“Rhys,” she whispered.
“Yes?”
“We’ll have our happily ever after, right? Our lives won’t always be like this?”
Her voice was barely more than a whisper, emotions making it crack a bit.
“Yes. We will,” I promised her.
She wiped her eyes, sat away from me, and said, “I’m sorry. I—”
I turned her back to face me. “Don’t apologize. I want you to tell me how you feel.”
“This is pregnancy hormones talking,” she said.
“It doesn’t matter what is causing it. You can always tell us how you feel,” I assured her.
She wasn’t used to sharing her emotions and worries with us. It was something we were working on. We knew it wasn’t easy for her. Her stepfather had been an abusive jerk, so it made sense that she wasn’t used to sharing her feelings.
She leaned against me again, kissed my shoulder, and then rested her head on it. “I love you, Puff.”
Chapter 25
Jolie
The guys had finally broken down and agreed to let me go to the city for a group date. Nico didn’t come and promised he would make it up to me later, but said he had important king stuff to take care of.
I wasn’t the only one who didn’t believe him. But, aside from ordering him to come, I couldn’t do anything about it.
I walked through a baby store, grabbed a few adorable outfits and stuffed animals, and then stood with the guys at the register to pay.
The clerk’s eyes widened when she spotted us. “You’re the princess!” she gasped. “I didn’t know you were pregnant!”
“We’re trying to keep it a secret,” I told her.
She eyed my huge stomach. “How?”
Rhys chuckled. “We’ve been keeping her out of public sight, but she begged us to go out today.”
She muttered, “I wouldn’t mind being stuck at home with them for a few months.”
I suppressed my laugh, and just smiled at her, since I was certain she didn’t realize that we could all hear what she had said.
Deryn slipped behind me, pressing his chest into my back, and whispered, “Where are we going next, my queen?”
“Game store!” I said a bit too loudly, getting weird looks from some of the older patrons. I covered my mouth with one of my hands and chuckled. “The game store, please,” I said in a normal tone this time.
“Then what?” Fox asked while looking at some pacifiers.
“Food,” I said with a wide smile.
“It is almost dinner time,” Rhys said after looking at his phone.
The girl held out the bag with our items. “Have a great day, your highnesses.”
I waved to her as we walked outside.
All of my happiness disappeared in an instant. The store must have had sound dampeners to keep us from hearing the pure chaos going on outside.
Ogres, trolls, goblins, demons, and dhampirs were attacking the city. Buildings were on fire and people were screaming as they ran for their lives.
“Shit,” Deryn growled, moving closer to me.
The guys formed a protective triangle around me.
“The one day Nico takes off would be the day they attack,” Rhys growled.
My stomach felt weird, and I felt something move inside my lady parts. I glanced down, like I could see inside. What was going on?
It felt like a balloon had slipped out of me, and then it popped and water filled my pants.
I gasped.
“My water broke!” I all but screeched.
“Shit,” Fox said and pulled out his phone.
“We should fly out of here,” Rhys said.
A young woman with a toddler screamed to our right as a goblin advanced on them, wielding a sword.
“You need to protect the city,” I ordered him. “Fox can drive me home.”
“Kara’s going to be busy with healing everyone and won’t be able to help you give birth,” Deryn said.
Fox had been on the phone, but he hung up and said, “I’ve got it handled. You two help the people.”
“You sure?” Deryn asked, looking at me with furrowed brows.
I kissed his lips and whispered, “Protect the people.”
He kissed me again, rested his hand on my stomach a moment, and then ran to intercept the goblin.
Rhys snarled, kissed me, touched my stomach, and ran after a troll chasing a group of people down the street.
Fox took my hand. “You’ve teleported before. Do you think you can do it now?”
I nodded, closed my eyes, pictured home, and used Nico’s powers to teleport. When I opened them, we stood in the center of our living room.
A contraction gripped me, and I grunted in pain, bending over slightly.
“Silver!” Fox yelled. “Sharla!”
