Knocked Up: My Over the Top Possessive Alpha Harem

by Sharan Daire

  At the word questions, Everett pulled out a notebook and flipped open to the first page, pen ready to take notes.

  A light knock at the door proceeded the doctor’s entry. She looked to be in her forties and had a smile that immediately put me at ease. “Wow, a large party today. That’s great. Good afternoon, everyone. I’m Dr. McCall. You’re Shelby, yes? And who’s the father?”

  All four men immediately answered, “I am.”

  I was sure Dr. McCall had seen hundreds if not thousands of births in her career. But evidently having four fathers was a first. To her credit, she didn’t react other than a slight widening of her eyes for several long seconds. Then she burst into laughter.

  My cheeks flushed, but I laughed too. I couldn’t help it. It was hilarious. They all couldn’t physically be the biological father. We all knew that. Especially the doctor. Her laughter wasn’t malicious or nasty at all, so I wasn’t humiliated or upset. Which let the guys also relax and join in the laughter.

  All except Chris of course. He crossed his arms but his lips twitched, a dead giveaway to anyone who knew him.

  “I’m so sorry.” Dr. McCall wiped her eyes, still giggling. “I hope you’re not offended. It’s easy to get pretty jaded over the years, think you’ve seen it all, and then wham.” Another louder wave of laughter rolled from her mouth. “Then you have four fathers. It shouldn’t be so comical, but it is.”

  Chris uncrossed his arms, and the room magically quieted. “Is it going to be a problem?”

  Composing herself, Dr. McCall sat on the rolling stool and faced me. “Not at all. What my patient wants, she gets, if I can accommodate that wish medically without endangering Shelby. What you say goes.”

  Chris nodded and gave an approving look to Everett. “Good choice.”

  Everett preened with a smug smile. “I try. You said the best doctor I could find in the area. To me, the best would be someone who cared the most for her patients.”

  Dr. McCall shook her head a little with a bemused look on her face. “I’ll take that as a high compliment indeed. I took a look at your chart beforehand, Shelby, so I’m familiar with your history. Did you have any questions for me?”

  “Not yet, but I’m sure Everett has quite a few questions noted in his book.”

  “Very well.” She turned to the guys. “Ask away.”

  An hour later, Dr. McCall stood up, looking dazed and weary, but she had listened to and answered all the guys’ questions. Which was a modern-day medical miracle. I’d never had a doctor spend more than five minutes talking to me before. Just another thing money could buy, that I’d never had the privilege of enjoying before.

  “Just to confirm,” Chris said before she could escape. “You don’t have any concerns about her flying to New York or working as a model a few hours a day.”

  “Not at all. Just keep the stress to a minimum with high nutrition and plenty of hydration. Rest when you can. But travel and work are perfectly fine at this stage.”

  I barely resisted muttering, “I told you so.” But I couldn’t be irritated by their concern for me.

  “I’ll see you roughly every month until you hit thirty-six weeks. If we’re lucky, we might be able to hear the heartbeat next month.”

  The rapt expression on Kaleb’s face made my heart skip a beat. “When will you do the first ultrasound?”

  “Probably around sixteen or twenty weeks.”

  Everett made a note while Chris helped me down off the table. “At least I got to keep my pants on this time.”

  His eyes flared with shock, his fingers tightening on my arm. “I never thought of that. Are you going to mind having us all in the room with you during those kinds of exams?”

  “I don’t mind, as long as it doesn’t bother you. I don’t think she’ll need to do many internal exams until closer to my due date, unless I start having issues.”

  Unspoken worry for Angela and her twins lingered between us all as we walked outside. I’d been so lucky before despite working fifty or more hours a week. I hadn’t cared much about my diet. I’d taken the prenatal vitamins and hoped for the best. With Allie, I’d even continued to drink coffee, once the morning sickness passed at least. Not a lot, certainly, but some doctors frowned on caffeine.

  It was a miracle that I’d managed to avoid complications and deliver two healthy kids. My hand lingered on my stomach a moment, trying to wrap my womb in love and safety. I didn’t have a baby bump yet, at least not more than my already soft stomach from my other pregnancies. Hopefully I wouldn’t get much bigger before the show.

