by Leann Ryans
They were having dinner together again that night, and Connor had actually been able to make it with his family as well. Liam was looking forward to Annalise meeting his other brother and nieces for the first time.
“You look fine,” he called as she turned to go back to her room.
She’d already changed outfits twice, complaining that her belly had grown too much, and the pants were too tight, or the shirt too short. He shook his head, muttering under his breath about women.
“What was that?”
He controlled the urge to huff as she came back out in yet another shirt.
“Declan and Dakota.”
She raised a brow, twisting her lips to the side. He’d been through the alphabet multiple times in the past two months since they learned the sex of the twins and was running out of bad names.
“That was pathetic.”
He grinned. She figured out he was doing his best to suggest horrid names and it had become a game between them.
The Annalise he first met would have sniffed and looked down her nose at him. She had been so stiff and formal. He loved how she’d relaxed and learned to have fun.
He stood as she moved toward him, stopping close enough her belly almost touched his.
“You look wonderful. You know my family won’t judge.”
Her cheeks colored and she ducked her head before looking back up and nodding.
“I just don’t want to disappoint them.”
He was shocked by her words, and it took a moment to pull himself back together. She seemed to enjoy their dinners with his family, but he hadn’t realized she cared what they thought of her. He’d figured out there were issues in her past with her parents, but he didn’t know the details, and he thought she would be wary of his as well.
“You know my mother loves you, and Sean being annoying is his way of showing affection. Dad likes you, and I know Connor and his family will too. Relax.”
She huffed but smiled at him.
“I’m ready if you are.”
“Finally!”
He threw his arms in the air and spun around to grab his jacket. The nights were getting cooler and he didn’t know how long they would be out. Annalise was in a sleeveless black top, but he knew she’d protest if he said she needed a jacket, and he didn’t want her to be cold on their walk home.
When he turned back to her she had her eyes narrowed at him, but a smile played on her lips. Opening the door, he stood aside and waved her through.
They arrived at the restaurant at the same time as his family. Annalise hung back as he greeted Connor and his girls, but his mom stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. Since introducing the women, he half believed his mother was more concerned with seeing her than him.
They went in and sat down to dinner. Annalise was enchanted by his nieces, spending a good portion of the night chatting with them and making them giggle.
He’d never realized how much she enjoyed children, and he was reassured that he’d made the right decision. No matter the pain it was going to cause him, Annalise deserved a family of her own, and he was glad she’d chosen him.
When Connor announced it was time to put the girls to bed, Liam and Annalise made their goodbyes as well. As they stepped out into the cool night air, he saw Annalise shiver and draped his jacket around her shoulders. She looked up at him with an odd expression.
“You only brought that because you thought I’d be cold on the walk home.”
It was a statement, so he only grinned and winked at her. She shook her head but moved closer to him, taking his arm and pulling it around her shoulders.
He tried to fight back the surge of triumph, but it was hard not to let the changes go to his head. The line she’d fought so hard to draw between them had blurred to the point he could no longer see it, but he had to remind himself they still had an end-date.
48. Annalise
Thirty-two weeks.
Eight months.
She’d been pregnant for eight months.
And she was thoroughly done with it.
“Why did I want to do this?”
Her sister chuckled as her kids screamed in the background. Annalise sat with her feet up on the coffee table, one hand resting on her swollen belly. She’d come for her usual visit with her sister but just the trip from the Speeder landing field to her sister’s house had left her exhausted.
“Because babies are wonderful!”
Her sister’s high-pitched tone showed she was joking, but Annalise glared at her anyway. Adalynn only held it together for a moment before breaking into laughter.
“Okay, the last part of pregnancy sucks. And so does the first part. And birth. And newborns.”
There was a crash from the other room.
“And when they get older,” Adalynn said as she rolled her eyes.
There was no crying, so the kids were fine.
“Where was I going with this?”
Annalise fought back a laugh, shaking her head.
“You were supposed to be reassuring me this was all worth it?”
“Oh! Oh, yes. It’s worth it.”
Annalise sighed, then winced when one of the twins rolled, jabbing knees into her ribs.
“How much longer?” she whined.
Her sister reached over and patted her knee.
“They generally prefer them to bake for a full forty weeks. They’re still a bit unfinished, like bread when you pull it out too soon. Still gooey in the middle.”
Annalise’s nose scrunched as her eyes moved to her sister. Adalynn shrugged.
“You don’t even have names picked out. They can’t arrive yet.”
She sighed again. She never thought names would be so hard, but her kids were going to be stuck with whatever she chose. It had to be right.
“I still have eight more weeks.”
Adalynn snorted.
“You have up to eight more weeks. Babies do whatever they want, and with twins you’ve got two of them with a mind of their own in there. Be happy if you get another month.”
She felt her eyes widen. She knew twins were more likely to come early, but to hear she could have a month or less made it feel like everything was suddenly closing in.
