Gifted Connections #5

Chapter 6

“What are you doing?” I asked as Lincoln kneeled between my legs.

He gave me his signature smirk as he opened a tub I hadn’t seen in his hand. He dipped a few fingers into the lotion and rubbed it into his palms.

“I’ve been doing my own research, and I was told that moisturizing your skin with this stuff does wonders to keep your skin supple. Supposedly, it prevents stretch marks. Anna swore by it.”

I smiled at his bent head. It warmed my heart that he had asked Anna for advice on my behalf. I had done a lot of reading, but sometimes real-life experience outweighed those “self-help” books.

I hadn’t expected Lincoln to return to the room after Troy and Noah went into the other bathrooms to shower. Instead, he had shed his clothing, helped me in the shower, and cleaned me up—almost clinically.I was glad for his assistance because my legs still felt wobbly after my morning fun.

Lincoln further surprised me when he wrapped me in a towel and carried me out of the room with zero strain. He then retrieved some clothing and instructed me to sit on the bed. He had taken most of the moisture from my hair before putting some hair product on it, then he came back with the lotion.

I moaned as he spread the cool lotion on my skin. There was no embarrassment about sitting in just my underwear at the edge of the bed.It felt natural. It felt right. I leaned back on the bed and watched him meticulously rub it into my skin.

“You asked Anna?” I finally mumbled, blissed out by his ministrations.

“Yes and no,” he explained as he applied pressure to my hips. “I don’t know if you remember me telling you about Hailey’s father.” I could hear the sneer in his voice. “He was barely there for Anna and still isn’t. Having been raised by one, I remember how tough it is to be a single mother. When she was pregnant, I had a hectic schedule with filming, photoshoots, promos, and such, but I was there as much as possible as a friend.”

I bit my lip and moaned again.It felt so damn good. Lincoln wasn’t just spreading the lotion but massaging it in.

“No wonder she had a crush on you,” I teased.“You never once thought about pursuing a relationship with her?”

He laughed, but there was some discomfort in his voice. “I love Anna, I always will, but she was always a little… too much for even me. She’s too wild, too crazy, and she can be a bit too moody when she gets lost in her creative head. Plus, I never wanted to ruin our relationship. It’s perfect the way it is. How about you and Gavin? Was there ever any attraction there?”

“No,” I said immediately with a laugh. “I mean, we talked about this before. Gavin tried to ‘hit’ on me briefly when we ‘met’ the second time, and I’m not blind. He is… was… still is,” I muttered in confusion, “an attractive man. I’d be blind not to see that, but I was never attracted to him. He was… is one of my best friends.”

A twinge of pain hit me as a memory returned to me of the second time we had officially met. The reminder made me realize it couldn’t be easy on him. He was walking around in a new body with no hope of returning to his other one.

Sure, our bodies were just vessels for the souls we carried within, but we all had some attachment to them. For over twenty-two years, he had inhabited the same one. It couldn’t have been easy to gain comfort in his new skin.

“It must be hard for him to adjust to this,” Lincoln murmured, voicing my thoughts. “I’ve been jumping for years and couldn’t imagine staying in any of the bodies I jumped into. It still boggles my mind that he could jump and stay in the body, not to mention keeping Max’s gift too.”

“Have you ever been able to use someone else’s gift?” I inquired.

He shrugged.“I’m not sure.I’ve never tried, but I guess I can always attempt it.”

His phone went off, and he pulled it out from his cargo pocket. I couldn’t help but admire him in the black-on-black outfit. He dressed like a Knight, and imagining him as a famous actor was hard.

A smile curved his lips as he looked down at his phone. “It’s Anna. She must have known we were talking about her. She should be here this weekend, and you can finally meet Hailey. As you know, she’s been traveling a lot between here and Cali. Of course, it helps to have Micah around.”

Anna had visited me a few times in my dreams but always kept it short because it seemed to overstimulate me, even in sleep. I always had rougher mornings if we stayed in the dreamscape too long. It was so weird and surreal at first. The number of places we had “hung out” was a constant mystery and pleasant surprise.

“Yay,” I said with genuine enthusiasm right as my belly began to grumble.“Micah isn’t straining himself too much?”

