Chapter 10 #2
Rio smiled down at me. “You are pregnant,” he said again. I nodded. He’d already said that. “With twins,” Rio added.
“What?” I asked quietly.
“Are you sure?” Marcello asked at the same time.
“I’m positive. There are two other auras other than Abel’s. He is carrying twins.”
Twins. Two. I was having not one but two babies. Huh. I mean, I knew it could happen, and it was very likely. But I honestly didn’t really expect it. I wanted to be excited about having twins, but when I glanced up at Marcello, he didn’t appear to be happy about that news.
“This is and will always be very much a possibility,” Rio said. “You are a fox shifter.”
I nodded and sat up. “Yeah. I understand that. And I knew it was likely to happen.” I glanced at Marcello again, who still didn’t look overly happy. “I guess I just didn’t really expect it to occur during my first pregnancy.”
“Understandable,” Rio said. “It always can be the cause of the very early in pregnancy sickness. I’ll give the tea.
There are two. A blue tin and an orange tin.
They are marked, but the blue one is the tea that will not make you sleepy.
You drink it when you have severe pregnancy sickness.
” He walked over to the shelf and picked up a cute little bag.
When he returned, he held out the bag to me.
“There is also a book inside. It will help answer questions the two of you might have.”
I nodded again. “Thank you,” I said before I slid off the table. “I’ll be sure to read it.” I looked at Marcello, hoping he understood I was ready to go.
“Do we need to see you again?” Marcello asked. “What can I do to make Abel most comfortable when he’s not feeling well?”
“There is a section in the book, but smaller meals will be beneficial. Sometimes blander foods help. At this point, we suggest simply eating whatever he wants and can keep down.”
I nodded at that. Marcello had gotten rid of the eggs, and I’d eaten fruit and toast. Plain, dry toast. My mate had cringed a bit, but it was what set best in my stomach.
Marcello cleared his throat. “Do you know, is it still safe to feed from him? I’ll be careful, but is that going to be an issue?”
I hadn’t thought about that. My eyes flew to Rio, hoping he had an answer.
“From what I’ve been told, it is perfectly safe for you to feed from your beloved.
He will need to make sure he eats, preferably before you do so though.
So if you need to, try to feed after a meal.
” Rio smiled at both of us. “I do have a way to ask questions if needed. But I have been given some notes regarding that very thing.”
“Thank you,” Marcello said.
“Yes, thank you,” I told him. “I’ll write down any questions I might have after reading the book.”
“That will work,” Rio said. “As far as I know, I’ll be around for several months yet. You are always welcome to stop by if you have questions. I do not have a whole lot to do to fill my time.”
I nodded before glancing up at Marcello.
I didn’t either. Not really. Marcello was going to be going back to work, and that would leave me in his room.
He’d said it was our room, but it didn’t feel like it.
Sure, I had my clothes and some of my other things, apparently, but that was it.
I tried not to let my thoughts run too much, but I really hoped there was more to being mated than just sex.
Sure, it was amazing, but there was more to our relationship, wasn’t there?
“Thanks again, Rio,” Marcello said. He placed his arm around my shoulders and led me to the door.
“Of course. I hope to see the two of you out and about a bit going forward.”
I smiled back at Rio. That would be nice. He was new here as well. Maybe he and I could become friends? I had to assume that he, like everyone else here, was much older than I was.
“Did you wish to go to the kitchen? Or even better, have a tour of the villa?”
I looked up at Marcello, surprised. “Don’t you need to go to work? I know you had mentioned that last week.”
“Eventually, yes. But not yet.” Marcello smiled. “Are you trying to get rid of me already?”
I shook my head.
“Ah. There you are.”
Marcello’s smile widened. “Time to meet the coven master,” he told me through our bond.
I suddenly felt like I really wanted to return to Montana. I was halfway around the world, in a new house with a bunch of…nope. I wasn’t going to let my thoughts go there.
“Vincent,” Marcello said. “This is Abel.” Marcello smiled down at me. “My beloved.”
I was busy staring up at Marcello and didn’t realize just how close we’d gotten to the coven master.