“What if they come before I find good names?”
Adalynn shrugged.
“I’m sure it’ll come to you. Why aren’t you using the ones you picked out the first time?”
Annalise groaned, running a hand over her face as her nephew and oldest niece came running through the living room screaming like banshees.
“They don’t work together! They were okay for a single child, not twins.”
Her sister raised her brow, giving her a look that said she thought Annalise was crazy. Rolling her eyes, she held up her hands.
“It’s what I want. I’ll figure it out. Hopefully.”
Adalynn shook her head, watching the kids run from the room again. Annalise usually watched them for her so she could run errands or whatever without the kids once in a while, but she wasn’t feeling up to it, and she felt guilty for not helping.
Her thoughts turned to Liam and his family. They were so supportive of each other and she could tell they all got along outside their regular dinners, and she couldn’t help feeling a pang of envy for what they had. Liam’s mother treated her as one of her own despite the different circumstances between Annalise and her eldest son.
She sobered, looking at her sister.
“Do you ever miss them?”
She didn’t have to explain, she knew Adalynn understood as soon as her eyes widened, and she started shaking her head. Annalise may have had it worse since she was the thing her mother despised, but the woman wouldn’t get parent of the year from Adalynn either.
“Nope. Not Mom. Sometimes I wonder about Dad, if he would have been different without her around, but I wouldn’t want to expose my kids to that toxicity.”
Annalise nodded. As much as she hated the things their mother had said and done
to her, she couldn’t squash the desire for a mother who was proud of her. Who didn’t judge her on her biology, or blame her for the loveless marriage.
And while her dad hadn’t been bad, he’d been more absent and complacent than anything. What her mother said, went. He wasn’t putting his neck on the line to defend his girls or correct his wife.
“So, what’s going on with that Alpha of yours? You met the family, that’s pretty serious. And you’re healthy so he’s obviously upholding his part of the contract.”
Adalynn grinned at her, the gleam in her eyes showing exactly what she was asking. Annalise’s cheeks flamed and she struggled to put her feet on the floor and stand.
“It’s time for me to head back. Hopefully I can visit again before the doctor cuts me off.”
Adalynn threw her head back, laughing at Annalise’s discomfort. While Adalynn had dated in school and Annalise had been there to listen to her boy-problems, Annalise never had the experience to have real girl-talk with her.
“Oh, come on! I’m a stay-at-home mother of three. I’m a beta married to a beta who’s married to his job. I need details!”
Fanning her face, Annalise shook her head.
“Nope. No details. Got to go.”
She grabbed her bag, waddling to the door as fast as she could without tripping over her own feet. Her sister stood and followed her, still laughing.
Annalise didn’t want to talk about Liam, not because she was embarrassed about the details her sister wanted, but because she was afraid she’d let something slip. Her thoughts and emotions about him were clear enough when he was there, but they were a tangled mess when she looked to the future.
The babies’ coming debut meant his departure, and she didn’t want to admit that she didn’t think she could do it without him anymore. He’d incorporated himself into her life, making it easier for her while providing the fun she never realized she was missing. She’d thought only a baby could fill the hole in her, but she found herself enjoying his company and wishing she could have it all.
Her sister stopped her at the door, pulling her in for a hug.
“You’ll be there, right?”
Her sister hadn’t been able to come to the appointments because of her responsibility to her family, but Annalise hoped she could make it for the birth.
“Absolutely. You call me the minute you know it’s time and I’ll be on the next Speeder.”
With another squeeze they let go and Annalise opened the door. She froze when her sister spoke again.
“This has been good for you. I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy, or the man, but you’re happier. More relaxed. I like it.”
Annalise smiled.
“I do too.”
49. Liam
The time was getting closer.
Annalise had been having weekly doctor visits for the last three weeks and was officially on bedrest. The doctor wasn’t worried, but she wanted Annalise to take it easy.
Annalise was disappointed that she couldn’t go see her sister, but she’d been expecting it, so she wasn’t too surprised. She threw a bigger fit over his family’s dinner.
“I’m sure it would be fine to go out for a little while.”
“You’re supposed to have your feet up and you can’t even walk that far,” he reminded her.
He stood in the doorway of her bedroom, arms crossed over his chest as he stared at her. She pouted from the middle of her nest, the heaping pile seeming to grow more each day.
“But…”
He shook his head, cutting her off as he stepped into the room.
“I won’t go then. I’ll stay here with you.”
“No!”
Tears welled in her eyes though she tried to fight them. He knew she hated feeling helpless. He’d already had to argue with her about cooking dinner, but her ban remained. Her compromise had been for him to move the couch to the dining room so she could supervise.
“You have to go see your family. They’re here for you after all. It would be rude to stay here.”
Liam snorted, moving to the side of the bed so he could reach out and brush her cheek with his thumb.
