Chapter 16
Rafael
And so we were sitting down again with his bitch of an aunt, pretending like nothing was wrong even as I could feel my instincts screaming that something was very wrong indeed. I couldn't put my finger on it, but the way Anan had taken ill and bolted from the table—I knew this wasn't a case of mere indigestion. Something more was going on here. However, he didn't want to tell me. Later, I would make him.
But before I could dig into it further, Mara leaned forward with a shark-like smile spreading across her face as she fixed us both with that predatory gleam that never failed to set my teeth on edge.
"I hope you have saved room for dessert,"she purred even as her eyes flicked between our joined hands atop the table."Because I do believe the chef has prepared something rather special in honor of the newlyweds."There was a heavy emphasis on that last word that made me want to smash my fist into her perfectly sculpted face. Not to mention that we got married weeks ago. Hardly still 'newlyweds.'
I didn't like where this was going, but before I could protest, a waiter materialized beside our table and began laying out an assortment of decadent treats—rich chocolate tortes dripping with ganache, flaky croissants layered high with whipped cream, and delicate pastries dusted in powdered sugar. She'd made the order when we were in the restroom.
It all looked divine, I had to admit. But the sight made my stomach churn uneasily as I recalled how violently Anan had rejected his earlier meal. No way would he be able to handle such indulgence now, not when his body was already so clearly rebelling.
As if on cue, Anan shifted slightly beside me, a soft groan escaping him as he pressed a hand to his midsection with a grimace of discomfort.
My hackles rose at the sound and I turned my full attention to him, reaching out to cup his chin in my hand and tilt his face up so I could gauge his expression.
"Baby,"I murmured,"We don't have to stay if you're not feeling well. We can go back to the mansion and continue this conversation there."
I was trying hard not to alarm Anan, but internally I was screaming that we needed to get him out of here RIGHT NOW before Mara realized what was actually happening and tried to interfere somehow.
But as I searched his face for any hints of reassurance or denial, my heart nearly stopped as the truth hit me like a sledgehammer.
His pupils were blown wide with more than just simple queasiness—his entire demeanor screamed exhaustion and trepidation as he stared up at me with those guileless grey eyes.
And beneath his skin, I could scent the subtle change in his pheromones that could only mean one thing...
Anan was pregnant, no doubt about it. It was too soon for the changes to become so evident that they couldn't be denied anymore, but they were already there—the retching, the lightheadedness, even the clamminess of his skin.
He must have been carrying my child for weeks already, which begged the question: how long had he known? And why had he said nothing to me about it?
I wanted to roar with triumph and caveman pride at the thought of breeding my perfect omega, but I restrained myself—this was not the place for such a display. Instead, I simply tightened my grip on his chin and gave him a meaningful look.
"We're going,"I rumbled enough that only Anan could hear me."And you are going to explain why you didn't tell me about this earlier. Now."
I didn't wait for his response before rising from my seat and tugging him up with me, ignoring Mara's sputter of indignation at our sudden departure. She could go fuck herself sideways for all I cared right now.
I had an omega to take care of, one who was apparently already growing my cub, and she wasn't going to interfere in that sacred bond no matter what her objections were. I wouldn't let her.
As we strode toward the exit with Anan tucked beneath my arm, I caught sight of my driver lingering near my car. Soon, the interrogation would start.
We were going home where he would give me the straight facts about his condition and why he thought hiding it from me was a good idea in the first place.
If I had been anyone else, I would have flipped shit and yelled at him until I got my answers. But I loved Anan too much for that. I would get what I needed out of him as calmly as possible so he wouldn't be more upset than he already was.
I could never be too angry at him. I would never forgive myself if I let something like that happen.
I couldn't wait to get him home in my bed where I could worship his pregnant body properly and remind him who he belonged to.
And his aunt had no choice but to accept that. His pregnancy was the real reason behind her insistence on staying to talk for so long at dinner. She must have figured out something was wrong with Anan when she saw his face earlier. Fucking bitch.
