Chapter 31
Grace
I was finally off the monitors and the continuous blood pressure cuff. Dr. Clark had run about every test you could think of and was forced to chalk it up to stress and dehydration.
Cade had ignored just about every warning the nurses gave and crawled into bed with me, nestling into my side.
“Is she up for guests?”
My eyes flew open at the sound of my sister’s voice. I glanced over, watching Hailey bounce in with Nolan right behind her.
Beck greeted his brother with one of those guy hugs, the kind where the slap sounds painful. They whispered quietly to each other while my sister hurried to my side.
“What are you doing here?” I questioned in shock.
“Well, when your sister passes out on the phone with you, it’s not that far-fetched to pack your shit and head her way.” She gave me a look that begged me to argue.
“They just think it’s exhaustion, stress, and maybe dehydration,” I reassured her. “I’m fine.”
“She’s not just fine, she’s on bed rest,” Cade mumbled into my side. I poked him in the ribs, causing him to squirm, but he didn’t take his words back.
“Miss Independent here doesn’t like when people fuss over her,” Hailey laughed, sounding just as smug as Cade. Brats. They were going to conspire against me now, weren’t they?
“Well, she better get used to it,” Beckett said, Drew humming in agreement beside him.
“We are absolutely going to be on your case, Gracie,” Drew confirmed.
I groaned dramatically, but I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. It was nice to have support, to not just be told I was being dramatic. The one time I ended up in the hospital as a teen, my mom chalked it up to attention-seeking before I’d even had a chance to ask what was wrong.
Just a dramatic Omega, she guessed.
“Now, are you going to tell me about Italy? I’m tired of being the spotlight,” I demanded.
Hailey happily sat in the chair while Nolan dragged another one over, pulling up her phone and showing me every picture, giving me the background of each one, what they saw, what they ate.
It was the perfect distraction.
The food pictures were pure torture. Everything looked absolutely divine, making my stomach rumble by the third or fourth one.
The hospital food had been less than stellar.
“Let’s go snag our omega some actual food,” Spencer said. “It’s driving me crazy that she’s barely eating. That can’t be good for her.”
“I’ll come with you,” Drew said as he stood and followed our beta out.
“Now, tell me about the baby,” Hailey demanded. “I want to know everything that’s happened so far.”
“Honestly, there’s not a ton to tell,” I admitted. “We had our scans, everything looks normal. We got to hear the heartbeat again when I was strapped to all this equipment. They just took me off of it this morning.”
“I still can’t believe we’re so close together,” she laughed. “Did you get awful morning sickness, too?”
“There was a time where everything made me nauseous. One wrong move, and I’d run out of the room,” I admitted.
“It was terrible. We couldn’t keep food in her,” Cade grumbled. Apparently, he was still half-asleep because he hadn’t opened his eyes yet, just soaked in my scent as I was doing to him.
Honestly, he was the best at keeping my vitals in check.
“Ours has been pretty uneventful,” Hailey admitted, glancing at Nolan. “He’s had to go on a few craving runs, but I only had morning sickness for about a week. Hence, why I thought it was a virus of some kind.”
“Ugh, you’re such a brat,” I grumbled.
She rolled her eyes, but the smile was still on her face. Then it darkened, and the sarcasm crept in. “You always did have to be the dramatic one, didn’t you?”
I’m glad our minds went to the same place.
“I have to, yes. Always so dramatic. An omega coming into her designation and passing out. All for attention, right?”
“Sounds like you have a history of passing out,” Cade frowned.
“I don’t know that I’d count passing out during my designation and passing out during pregnancy all these years later a history of it,” I argued.
Great. Now he was absolutely going to tell Dr. Clark about this.
Speak of the devil, the click of high heels was followed by Dr. Clark rounding the corner, her eyes going wide when she saw Hailey.
“Hailey!” she greeted, pulling my sister in for a warm hug. “We sure have missed you.”
“I’ve missed you guys, too, you have no idea,” she muttered. “But it seems my sister’s keeping you busy.”
“Her sister, who apparently passed out when she came into her designation. Does that count as a history?” Cade asked, finally opening his eyes and looking at Dr. Clark.
“No,” she admitted. “I don’t love that you passed out, but it does make it a little less concerning that it’s happened before. It’s not uncommon to faint during designation changes, it’s a huge rush of hormones, kind of like pregnancy.”
“Great,” I grumbled.
“The good news is you didn’t hit anything on the way down, and you made it here in one piece. Your baby is healthy and strong. Just like you are.”
“Does that mean I get to go home soon?” I pleaded.
“Yes,” she agreed with a chuckle. “I got the last test I was waiting on, everything is looking normal now. We’re still sticking to the plan of seeing you at the end of the week, though. But yes, you can escape soon.”
“Thank God.”
“That doesn’t mean you’re off bed rest, though. I still want you resting for the rest of the week.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I sighed. “Don’t worry, I know the pack will hold me to it.”
“We sure will,” Beckett confirmed. “For once, my stubborn omega will have to listen to her alpha.”
“I’m glad you’ve got it under control,” Dr. Clark said with a grin. “The nurse will be in to make sure there’s nothing else we need to do. I’ll see you at the end of the week.”
“Thank you!” I called after her, just before she gave Hailey a pat on the arm and walked out.
My sister had a sad smile on her face as she watched Dr. Clark leave. “God, I miss working at the clinic. I always said she was going to be the one to deliver my babies.”
“She’s been great. First time she walked in, she mentioned how much she missed you. So, don’t worry, the feeling’s definitely mutual.”
Hailey looked on the verge of tears, not able to form words before she glanced over at Nolan for comfort.
“We’re going to be in town for a few days, checking on the place, so I’m going to head out. I’ll swing by the house, okay?” she promised.
“Are you alright?” I wasn’t going to let her walk out of here looking that sad.
“I’m fine,” she said quietly. “I just miss being home.”
She gave me a tight hug that I think we both needed.
“Home misses you.”
She sniffled, then took a breath, regaining her composure before offering Nolan a smile so they could head out. From the frown on his face, he’d clocked every single word she said.
Drew and Spencer walked back in with arms full of food. The nurse hadn’t come in yet, so we dug in until she arrived, had me sign a few forms, and then sent us on our way.
Now that I’d eaten, I was ready to be back in my nest.
The guys fussed over me the entire way home, Drew driving extra slow and Spencer sitting beside me, making sure I was comfortable and safe.
Let the hovering begin.
When we got home, the alphas helped me inside and up to my nest, settling me in among a million pillows and blankets. I couldn’t even find it in myself to be snarky. It felt so damn good to be home.
I breathed in their scents and burrowed into the blankets, my eyes drifting closed before they could even offer me anything else.
At this point, I just needed to rest and recover.
To my surprise, they all kicked off their shoes, and pants, joining me in the nest. Cade and Drew were snoring the moment they were settled.
Cade had kidnapped my arm, holding it to his chest, while Drew rested a palm on my calf.
Beckett was by my head, his fingers delicately running through my hair.
I couldn’t even be mad that he was messing up my curls.
Then Spencer was there, his glasses tucked safely away, and head resting on my thigh as he whispered softly to the baby before he, too, drifted off.
I really was lucky to have them.
They didn’t just take care of me, they saw me. They’d seen me at my best and at my worst, and had proven they were never going to leave my side. Even in something as simple as bed rest, here they were, resting with me and showing that I came first.
Maybe this week wouldn’t be so bad after all.