Chapter 15
At twenty-two weeks, May would attend one of Dove’s doctor’s appointments for the first time.
She was supposed to be at the last appointment, but a political matter stopped her from being there.
Dove had been disappointed, resulting in a quiet night until dawn.
Dove could hardly stay mad at May when she attempted to make them their morning meal.
She was getting better with each day, though.
Her taste had changed, which was normal this far into her pregnancy, at least according to her doctor.
Dove had been an avid meat eater for all of her life, and working in the kitchen built her love for cooking, but she could barely stand looking at the food in front of her, let alone eating the meals provided for her.
May had been excellent in taking the role of making most of their meals, but Kelsee helped her around the kitchen.
As of now she was gaining weight, which made her happy to think of the pup in her belly.
She would momentarily get distracted and rub her tummy most of her days, but it made maneuvering more difficult.
Kelsee had discussed the possibility of her working with the bakery items or a position where Dove would feel more secure in the upcoming weeks.
Dove still hadn’t wanted to believe she was only carrying one pup, but with her weight gain, she had noticed that she was below target, and for that reason she was going to the doctor later that day.
May would meet her there, but Dove assumed she would be disappointed if they only had one pup their first time around.
Most Alphas were. They liked to believe their seeds held a great weight, so having only a single pup during a heat or rut meant they weren’t as superior.
Slowly, Dove realized that she’d been thinking about what it would be like to be pregnant again.
Sitting by the fireplace, she rubbed her swollen belly as she daydreamed about a litter of pups they might one day have.
Would May even want more pups? Dove never thought she would want more than one, but thinking of little pups that were part of her and May made a warmth bloom in her chest.
Dove tried to shut down the thought that maybe May would only ever want one pup.
She believed she would be okay with that, but with the conflicting thoughts running through her head, she had to close her book and move towards the balcony.
The servants in the garden were moving around with efficiency as she gazed out at the mountain.
Fog sat around the tips with each passing moment.
Dove’s hand found itself on the lower half of her body.
She loved the pup in her body with her whole heart.
With the timing of the sun, she could see that her appointment was coming up, so she threw on a comfortable chemise to walk the corridors to the medical wing. Assuming May would just meet her there, she started her leisurely walk.
The whole way there she thought of May. Living together had been the easiest transition of her life.
The Alpha always made sure they also had what they needed.
Fresh clothes, ingredients to make morning and evening meals, a hot bath waiting for her.
May was the most attentive person she had ever met, and Dove was in love with her.
She was an absolute idiot for thinking that May was an arrogant and proud Alpha, when Dove knew who May was now.
Even before their budding relationship, she had always been in proximity with May because of Taylor.
She should have seen how caring she was for Taylor and even knew how protective she was of Dove’s safety.
May had followed Dove during the night of her heat to protect her from the other Alphas swarming her.
Dove had always been stubborn in her views when she set her mind to it.
It was something she needed to work on, especially now that she was going to be a mother.
Eventually, she realized that she was at the front door of her doctor’s office, when May met her there with her casual uniform on. The deep gray popped against May’s fair skin. Her hair had been tied up in a braid, courtesy of Dove, but a few strands flew out.
“Hello.” May leaned forward to place a short kiss on Dove’s forehead before standing back with her hands tucked behind her back.
“That’s how you greet the mother of your pup?
Kind of lame, May.” Dove was just playing, but after their lack of physical intimacy last night, she was desperate to feel May on her.
The Omega needed to have the Alpha. Taylor had recently told her that she smelled more and more like the Alpha in front of her, but she wasn’t able to tell.
Dove was just glad that everyone could tell who her Alpha was, because she was proud to be with her.
“I did not know if you were still upset with me.” May whispered the words like she was embarrassed for her behavior last night, when she had done nothing wrong. Dove feared May wouldn’t make it again, which resulted in the silence, and a lack of touch during their sleep.
Dove slept most peacefully when she was near May, but last night she had turned her back to the Alpha.
Dove had adopted the side closest to the wardrobe and May towards the window balcony.
While Dove was hesitant at first, May explained that if they ever needed to escape Dove would be closest to the door and able to grab the pups.
They had slept perfectly well together, except when physical distance was required and her Omega craved the Alpha.
“I’m not upset with you, May.” May couldn’t even look at her, further confirming the thoughts Dove had, that May never thought she was enough. Dove needed to figure out how to show her Alpha that she was the perfect mate—or would be one day.
“You did not want me to hold you last night, and you would not kiss me this morning, which means you are upset with me.” Dove couldn’t see May’s hands, but she knew that she was twisting her fingers. Her anxiety radiated off her scent, which urged Dove to reassure her.
“May, listen to me.” Dove grabbed her arms, prompting May to give her her hands. “I am not upset with you, I promise. Last night I was worried something would come up again and you would miss this appointment.”
“Which resulted in you being mad at me.”
“May, I want to see how many pups we are having, and I didn’t want you to miss the appointment.
I think I just needed to distance myself last night in case that happened, but I swear, May.
I am not mad. We promised communication and I should’ve made that a point last night.
” Dove stood on her tiptoes to rub her nose against May’s scent gland, who let out a quiet, relieved sigh.
“I love you, May, and I’m sorry for putting you in distress. You did nothing wrong.”
