Chapter 12
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Ifelt kisses on my back and smiled. This was the absolute best way to wake up. I was naked, my body was sexually satisfied all the time, and I had a mate I was madly in love with who was, despite what he believed, the best mate ever.
We’d been mated sixteen days. I’d gone into heat almost immediately after, like within an hour after, and Dante had been the most attentive mate ever.
I knew he felt guilty for staying away as long as he did, and again for forcing us into a dating stage for six weeks.
Honestly, I was sure that was the reason I went into heat so quickly.
I’d been claimed, and my body was saying… finally!
“Finally, huh?” Dante said as he continued to kiss up my spine.
I sighed. “Seriously though. This is the best way to wake up,” I said.
My words were a bit muffled because my face was smooshed into my arm on the pillow, but I’d honestly never been happier than I was now.
“I love you, Dante,” I told him, not wanting to wait to say those words.
The kisses froze, and I felt a moment of panic through our bond.
It was gone before Dante could hide it, but that was okay.
I started to roll over so I could look up at my mate, and the panicked look was on his face.
I reached up and cupped his cheeks. “It’s okay.
You don’t have to say it back. But that’s how I feel, and I know that there are so many uncertainties in life to not say the words when you feel them.
I know you care for me, and that’s enough. ”
Dante scowled, and it looked like he was going to say something, but at that moment, I felt a sudden sharp pain in my stomach and then the absolute need to get to the bathroom.
I pushed on my mate, and I was sure it was only because he was so caught off guard that I actually moved him off me.
I rolled and ran for the bathroom but didn’t make it.
I found myself throwing up in the doorway.
I wasn’t a stranger to getting sick. I’d been sick more times than I could count when I’d been held captive in the compound in Colombia.
But this time, it felt so much different.
I looked down at the mess on the floor and tried to make it make sense but couldn’t.
My stomach revolted again, and I did my best to step around the mess and try to get to the sink, at least. I almost made it.
The majority of the second purge made it into the sink.
Some hit the counter, but I didn’t have time to worry about it at the moment.
I was trying to make it to the toilet before I made any more of a mess everywhere.
I felt Dante’s warm hands on my hips, and he held a small trash can in front of me.
“Here, take this,” he said. I reached for it and then felt my stomach roll just before I found myself on the amazing leather couch that my mate had claimed me on.
I buried my face in the trash can just before another wave of purging bile exited me.
I felt something cool on the back of my neck and sighed.
I knew what this was, and I was sure that Dante did as well.
But really? Only sixteen days after we’d claimed one another?
After several minutes of me just spitting the yuckiness from my mouth into the trash, I finally pulled my face out and looked over at my mate.
He looked completely wrecked, and I was the one who had been throwing up.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I said. I took the cloth and wiped my face. “You know what happens when mates claim each other, and then the alpha gets all alpha-y and knots me all the time while I’m in heat.”
“I know you’re pregnant. I scented the baby last night. I’m worried about you though. What can I do to take care of you?”
“Mouthwash. Can I have a bit? And then some water?”
Dante nodded and held out a tiny-ass cup.
I smiled a bit at the size of it, but I knew it had mouthwash in it.
I swished the stuff around, spit it in the disgusting trash can, and then dropped it in with everything else before handing the trash off to my mate.
He traded me that for a large glass of water.
I sighed as I swallowed my first drink. It was soothing and exactly what I needed.
I took several more drinks before I looked over at Dante.
Gone was the trash, and I wondered if he’d taken care of the mess everywhere as well.
“You didn’t tell me I was pregnant? Why?”
“You were already asleep when I scented the change. I’m not surprised at all with how much we were knotted together during your heat.” I sighed. We both knew this was a very real possibility. We did nothing to try and avoid me getting pregnant. “But I’d like to discuss the other thing first.”
I gave my mate a confused look. “What other thing?”
“The ‘I love you, but you don’t have to say it back’ thing.
” Dante tilted his head as he reached for my face.
“Why would you think I don’t love you? It’s true that I don’t know what love is, that I’ve never experienced it before, but I do know that what I feel for you is love.
I’ve had it described to me enough that I’m aware of what it is. ”
I looked over at Dante in disbelief. “You love me back?”