“Sean lives here, so I see him all the time. Connor didn’t come, and I think Mother would rather see you than me.”
That pulled a smile from her. He loved how well they got along.
“Go. I’ll be fine, just bring me food!”
He chuckled, petting her hair and pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“I won’t stay too long,” he promised.
She waved a hand at him as he stepped back. Lifting her tablet, she turned her attention to it, the picture of a house with an eye-popping price tag coming to life on the screen.
It felt like someone punched him in the gut. Each reminder that things were changing soon left him fighting the urge to go on a rampage.
“Take your time. I’ll be here.”
She gave a dramatic sigh, eyes tipping up to his. He forced a smile, nodding before turning to leave the room. As he walked into the hallway he forced himself to call out to her.
“Zuriel and Zara.”
Her laughter eased the tightness in his chest, but his mood was still dampened.
The time was getting closer.
The time when the babies would come and he’d be taken away, back to The Haven where he would somehow be expected to mount another omega if she chose him.
Bile rose in his throat, but he forced it back with a snarl as he stepped into the elevator. There was no way he could tend another after his time with Annalise. He’d have to beg Ms. Haranne to sell his contract.
He wondered if Sandra and Austin could buy it out. He’d proven himself working with the construction crews over the past few months, and there were plenty more projects coming up. He’d stopped working once Annalise was put on bedrest, so he was home if she needed something or if anything happened, but Austin had understood his need to be near her. Liam was sure he’d take him back if he could get transferred to Eden permanently.
The problem was the cost of his contract. It was more than many people made in a year, and there was no reason for Sandra and Austin to buy it out when they had plenty of Alphas working for them, free.
Rubbing the back of his head, he made his way down the sidewalk. His parents were visiting a week late due to something with his father’s work the previous weekend, so it was the first time he was going without Annalise and it felt strange.
He was the first one to arrive, and he could see the look of concern on his mother’s face as they came around the corner and didn’t see Annalise. He’d forgotten to mention to them that she wouldn’t be able to make it.
“Is she okay?”
“No hug or kiss for your eldest son?” he teased her.
Her eyes narrowed at him, but when he reached out and pulled her to his chest she returned his hug.
“She’s fine. She wanted to come but the doctor put her on bedrest.”
He felt the tension leave her shoulders, but her mouth was still pulled down in a frown when he released her.
“And you left her alone?”
He sighed at her tone. It didn’t matter that he was an Alpha and her only a beta, she was still his mother.
“She insisted I come. She didn’t want me to miss seeing you. It could be the last time we have the chance.”
He hated adding on the last part, but he had to be realistic. The doctor mentioned twins tended to come early, and Annalise only had five more weeks till her due date.
His mother scoffed and put her hands on her hips, reminding him of when she scolded him as a child. It was instinct to duck his head, but he raised it as she spoke.
“We’re not going to sit here and have dinner while she’s home alone. Order the food and we’ll surprise her with a visit. There’s no reason she has to be left out, and I have gifts.”
She gestured to the box his father held. Liam smiled, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. Both his father and Sean agreed, so they
placed their orders and headed back to the apartment with enough bags of food to feed an army.
He worried for a second that it might be a bad idea, but he was sure she wouldn’t mind his family coming in to visit her. She was territorial about her room and especially her nest, but she was familiar with them and they would stay in the front.
Leading them into the building, worry started to build as they waited for the elevator. Doubt crept in about how Annalise might react, and by the time they reached the top floor he wasn’t so sure she’d be as welcoming as he thought.
When he hesitated at the door his mom put a hand on his arm.
“We’ll wait here. Go ask if she’s up for a visit. If she’s not comfortable, we can go down to that picnic table we passed, and at least she’ll have some dinner.”
Shooting her a relieved smile, he nodded and opened the door. He’d always appreciated his parents, and he was grateful they were understanding. Now he only had to worry about the nesting omega he was going to surprise.
50. Annalise
Annalise stared at the pictures of the house in her sister’s neighborhood. Her plan had been to have a new house bought months ahead of time, but somehow it never seemed like a priority. Now it was down to the last minute, yet she couldn’t make herself place an offer despite its ideal distance from Adalynn.
She didn’t want to leave.
Eden was open and beautiful, designed to work with nature instead of stamping it out and forcing it to bend to man’s will. The population was still small enough that most people knew each other, and there was a sense of community that the cities lacked.
It was the perfect place to raise a child, but if she stayed she’d be on her own.
Her sister was close enough to visit, but it wasn’t as convenient as being in the same neighborhood. She couldn’t call for help and expect her sister to drop everything and fly out to her. Her husband’s job was tied to the city, and she couldn’t ask Adalynn to uproot just because Annalise hated the noise and crush of their home.
She sighed and tossed the tablet back on the bed. It seemed like either decision was a bad one.