He chuckled and stood. “No. He’s mature and knows his limitations. Now, mon trésor …” He smiled. “Let’s get you fed. The dining facility will be open for another hour or two for breakfast.”

“Why were you guys up so early?” I smiled at my growling stomach.

“With Horatio’s main hideouts raided, they found a lot of useful information,” Lincoln explained. “We’re all in charge of our own teams. Some of them returned early this morning, and we needed to welcome them back and get incident reports.”

“How did you know?” I asked.“And how could you all get up without me hearing you?”

Lincoln handed me a long white maternity tank top, black leggings, and a mid-thigh-length dove-gray chunky knit cardigan. He also gave me socks, a bra, black ankle boots, and this stretchy thingy.

“What’s this?” I asked with a laugh.

He gave me a rueful smile. “A belly band,” he answered. “According to Anna, it helps relieve the pressure and aids in other stuff I can’t remember. Anna used it postpartum as well.”

“She was lucky to have you around.” I smiled as I slid on my bra, then the belly band. “I need to thank Sierra for these clothes, too,” I added.

“We should probably get you into town to get some more,” Lincoln remarked.“I don’t think Jace, Jaxson, or I have to teach any training classes today.”

“Is it safe?” I hesitantly inquired.

“As safe as it can be,” he immediately answered. “Horatio took a huge hit last night, so I imagine it’ll be some time before he feels comfortable venturing out or sending others in his stead.”

He opened the door to the bedroom, placing an arm over my shoulder. I nestled down into him, inhaling his delicious scent. Like a sleeping lion, the beast within raised her head in interest. I snorted at my own libido. I was thoroughly sated this morning, but suddenly I wanted more.

“What’s up?” he inquired as he led me towards the elevator.

“Nothing,” I said as my face heated up.

I might be much more comfortable with Lincoln now, but I didn’t want him to know what a horn ball I had become. Yet.

η

My eyes widened when I entered the DFAC, our dining facility. There were so many more people than I was accustomed to seeing. I knew Megan and Beth had recruited several gifted communities to aid our mission, but physically seeing it was different than hearing about it. I just hadn’t comprehended what that would look like.

“Wow,” I muttered as I stopped in the doorway.

“We’ve nearly quadrupled in size,” Lincoln informed me with a smile.“It’s amazing to see the number of gifts out there. Just wait until you see the simulations this morning.”

“Is that what we’re doing?” I excitedly asked, turning toward him.

“Yes.” Lincoln smirked.“We can probably head into town after lunch if that’s okay with you.”

“That’s fine with me. I’ll just get with Mr. Bates this morning to see how much more schoolwork I have to do before I graduate.”

He frowned slightly.“Are you sure you don’t want to relax for a little while before jumping right in?”

I’d already had this discussion with Pops, Megan, and the guys. They all thought I was crazy for not “relaxing” before jumping back into things. The thought was tempting, but I couldn’t sit around while the guys continued on with their lives.

“I was inactive for too long.” I fondly rubbed my bump.“Plus, I want my diploma before the beans arrive.”

He feigned a shudder.“I never thought I would be the pervert dating a woman in high school.”

I scoffed and backhanded him in the stomach. He faked a loud oomph sound, and I rolled my eyes. “You sure you’re not coming up with excuses to leave me now that I’m back, Hollywood?”

He pulled me in close and kissed my nose. “Are you sure you won’t attempt to run me off again, mon trésor ? I remember you trying your damnedest to when we first met.”

“Pfft.” I exhaled.“As I recall, it was you who thought I was a crazy stalker fan.”

“Do you blame me?” He smirked. “You wouldn’t be the first woman to concoct a crazy ass story to get me into their bed. I don’t blame you, though. I do make money because of my looks.”

This time, when I hit him, it hurt my hand. “You know as well as I do that I was just as reluctant. Hot or not, it would have taken much more to want you on looks alone. Believe it or not, I was trying to think of ways to break it to the girls that their on-screen crush was a royal jerk.”

He chuckled, and I couldn’t help but inwardly sigh at his arresting smile.He really was a beautiful man.All my men were.

