Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Warmth presses down around me, and a foot digs into my hip, sending zaps of pain radiating up my side. I carefully roll onto my back, propping myself up on my elbows. Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I stare at black walls and golden-framed pictures. This is not the guest room.
It takes a minute for me to remember that I’d slipped into Foster and Shepherd’s room again last night. Sleeping here has become a nightly occurrence. There’s something comforting about their scents and the weight of their bodies pressed against mine. I haven’t slept this well in months.
Glancing to my left, I bite back a laugh when I find Kaitlin tucked into the bed with us. She’s sprawled across Foster’s back, her hair a mess, and her feet thrown onto the bed where I was lying. Apparently, she snuck in here last night, too.
An arm wraps around my back, helping to hold my weight.
I turn to look at Shepherd, who gives me a sleepy smile.
His lips press to mine, bringing back the memory of waking in the middle of the night.
The way he’d touched me… I can still feel remnants of the toe-curling pleasure his fingers had brought me.
Heat flushes my cheeks when he pulls away, a pulse of arousal making me wish we had time to explore more.
Sadly, we’re on a tight schedule today. I have an appointment with my obstetrician to check on the baby, and this afternoon we are heading to Pack Graves’ house to visit my sister.
I’m worried about her. When her mates had called, they said she was struggling, which isn’t surprising.
I would have a rough time, too, if I were forced to stay with the men who rejected me.
“I’m gonna pee and shower. We have to leave in an hour. Should we wake them now?” I tilt my head toward Foster and Kaitlin. Both can be quite grumpy when they wake up early.
“Nah, let them sleep longer. I’ll start breakfast, and we’ll grab them when it’s ready.” Smart man, distracting them with food. Flutters in my stomach prelude a gurgle that tells me this little one is getting hungry, too.
I hurry through my shower and throw on a pair of stretchy maternity shorts that feel like butter on my skin.
Foster had brought them home after a shift at the community center a few days ago.
Neither of my mates was happy to hear I was forcing myself to fit into my old maternity clothes, despite them not fitting as well with this pregnancy.
I can’t complain when the clothes they got me feel a thousand times more comfortable on my hips and stomach.
Plus, they look super cute, which isn’t something I’m used to.
My wardrobe in Whitlan mostly comprised of dated dresses and scratchy sweaters.
Clothes meant to prevent Omegas from hiding their designations.
Not that it worked. There were several hidden Omegas in the congregation that I helped escape through my connections to the DAU.
Flipping through the shirts hanging in the closet, I fight back a sigh.
They’re all cute, but they don’t smell right.
Bland laundry detergent and new linen. I want…
My eyes dart to the bedroom door and the wall on the other side, where I know the guys’ closet is filled with their clothes.
I’m not an Omega, I can’t steal their shirts. Can I?
Flashes of Foster’s heated gaze roaming over my body each time I walk out in one of Shepherd’s too-big t-shirts fill my mind.
The worst they can do is say no if I ask.
Without thinking, I slip down the hall and hesitate in the kitchen doorway.
“Shep?”He turns to look at me from the stove, and his spatula clatters to the floor.
The fire in his eyes scorches me from across the room.
I’m confused by his reaction until I glance down and realize I’m standing in nothing but shorts and a bra.
I squeak and cover my chest with my arms, face flaming as embarrassment washes over me.
“Oh, shoot, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”
“It’s okay. Did you need something?”
“A shirt,” I grumble, staring at the floor. “Can I wear one of yours?”
His feet step into view seconds before his fingers grip my chin and tilt my head up.
A thumb slides over my lip, pulling it from between my teeth.
“I’d love to have you covered in my scent all day, Wildfire.
You don’t have to ask. What’s mine is yours.
” He turns me around and pats me on the ass, sending me toward their bedroom in a daze.
These men are determined to ruin me in the best way.
“Good morning, Angel,” Foster greets after I slip one of Shepherd’s shirts on. “You look stunning in our Alpha’s clothes.” He’s propped on his elbows at the bottom of the bed, and Kaitlin is starfished in the middle. It looks like she kicked him out of his usual spot, the little bed-thief.
