet had manifested in two very different reactions. When she was calm, when she was happy, she loved her family. But now that she was in labor, she was terrified of Tanin, she demanded he be gone, but she needed her female sisters around her.

That was why all the females were in the medbay with her, helping her through the birth, and why Tanin and the other males had gathered in the rec room, waiting.

It was well known that human females had very long births, but she really had been in there for quite some time. Trove might be concerned, except every so often, Chee or Haven would emerge to inform them that things were going well, not to be worried, and Garnet was still sorry for throwing a medication vial at Tanin’s head. After delivering their message, they’d run back to the medbay. None of them ever seemed concerned, but they were getting progressively more tired as the marks continued to pass by without a sign of Tanin’s youngling.

Similarly, their captain was becoming more and more tense as the marks passed. It was clear that he wanted nothing more than for this to be over. He was okay being kicked out of the room. He was s’skree after all, he would expect that from a female of his species. But the sheer length of time it was taking was a toll on the typically unflappable male that Trove had never seen before.

Sway and Vytln, whose females’ were similarly carrying their young, were also starting to become uneasy now. As they realized their females would one day be in the same position – much sooner for Grace than Haven – and they’d have to be waiting for the incredibly long human labor process to be completed too, they also became agitated.

Trove was partially uneasy, but also not.

His female wasn’t gravid.

But he also didn’t know if she wanted to be.

So, he very well could be in their position someday soon.

But he wasn’t now. And still, on top of everything, Trove considered it his job to make sure his brothers were having fun, enjoying this life they fought so hard for. So, he had to keep smiling. He had to keep the mood up. As best as he could, anyway.

Sway was getting more restless. Vytln was getting more grumpy. Tanin was just dangerous and no one was going near him.

Sorbet and Tebros were completely unaffected. They sat with them, sharpening their knives without concern. Rok did look concerned, he still loved his sisters after all, but he was handling it well. Alred, the only one of them that wasn’t male in a biological sense, was the only male welcome with the females, so he was focusing most of his processing power there. His light form wasn’t even here.

It made for a lot of time slowly, uncomfortably passing. And nothing for them to do but try to distract themselves.

“Alred!” Tanin finally snapped, glaring up at the ceiling.

“Busy.”

“Is she alright?”

“For the fifty-seventh time, she is fine.”

“Why is it taking so long?”

“That’s just how it is with human females. Goldie has learned how to turn off the pain of childbirth, but not how to safely accelerate it. So, we’re just waiting as she makes her way through the stages of labor. I will let you know when something changes.”

Alred sounded bored. He had answered that same question many times by now. Trove could say it along with him now. Only not wanting to invoke Tanin’s wrath kept him from doing so. It wouldn’t take much for their captain to snap and take out his tension on them.

Time continued to pass sluggishly. Trove went back to reading about their heroic exploits. Mostly because he was curious about what they would be like.

At one point, Tanin finally got up and went to go check the nursery. Trove followed behind him, curious about the room.

Garnet, Grace, and Haven had all already been pregnant when they began building the Vainglory. They knew they’d need a space for their younglings.

The nursery was in the very center of the ship. The only room better protected was the shelter room – which was very conveniently located just below in case of emergency. And the only reason the nursery was less safe than the shelter room was because Alred had access to it. He could watch the younglings and monitor them at all times. Otherwise, it was in the center of the ship, so it was the most protected. It had heavy shielding all around it, and it was capable of being fully broken from the ship and still maintain total life support.

Garnet and Grace had been working together to decorate and prepare it for their young. Haven, carrying a lvtl youngling, had a very long pregnancy, so it would be quite a long time before she began developing her nesting instincts. Those two, however, had been obsessing over making the space warm and safe, comfortable and pretty.

Tanin had to go to check to make sure that everything was ready for his offspring. Trove went because he was suddenly curious.

He could, technically, impregnate any female. But the odds of doing so were much higher if the female was his mate. And, though he adored her and was completely loyal to her, he hadn’t yet mated Chee. At least, not biologically.

It was suddenly a very interesting thought though. To mate her so he could breed her easily. To seed her unprotected womb. To see his female grow big and round with his offspring.

He had no idea what he would do with a youngling, but…

He kind of wanted to learn.