Anan, on the other hand, just looked miserable and guilty as I all but hauled him into my car. He couldn't look me in the eye now that I had realized what he had been hiding from me. And it was more than the fact that he hadn't told me about the pregnancy. This went deeper than that. There was something else going on with him, and I would find out exactly what it was later tonight.
"Drive,"I growled at the waiting driver as I shoved Anan into the backseat, ignoring his soft cry of surprise."And if you so much as breathe a word of this to anyone, I will end your life. I promise you that."
The poor bastard nodded in terror as he scrambled behind the wheel and started the engine. I could smell his fear, which was good for him.
He knew I wasn't joking around right now.
Sliding into the backseat beside Anan, I gathered him into my lap with a firmness he couldn't mistake for anything other than what it was—a silent command to give me the answers I demanded.
There would be no more hiding from me or lying about what his body was going through. We were in this together as husbands. No more secrets.
He shivered against my chest, burying his face in the crook of my neck as if he could hide from me that way. But I wasn't having it. Not now when I had finally put two and two together about why he had been feeling so sick.
This conversation was coming whether he wanted to have it or not.
The drive back to the mansion was tense and quiet, broken only by Anan's occasional whimpers and my own dark brooding as I plotted how to extract a confession from him without breaking his fragile state of mind in the process.
But even as rage burned white hot beneath my skin at the thought of being kept in the dark about such a crucial development in our relationship, I knew I had to approach this with care.
My omega was vulnerable right now in a way I had never seen before, and pushing too hard or coming on too aggressively would only damage the fragile trust between us.
No, I would have my answers... but it would be done on MY terms and at MY leisure when Anan was at his most relaxed and receptive.
Forcing him to talk now when he was clearly upset wouldn't end well for either of us.
As the gates of our estate came into view, I felt some of the coiled tension draining from my body as I gazed down at his bowed head.
First things first though—we needed to get him settled and comfortable before I broached this sensitive subject. And that meant no more upsetting talk or stressful situations until after I had a chance to care for him properly like the omega he was.
After all, he was carrying our child now... and there would be no greater privilege in life than caring for my pregnant husband with every ounce of strength and devotion I possessed.
Again, no more hiding from me though. Anan was in for a long night. He may have wanted to play coy and hide how bad the queasiness had been, but he should know that he can't keep secrets from me for long.
But my plans could wait until after we got him settled in our room. There would be plenty of time to discuss all of this later, once his stress levels had significantly diminished.
I knew I couldn't do anything but love him now and prove that whatever happened in the future, he was the only one who mattered. He was going to be a father... MY husband was going to be a father. And we would face that monumental change together as a unit, no matter what anyone said about it.
His aunt had overstepped her boundaries for the last time, though. I didn't know why he had ever listened to anything she said in the first place when she always brought him down instead of lifting him up like any normal relative would. Well, that was over now. He was mine, and no one else would ever get a say again.
After pulling into the driveway of our mansion, I took a moment to drink in Anan's peaceful expression as he lay draped across my chest, his breathing having slowed to a more relaxed rhythm thanks to the gentle swaying of the vehicle on the road.
I marveled at how my heart could feel so full to bursting with love and yet ache so keenly from the knowledge that something this monumental was happening to us right under my very nose and I had been kept in the dark about it for so long.
It was just difficult to hate him, even though he had lied to me. And well, after learning the truth, I would make sure he never kept anything else from me.
I had claimed Anan's body, mind, and soul... but now it was time for me to prove that the vow I made all those weeks ago before God and witnesses had not been made lightly. I loved this omega more than anything in this world, and that bond would only deepen with every passing day.
Sliding my fingers beneath his chin to tilt his face up again, I gazed down at him with a fierce intensity that bordered on ferocity, my heart expanding almost painfully at the adoration shining in those brilliant grey eyes.
"I love you,"I rasped."More than I ever thought possible."
Now all we had to do was get him up to bed where I could properly pamper and care for my very precious omega and our equally precious baby. It was time to make love...
In every single way imaginable, until the sun came up and then some more on top of that just because I could.
"Come,"I urged as I nudged Anan out of my lap and into a standing position with a gentle push of my hands."You need a good time and that's exactly what I'm going to give you now."
And then? Then it would be time for answers.