Silver appeared first. “What?”
“Her water broke,” Fox explained. “The city is under attack. The war has begun.”
Silver’s eyes widened. “Shit. Okay, let’s find you a place to give birth. Do you want to try a tub birth or just on a table?”
“Table,” I requested.
Sharla stepped into the room. “What’s going…” Her eyes dropped to my pants and she rushed forward. “Oh, honey. Your water broke. How long ago?”
“Ten minutes,” Fox answered for me.
“Okay,” Sharla said softly. “Normally, we still have several hours before the baby comes. So, let’s get you comfortable.”
“There’s going to be a lot of blood,” I reminded her. “Where the hell am I supposed to have the baby? I don’t want to get blood all over.”
Fox was on the phone again, but I didn’t pay attention, letting Silver and Sharla lead me to my bathroom.
Silver brought in a cot that had significant padding and was surprisingly comfortable. I lay on it, then grunted as another contraction hit.
“I’m going to grab the supplies,” Silver told Sharla. “Stay with her.”
Sharla nodded, and sat beside me, holding my hand. “How are you doing, hun?”
“Okay,” I said. “It’s not too painful, yet.”
She smiled. “That’s good.”
Fox ran into the room. “They’re attacking!”
“Go,” Sharla snarled. “I’ve got this.”
Martin ushered the girls into the bathroom. “Stay with your mother,” he ordered them.
My eyes widened. “Sharla, I don’t want them seeing—”
She interrupted me. “They’ll stay behind so they won’t see anything.”
Ezio stood in the doorway, facing the hallway.
“You’re on bodyguard duty?” I asked.
He nodded.
Martin kissed his wife and daughters then my cheek, and then left.
Silver returned with a huge bag of supplies, and set it on the bathroom counter. “How’re you doing?” he asked.
“Good,” I said and then grunted at another contraction.
We all stilled when we heard the sound of rapid gunfire.
“They’ve breached the wards,” Silver said. “That’s the turrets shooting.”
“Fox?” I asked. “Where’s Fox?”
“He’s just in the surveillance room,” Silver assured me, pressing on my shoulder to make me lie down again. “Martin is with him and the others are on their way.”
I relaxed, but focused on my bonds to see how my other mates were. No one appeared to be injured, which made me relax more.
“Do you want me to bring a TV in?” Sharla asked.
“Is that a good idea?” Ezio asked. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to get her stressed out during labor.”
“I need it so I know when I need to use my powers,” I said.
“I’ll get it,” Silver said. “Sharla, get her changed and check how far along she is?”
Sharla nodded.
Silver left, and then Sharla shut the door so Ezio was outside of it. “Girls, I want you to sit on that bed I made for you,” she inst
ructed them. I hadn’t seen a bed, but I wasn’t really paying too much attention to anything right now.
Sharla helped me strip out of my clothes, and then she put a hospital gown on, and draped a big warm blanket over me. “Alright, spread ’em,” she ordered me with a smile.
“This was not how I expected this delivery to go,” I grumbled, but spread my legs. “And I did not expect you to be dealing with this.”
“Good thing we’re friends,” she said with a wink. She felt around and her eyes widened. “Shit, you’re ready to have him at any moment.”
“I don’t feel strong contractions yet,” I reminded her.
She threw open the door. “Silver! I can already feel his hair!”
I heard Silver cuss, and he ran into the room. “Ezio, set up the TV, please.”
My stomach moved to one side as the baby made a sudden movement, and then he began thrashing around.
I yelled in pain, clutching at my stomach.
“We need alphas,” Sharla snapped. “Ezio get in here!”
He looked back, wide eyed. “What?”
“She needs an alpha of each race to calm the baby!” Sharla snapped. “Get in here and put your hand on her stomach!”
I yelped as the baby pushed against my ribs, and then he kicked hard, and we all heard the snap just before I screamed.
“Who is nearby?” Silver asked. “Who can we ask?”