“Breakfast is almost ready,” I tell him as I pad closer and run my fingers through his hair.
He leans into the touch, groaning softly before wrapping his arms around my legs and pulling me closer.
My nails trail from his scalp down his back, feeling his muscles flex as he shudders beneath my touch.
“I need to wake our Little Bug. We have to leave soon.”
He grips me tighter and slowly rises to his knees. The kiss he presses to my lips is filthy and leaves me panting for more. His smirk tells me he knows exactly what he’s doing to me, as does the way he saunters out of the room, hips swaying with each step.
That Omega is as sweet as he is sassy. I’m so glad I met him.
“Okay, Hannah, we’ll see you next week! Please call the office if you need anything before then.
” I thank the staff at my obstetrician’s office as we leave.
At thirty-six weeks, I will have to come in for a checkup once a week until the baby comes.
He isn’t due until mid-October, but babies appear in the world when they’re ready.
If he’s anything like his sister, he will stretch this pregnancy as long as possible.
With the appointment ending so early, I assumed we would head back to the apartment until it was time for us to leave to visit Omen, but Shepherd steers us into traffic heading in the opposite direction.
I watch as we drive further into the city, passing tall buildings and storefronts decorated with autumn themes.
When we pull into a parking spot in front of a row of businesses, I narrow my eyes at my Alpha.
He’d better not have planned another shopping trip for Kaitlin.
She has enough toys in the living room for three kids.
“Come on, Wildfire.” He offers me his hand, a smirk plastered on his stupidly handsome face. I accept it, intertwining our fingers so he knows I don’t want him to pull away. His grin grows, lighting up his amber eyes.
Foster and Kaitlin join us at the front of the car, and we’re led into a sleek storefront a few feet down from our parking spot.
“We have an important mission today, Princess,” Foster tells her, swinging her up into his arms. “Your baby brother is due soon, so we have to make sure we’re ready for him. ”
I realize what he means when we step through the door and are greeted by racks of baby clothes.
The building is surprisingly bigger than I thought, stretching into the distance and rising to a second level.
Tears line my eyes as both of my mates grab a cart.
I had planned on taking Kaitlin out while they were at work one day to get the necessities, but these men anticipated our needs and planned this trip for us.
Knowing they want to be here, to help pick things out, means the world.
“Let’s start with the big items,” Shepherd suggests, pushing a flat cart toward the back where cribs and bassinets are set up.
We spent the next two hours filling their carts.
A crib, car seat, swing, anything they think the baby might need gets piled on, and then they move on to the smaller essentials: bottles, clothes, diapers, all of it.
I wasn’t aware that regular diaper deliveries were an option, but I’m glad it is.
That will make things much easier, and hopefully prevent us from making last-minute runs to the store to grab more.
I’m overwhelmed, overjoyed, and exhausted by the time we leave. The best part is that Shepherd set up for everything to be delivered tomorrow morning, so we don’t have to fit it all in the trunk of their car.
“Thank you,” I murmur, laying my head on his shoulder as the cashier finishes setting everything up.
His arm wraps around my waist, holding me close, and he presses his lips to my temple.
A wordless acknowledgment of my gratitude.
The steady rise and fall of his chest soothes the frazzled edges of my heart, erasing any guilt I feel about them spending so much money on us.
I could have paid for everything myself, but the offended growl he let out when I suggested as much silenced me.
If his inner-Alpha needs to support us financially to feel settled, I won’t stop him. There are other ways I can contribute to their pack. Ones I’m more familiar with anyway, like cooking and cleaning.
“Mommy, we go sees Auntie Omen now?” Kaitlin asks when we climb into the car, several minutes later.
“Yeah, Little Bug, we’re going to head to their house now.
It’s a bit of a drive. Are you sure you don’t need to pee?
” Starburgh is an hour’s drive north of our apartment.
It isn’t far, but I’d prefer to be much closer to my sister.
A wish I haven’t voiced. Yet. One day soon, we will have to talk about the lack of space in the guy’s apartment.
Not today. Today is for swimming and checking in on my sister.