“All I heard was hot and your use of the past tense. Admit it, I’ve grown on you, and you want me.” I began to protest, but Lincoln immediately covered my mouth with his hand. “Almost as much as I want you now. I’m sorry I was a jerk at first. I was attracted to you from the moment I laid my eyes on you, and I was scared and confused by the feelings you evoked in me. I still don’t understand the whole connections thing, but I now know why I was chosen for you. You’re the other half of my soul.”

I didn’t know if my hormones or his words caused tears to enter my eyes. Either way, I was beyond touched by his words. “I’m sorry if I was a bitch at first. I was overwhelmed by trying to build and foster six relationships. The moment I realized I had another connection out there, I worried about the strain it would cause on the guys.

“However, I now understand why you were chosen for me. Thank you for stepping up while I was gone. All the guys treat you like you belong, and my siblings have nothing but great things to say about you. In fact,” my lips twisted wryly, “I’m pretty sure they all love you more than me at this point. And I still can’t thank you enough for taking Jemmy and Sierra to your premiere. I think it helped them in their grief process.”

With that comment, I reminded myself of the whole Gavin, Sierra, and Jemmy debacle. I was sure things would get a lot worse before they got better, and that only made my smile turn into a frown.

Lincoln seemed to understand my new train of thought because he embraced me again. “They’ll work through it. This connection thing is a lot more powerful than we can even imagine. Now, let’s feed you, then we can head down to the learning center since you insist on finishing high school.” He shuddered once more, but it was playful. “Then we can go into town and get my high school baby mama some new clothes.”

I laughed, shook my head, and hit him once more. I loved how our relationship had grown despite my absence. While I was gone, I had worried that the fragile bonds we’d created over the long distance might shatter once I returned. However, it was surprisingly easy and natural to have a normal conversation without the sarcastic attempts to go for each other's jugulars.

“I was never a big shopper, but after being in isolation, I’m unexpectedly excited to go into town later,” I admitted.

“Jemmy and Rachel may have told me about your aversion to shopping,” he said with a grin. “I promise to make it as painless as possible.There’s a boutique in town that has a great selection of maternity clothes.”

“How would you know that?” I teased.

He chuckled, undeterred by my ribbing. “Anna was determined to make you some maternity wear, so I had to show her that we had a local boutique that we could go shopping at.” He ducked his head with a look akin to mortification. “I can’t make any promises that she won’t still come armed with her measuring tape and fabric.”

I laughed. “We both know we won’t be able to convince Anna not to. I’m pretty excited to see her outside of my dreams. We can go into town and grab the bare minimum.”

“Sounds like a plan.” He grinned before leading me to the breakfast line. “There’s a few other new places you might like in town too.”

As we turned, I noticed three beautiful women hovering nearby. Somehow, they made our uniforms look like they belonged on a catwalk.Their make-up was flawless, and they had tall, lithe bodies. Immediately, I felt like a child next to them.

“A trip to town! Can we come along again?” a feminine voice crooned before the speaker leaned on Lincoln’s other shoulder. “We can stop at the ice cream shop and share that specialty milkshake we liked so much.”

The blonde who had spoken ran beautifully manicured fingernails over Lincoln’s scalp.

Her words sunk in, and at first, I wanted to snap at him and the women, but then I saw the calculating gleam in the brunette's eyes. Meanwhile, Lincoln extracted himself from the blonde’s hand and artfully maneuvered me in front of him. He wrapped his arms around my midsection, placing his hands possessively over my belly.

“Giselle,” he reprimanded her. “I’ve asked you several times to stop flirting with me. Last time, you followed us to town and invited yourself to dinner with us.And we never shared that milkshake; we just happened to get the same thing. This is Blake—” he began before he was rudely cut off.

“She’s cute!” the African American woman cooed. “Is this one of the kids that Horatio had impregnated? You’re just a baby,” she tutted. “Will you be adopting your baby out too? It’s such a shame to waste your future before learning what life is all about.”

“No, you’re cute.” I rolled my eyes. “You can’t bullshit me with this act. You heard my name is Blake, and I know you’re not that dense.” I gave her a saccharine smile. “I know my men talk about me. I know I can trust my men. I also know your attempt to belittle me to ingratiate yourself into Lincoln’s life is pathetic.”

Lincoln’s chest vibrated behind me, and I didn’t need to turn to see that he was laughing.

