Chapter 9
Dove was having an excellent time as they walked down the road.
She had her evening meal with Taylor and Eveleen in their private quarters the night before, where she had mentioned wanting to go into the town square to find a few specialized ingredients to make something up for her own birthday.
The main ingredients were Crimson Currants and Fuyote, a vegetable from the eastern region of their country.
Along the road were buildings where the townspeople resided, small drinking taverns, and places to get food.
The road was kicking up dirt as they walked closer along the small city towards the town hall.
They had sectioned off a place where locals of all status could sell their stuff, and each merchant tent was spread out in the little market.
Dove and Eveleen went to each stand, lingering at the ones selling cloths since Eveleen had mentioned wanting some fabrics to sew her own blanket. It was something Eveleen did with her mother before her passing and now she was teaching Taylor.
The guards were close enough to protect, but far enough away to not be able to hear their conversation.
Dove’s eyes wandered occasionally to May, whose scent was radiating with anxiety.
Dove felt the overwhelming urge to comfort her, when Eveleen interrupted her thoughts.
Even though they hadn’t talked and she was still angry at May, she hated seeing her uneasy.
“What do you think of these?” Eveleen questioned, raising a small light blue cloth with a daisy pattern.
Dove traced her fingers across the fabric. It was almost as soft as one of her favorite blankets. She leaned in, smelling that the soft square was scented.
“It’s perfect for a small pup, wouldn’t you agree? The name could be sewn right below the flower.” Dove gave Eveleen a sideways glance, making sure May was out of earshot. She was, thankfully, busy talking with Kaden who was viewing a few small daggers.
How the Alpha hadn’t picked up on her pregnancy she didn’t know, but she was just glad she hadn’t.
When May had marched up to her earlier, Dove thought she would throw her over her shoulder and take her somewhere private.
Instead, she just stood there, smelling the change in her pheromones. The change…their pups created.
She would tell her soon.
A few days ago, Taylor had confronted her, telling her the smell was distinct now and other Alphas would be aware.
That any Alpha who tried to get too close would have the pup’s scent flooding their system.
Taylor had mostly told her this out of concern and set up a doctor’s appointment for her.
She practically pleaded with Dove to tell May.
She suspected Eveleen knew but she tried her best to mask it.
It was her life anyway. The pups—or pup—were only the size of a bean.
“It is very pretty. Maybe one day you and Taylor’s pups could be swaddled in it.
” Dove turned to walk to the next stand, where a lovely old Omega was selling different types of jewelry.
Dove ran her fingers along one of the rings.
Something about it caught her eye. She traced her fingers along the silver band.
“That’s gorgeous.” Warmth spread through her entire body when the Alpha stood by her side.
Instinctively, she leaned back to rest her head against May’s chest. She knew her hormones were driving her, but she couldn’t resist the feel of May behind her.
Her body heat radiated nicely against the windy town.
A small gasp broke from May’s lips, causing Dove to straighten her spine.
Dove resisted looking at her and continued walking towards her desired goal.
“It’s outside my budget. I still need to find my ingredients,” she muttered. Padding along the town’s path, she finally found who she was looking for.
“I need a few Crimson Currants and a Fuyote.” Dove told the merchant. Eveleen rejoined her side while the merchant went to find the fruits and vegetables she needed.
“So, what is this dish you are making?” Eveleen’s questioned, scanning the wide variety of fruits in front of them. They ranged from villages all over the country.
“It is a type of noodle dumpling. The Fuyote is put inside the dough along with some cabbage and chives. It is cooked for long hours in a slow oil that isn’t the standard one we use in the kitchen.” She picked up and inspected some other greens she may use in her meal.
“What are the currants used for?” Eveleen picked up a few berries that she knew were Taylor’s preferred sweet snack. Eveleen really was the most attentive Omega Dove had met.
When Eveleen arrived after the death of her mother, Dove and May discovered that Taylor had been in communication with her for months. It was clear their friend fell faster than they could have imagined.
“It’s used to make a drizzle and a marinade for the lamb that goes with it. It’s incredibly sweet and it pairs perfectly with the meat in my opinion. When I started cooking with my mother, she taught me that recipe, but I found the Fuyote on my own.”
“I can’t believe your twenty-ninth birthday is in a few days!” Before Dove could respond, the ingredients she was in search for were presented to her.