Yukio, Declan, and Kylan entered the bathroom.
“What are you three doing here?” I asked, tears rolling down my face.
“Fox called us. Said you would need alphas in case the baby started acting up,” Kylan said.
The three came to me. Kylan sat at my head, stroking my hair softly. Yukio and Declan sat on my sides, setting their hands on my stomach where Ezio wasn’t touching.
“We don’t have a mage,” I sobbed as the baby continued to kick me.
“Yes, you do,” Nico said, and dropped to his knees next to me. It was a tight fit, but they all made room.
“Nico,” I sobbed, my ribs feeling like they were going to break more.
“Son, you need to stop hurting your mother,” Nico said to my stomach.
The baby kicked again.
“Do it,” Nico said.
I wasn’t sure what he meant, but all of the guys touching my stomach, gripped my stomach a bit, and magic flowed from them into my stomach, and then into the baby.
But, the baby didn’t stop.
“Siren,” I gasped.
“No,” Sharla whispered, her eyes wide.
The baby moved down, spun, and then kicked my other ribs, cracking one of them.
I closed my eyes, the pain almost unbearable as contractions began to come in rapid succession.
Another hand touched my stomach, and a new magic seeped in, instantly calming the baby.
I opened my eyes and Dad smiled at me. “Hello, Daughter.”
“Dad,” I sobbed.
“You didn’t think I would miss my grandson being born, did you?” he asked and wiped the tears from my eyes.
“He keeps hurting her,” Nico explained.
“I’ve got it,” Dad said. He bent forward, and began singing Mom’s lullaby.
The baby moved down again, his body going into the right position for birthing.
“Alright, hun. Push,” Sharla ordered me, flipping the blanket up so she could see, but the others couldn’t.
I pushed, and clutched Nico’s hand with one of mine.
“You’re doing great, love,” he whispered.
“Again,” Sharla said and smiled. “You’re doing great.”
I pushed, my body shuddering at the strain.
“I don’t mean to hurry you,” Nico whispered, “but the others need your magic.”
I pushed again and again. And after another push, the baby slid out into Sharla’s waiting arms.
Silver rushed over, cleaning out his nose and mouth, and the baby wailed.
I smiled and Nico kissed my lips softly. “You did great, Jolie.”
Everyone moved back from me, no longer needing to touch my stomach.
Sharla pushed on my stomach and I gasped in pain.
“What are you doing?” I demanded.
“I’ve got to get the placenta out, hun. I’m sorry. I know it hurts, but I’ve got to do it,” she said.
Fox ran to the door and his eyes widened when he saw his son. He looked up and our eyes met. “Are you okay?”
I nodded.
Sharla pushed again, and Fox’s face drained of color as he saw what she was doing.
“Done,” she announced.
Nico helped Silver clean up the baby, and then Dad cut the umbilical cord.
Everyone found a place away from me, averting their eyes, and Sharla pulled my top down.
Once he was ready, Nico set the baby on my naked chest.
“What’s his name?” Nico asked me.
“Caleb,” I whispered, cradling him close. “His name is Caleb.”
“Hello, Caleb,” Nico said.
Fox sat on my other side, smiling with tears in his eyes. “Hello, Caleb. Welcome to the family.”
I cradled the adorable baby who had features from each of my mates, but most notably had Rhys’s bright blue eyes.
Sharla cringed. “I need to stitch you up. Just a couple and then your mates’ powers will heal you the rest of the way.”
I nodded and then looked at the TV. There were thousands of beings fighting, the city was burning, and I couldn’t tell who was winning.
“Fox, hold Caleb, please,” I requested.
Fox took him, cradling him against his bare chest.
When had he taken his shirt off?
I pulled my shirt up, closed my eyes, and tapped each of my mate bonds. They tapped them back.
I looked at the screen, seeing Deryn overrun with goblins and dhampirs, Rhys battling demons, and the kings up to their necks in enemies. They didn’t look like they were winning.
It was time.