When Marcello chuckled and then gently turned my head with a finger under my chin, my eyes widened.
I found myself staring at a chest in a white shirt.
When I looked up, I found icy blue eyes staring at me. Oh.
“It is nice to finally meet you, Abel.”
I tried to smile. I could only nod though.
“Thank you, Master Vincent,” I said. I knew that was what I needed to call him.
I wasn’t upset I had my mate, but I couldn’t forget that this was the guy who’d had me kidnapped.
Who had me taken from my home. Did it work out?
Probably, but I was still not exactly happy with the man, nor did I trust him.
“I hope that you will feel welcome here,” Master Vincent said. “If there is anything I can do to help you settle in, please let me know.”
“Thanks,” I said again. I didn’t know what else to say. I glanced up at Marcello. “I understand if you two need to talk about…things. I can go back to the room.”
Master Vincent answered before Marcello could. “We do not,” he said. “But do not feel as if you need to always stay in your room. The majority of the villa is open to everyone. You should make your mate give you a tour.”
I nodded again. I was feeling like a broken mannequin.
“I was about to do that, actually. We’ve just come from Rio and Sandro’s office.” Marcello pulled me a bit tighter to his side. “Any news about Sandro?”
“Nothing new. I will let you know if I hear anything. You are supposed to be enjoying your time with your beloved though,” Master Vincent said. “I do hope that things with Rio went well?”
“Very much so.” Marcello smiled down at me before he leaned in and kissed my forehead. “Apparently, Abel and I are going to be welcoming twins in a couple of months.”
I could feel happiness from Marcello now, which was the opposite of what I’d sensed when we were in the room that Rio used as an office.
“Twins?”
“Yes,” Marcello answered.
“Congratulations. It seems as if the coven is growing by several this year.” Master Vincent smiled at me. “We will have to have a family dinner to not only welcome you but also celebrate the news of your twins.”
“You don’t have to,” I said and looked up at Marcello.
His brow was scrunched again. “It’s nice,” I said, looking back to Master Vincent.
“I just didn’t want to put you to any trouble.
But yes. A dinner so I could meet everyone would be nice.
” I tried to calm my racing heart. “I don’t really know anyone here. ”
Master Vincent offered a fond smile. I could see how he could easily charm others with his good looks, but I wasn’t fooled. I knew I probably shouldn’t trust him.
“When everyone is back, that would be agreeable,” Marcello said. “I’d like to get Abel back to the room to rest though, so I wish to show him a few places first.”
“Of course,” Master Vincent said. “Abel, it was nice to finally meet you. Don’t let this one boss you around too much. He tends to be that way.”
I smiled at that. I’d already experienced quite a bit of Marcello’s bossiness.
I didn’t mind though. Master Vincent nodded, then turned and went down the hallway we were standing near.
Marcello tugged me toward the direction we’d been walking.
“Let me show you the kitchen at a minimum. That way, you can come get a snack if I’m not in the room with you. ”
“The kitchen would be nice,” I said absently.
Marcello chuckled. “Yes, it is very nice. The coven has an open kitchen policy. Simply clean up any messes you make. Otherwise, everything is open for everyone if they so wish.” Marcello reached up and cupped the side of my face.
“Then we really should return to the room and discuss some of those thoughts of yours.”
My smile fell, and I nodded. I really needed to figure out how to turn those things off. Or at least filter them a bit.
Marcello sighed. “I can stop listening. And I’ll show you how to shut them off and how to filter them so I can only hear some if that is what you wish.”
“That would be nice,” I told him and then did my best not to think about anything else until I figured things out. I didn’t have anything to hide, but it was a bit unnerving that my mate could hear every single thought.
Marcello started walking again, and when we walked through an arched doorway, I had to agree.
Yes, the kitchen was very nice. But it was the wall of windows and french doors that really drew me.
Well, actually, it was more the view outside because that was absolutely gorgeous.
I couldn’t help but walk over and stare outside.
It was so vastly different from what I was used to, but it truly was beautiful.
Would I ever feel as if this was home though?