“You’re that Blake.” Giselle slowly blinked in feigned shock. “We didn’t know that, hon.Chantal didn’t mean to offend you. We just didn’t expect you to look so—”

“Young?” I snorted before I turned around and lifted my hair. “Well, I am, but I assure you I’m legal.” I pointed to the mark on the back of my neck before whirling back around. “You see that? My mark?” I asked before I shamelessly lifted Lincoln’s shirt and pointed to his matching one. “You see that? That means he’s mine . My connected.” I intentionally trailed my hands over his eight-pack before grazing my fingers over his pec where his mark resided.“So kindly walk away before I make you.”

Before I could withdraw my hand, Lincoln picked it up and drew it to his mouth. I was almost unwilling to see the look on his face. I knew I was acting slightly territorial, but I needed to clarify my message. They were my connections. Too many women had tried to come between us. No more!

I didn’t know if it was the pregnancy hormones or the abduction that caused me to become so bold. However, I would be damned if a thirsty hussy belittled me or attempted to come between my men and me.

Lincoln lifted my chin, so I was forced to see the pleased smile on his face. Before I left, I didn’t think I ever would have been as confident to put a stamp on him. I always assumed he would leave the moment he could, but he hadn’t. He had stepped up and become an integral part of my family. Plus, it was apparent how close he was to my guys. Seeing how close they were, you would think he had grown up with them.

“Why are you being such a bitch?” the brunette scoffed. “We didn’t do anything.”

“Excuse me?” I turned to blink at her while Lincoln growled in anger.

“Well, it’s obvious the gift gods didn’t know what they were doing,” Chantal said in a patronizing tone. “Your immature jealousy will only drive a man like Lincoln away, but please continue carrying on like you are. He’ll realize soon enough that connections don’t equal fidelity, and women like us will be only too willing to fulfill needs a child like yourself could never comprehend.”

“Oh shit,” someone muttered behind me. “Get ‘em, Blake.”

It took me a second to recognize Gavin’s new voice. I looked over my shoulder at him and gave him a beatific smile. “What shall I do?” I asked, tapping my forefinger over my lips.

These women messed with the wrong one today. I was hormonal and hungry. Not a good combination. Was there a combination between hormonal, angry, and hungry yet? Maybe hangornal. No? Well, I’d work on it.

I looked around the chow hall and noticed nearly everyone was looking at us. Jace and Remy were now standing at our table, and I smiled and waved at them before turning back to the girls. Scaring them just a tad would do the trick.

Without warning, I whirled back around and focused on a shield first. It encompassed the women, and they immediately tried to break free from it. I narrowed my eyes and decided to imagine the shield rising just out of curiosity. I lifted my hand and smirked in satisfaction when it mimicked my movements. It rose to about head level, and I nodded with approval.

Then I decided to up the ante. With a wicked giggle, I reined in the anger burning within and set the forcefield on fire. The blues, oranges, and yellows of the flames were mesmerizing, and the heat emanating from the fire was cozy and warm.

Startled gasps rang out around me, failing to overpower the distinct screams of the hussies that had hit on Lincoln.

“Remind me never to piss you off.” Lincoln kissed the back of my head.

Without breaking eye contact with the sphere of fire, I grinned at him. At the same time, I moved my hands, willing the globe to mimic my movements again. Huh, I guess I have gotten stronger.

“You forget how our relationship started,” I teased.

“Glad that’s in our rearview mirror.” He tenderly kissed the corner of my mouth.

“Ditto.”

Movement and muttering came from behind me, but I continued my little game of yo-yo. Up. Down. Side to side.

“Blake,” Pops censured me as Jaxson reached my side, his familiar scent tipping me off that it was him. “What did they do?” He chuckled, kissing my temple.

“What didn’t they do?” I inquired dryly. “They hit on Lincoln, asked me if I was giving our babies up for adoption, offered themselves up as side chicks, and tried to shame me for being a ‘teen’ mom.”

“Oooh,” Jaxson drawled before a wicked gleam entered his eyes.

“Jaxson James,” Megan warned.

I couldn’t help but giggle as a fifteen-foot blue octopus appeared. It was almost cartoonish in style, and it began to juggle the fireball containing the screaming woman.

