Chapter 25
Grace
A few weeks later
S omehow, I was the nervous one as we waited for the first doctor’s appointment.
My men were all calm. Drew and Spencer each had a hand on mine, offering silent reassurance.
Cade was practically giddy as he walked around and took in all the baby and family photos pasted to the clinic wall.
Beckett was filling out the paperwork for me, asking questions in a quiet voice and writing down every answer I gave him.
“Morning sickness?” he questioned with a frown. “I haven’t seen any.”
“There was a bit during those two weeks you guys were gone, but I think it was just hormonal changes and nerves from the separation. I haven’t had much since.”
“From the book I was reading last night, it should start fairly soon, but they say it clears up by the eleventh to sixteenth week,” Drew said.
“You’ve been reading pregnancy books?” That was news to me. Then again, we were all so busy with our own projects in the house that he could have easily been reading it and I just didn’t pay attention.
“Yeah, I downloaded this reading app on my phone, and they had an amazing pregnancy book for newly packed-up alphas. It’s been incredibly helpful. There’s actually a whole section on massages, so make sure you let me know if you need one,” he winked.
“Just about every day of my pregnant life, I’m sure,” I laughed. “Give me a couple of weeks.”
“My hands are yours, Gracie,” he promised. A wave of pure, raw happiness filtered through the bonds, and I nearly melted into my chair. He was genuinely happy to be with me and offer me any comfort he could. That was the sign of a damn good alpha, and he was all mine.
They were my dream pack. Attentive, kind, protective, and treated me like an equal.
“Grace!” the nurse called out from the waiting room. I stood, and my pack followed suit as she led us down the hall and into one of the ultrasound rooms.
“Doc always likes to start with an ultrasound. Then she’ll look at the results, and you can go over that in your appointment,” the nurse explained as she introduced the ultrasound tech. The beta sitting next to the machine gave me a little wave and a bright smile.
“I’m Alicia. It’s nice to meet you,” she said.
“If you want to lie down, then roll your shirt up just under your breasts and pull your pants down below your lower belly for me. And here, I have a towel to tuck in so none of the gel gets on your clothes.” She helped me get ready while the guys hovered around.
She picked up a tube of gel, giving it a shake.
“Don’t worry. We heat the gel for you, so there’s no shock of cold.”
She opened the bottle, squeezed a little gel onto my stomach, then grabbed her transducer and ran it over my skin. It was uncomfortable as she pressed down, but I simply waited as she moved it around until she finally found what she was looking for.
“That’s what I needed,” she said as she came to a stop. It was just a dark patch on the screen, but as she shifted the transducer a bit more, I could see movement, a flutter, and what looked like a little bean on the screen.
“You’re still early. These get more exciting as you go on,” she promised. Then she clicked a few buttons, and a pulsing sound filled the room.
It took me all of two seconds to realize what it was.
“That’s the heartbeat?” Spencer asked, his voice already choked up. I saw a tear leak down his face. I reached out for his hand, gripping it for dear life as my own tears rolled down my cheeks.
That sound was everything, but it was the excitement in my chest that really did it for me.
Both of my alphas had their phones out, recording the sound.
I didn’t expect Beckett to be the emotional one, but from the way his breath was heaving, his jaw clenched tight, he was trying his best not to cry.
Drew had no such reservations. He swiped his eye with his free hand as he ended the video, then turned to me, leaning down and brushing a kiss over my lips. “You’re a miracle, omega. I can’t believe you’re growing our baby.”
Cade was standing close to the screen, watching the movements as if he was transfixed. When he looked back at me, his eyes were wide, and he let out a soft laugh.
“Definitely a miracle,” he agreed.
“You guys are just the cutest little pack,” Alicia chuckled to herself.
She hit a few buttons, took a few notes, and then stood up and held out a towel.
“Here’s a towel to clean up your omega. I’m going to go print off some pictures.
I’m assuming everyone wants one?” Her smile widened as all five of us nodded. “Coming right up.”
Beck won the battle to reach the towel first and came over, wiping me down with a warm washcloth, cleaning every bit of gel off my skin and then drying me with the other towel before pulling my clothes back into place.
They treated me with such gentle care that it made my chest ache and tears burn in my eyes. These damn hormones were going to be the death of me with these men around.
They helped me up just before Alicia walked back in. “If you want to follow me, I can take you back to the doctor,” she said, handing over a strip of black-and-white pictures to each of us.
Honestly, I was used to waiting, but the doctor stepped in just before Alicia could close the door, her bright smile in place. “Hi, I’m Dr. Clark. It’s so nice to meet you.”
She sat down and took us all in.
“Several nurses warned me that you’re Hailey’s sister and told me to take extra good care of you,” she said with a wink. “We’ve been missing her around here.”
“She loved this place, I know she misses it, too. Though, a wedding and fancy honeymoon are a solid distraction,” I agreed, not sure what else to say.
Hailey had barely talked to me since getting married, which was another thing starting to eat away at me.
But there were only so many things I could worry about at once, and I was hell-bent on keeping things positive from here on out.
Dr. Clark was amazing, going over everything I needed to do and encouraging the things I’d done already.
With a fresh prescription for prenatal vitamins in hand and her encouragement to call if I needed anything or had any questions, and with the next appointment set up, we were ushered out of the office.
It was a whirlwind of a day, but the moment my stomach rumbled, my guys were already moving.
“All right, let’s see where we can take our girl for lunch,” Beck said, glancing around and then frowning. “There aren’t a lot of options here, are there?”
