Chapter 24
Erik
A month ago, I got the best news a man could ever hear, regardless of what planet they call home.
Avery is pregnant. I’m not sure who the father is, but my wolf seems to be attuned to her in a way he wasn’t before.
That would make me think it could be my baby in her belly, but my brothers are having the same reaction.
Regardless, the baby won’t belong to any one of us.
We’ll care for it like we care for our mate.
If it’s a boy, he’ll be Ivar’s heir. One of the four thrones of Midgard will be his one day. If it’s a girl, she’ll be our future and provide a future for one of the other royal families. But in order for that to become reality, we’ll have to find mates for everyone.
First, we need a way to get in contact with them.
I’m in the barn, working on the ship, like I have been most days since we bought this farm.
I’m making progress, but it’s slow. They don’t have the right alloys here.
I had to build a forge and find the right combination of metals to produce it.
That hasn’t been easy. I’ve made a lot of contacts, but I’ve had to be careful.
The other systems are a bigger challenge.
I need more than alloys to get them operational.
Producing everything from the raw materials takes time.
I’ve tried to double down on my efforts since we found out Avery was pregnant, but it’s still going slower than I’d like.
It could be months before I can get the communication system back online.
Possibly years before I can repair the hyperdrive.
I just don’t want to admit that to anyone, even myself.
“Fuck,” I swear, pulling my hand back when I get zapped. I shake off the pain, muttering a few more obscenities under my breath.
“Are you okay?” Avery asks, I turn to see her standing at the door of the barn.
“Yeah, I’m fine. What are you doing out here? You should be inside relaxing.” I narrow my eyes at her.
“I’ve read several books. These old television shows… well, old by my standards, are boring,” she sighs. “And I miss you. I hardly get to see you.”
“Are Ivar and Sigurd not taking good care of you?” I ask, wiping my hands off before I walk closer to her.
“They are, but I have three mates, not two,” she says, leaning against me and wrapping her arms around my waist. “I don’t need you to take care of me, but it would be nice to have dinner with you occasionally.”
“I’m sorry, mate,” I sigh, pulling her into a tight embrace.
“I’m not neglecting you on purpose, I promise.
I just want to get his ship repaired as quickly as possible.
I’d like for our child to be born on Midgard…
” I trail off and glance back toward the ship.
“But that goal may be beyond my capabilities for a while.”
“It’s okay. Even if the baby is born here, we’ll get there eventually,” she says, squeezing me tighter before leaning back. “I’d rather have you than a spaceship.”
“I’ll be more attentive, I promise,” I say, moving some hair away from her eyes. “How are you doing? Any discomfort?”
“No, except when I take those vitamins,” she says, gagging a little. “I can’t believe I have to choke down so many powders. I wish they were pills like they were on Earth.”
“They’re the same on Midgard, but they don’t have them here. I did the best I could, but I’ll see if I can find a pill press the next time I go to the city,” I say. “That should help with ingestion.”
“Digestion too, I hope,” she grumbles, putting a hand on her stomach.
“Well, you’re still glowing,” I chuckle, kissing her forehead before letting go. “Pregnancy makes you even more beautiful than you already are.”
“I don’t feel it,” she sighs. “How are things coming with the ship?”
“Not as fast as I’d like,” I say, walking back over to it. “I’ll have to make another run soon to get more supplies and materials. As much as I hate to admit it, you will likely have the baby here.”
“That’s okay, as long as I have the three of you,” she says. “We’ll need to find a hospital, right? I can’t give birth on this farm. I mean, I could, but…”
“It’s risky, yes. A hospital would be much safer and I’m already a step ahead of you,” I say. “I’ve researched some maternity wards. New Egypt General Hospital looks to be the best on this side of the country. Luckily, we’re pretty close to it.”
“I guess it won’t be unusual for me to show up pregnant, ready to pop,” she chuckles, but then her expression gets more serious. “Although, it might not be a bad idea to find an obstetrician. There are no ultrasounds here, but I’d at least like to have a doctor confirm the baby is okay.”
“I can arrange that, if it will make you feel better,” I assure her. “My wolf can already detect the baby’s heartbeat. It’s a strong child.”
“Good, that makes me feel a little better,” she says.
Truthfully, the baby’s heartbeat is stronger than any my wolf has detected, especially this early in the pregnancy. It’s faster and more pronounced. Something tells me Avery’s genetics are going to produce a sturdy offspring, just like ours will.
“It’s almost lunchtime. Let’s go you inside and find you something to eat,” I say, wiping my hands off again, doing a more thorough job this time. “You’re eating for two now.”