“Jaxson! Blake!” Paul came running from the kitchen. The room was filled with a mixture of laughter and cries of fear.

“I see some things haven’t changed,” a somewhat familiar snarky female voice huffed in annoyance. “When are you going to grow up?”

When I turned enough to see the speaker, my eyes rounded in shock.

“What is she doing here?” I snarled as I recognized Tamara, Jaxson’s ex.

“Blake!” Jace called in a warning.

Now that I was looking around, I realized Remy, Troy, Noah, Drake, and Jace had joined us. My eyes widened once more when I realized I had let my concentration slip, and the sphere was free-falling. Troy extinguished the fire while Drake gently landed the forcefield on the ground.

Chantal and Giselle were clutching each other and crying. However, the brunette took one moment to recover before stalking toward us, and that was when it became obvious that my isolation had made me rusty. I was no longer vigilant around the gifted. If I had been, I would have recognized the intent behind her gaze.

“Liz, no!” I heard Kirk—one of the representatives of the South Carolina team and Race’s brother—yell.

I didn’t even have a moment to figure out why he seemed so concerned before it felt like I was getting zapped with a halo again. My muscles seized up, and I screamed. It felt like a lightning bolt had hit me.

The excruciating pain was gone as quickly as it had begun, but my body shook with tremors in the aftermath. It was a good thing my guys were surrounding me. Otherwise, I knew I would have been laid out on the floor. I closed my eyes, trying to catch my breath and calm my racing heart. Another scream rent the air, but this time it wasn’t mine. I opened my eyes and noticed Gavin had approached Liz, the brunette. She was on the floor, writhing in pain and letting out a blood-curdling scream.

“Please! Stop!” she begged.

“You dare to attack a pregnant woman,” Gavin snarled.“Feel that pain.Imagine how my best friend and nieces or nephews felt!”

“Gavin,” Mercedes cajoled, attempting to pull on his arm.“I think she’s had enough.”

More people attempted to intervene, but as fast as they threw gifts at him, he deflected them.

Finally, Jemmy ran forward. “Gavin, enough!”

Gavin immediately stopped and looked at Jemmy, torment and uncertainty in his gaze. In equal measure, hope and mistrust were alive in her eyes. They looked at each other, caught in a silent stand-off.

“Well, that escalated quickly,” Jaxson quipped.

“Jax,” Jace snarled.“Not right now.”

“Blake, are you okay?” Remy rumbled as he cradled me against his chest.

I vaguely registered Paul, Pops, and Kirk having a heated discussion. Giselle and Chantal were helping their friend stand. She had tears coursing down her face, but the look of hatred she sent me was unmistakable.

If I didn’t feel so drained, I would have issued another challenge or even my own retribution. Liz had no clue who she was messing with. Of course, I took accountability for some of the animosity. I shouldn’t have “attacked” her. However, she could have hurt the babies, and if I were to find out she did, she would be as good as dead.

I nodded.“Fine,” I breathed as I rubbed my belly.

“She better be punished!” Noah snarled as he held his hands above my stomach.

I could feel the warmth, but I didn’t know if he was aiming his healing toward the babies or me. Then, finally, he closed his eyes, and I could see a frown form on his lips. It immediately made my nerves ratchet up.

“Take Blake to the maternity wing now,” Megan said with a heavy sigh.“Make sure she’s okay.”

My stomach growled in protest, but the safety of my babies came first.

η

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

The sounds of my babies’ heartbeats filled the room, and like every other time I got to hear them, awe engulfed me. The same wonderment was on all my guys’ faces as I looked at them in the ultrasound room.

They had built a whole wing for labor and delivery in my absence. Apparently, many of the rescued pregnant women had elected to stay at the mountain facility. With no families waiting for them, they had nowhere else to go, and they were determined to have a hand in bringing Horatio down.

“Is that the babies?” Jaxson asked in a choked whisper as he leaned forward, picked up my hand, and kissed my fingertips.

The room was quite cramped with all my guys and my new doctor. Dr. Branch attempted to kick most of them out, but her argument had lasted only two minutes. She was gifted, so once she realized they were my connections, she understood how important it was for them to be here.

“That is baby A.” Dr. Branch smiled.“He or she is quite active.”

“Look at him go.” Troy kissed my forehead.“When can we find out if it’s he or she?”