  In two weeks.

  Gulp.

  There was so much to do. I was still working on my walk and building up my confidence and endurance. Chris was still putting final touches on the gowns, though he was really close. Assuming my boobs didn’t double in size again. We had accommodations lined up, and Paolo had managed to get Red Velvet Angel slipped into the show.

  But one very important element still needed to be finalized. Or I absolutely could not go. I just wasn’t sure how to bring up the question.

  “Angela’s doing better,” I said aloud to no one in particular as Derek went to bring the Yukon up to the covered entrance to the clinic.

  Kaleb nodded. “She’s still feisty about being stuck on bedrest, but it’s doing its job. She texted me this morning that her checkup went fine. No new concerns.”

  “I still wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving the kids with them, even if Taylen was going to be the primary babysitter. Not for so many days. They’ll be in school anyway, and Allie can be a handful. She loves attention. Which would make taking them with us to New York nearly impossible.”

  “I guess now is as good a time as any to discuss it,” Chris said with a scowl.

  There was something ominous in his tone. As if I may not like my options. “Like?”

  “My sister Eleanor would be more than happy to come up for a week and keep the kids,” Everett said. “She’d love meeting you.”

  “I’d love to meet her too,” I replied, not sure why Chris would be uptight about Everett’s sister. Did they have some history too? I’d gotten the impression that she was ten or more years older than them, though. So it seemed unlikely.

  Kaleb gave me a bright, hopeful smile. Combined with his warm eyes, he looked like a foster pup just begging to be picked up and cuddled. “Or Mama can fly up from Florida a couple of weeks early. She’s planning to be here closer to Angela’s due date anyway.”

  I met Chris’ gaze, trying to read his stony expression. “Or? Did you have a better idea?”

  He huffed out a sigh and slung his arm around my shoulders. “No. I just fucking hate people. Especially from outside my very small circle. Either option will be fine. Or both. Mrs. Anderson is old enough she might like some assistance.”

  “I heard that,” Derek retorted as he swung down out of the SUV and opened the slider for me. “I’m going to tell Mama what you said. She’ll probably chase you around with a wooden spoon again.”

  Chris snorted. “That was thirty years ago, but I still remember the thwack of that spoon on the back of my head. Your mama had good aim.”

  “She still does,” Kaleb said. “But I agree some help might take the pressure off. And Tay has already said they’ll be over after school to help entertain the rugrats with all the fun they can think of. They need the distraction as Angela’s due date approaches.”

  “So is that alright with you?” Everett asked.

  I avoided everyone’s gaze a moment, fiddling with my seatbelt. “Sure. They’ll have a great time. The kids never had a grandmother or aunt in their lives before, and Granny certainly isn’t up to babysitting any longer.”

  “But?” Everett prodded gently.

  I gave him a hopefully carefree, brave smile. “I just hope they like us as much as we’ll like them.”

  Chris laughed, a deep belly chuckle that startled me. Shaking his head, he walked around to the front passenger side and climbed in. Still laugh
ing while the guys sorted themselves into the other seats.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked, trying not to laugh too, even though I had no idea what he found so humorous. It was just so nice to hear amusement coming from his lips, even if it was at my expense.

  “They’re not going to like you, Shel.” He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes glittering like chips of black ice. “They’re going to fucking love you.”

  17

  Shelby

  The days flew by at an alarming rate until we were literally down to crunch time. I barely saw Chris except at bedtime. He always made sure to leave whatever last minute design tweak or production issue that he was working on in his workshop so he could come down to Canyon Rock and sleep with me.

  Well, lie with me, at least. I still wasn’t sure that he slept that much, but the guys weren’t concerned, so it must be a normal occurrence for him. I couldn’t imagine only getting a few hours of sleep a night. I’d resorted to taking an afternoon nap every day after practicing my walk, and I was still yawning by nine o’clock.