“Barely. It’s probably smaller than a bean right now,” she laughs.
“Still needs food,” I say firmly, putting an arm around her.
Avery’s pregnancy has stirred a lot of emotions to the surface.
I’ve felt similar emotions before, when my late wife was pregnant with our children.
It’s different with Avery, and I’m sure that’s because of the bond.
As much as I cared for my wife, and loved our offspring, this bond is stronger than anything I’ve felt before.
I take Avery inside. Ivar is working in the fields.
Sigurd is tending to the livestock. Hopefully, not wrestling any of the bulls.
If they get hungry, they’ll come to the house, so I make a couple of sandwiches for us.
Ivar made the bread, and it’s not quite as fluffy as what Avery makes, but it’s still edible.
“Here you are, my love,” I say, handing her the plate and a glass of milk.
“Thank you,” she says, opening her sandwich to take a peek. “You remembered the tomatoes this time for my BLT.”
“Yes, it’s a rather simple sandwich,” I smirk. “Hard to forget three ingredients. I didn’t know what I was making the first time you asked for it.”
“The bacon here is so much better than it was on Earth,” she says, biting into her sandwich. “Or maybe that’s just my pregnancy hormones. Seems like all the flavors are more vibrant now.”
“Could be a combination of both. I’ve noticed a difference compared to the wild hogs back home.” I shrug and take a bite of my sandwich. “Hopefully, you’ll like the food on Midgard. If not, we can always find livestock suitable for your tastes.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” she says. “But I’m taking the cookbooks when we leave. A lot of the recipes are similar to what I used to eat, and I’ve had lots of time to read. I might even be ready to try some fries the next time you let me in the kitchen.”
“It’ll be a while before that time comes,” I laugh, taking another bite of my sandwich and drinking some milk. “If there’s anything you need, just let us know. We’ll make sure you get it, even if I have to go to the city.”
“Luckily, all I’ve craved is meat,” she says. “My mom said when she was pregnant with me, she wanted pickles and ice cream all the time. Apparently, that was a common craving on Earth, but I have no interest in them.”
“Could be a sign that you’re pregnant with a boy,” I smirk. “Fenrir’s Mark would definitely make you crave meat.”
“Because of the wolf?” she asks.
“Yep,” I confirm.
“How does that work anyway? Will it be a baby at first, then learn to shift?” she asks, her brows furrowing with concern as she takes another bite of her sandwich.
“Those with Fenrir’s Mark usually feel their wolf begging to be freed during puberty,” I tell her.
“But it takes years to become one with the wolf. I was eighteen before I could actually call mine. Same with Ivar. Sigurd learned to call his a lot earlier, but he was raiding by the time he hit puberty, so he needed his wolf.”
“Damn, you start raiding that young?” she asks.
“Not everyone, no,” I say. “Sigurd couldn’t wait and since he’s a member of one of the royal families, it was allowed.
Not that he was actually in any danger back then.
They took him on safer raids in the beginning, but he was born to be a brute.
Good thing he wasn’t our father’s firstborn son.
I don’t think the throne would have ever suited him. ”
“No, I can’t imagine him sitting on a throne all day. He’d go crazy,” Avery laughs, wiping some tomato juice from her chin. “Doesn’t seem like any of you enjoy being indoors, yet you force me to stay in here.”
“You’d be surprised to know I actually preferred it when I was younger,” I smirk. “I was happy in the royal court. I’d still go on the occasional raid, but it wasn’t a priority for me. But after the plague…”
“Yeah, I guess that has a way of changing things,” she sighs. “Now you’re the only one who can repair the ship and get us to Midgard.”
“I sure as fuck hope so.” I finish my sandwich and put my plate to the side. “Wish I’d paid closer attention during my formative years. Might not have taken us so damn long to start searching for viable mates.”
“If you’d started sooner, you wouldn’t have found me,” she points out. “Unless you found Earth, I suppose. Even then, I wouldn’t have been old enough. You’d have picked some other girl and called her your mate.”
“We would have, yes. But it wouldn’t have been the same. You’re our true mate, just like the legends say.” I smile at her. “That means everything and makes all the suffering worthwhile. I’d still like to get home, but our home is where you are.”
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere without the three of you,” she says. “I’ve fallen in love with you, just like I’ve fallen in love with your brothers.”
“We love you too, Avery,” I say. “Always will.”
Avery finishes her sandwich and milk, so I move over to the couch beside her. I offer to massage her feet, but she just wants to cuddle, and I’m perfectly fine with that.
The ship will get us home one day.
Right now, I just want to be close to my mate.