“They look exquisite! Thank you.” Dove happily clutched the bag to her chest, handing her coins towards the excited merchant.
She turned to look for her guards. May wasn’t anywhere to be seen, but her two recruits were.
Zoe was closer to her and would barely make eye contact with her.
Her duty remained to Eveleen, but the way she stood close to Dove made her believe she was doing it for May’s benefit.
She started approaching the younger Alpha when a loud noise rang out in the square.
An unruly Beta was making a scene at one of the vendors when his eyes caught on Eveleen.
“This is your fault.” The dark-haired man stepped closer to her and Eveleen, aggressively pointing his finger while swinging the bottle in his hand.
“It’s your wife who has upped our taxes and ruined my business.
” He stopped just short of Eveleen, before Kaden stepped in with her hands on her sword.
Eveleen’s pheromones were more distraught than Dove had ever witnessed.
She was a non-confrontational Omega, and this Beta was threatening her.
“Sir, I need to ask you to step away please.” Kaden set out her other arm to block Eveleen, but Dove remained entirely open. Zoe was nearing her side, but it was too late when the Beta lunged at Eveleen, who was pulled away by Kaden, leaving Dove wide open to be tackled to the ground.
Dove couldn’t process the world around her as the air was pushed out of her lungs.
The Beta landed on her in an awkward angle, his glass bottle falling at her side.
The commotion around her was too much, so she shut her eyes.
This is why Taylor and May never wanted her out of the palace.
When she left bad things always happened, and what if this time it resulted in the loss of her pups?
She felt the pressure of his body leaving her when Caleb hauled him up, putting him in restraints.
Zoe crouched beside her, carefully cradling the back of her head.
The Alpha’s eyes were flush with concern, but the only thing she wanted was May holding her while she cried.
She always responded poorly to physical pain, and she already had heightened emotions.
“Are you okay? Is the pup?” Zoe inspected her body with her eyes checking for any signs of bleeding.
She spoke the words so casually as if Dove being pregnant wasn’t unusual.
The young Alpha had picked up on it, which was even crazier that May hadn’t.
May had always been a bit aloof with some things.
Dove cradled her belly, waiting for the faint thump of the heartbeat. It had barely started beating a few days ago, but when she tuned in, she could feel her pups growing in her. A low growl caught Dove’s attention as a dark figure broke through the crowd.
“What the fuck is happening here?” The words came out of May’s lips so fast it was unrecognizable, before she descended next to Dove’s body. If she wasn’t so distracted, she might have shoved Zoe off of Dove. Instead, Zoe stood up to work on crowd control and the world faded outside of May.
“Dovely what happened? Are you all right, baby?” Her Alpha pheromones were the most comforting thing Dove felt in weeks; she couldn’t help but surrender.
Her body melted when May cradled her head, carefully pulling her up into her lap.
May soothed back some of the red hairs that were stuck to her face.
Dove held it together as best as she could while letting her Alpha calm her. “I have got you, Dovely.”
***
The rest of their trip was a blur, while the other guard members gathered up the carriage and horses.
May refused to leave Dove’s side through it all, taking her time to “evaluate her trainees” as she claimed.
Eveleen was on the other side of May with her own guard.
The Beta that attacked Dove had been taken to the local prison with the local guards.
Kaden and Zoe moved with efficiency to get the horses together. When it was ready to go, May finally left Dove’s side before reassuring her she would be right back. Eveleen approached her instead.
“I think I’ll ride on horseback on the way home.”
“Eveleen no, definitely not. You were almost attacked.”
“Yes and because of that you are hurt. The only people on the way back to the palace are peaceful farmers. I want to do this. You and May can ride in the carriage together.” Eveleen’s eyes were pleading with Dove as she spoke.
“Taylor will kill both of us if something happens.” Her Omega felt the instant urge to touch her belly where her pups lay. She glanced up at her Alpha double checking the reins and rubbed her belly for a moment.
“Then I’ll tell her I ordered you guys in there. Maybe you can finally talk.”
“There’s nothing to discuss.” Eveleen dropped her eyes to where Dove rubbed her belly, prompting her to drop them. She stepped closer to her friend, lightly touching her wrist.
“You were assaulted and hurt. What if something happened to the pups because the guard’s main concern was me? I would never forgive myself.”
“Pups? What pups?” Just like that, the Alpha she had been desiring for weeks found out the news she was deciding to tell her later tonight.