  I brushed out my hair, awed at how silky and thick it had gotten. Amazing what good products and care could do. My skin glowed with health, and not just from the pregnancy. All the excellent food, rest, and care was making a difference in all our bodies.

  Liam’s thin shoulders had filled out, and he’d grown a couple of inches since we’d left Dallas just a few months ago. He absolutely loved school. Allie hadn’t grown so much physically yet, but emotionally and socially she was much more confident. No longer the shy, clingy older toddler, she was more than ready for kindergarten in the fall. She’d blossomed with all the love and attention she got on a daily basis.

  I might be a tad biased, but even her artwork had flourished. For her age, I thought her drawings were extremely good, and she could already write her name and was well into learning the alphabet too, thanks to Miss Maddie. She’d be reading before school started in August.

  Derek pressed a kiss to the top of my head and then stepped into the shower. “I’ll be quick.”

  “Take your time.” I stepped back into the bedroom and froze.

  Sprawled on his stomach, Chris was sound asleep. “Miracles do happen.”

  Quietly shutting the bathroom door, I went around to the other side of the massive bed and climbed in as carefully as possible. I didn’t want to wake him—but I also wanted to cuddle with him. I slipped my hand underneath his and wriggled close enough to put my face on his arm.

  “Want some company?” Everett asked softly from the door.

  “Always,” I whispered back. “Derek’s in the shower.”

  Everett slid in behind me, his arm wrapping around my waist. We just lay there for several long moments. Breathing, soaking in each other, enjoying the peace of being in bed and resting together.

  It dawned on me that I had never known this kind of comfort. Everett held me, but he wasn’t groping my breasts or trying to arouse me because he wanted sex. He was simply happy to be near me.

  I was safe. Truly safe. In a way that I had never known before. With not one, but four men.

  I tugged his arm tighter around me and closed my eyes. Surrounded by love.

  DEREK

  Damn, if that wasn’t the prettiest sight in the world. Our woman, sound asleep. Her hair spread out like fiery silk. With a gentle smile of such happiness that I couldn’t for a single moment begrudge Everett the spot I’d been planning to fill.

  I could stretch out along the foot of the bed, but I did have that unfortunate habit of sleeping a bit too heavily. I didn’t care to be kicked awake.

  “Sorry,” Everett whispered, barely lifting his head so he didn’t disturb her. “I didn’t know she’d fall asleep so quickly.”

  “No worries. I’ll see if Kaleb needs any help putting the kids to bed.”

  I crossed the bedroom and had my hand on the door handle, but I heard a low, deep mumble. Or a sigh.

  Something that gave me pause. Because that sounded like Chris.

  I turned back around, trying to see him in the dark. Now that I thought about it, he should have acknowledged me as I passed through the room, even just a glance to let me know he saw me. He’d never failed to open his eyes if anyone whispered or moved, let alone walked into the room.

  He was mostly a black, shapeless lump on the far side of the bed. I couldn’t tell that he was moving at all. Let alone talking to me.

  He’d been working crazy hours. He deserved a good night’s sleep for once. But something didn’t sit right with me. He made that low, ragged sound again, and if it’d been anyone else, I would have said it sounded like a whimper.

  “Ev,” I whispered, keeping my voice low and calm as I quickly circled the bed. “Pull her back as carefully as possible.”

  Without hesitation, he scooted toward the edge of the bed, gently pulling Shelby with him. Though she held on to Chris. Her hand was in his. Fuck.

  “Don’t wake him,” I whispered.

  Everett reached across her body, trying to free her hand without waking either of them. Then he glanced up at me, eyes wide. “He’s clamped on to her hand. Hard. I can pry his fingers loose, but that’ll wake him for sure.”

  Thinking fast, I climbed onto the bed behind Chris and bear hugged him. “I’ve got you. You’re alright.”

  He made that miserable sound again, louder this time.

  “Chris. You need to wake up now.”

  His body quivered like he was being electrocuted, but he didn’t try to hurt me to get away. He just shook in my arms, his breathing loud and labored.

