Chapter 15

6/8/2040 (6 weeks pregnant)

Luca couldn't sleep and woke up at 5 a.m. Today was the day their fathers would arrive. The raven-haired man walked back and forth across the floor, breathing in and out.

"Babe, if you keep pacing, we'll have to replace the carpet," Patrick said as he sat Luca back down on their bed.

"I'm sorry," Luca said. "I'm just having a bad feeling," he explained.

"Would you like to postpone this?" The brunette inquired.

"No," Luca said, shaking his head. "I made a decision, and I'm sticking to it," he said.

"OK, but if you start getting tense, we can send them home," Patrick said, pulling Luca into a warm hug.

Luca decided to take a hot bath instead of showering.

"Are you in pain?" Patrick inquired, concerned, as he filled the tub with hot water.

"No," Luca said, shaking his head. "I just need to relax my senses before this house turns into a wolf's den," he explained. That is exactly what will occur. The big bad wolves will invade their peaceful home. When they got into the tub together, Luca leaned into Patrick's embrace, closed his eyes slightly, and relaxed his body and mind. Patrick could tell Luca's anxiety had increased, but his lover was doing a good job of hiding it.

They dressed and prepared breakfast after spending precious time cuddling in the tub. Luca had one hard-boiled egg and a blueberry bagel for breakfast. He had orange juice to go with his medications. Luca's medications after learning he was pregnant were prenatal vitamins and anxiety medication. Because Luca was pregnant, he didn't need to take his heat suppressants until the baby arrived.

"We need to figure out what we're going to make for this party," Patrick explained.

"Certainly," Luca said, nodding. "We might have to prepare a variety of foods because there are some things I can't eat," he explained. Patrick agreed with a nod.

Luca did some work after breakfast before Alina arrived. He needed to get some work done because it was going to be a madhouse later on. A knock came on the bedroom door at 11 a.m. Alina peered inside as the door opened.

"May I come in?" or "Are you too preoccupied?" She enquired.

"It's fine," "Come on in," he said.

"I know I'm early, but I wanted to help set up," Alina said with a smile.

"That's fine," Luca said, turning around in his chair to face her. "I may be asking for trouble, but our fathers are coming," he said.

"At the very least, you two are making an effort to have a peaceful relationship with them," she said.

Patrick grilled steaks and fish on the porch just outside the apartment, which had a grill. Alina assisted in the preparation of salads and desserts in the kitchen.

"How did you persuade them to come?" Alina inquired.

"We told them we had something important to tell them," Luca explained.

"Wow, and they said they'd come?" she wondered. He explained, "We didn't give them a choice." Luca lowered his gaze to the ground. "Alina, I have a bad feeling something bad is going to happen," he said, raising his gaze.

"You'll be fine," she assured him, giving him a warm hug. Patrick was carrying a tray of food into the kitchen when he heard a knock.

Patrick placed the tray on the kitchen table and proceeded to the front door. His father was standing in the hallway when he opened it.

"Good afternoon, Dad," he said. "Come in," Patrick said, moving aside to allow Ken into the small apartment.

"So, what's the big news?" he inquired, casting a glance at his son.

"We'll let you know when everyone arrives," Patrick said. "Please sit down and be nice to my boyfriend," he said. Ken opened his mouth to object, but quickly shut it again.

"Good day, Mr. Bolton," "I'm glad you could make it," Luca said. Ken said, "Hello," sensing his son's gaze on him.

Ken sat on the couch without saying anything. He didn't want to be here, but he came to see his son.

"What is this secret that I couldn't tell over the phone?" he wondered. When Ken saw Luca step up behind Patrick and kiss him on the cheek, his blood ran cold. He kept an eye on them from the corner of his eye.

"Perhaps this young man isn't as bad as we thought if my son went to such lengths to be with him," he thought to himself after ten minutes of watching them. Luca approached Ken and said, "Here, Pat said this is your favorite." Ken looked at him, surprised, as Luca handed him a beer.

Ken took the can and, for the first time, smiled at him.

"Do you want one?" he inquired.

"Sorry, but no," Luca said, shaking his head. "I can't have alcohol," he explained. Before returning to the kitchen, Luca cast a sad glance at the front door.

"He'll be here," Patrick told Luca.

"May I speak with you, son?" Ken stood up and approached Patrick.

"If you have something to say, say it in front of my mate," he said.

"I'm sorry for how I treated both of you." "I want to put an end to this feud," Ken said, facing both of them. Luca asked his boyfriend, "Do you think my father will agree?"

A knock drew Luca's attention to the front door.

"Go ahead, babe," Patrick said, squeezing his hand lightly. Luca took a deep breath and made his way to the front door. He returned his gaze to Patrick, who gave him a reassuring nod. When Luca opened the door, his father was standing there.

"Good afternoon, Dad," he said softly. Luca's father extended his hand to grasp him, but he backed away.

"All right, I'm here," he said sarcastically. "What's the big secret?" he inquired. Carl glared at Ken when he noticed him standing next to his son. Ken sat down, ignoring the stare.

"With both of you here, we have something to tell you," Patrick said, wrapping his arm around Luca's waist.

"We're pregnant," Patrick said, placing his hand on Luca's baby bump. That's when everything turned for the worse.