I closed my eyes again, and gathered as much rage as I could. I opened my connections with them, and sent all of the rage I could to Rhys, Deryn, Emrys, Katar, and Dan.
I opened my eyes, watching as the five of them roared at the same time, and began flinging enemies like ragdolls.
“Damn,” Nico whispered.
“Look, your daddies are killing lots of bad guys,” Fox whispered to Caleb, who was curled up on his chest with his eyes closed.
They were killing a lot of people, but it wasn’t enough.
“Crystals,” I ordered Ezio.
Ezio ran out, then returned with dozens of crystals holding a ton of magic. They had been storing energy for me, and now was the time for me to use it. I grabbed a handful, sucked the energy into myself. Once I’d absorbed it, I focused on the bonds with the werewolves, and poured the rage down the pack bonds. Then, I focused on the dragons, and sent more.
“What’s going on outside?” Nico asked Fox.
Fox gasped. “Shit, I forgot we were being attacked.”
“I’ll check,” Ezio said and left.
“Jolie, don’t overextend yourself,” Nico ordered me.
I could hear the dragons and werewolves roaring on the TV.
“Crystals,” I asked softly, my body so weak and tired.
He put more in my hands, and I drew it all in.
“Jolie, what are you doing?” Nico demanded.
I used my final two bonds, and sent all of the rage I could to the mages and elves.
“Holy shit,” Dad whispered.
I opened my eyes, holding the rage, and drawing magic from the crystals to keep the rage going.
The tides had turned, and we were defeating the enemies.
I heard Andras roar outside, and hoped he was okay.
“We’ll go assist,” Declan said.
Everyone, but Nico, Dad, Sharla, the girls, and Silver left the bathroom.
“Jolie,” Nico growled. “That’s enough. You’ve helped e
nough.”
“Just a bit longer,” I gasped, taking the last crystals in my hands.
“You’re going to kill yourself,” Dad snapped. “Let it go!”
He was right. I was at my limit.
I released the power, but instead of drawing the rage back, I left it with the others. They would burn it out on their own.
I gasped and let my head drop as I released the crystals from my grip.
“Jolie?” Nico asked.
“I’m good,” I panted.
“They’re still enraged,” Sharla said and looked at me.
I nodded. “I left the rage with them to burn off.”
“You know how to do that?” she asked.
I shrugged and smirked. “Apparently.”
“You are way more powerful than we thought,” Dad said, pride coloring his tone.
“You need to try to feed him,” Sharla said, taking Caleb from Nico and handing him to me.
“I’m going to go help outside,” Dad said.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there earlier,” Nico said, his eyes on his hands in his lap.
“Where were you?” I asked.
He sighed. “I’ve been tailing Trident Douche and Justina.”
My eyes widened. “What?” I gasped. “For how long?”
He cringed. “Three or so months.”
“You knew where they were for that long?” I asked, unsure whether to be angry or not.
“Yes, but I didn’t want to tip them off or risk them attacking early,” he explained. “Turned out it didn’t matter.”
“No, it didn’t,” Justina said from the doorway.
Nico stood up, putting a shield around the six of us still in the bathroom.
How had she gotten in?
Sharla backed up until she stood in front of her girls, crouched and ready to fight.
I couldn’t sit up or stand yet, but I clutched Caleb to me. “Get out of here,” I snarled.
“Oh, you’ve got a baby? Who is the lucky father?” she asked, snarling. “Doesn’t matter. Once I’m done, none of you will be alive.”
“You’re not touching my mate or my child,” Nico snarled, his staff in his hand.
She drew the knife she’d cut our bonds with and smiled at the fear she must have seen on my face. “I see you remember this blade. I’m going to enjoy severing your mate bonds with it.”
If she severed our mate bonds, we’d be unable to form any new bonds. We would have no bonds left to make. No, I couldn’t handle that. I couldn’t let her sever the last bonds that we had.
Royally Enraged: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (Her Royal Harem Book 4) Page 17