Dante nodded. “Why would you ever think that a mate wouldn’t fall in love with you?
You’re absolutely amazing. You’ve been through so much, and despite all of that, you have such a positive outlook on life.
Of course I love you.” Dante leaned in, and I knew he was going to kiss me, but I pulled away despite the fact that I’d swished with mouthwash. “You don’t want to kiss me?”
“Oh, I do. But I want to brush my teeth for five minutes before I do.”
Dante chuckled. “I don’t care, baby. You are amazing, and your breath isn’t that terrible. But I’ll respect your wishes and wait.”
I sat there staring at my mate. He loved me. And we were going to have a baby. Those two things hit suddenly, and I started breathing heavy.
“There it is,” Dante said seconds before he reached over and picked me up.
I squealed, my arms flailed, and one hit Dante in the shoulder.
I looked at my mate, horrified. He threw his head back and laughed.
When he looked at me again, he smiled. “I love you,” he said quietly.
“I do. And I’m going to love our little baby.
But we are going to have to cut our little matemoon short because you threw up this morning. ”
I sighed. I knew why too. “I understand. I have Dr. King’s number in my phone. I can call, or you’re welcome to for me. I need to go brush my teeth though.” I tried to get up, but Dante stopped me. “What?”
“I’ll call. But I think we need to talk about this before I do. But I’m okay with waiting for you to brush your teeth first.”
I sighed. “We can talk.”
“But I want a kiss,” Dante said with a smirk on his face.
I rolled my eyes and gave him a quick, closed-mouth kiss before I pulled away.
Dante let me go, and I went to brush my teeth.
I trudged my way up the stairs, and when I had a mouth full of foamy toothpaste, Dante came into the bathroom with my phone in his hand.
“They want to know if you would like to come in or have Dr. King come to you?”
I blinked a few times, pointed at my mouth, and shook my head. I quickly spit the toothpaste out and stared at my mate. “You couldn’t see the toothpaste in my mouth?” I asked.
“You couldn’t respond through our bond?” Dante said back. “Which is it? You want to go in or have him come here?”
I was torn. I really didn’t want to go out and break our matemoon bubble. That totally wasn’t a word, but I’d come up with it, and I was going to use it all the time. “I’ll go in. We can make it a double trip since we need to pick a house anyway.”
I grabbed a paper cup and filled it with water. I swished while Dante went back to the phone call. He left the bathroom, which was thankfully clean. Not that I thought for a moment that Dante wouldn’t have cleaned up the mess for me.
Grabbing the hand towel and wiping my face, I stared at my reflection in the mirror, wondering who the man was staring back at me.
I didn’t look much different. I was a little scruffy, but I couldn’t grow nearly the beard that Dante could.
I tilted my head, wondering if I was pale. I looked…not well, actually.
I took a deep breath and left the bathroom, finding Dante sitting on the side of the bed.
I crossed to him, crawling onto his lap.
I was so thankful that my mate was massive.
I was just under six foot, but Dante was a few inches taller than I was.
But that wasn’t all. He was wide, and he had biceps and forearms that were massive.
I wasn’t a tiny omega, but I didn’t need to be because Dante was more than strong enough to cuddle me as if I were.
And right now, I needed to be held by my mate.
“What’s wrong?” Dante asked as his strong arms wrapped around me.
“I don’t know. I feel off. I’m sure throwing up is part of it.”
“Off how? Do you need something? I’m sure food would be helpful, but I don’t want to make you sick again.”
“I’d love some tea, honestly. I know that’s probably a good thing since I’m probably going to be getting pregnancy tea, but I like it anyway.”
Dante kissed my forehead before he moved me on his lap. He held out his hand, and I smiled at the steaming mug that was now there. “See, I don’t know how anyone does things without magic once they have a mate with magic.”
Dante snorted. “It was quite a change when I suddenly found myself here in this realm and I didn’t have my magic anymore.”
I took a sip. “I’m sorry,” I said after swallowing the tea. It was nice, but I knew it wasn’t anything like the one Dr. King would be giving me.
“For what? You didn’t do anything wrong. Getting sick is very much part of pregnancy, from what I’ve heard.”