  Shelby’s eyes snapped open. Before I could open my mouth to warn her, or ask her to get away to safety, she surged closer to him and cupped his cheek with her free hand. “Chris. We’re here. You’re safe.”

  If he hurt her, he’d never forgive himself. I couldn’t help but remember the night I’d texted him. When he’d admitted that he needed help.

  It’d been because he’d accidentally hurt a woman he’d picked up at a bar.

  What the fuck would he do if he hurt Shelby, even accidentally?

  18

  Chris

  I was back in hell, tormented by the demons of my past. The sound of bombs and gunfire. Screams. The smell of blood and explosives thick in my nose. All the horrific things that mankind had learned to do to each other.

  I’d rather stay in that hell than wake up and realize I’d done something unforgivable.

  Shelby.

  I could feel her hand on my face. I damned near had her fingers crushed in my fist. She was my lifeline, the only thing keeping me from sliding into that hell forever. My stomach heaved as I pictured her big eyes wide with pain, shimmering with tears. Blood from her nose or lips. A black eye. Broken jaw. Bruises on her delicate skin.

  Another agonized sound ripped from my chest before I could contain it. Silently, I raged inside my head. Begging Derek to get her away from me. Keep her safe. As far away from me as possible.

  Why wasn’t he helping me? He thought he could hold me down, keep me from hurting her, but he was wrong. Nothing would stop me. I was a killing machine. I could crack her spine like a twig with a careless twist of my wrist. D might be bigger than me, but he didn’t have a prayer of controlling me. No one did.

  Except her, evidently.

  She pressed her lips against my forehead and the raging memories inside me stilled. My muscles and bones melted away into nothing. I waited a heartbeat. Another. Waiting for the eye of the storm to pass and find myself tossed back into the nightmare, but nothing happened.

  The thundering of my heart slowed and quieted enough that I could make sense of what she was saying.

  “You’re safe. We’re here. We’re not leaving you. Chris, please, I love you. We love you. We won’t let anything happen to you. You’re safe. You’re home. Remember Canyon Rock? This fantastic, wonderful, over-the-top mansion you built? We’re all here with you. Your brothers. Derek has your back. Everett has my back. Kaleb is here too
, but he’s upstairs. If you want him, we’ll call him down. We’re all here for you.”

  “Are you—” I rasped out the words, my throat raw as if I’d been screaming. Maybe I had. “Did I—”

  “No,” she broke in, pressing frantic kisses over my face. “I’m fine. You didn’t hurt anyone. You were just dreaming. No one is hurt. We’re just worried about you.”

  I had to see for myself, but I didn’t want her to see the terror in my eyes. The dark horror from my past, looking at a woman’s bloodied face. Realizing I was worse than any monster that walked the grimmest, meanest streets.

  She kissed my eye, her lips so soft and gentle. “I love you.”

  I tore my eyes open, desperate to see her. To confirm with my own eyes that she could still love me, even after catching a glimpse of the shadow inside me. Her eyes shimmered but not with tears of pain or hatred. Her fingers stroked over my jaw, the back of my neck and head, soothing me even more. She wasn’t bruised or even scared. Only worried for me.

  The tension straining between her eyes faded as she saw my eyes open. “What do you need? How can we help?”

  “You,” I whispered hoarsely.

  She burrowed closer to me. Everett was behind her. I hadn’t even known he was here. He reached over her to squeeze my shoulder, pulling us all closer together.

  D was still on the bed behind me, his big arms banded around me. Even now, he had my back, just as she’d said.

  My eyes burned. My throat felt like someone had jammed a flamethrower all the way down into my stomach and crisped my insides. Guilt churned in my stomach. I hadn’t hurt her. This time. But what about next time? What if Derek wasn’t here the next time that I had an episode? I loved Ev and Kaleb but neither of them had a chance in hell of stopping me.

  “No,” Shelby whispered fiercely, leaning back to glare at me. “I know what you’re thinking, and you’re wrong. I’m not scared to be with you. I’m not scared to be alone with you. You aren’t wrong for touching me, or sleeping with me at night, or loving me. You don’t need to punish yourself any longer, Chris.”