“Well,” Dr. Branch said as she looked down at her chart, “you just passed sixteen weeks, so it’s possible to see them now, but it will probably be more accurate in a few more weeks. I can attempt to look now after we measure baby B. If not, you can have blood drawn, and that test can tell you within the next forty-eight hours or so.”

“Let’s find out!” Jaxson said eagerly.

The doctor chuckled at his enthusiasm.

“Do you want to know?” Jace immediately asked, running his hand over my head. “From my understanding, Horatio and Alison drew too much blood. Unless she needs it, no more needles.”

I enthusiastically nodded before I met all of their eyes. Drake, Noah, and Troy looked like they were fighting down strong emotions. Lincoln, Remy, and Jace seemed enthralled by the whole experience. And Jaxson, my Jax, was sitting on the edge of his seat, barely able to contain himself.

I was beyond ecstatic to finally experience this with them. For the first time since I found out I was pregnant, I felt… whole. This was how I was always supposed to experience my first pregnancy, with my men by my side.

“I don’t want any needles, but I would love to know,” I admitted. “Do you guys want to know? We can take it to a vote.”

Lincoln spoke up first. “I think we all would love to know.”

I looked at them all, smiling when they nodded.“Let’s do it.”

Then, Dr. Branch moved the wand over and pressed down into my stomach, making me slightly grimace. It wasn’t super comfortable. My bladder was full, and I was still ravenous.

Remy squeezed my other hand when another heartbeat filled the room.

“Does Sierra know her due date and sex yet?” I inquired in hushed tones.

“She wants it to be a surprise, much to Jemmy’s displeasure,” Drake responded with a wry twist of his lips. “And her baby is due within days of ours.”

“Wow,” I breathed. “That’s awesome. Imagine if we pop on the same day.”

“Please don’t,” Dr. Branch joked. “We only have two OBs, and somehow, I know you’ll need all hands on deck for these two. But that’s if you make it to your due date. No more instigating fights.”

For a brief moment, I felt chagrined. I probably should rein in my hormones a little more now that I was pregnant. However, on the other hand, maybe those thots shouldn’t attempt to flirt with my men right in front of me. In the past, I would have felt intimidated by the beautiful women that came on to them. My insecurities probably would have reared their ugly heads.

However, I had done a lot of soul-searching and growing up while we were separated. The devotion and desire the guys had to find me reassured me. I knew that they were mine. Mark or no mark, we were connected on a deeper level.

“I’m gonna have her head, instigated or not,” Remy growled.

“She was hitting on my man,” I griped, “but I know my hormones, hunger, and anger shouldn’t have taken the driver's seat this morning, Doc. I’ll try my best to behave from now on.”

Troy, Noah, and Jaxson chuckled at me. However, Drake, Lincoln, Jace, and Remy didn’t seem amused. They had been protective before, and I was sure they would be twenty times more so now.

“Well, baby B is much more tranquil and relaxed than baby A, so you’re going to have your hands full with the latter. If your son continues to emulate his womb stay, he’ll be your ‘easy’ baby,” Dr. Branch explained as she began to click away on the screen in front of her.

She moved the wand over to the other side once more.

“Son? He!” Jaxson whooped as he jumped up from his chair. “I’m gonna have a ball in his hand by the time he’s two. After that, he’ll be running drills with me on the field. I’m gonna buy his Daddy’s first NFL jersey!”

“He might like music,” Jace said sardonically, but he had a massive grin on his face. “Plus, you just got recruited to college ball. Your career may not last that long.”

“You played too! He may like music, but he’s gonna love football. You’re such a Debbie Downer!” Jaxson whined. “Then he’ll have my college jersey.”

Surprisingly, Drake spoke up next. “They may like swimming instead.”

“I’m putting my money on our other baby being a girl. She probably takes after her mother, how she keeps moving.” Lincoln smirked as he kissed my lips sweetly.

Troy smiled. “A girl and boy set would be awesome. We can have one of each, to begin with, so it doesn’t matter if all the rest were boys or girls.”

“The rest of them?” I teased.“How do you even know I can have more?”

Troy smirked with a shrug. “I mean, I want at least two or three more, and with your family history, I’m sure we can,” he concluded confidently.

