Chapter 6
Jessabella
At first, I didn’t know where I was when I woke up.
It had been almost like my first heat all over again, just a wild tangle of limbs and lust and sticky, dripping heat clinging to every inch of me.
The light was bright, too bright, which didn’t make sense. My room in the basement was very dark and gloomy. Not to mention still quite cold in the mornings.
Yawning, I rolled over. . .and flopped right back like a turtle.
What–what was this?
I looked down in astonishment at my belly.
It was. . .huge!
Absolutely massive, so big I couldn't even see my own toes wiggling.
What the hell? I was pregnant?
I couldn’t believe my eyes!
Because of Alpha seed, Omegas showed instantly, but I was somehow not prepared for how it would feel to be flat-bellied one day, and have a round, swollen end-of-third-trimester-pregnant belly the next day!
Tears sprang to my eyes, and I felt joy bursting from every inch of my skin. My belly was alive too, little pulses and kicks all over, the skin rolling like an ocean wave from one end of my womb to the other.
I was pregnant.
My belly was round and big and I really had to pee but I had never felt better in my life, the tears streaming down my face as I watched my baby engage in full acrobatics exercise all up and down my pelvis.
“I don’t know how this happened, but so happy you’re in there,” I whispered, stroking my belly.
But how did one get out of bed?
Suddenly there was an accompanying rustle from a chair in the corner, and a man shot to his feet and lunged toward my bed.
“How are you feeling? Are you all right?”
It was Theo, his hair and clothes looking rumpled.
“Yes, and look at me! I’m pregnant! How did that happen?”
His jaw dropped and he looked cutely embarrassed, running a hand through his dark waves.
“Er--well, we did do several very adult things last night? Are you happy?”
“Happy? I’m ecstatic!” I crowed. “You sure this isn’t a dream?”
Theo looked like hell in the most adorable way, his clothes hanging half-off and half-on his body, his T-shirt torn in several places, and his sweatpants hanging right over that yummy thick bulge.
Had I done that? What had happened last night? Somehow, I was an Omega who was suddenly very fertile!
“Alexei!” Theo called, and the Duke suddenly bolted up from underneath the blankets at the foot of the bed, falling on his belly and looking up with wide-eyed astonishment at me.
“How the hell long have I been sleeping? Because this is the best sight I’ve ever woken up to.”
“Can someone help me up?” I laughed. “There’s a pretty heavy weight pressing on my bladder.”
Theo hurried to pull me up and show me the attached bathroom, then they settled me back in the bed, fluffing pillows and bringing me tea, toast, and fruit for breakfast.
I had a moment in between them sprinting in and out to realize I was in the best room at Koval Manor, one that had always stayed perfectly clean and preserved, my former Pack insistent it was only there in case the King or Queen decided to visit.
It was absolutely humongous, in a soft natural cream color, the wallpaper incredibly intricate and patterned with delicate snowy woodland creatures. The big windows were hung with gossamer lace and the bed was big too, with silken hangings.
“Is this room OK?” Alexei asked anxiously. “I thought it fit you, somehow? But you can change anything you like in it!”
“No, I love it,” I said, letting my hand trail down the bed hangings as Theo placed a tray in front of me. “I’ve always loved it.”
“And the bed is big,” he added hopefully. “So we can all sleep here?”
“What happened last night–” I began, cradling my belly.
“Was what we desire more than anything else,” Alexei said eagerly, his fingers skimming over my bite marks. “Are you ok with it? Are you happy? Shit got kind of wild there.”
“But you don’t even know me!” I protested, stirring the porridge Theo placed in front of me on a neat little tray with a rose. Exactly how I liked it. Strong and sweet, with flavors of honey, milk, and nuts. “And now we’re mate-bonded!”
“Yes, we do,” Theo insisted. “Jessabella, I’ve had a–a–crush on you for the longest time. I just didn’t think there was ever any hope for me, since you were already mated in a Pack.”
The thought that men like Theo and Alexei, young, devastatingly handsome, strong, kind, and gentle, had had a crush on me? Almost as impossible as my pregnancy.
For a few moments, I felt suddenly shy, nervous after our dripping and juicy sexfest of the night before.
But these gentle Alphas were so excited to be bonded, acted like they couldn’t stand to be away from me, both of them crawling into bed with me and talking excitedly about what more I needed to build my nest in here and where we’d put the baby’s room.
Alexei had already ordered all my art and craft supplies to be brought back here, and I watched in wonderment as the new Duke, in his sweatpants, directed the servants in with box after box.
I had been in a Pack for fifteen years and didn’t ever remember feeling so supported.
