by Leann Ryans
“You’re a great cook. Dinner is always good, but this is amazing.”
The flush deepened as she shot him a smile before focusing on her plate again.
“Thank you.”
It surprised him how hard it seemed for her to accept a compliment despite how well she’d done for herself. From what he could tell, even though she’d come from a wealthy family, she’d earned everything she had.
Finishing the last of the food, he watched Annalise yawn over her plate. She was still trying to eat but her head was nodding, and she was drifting off.
“I’ve got the dishes. It’s late, you go to bed.”
She startled when he spoke, sitting up straighter and lifting another bite.
“I’m fine. I need to finish this.”
She hadn’t piled her plate like the night before, but she’d still put more on it that he thought she could eat.
“Are you still hungry?”
She frowned at the plate before meeting his eyes again.
“No.”
“Then don’t force it. You’re tired. Go to bed.”
He refrained from putting any command into his tone, knowing she wouldn’t take it well, but she still frowned at him for a moment before letting out a sigh.
“You’re right. It’s been a long day.”
Being careful not to disturb the kitty who’d fallen asleep between his feet, he stood and moved to pull her plate away. Holding out his hand to help her up, he waited as she eyed it before accepting.
“Thank you,” she whispered before passing him to head to the hall.
He watched as she walked to her door, her eyes turning back to him before she disappeared. There was something happening between them, but he wouldn’t dare hope. He’d settle for things being more comfortable and open between them, instead of tiptoeing around each other as they waited for something to happen.
Finishing up the dishes and putting them away where she liked them, Liam retrieved the sleeping kitten and took it to his room. He’d set up a litterbox in the corner with a bowl of food and water nearby. He’d even bought odor neutralizer to be sure there was nothing to bother Annalise about the kitten being there.
He hadn’t had time to shower when he got home, so after tucking the kitten into the blankets on his bed, he took a quick one to clean the sweat of the day off before climbing into bed himself. Curling up with the kitten at his belly, he stroked its soft fur as he drifted off to sleep.
34. Annalise
She couldn’t hold back her excitement as she waited by the door for Liam. It was still an hour till her appointment, but there was no way she could sit around the apartment waiting any longer. As soon as she saw him at the end of the hallway she opened the door and went to the elevator.
“Come on,” she called as the doors slid open.
He stepped into the small space, his scent washing over her and making her clit throb. It didn’t matter that she’d had him the night before, her body had grown to crave Liam constantly. She still made them stick to her schedule, but there was a gnawing ache inside her that grew with each day she denied the need.
“I had to make sure I left the door open for Fifi.”
Annalise rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. Liam never found anyone claiming to have lost a pet, and in such a small community it was unlikely they wouldn’t have found her owner over the last month. The best they could come up with was that she was born a stray and wandered off from her momma before Liam found her. By the time he accepted she didn’t belong to anyone, he was too attached to let her go, and Annalise wasn’t cruel enough to tell him to get rid of her.
What he’d named her was horrid though. Princess Fifi McFloof.
What was more unfortunate was how well it fit her. That kitten was a diva, demanding attention anytime he was home, complaining if her box was the slightest bit dirty, or if he was a minute late with her food. Annalise had succeeded in keeping it out of her room so far, but it refused to stay contained in his any longer, escaping to wander the house so often he finally gave up.
Stepping out into the sunshine, she pushed away thoughts of the little demon and focused on what was coming. She’d done her research and knew they wouldn’t be able to see much on the ultrasound yet. The baby would still look like a lumpy alien, but she’d get to see it for the first time.
Two little arms and two little legs.
She was almost skipping down the sidewalk and was cursing herself for making the appointment in the afternoon instead of the morning, but she’d had a conference to attend that she couldn’t avoid.
“Lunch first, right?”
Liam’s reminder made her release a growl, but she cut it off and cleared her throat. There was no reason to rush to the doctor’s office only to be forced to sit and wait.
“Yes. Whatever you want is fine.”
She couldn’t claim the nerves killed her appetite because she always seemed to be hungry, and what she put in her mouth didn’t seem to matter.
That thought pulled her eyes to Liam, his broad shoulders casting a shadow for her to walk in. It was early in the summer and the heat hadn’t hit yet, but it was still nice not to be in direct sunlight. The sight of his shirt stretched tight across his chest made her mouth water and brought back the memory of his taste on her tongue the night before.
As if he could read her mind, his pale blues turned to her, brow lifted, and lips quirked up. She ducked her head, looking away before it went too far. Her libido was stuck so far in overdrive she’d had to use her new little wand nightly when she wasn’t in Liam’s bed. It was enough to drive her mad.
Knowing greasy foods upset her stomach, Liam turned into a sandwich shop for them to grab lunch. They sat at a little table outside, Annalise finishing her meal without tasting it as she waited impatiently for Liam to eat his.
She was two seconds from growling in irritation when he finally stood and took their trash to the receptacle. By the time he turned around she was already walking down the sidewalk toward the hospital.