May’s arms circled Dove’s waist, finally pulling her closer so that their bodies touched. Dove wrapped her hands around the Alpha’s neck, twirling the little hairs as per usual. May’s body relaxed against the Omega.
“I wish you would have told me. That way we could have done this last night.” May pulled Dove up and kissed below her ear before nipping the skin.
She kissed the corner of Dove’s lips then placing a kiss on her lips.
Before they could continue kissing more passionately, the doctor came out of his office, breaking apart their hallway affair.
“So sorry to interrupt, but I am on a tight schedule. If you two are ready, I can take you in here.” May set Dove back down carefully, guiding her in the room. There was a chair for her to sit in. Vials of medication and multiple medical supplies she didn’t recognize surrounded the room.
He usually just took her blood, checked her heart rate, made sure she was eating properly and the pup sounded okay. Today, though, they would find out the official number of pups Dove was carrying, even though Dove knew it was just the one.
“Update me, how have you been feeling?” He pulled out some parchment to record her symptoms. With her weight gain and change in appetite, she also had back aches from carrying the pup and a few cramps here and there.
Explaining everything, he said she was on track with the weekly symptoms. May stood beside her, holding her hand a little too tightly each time the doctor spoke. She was such a worrier.
When the doctor pulled out the needle and vial to collect blood, May’s loud growl filled the room, stopping the Beta doctor across from Dove.
“May, do you want to step out for this part?” Dove gripped her Alpha’s hand, whose pheromones created a threatening atmosphere when a sharp object neared Dove. Even if she wasn’t pregnant, she knew May would react this way.
“Why do you need to draw blood?” May glared at the needle. She was ready to attack anyone who would harm her pregnant Omega.
“The blood draw helps to see where the pups’ health is at and to make sure Dove is also in good health. It can tell us what I can’t see. Do I have your permission to continue, captain?”
Dove almost snarled at her doctor for asking permission from May to continue on Dove’s body before she realized what it signified.
He was asking because the protective Alpha was not only radiating threats, but May’s scent covered all of Dove.
It was there to warn others to leave her alone, because she belonged to May.
Even though she hadn’t been marked, the pup helped radiate May’s smell.
She grinned at the thought of everyone thinking of her as May’s Omega.
Even though she had initially disliked the idea of being marked by an Alpha, she now desperately wanted May’s bite.
“Yes, but I cannot look.” Gently touching her lips to Dove’s forehead, she kept their heads connected at a perpendicular angle, looking away from the scene.
The needle went into Dove’s vein, causing her to wince as May whispered a few sweet words in her ear.
Soon enough it was over, and he was bandaging up her arm.
“Was there anything else you were concerned about?” He positioned himself in front of the couple with a perceptive look.
“I was wondering if you would be able to tell us how many pups we were having?” May gave her another hand squeeze.
May was tucked right by her side now, as they had gravitated towards each other throughout the appointment.
The feel of May’s thumb rubbing patterns over her hand while she sat and explained her pregnancy was natural, everything Dove had been craving over her last few visits.
Their doctor raised a thick eyebrow at them. “I thought you wanted to wait until the birth?” Dove and May made eye contact, prompting a subtle nod from May. She would not do anything May was uncomfortable with.
“I’ve been thinking, and I would rather be prepared knowing how many pups versus the day of.” That was not unnecessarily true, but she had just been processing more recently.
“I understand. Going from no children to multiple is definitely a switch. Let me get the stethoscope so I can listen for the heartbeats and confirm.” Dove knew that he also knew how many pups she was pregnant with and that they were putting the show on for May.
She didn’t mind. He exited the room, and Dove desperately wanted May to hold her.
“However many pups, we will be okay. We will be able to handle all the pups.”
“Would you be disappointed if it was only one pup?” Dove craned her neck to look up into the green eyes.
May’s soft hairs had escaped her braid, and Dove reached out to play with them.
As Dove’s fingers tangled with the hair, she noticed that May’s look was a cross between introspective and confused.
May smoothed down the ginger hairs that were stuck to her head.
“Do you really think I could be disappointed in you or our child? I do not care if it is one or a million. I will admit the thought of spoiling a single pup during their first year has kept me up at night. I will dress her in the finest fabrics and the most delicious food when she gets older, and the thought of you with our pup has sent me into a frenzy. But it would be so much fun if we have multiple pups—playing with them after work but teaching each of them to fight and eventually having them gang up on me all at once would be joyous. Whether it is a single pup or multiples this time around, I will be ecstatic, because they are ours.” May’s words screamed truth, but Dove could barely hear them over the excitement pounding through her veins.
They were going to be a family. They were a family.
“You think it’s a girl?” A smile broke Dove’s face.
Before they could kiss, the doctor came back, holding his stethoscope. “This will be slightly cold on the skin, but once I have determined the number of heartbeats, I’ll let you know.” He sat down in a chair close to Dove’s belly before pressing the cold metal to her flush skin.
Dove looked into May’s eyes. She was so alive right now.
Here she sat with her favorite person, who helped create a life with her.
With May standing above her, she let loose all the emotions her Omega was feeling.
Eventually, he pulled the metal away. He looked into both of their eyes, folding the stethoscope around his neck.
“It seems that you are only pregnant with one pup.” Dove couldn’t stop the happy images May described from flooding her brain when May leaned down and kissed her.