Or touched with such simple, open affection. I’d spent fifteen years giving so many blowjobs sometimes I wondered if my jaw would freeze that way, but I’d never had Alphas more excited about my pleasure than their own.
And every time they looked at my belly, they got more and more excited.
Theo was grinning from ear to ear as he traced circles around my belly button while Alexei was at my ankle, gentle fingers on my toes.
“I felt a kick,” he rumbled. “Put your hand here, Theo.”
He took the other man’s hand and placed it on my left side, just as I saw a visible ripple on the right side.
“Our baby is playing tricks on us already,” Alexei laughed, his blue eyes gleaming as he looked up at me.
The movement felt like waves in my belly, our baby flip-flopping in the womb, now and again kicking out with surprising power as my Alphas chased the feeling.
“Can you believe it?” the Duke crowed. “Oh, you’re carrying so well. So beautifully!”
Theo traced the outline of one tiny hand.
“Listen to your daddies,” he mock-lectured. “Be gentle on your mommy’s bladder now.”
We lounged in bed all morning, and then around lunch Theo suggested we go down to the ducal kitchens for lunch.
But as I walked out into the kitchen, my old Pack walked in too, and they were not happy to see me.
“What the hell?” Edgard barked, his jaw dropping open. “What the fuck happened to you?”
In an instant, Theo was in his face.
“Lower your fucking voice when you talk to her!”
“You’re pregnant?” Penn cried, his voice shrill, and there were two spots of color on his cheeks. “How dare you have sex in our manor, you little slut?”
Theo grabbed him around the throat, his dominating Alpha bark shaking the stone walls.
“You’re lucky I don’t fucking tear your tongue out for that, old man!”
He dragged the other Alpha to the first floor window and chucked him out of it.
“And don’t let me see your sad carcass again!”
“How–” Brand gasped, his eyes bugging out of his head.
“I think you should know how it works,” I said dryly. “After all, it’s something you begged me to do many times.”
“Begged you for sex–why–I thought–”
“You thought of me as nothing but an incubator for your babies,” I said angrily, as Theo shoved Brand back into the fridge. “You never cared about me as a person.”
“Jessabella, whose–baby is that?” Brand asked eagerly, trying to sidestep around my protector.
Alexei had his arms outstretched to keep my former Pack away, but their faces were slack-jawed with shock, glistening with envy.
“You think this is your baby?” I shot at him. “That I somehow hid my massive belly for weeks? No. It’s not. This pregnancy has nothing to do with you.”
“Well–we just never imagined–who in the world has impregnated you–”
All of a sudden, I felt Alexei’s strong arm slip around my waist, and he was vibrating with fury.
“That another Pack would want her, badly?” Well, we do.
I’m the one who impregnated her. Theo and I are the ones who filled her with seed.
She belongs to Theo and me now. And now she has a Pack who would never give her up for anything.
Put some goddamn respect on your new Duchess’ name when you talk to her. ”
All the blood had drained from Edgar’s face and he just stood there, gaping, his mouth drooping open like a fish.
“And how fucking dare you talk about your manor? In fact, you aren’t necessary at Koval Manor anymore. I don’t need estate guardians. I’m 25. Of age. You and your Pack have ten minutes to get your stuff and get the hell off my property.”
Alexei punctuated this with twisting Edgar brutally by the collar and shoving him down the hallway.
“Go. And I better not see you ever talking to Jessabella again.”
The Duke called for his servants, instructing them to accompany Edgar, Penn, and Brand to their rooms and make sure they left the property.
They had done all this for me. They really did care. I finally had—true protectors.
“I’m so sorry,” Alexei said, brushing at the tears that gathered in the corner of my eyes. “I’m so sorry for everything.”
“I don’t know how I can repay you!” I burst out as Theo rushed to my side. “You have changed everything for me–given me a baby, the best room at Koval Manor, every luxury I could ever dream of.”
“We’re the lucky ones,” Theo insisted. “Let us treat you as you deserve. You are going to have the most relaxed, luxurious pregnancy ever. I’m so sorry you had to see me treat your former Pack like that.”
“I liked it,” I retorted, smiling through my tears.
“I know it’s early,” Alexei said, cupping one side of my face as Theo tenderly cradled the other. “But I love you, Jessabella.”
He kissed one side of my lips and Theo the other, their tongues eagerly teasing at my entrance.
“Please,” Theo murmured against my tongue. “We’re a Pack now. Let us love you.”
These two devastatingly handsome, kind, generous Alphas in front of me were mine?
“Show me,” I laughed, shyly, then braver now, as they covered my face with kisses, their hands gently stroking all over my belly, feeling for the baby we had made together.