“More than you think,” I defended, giving him the stink eye. He held up his hands and let out a chuckle. “Sorry. I’ll rein in the city boy.”
I took the lead, sliding my hand into Drew’s and walking down the road. The Landing wasn’t far off from here. It sat against the lake and was the perfect spot for a day like today.
Though, the pregnancy exhaustion of the first trimester was real, and it was hitting me hard. As much as I wanted to eat, I also wanted to snuggle into my nest for a long nap.
Drew looked at me just as I let out a yawn. “Food first, and then it’s nap time for you, little omega,” he said. “That’s the doctor’s orders.” He added that before I could argue.
They already knew me too well.
“I’m tired enough that I’ll behave this time,” I said.
“Don’t get used to it,” Beckett snorted behind me. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. We know our girl’s independent and has a fire to her. We saw those claws come out at the wedding firsthand.”
“Speaking of, I haven’t heard from Hailey, and I’m starting to get worried. She’s texting me some pictures, but that’s about it. It’s been weeks. Do you know when they’re coming back?”
If they were coming back was the better question.
“Nolan said they were extending their vacation. I’ve checked in a few times. I believe they come back next weekend. Apparently, there was some amazing event going on in Italy that they just couldn’t miss.”
My feelings were a bit hurt that Hailey hadn’t told me herself, but then again, I wasn’t going to fault her. She was a newly married omega in one of the places she’d always wanted to visit.
Thankfully, right when I needed a distraction, The Landing came into view. As did the gorgeous lake behind it.
“We can eat out on the deck,” I said, gesturing. “This is probably the nicest restaurant you’re going to find in Rockwood Valley. Don’t worry, I’m sure you can find some surrounding cities or towns to take us to, and you can spoil me at all your favorite spots when we visit the city.”
“That’s definitely the plan,” Cade teased.
Beck shrugged. “To be honest, I don’t mind this small town. It’s kind of nice being able to walk around and not be crushed by a sidewalk full of people, or have to hear the cacophony of melding voices to the extent of madness.”
“God, is it that bad?” Drew asked. “Maybe I was always too busy with training and games to pay attention when I lived in the city.”
“No,” Cade said. “Not all the time. But Beckett here lives and breathes that job, so when he does leave the office, he doesn’t know how to people anymore.”
Spencer nodded. “Can confirm. But that’s all behind us now,” he added pointedly. “And I’m also starving, come on, freckles. Show us how Rockwood Valley does lunch.”
I’d been here plenty of times before, but walking in with my pack, I saw it with new eyes.
Eyes that were probably far more critical than they needed to be. The Landing was cute, but not as fancy as it could be. It had a weathered feel, like it had been here for generations. Even though they kept up with it, it still retained some character.
Would they find it lacking? Not as nice as the shiny, modern restaurants they were likely used to.
But how was that any different from our new pack house? I shook off those feelings of inadequacy, knowing that my men chose me for a reason and that they chose to follow me here. I couldn’t nitpick when they weren’t even doing that.
“Hello, can I help you?” the waitress asked, her smile bright. She must be new. I hadn’t seen her here before. She was a cute beta, her blonde ponytail swinging behind her as she led us out to the deck that overlooked the lake.
I appreciated that she didn’t stare at the guys longer than she needed to. There was no flirting right in front of their omega. I liked her already.
“Thank you. This table’s perfect,” I said. It was right in the corner, so we were up against the railing overlooking the lake. The sun was shining off the surface, and a slight breeze was coming in, keeping some of the summer heat at bay.
“I’m glad you like it,” she said with a friendly smile. “Here are some menus. Can I get you guys started with some drinks?”
“Sprite for me,” I said before everybody else put in their orders. Then I opened the menu. Finding the right food lately had been a struggle. Where I hadn’t had morning sickness, I had tons of food aversions. Things I loved suddenly sounded terrible .
There were a few safe things, like pasta, but I couldn’t tolerate the thought of a hamburger. Even though it was a hot day, my mind settled on broccoli cheddar soup. They served it with fresh bread, and that sounded phenomenal.
I closed my menu, satisfied with my choice, and one by one, the guys followed suit. By the time she came back with our drinks, we were ready to order.
She wrote down my order. Before she could move on, I added, “Could I have extra bread with that, actually?”
“That’s an amazing choice,” she said. “The bread is incredible here. They bake it fresh every morning, so every day I walk in, I smell literal heaven.” She chuckled. “I can also do a whole loaf for the table, how about that?”
“Perfect,” I agreed with a happy, little dance. Apparently, the baby was here for carbs.
Spencer ordered the same thing I did, and before long, he pulled me closer. I loved the feel of their hands on me. It was such a possessive, sweet gesture, and it settled my omega in ways I never realized. Maybe I was more touch-starved than I thought.
All those years of terrible dates and no long-term relationships wore on my omega more than I realized.
That was hardly a surprise. Outside of Hailey, it was always just me working from home and hanging with my friends.
Sidney wasn’t exactly a cuddler, but I certainly was.
The guys talked around me as I soaked in my beta and the view around us. Rockwood Valley has a calming magic to it, I swear.
The moment I had my soup and fresh bread in front of me, lathered with butter, I was in literal heaven.
It had been a while since I’d been able to scarf down a meal, and I didn’t care if my pack was watching as I dipped bites of bread into the cheesy, savory soup, eating way faster than I should have.
At this rate, I was going to have a baby bump just from the food alone.
Then my alphas and betas were offering me bites of their own food, looking happy just to be here with me. If I had any reservations about them wanting to stay in Rockwood Valley, they were gone now.
My pack wanted to be where I was, and I was right where I belonged.