Despite his lax attitude, she knew he was just as excited as she was. She’d learned he tended to be laid back about everything, but he couldn’t hide the glint in his eye or the way he kept trying to reach for her before pulling his hand back. The few times they passed another Alpha on the street he put himself between them, blocking her from the other male’s view as he puffed his chest.
She couldn’t help finding the possessive display arousing. A lot of things about Liam were arousing, and she couldn’t decide if it was him specifically, or the hormones.
Ignoring the growing throb between her legs, she walked into the hospital and checked in before taking a seat in the waiting area. Liam’s presence was a distraction that helped her not notice the wait despite the fact that he didn’t talk. She knew he was torn about coming to the visit, but she was glad he’d chosen to.
She popped out of the seat when the nurse called her name, Liam rising a second later. The nurse took them to a room before collecting her weight and vitals and telling them the doctor would be in soon.
Liam leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest as he tried to appear calm, but she could see the tension in his shoulders. His eyes moved over the plain room as if searching for something, but she didn’t get a chance to ask what before the door opened and her doctor walked in.
“Good afternoon! You’re just over ten weeks and coming to the end of the first trimester. How are things going?”
The doctor’s gaze slipped to Liam for a moment before centering on her again, but she hadn’t come to chat. All she cared about was seeing the baby.
“Fine. Everything’s fine.”
The doctor raised a brow and lowered her tablet.
“You’ve lost more weight. Did you increase the amount you’re eating like I asked?”
Annalise sighed before she straightened her back.
“I try to eat a bit more at each meal, and I added in a snack in the afternoon.”
The d
octor nodded.
“And are you getting enough…”
Her eyes darted to Liam. He caught the look and smirked, sending a wave of heat to condense in Annalise’s cheeks.
“I… We…”
Annalise stopped and cleared her throat, trying to ignore the Alpha now focused on her. Staring at the wall behind the doctor, she finally answered.
“Twice a week. That’s what most of what I read recommended.”
When she looked at the doctor again there was a frown on her face. She looked between Annalise and Liam again before consulting her tablet.
“There’s no real recommendations for this. It’s best to follow your body’s urges. Are you satisfied with twice a week?”
That raised brow was cocked at her again. More heat flooded her cheeks and poured down her neck. She knew she was beet red and wished she could avoid answering the question.
Talking to the wall again, she released the word that pounded through her entire body.
“No.”
It was whispered in the hopes that somehow Liam would miss it, but she saw him shifting from the corner of her eye. She refused to turn her head to look at him, knowing it would not only make her embarrassment worse, but it would also heighten the near constant need she felt.
“Then you need to listen to your body. Without that, it’s not going to absorb the other things you need, and you don’t have any reserves for your body to draw from.”
Moving to the cabinets along one wall, she set her tablet down and pulled a wand from one of the drawers. Annalise recognized it from pictures she’d seen of sonograms being performed, and the excitement returned despite the bomb the doctor had dropped.
She’d deal with that later.
“Lie back and lift your shirt.”
Annalise was moving before the doctor gave the order, exposing the baby bump that was finally visible even when she was dressed. She’d loved seeing evidence of the life growing inside her and had taken to rubbing the bump while she sat and worked.
Liam liked it too. He would rub and massage it while his head was buried between her legs, or cup it in one large hand when she was on all fours.
Pulling her wandering thoughts back to the present, she held her breath as the doctor squirted lube on her belly and pressed the wand into the goop. An image flickered to life on the wall Annalise faced, the picture shown by the blue and grey tones far clearer than what she’d expected.
And that wasn’t the only surprise. Her perfect little baby to go with her perfect little plan, had a twin.
35. Liam
He wasn’t an expert, but he was pretty sure there shouldn’t be two separate bubbles with little beans inside them. Alien beans, cause that freaky little thing didn’t look anything like a person besides the two stubby arms and legs.
Each.
“I thought I heard an echo on the Doppler. Looks like you’re having twins!”
The doctor smiled at Annalise, her voice chipper. Liam’s eyes slid to Annalise’s face, and the sheer look of shock and disbelief on it as she stared at the wall broke through his own.
A chuckle rolled from his chest before he could stop it. Annalise, with all her schedules and plans and spotless neatness, was going to have two little terrors to deal with.
Her gaze narrowed as it swung to him and the chuckle morphed into laughter. He tried to contain it, putting a hand over his mouth and holding his breath, but he couldn’t help it.
“Of course you find this hilarious. Is it a boost to your ego, that you managed to knock me up twice? This is not what I paid for!”
Liam spotted the doctor’s brows raise from the corner of his eye and he laughed even harder. Moisture swam in vision, making Annalise’s scowl blurry as she turned her attention to the doctor.
“You knew the last time I came in? Why didn’t you say anything? There’s only supposed to be one baby in there!”
The doctor ignored Annalise’s tone, the hysterics possibly familiar to her, but Liam was surprised at Annalise’s loss of the control she so valued. It was sobering to see how upset she was.