I shook my head but laughed. I hadn’t planned to be pregnant with these two! I couldn’t imagine wanting to get pregnant again until I graduated college and maybe even established myself in a career.

“Let’s focus on the two we have now,” Jace said with a twist of his lips. “Give our woman a break for a little bit.” He leaned down and kissed the top of my head.

Dr. Branch chuckled, and I could see we were amusing her with our antics. I initially thought she seemed a little too stern, but I was quickly warming up to her.

“Baby B doesn’t want to cooperate as much,” Dr. Branch hummed. “Mama, wanna shift slightly? Hopefully, we’ll force them to move for us.”

When three sets of hands assisted me, I couldn’t help but smile again. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be able to do much with them around, and for once, I was okay with that. I’d missed them too much to care if they hovered for a while.

“I bet you fifty dollars it’s a boy,” Jaxson quipped.

“Any other bets?” Dr. Branch joked. “Give me half, and I’ll go with the winning side.”

Troy laughed. “Come on, Doc, give it to us.”

“It’s a girl!” Noah exclaimed.

“A girl?” Troy asked. “Are you…”

Noah gave him a pointed look. I knew Noah’s education hadn’t stopped when we entered the facility, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d taken more interest in obstetrics and gynecology since finding out I was pregnant.

Dr. Branch feigned a look of annoyance before she grinned. “Thanks for stealing my thunder. Maybe I shouldn’t have taken you under my wing. It is a girl,” she confirmed.

“Come on, Doc,” Noah teased back. “You know I’ve come in handy a time or two.”

She fondly rolled her eyes at him before pushing the wand over my stomach. Occasionally, she would make notations on a file, and I had to admit this experience was much better than my previous ones.

I couldn’t help but smile, and it was so big my face hurt. Tears threatened to spill over. My heart was so whole it was in danger of bursting. I couldn’t have wished for a more perfect result than one boy and one girl. If I wasn’t blessed like my mom, these two might be my only two, and as a little girl, I’d always dreamed of one of each.

“A girl!” Remy finally rumbled with a satisfied grin.

I knew he was going to be such a good girl dad. Sure, he was patient and loving with my brothers, like his bond with Micah and assisting him with his diet and weightlifting. However, Ella had him wrapped around her little finger.

I looked around the room and saw my own happiness reflected on their faces.My heart melted at their reactions. They all seemed ecstatic to be fathers.

“When can we find out who the fathers are?” Jaxson asked.

“We’re not,” I immediately answered as the doctor handed me some wipes to clean off my belly.

Drake instantly took it from my grasp and began doing the job for me. I gave him a smile of gratitude as he brushed his lips against my temple. I would never tire of one of them always touching me. It was like I had been stranded in a desert without their touches. Now that we were reconnected, I needed their reassurance as much as they needed mine.

“Why not?” Jaxson whined.

“Jaxson,” Jace said in warning.

“I don’t want to know. I mean,” I added, looking all of them in the eyes, “from the sounds of it, you’re all on board with being their fathers. All of you already claimed them as your own. I’m sure they’ll favor one of you or the other unless they look more like me. However, does it really matter who the biological fathers are if you all want to be their dads?”

“They will be mine, blood or not,” Remy quickly stated.

“They already own my heart,” Troy admitted with a kiss on my lips.

“I don’t care one way or the other,” Noah said next.

“We’re raising them together, so the titles shouldn’t matter,” Drake reasoned before sliding my shirt back down over my belly.

I reached out and immediately grasped his hands, squeezing them in silent thanks for taking care of a mundane task I was capable of doing myself.

“If one of the babies comes out darker, it’ll be mine,” Lincoln joked, “but I promise I won’t treat them any differently than the other. I already determined that my place is by your side, raising our children together.” He kissed my forehead.

I melted and got a bit hot—if you know what I mean. Suddenly, I wanted to drag Lincoln away and physically accost him most intimately.

“Uh oh,” Jaxson said in a loud stage whisper. “That’s her horny look. Hey, Blake, we should—”

Jace cut him off. “Put it away, Jax. We need to take our girl for some food.”

The others laughed while Jaxson and I pouted. I was hungry, but it would be awesome if both my appetites could be satisfied simultaneously.