“I wasn’t sure, and there was no reason to worry you with the possibility if I was wrong. Twins are more likely in omegas, and especially after a certain age. That’s why I wanted to do the scan today to check. They both look fine, but we’ll need to monitor you closer as the pregnancy progresses. Unless you want to—”
“NO!”
Liam’s roar drowned out Annalise’s denial, making the doctor hold up her hands and step back. She kept her expression calm, but he caught the slightest scent of fear in the air and he did his best to swallow his reaction despite her threat to his children.
“No,” Annalise repeated. “I would never… I just wasn’t expecting this.”
Her quiet words helped drain the tension from his body, but all the mirth was gone. Annalise seemed to have calmed with the question the doctor didn’t even finish as well, her hands resting protectively over her belly.
The doctor looked at both of them before lowering her hands.
“I’m going to order a couple more tests to check your levels, then I want to see you again in two weeks to check your weight. I want you to eat something every two hours, even if you can only manage a few bites. And you should increase your other intake as well.”
Annalise nodded and the doctor left, leaving the two of them alone. The way her shoulders curled in and she sat hunched on the exam table made him want to go to her, but he wasn’t sure she’d accept his comfort. Not willing to ignore her, he moved to her side.
He cleared his throat and placed a hand on her slim shoulder. It didn’t hit him until that moment how delicate she was, and how hard her life was going to be in only a few months.
“Are you okay?”
Her deep blue eyes looked up at him, the sheen of tears impossible to hide though she did her best.
“Yeah. It’s fine. We’ll be fine.”
He knew her statement didn’t include him, and a bitterness coated the back of his tongue. He wasn’t part of her ‘we’. Those babies would never know him as their father.
The hand hanging at his side balled in a fist, but as he was about to remove the one on her shoulder she raised hers to cover it.
“Thanks for being here with me.”
He wondered if she could hear the loneliness in her voice, or if she was blind to it. His familiarity with the feeling was the only reason he noticed.
“I’ll be here for it all. Anything you need.”
He left off the, until I have to leave. They were both aware he had a limited amount of time, and he’d be leaving when she’d likely need him the most.
He watched Annalise’s throat work as she swallowed. Her lips parted to say something before she closed them again, remaining silent though her fingers squeezed his before dropping back to her lap.
The nurse returned and pressed her little machine to Annalise’s arm, taking whatever samples the doctor wanted to test. They left the hospital and went back to the apartment, the excitement from earlier sapped away by a reality neither of them had prepared for. Even Fifi’s antics when he stepped through the door failed to bring a smile to his face as he watched the omega’s drooping form head toward the hall to their rooms.
“I think I’m going to lie down for a while,” she called over her shoulder.
Liam sighed as he scooped Fifi up and pressed her to his chest. The demanding little kitty butted her head against him, clawing the arm holding her when he didn’t immediately pet her the way she wanted.
He was torn. He’d known seeing the baby would be even harder than seeing Annalise’s belly growing, and while he was in awe of the thought twins, it also made his chest ache in a way he couldn’t explain. Annalise would bounce back and make new plans, but they still wouldn’t include him.
36. Annalise
Twins!
Her head spun each time the word repeated in her mind. She’d have given anything for a baby, but she never expected two at o
nce. It changed everything.
Dropping onto the edge of the bed, she sucked in a deep breath as she stared at the wall.
Twins meant a greater expense; she’d need two of everything. That wasn’t an issue.
Twins meant she’d likely have to leave work sooner than she’d expected and would require a longer recovery as well. She could make arrangements for that.
Twins meant getting twice as big and putting a harder strain on her body. It was unavoidable, and a sacrifice she was willing to make.
But twins also meant double the fear.
Annalise swore she would never be like her mother, but the worry lingered in the back of her mind that she wouldn’t be able to prevent it. That despite knowing the pain inflicted by a careless, thoughtless parent, she would still turn out the same.
Then there was the fear that she couldn’t do it. That she was going to fail at being a mother. And now there wasn’t just one child for her to fail, there were two!
The next breath was shakier, and she clenched her hands to try to hold it together, but already wetness spilled from her eyes.
Two babies meant twice the chance to prove everyone right. That she wouldn’t be able to do it. That she couldn’t do it on her own.
Annalise had grown up isolated. Her mother was a snob who wouldn’t have her daughters associated with anyone below their class, and once they discovered she was an omega, she became the dirty little secret they barely acknowledged. She had no friends, her sister the only person she could call on, but her sister had a family of her own.
The tears fell faster as the chasm in her chest opened and tried to suck her in. She’d held it together by sheer force of will for so long, and when she finally thought she could have the one thing she wanted, the one thing she thought would fill the hole, it was ripped a little wider.
The taunting face of her mother returned to tell her how she’d never amount to anything more than some Alpha’s whore. That she could never make it on her own in a world ruled by beta males, and her only option was to find one willing to accept her as his wife despite her dynamic.