by ERIN BEDFORD
I reached out to take his hand when my stomach rumbled once more. Damn my stomach and its constant need for food. I sank back into my seat and sighed.
“Sorry, guys. As much as I’d love to spend the rest of the evening finding out how absolutely incredible you two would be as a pre-meditated team, I’m afraid we’ve been outvoted.” I pointed both hands at my stomach. “Food comes first.”
“Of course,” Jack agreed, nodding toward my plate. “We’ll wait. You’ll need your energy after all.” The way he said it made a delightful shiver run through me, and I was just a second away from saying fuck it, but then I remembered the plate in front of me.
Glaring down at the combination of sour and sweet, I forced the bile back. “I think I’m going to need Carl again.” When Raiden and Jack made a sound of displeasure, I quickly added, “Just for food. I swear. I can’t eat this crap. I’m disowning whatever one of our children wanted this disgusting mess.” I shoved the plate as far away from me as possible.
Raiden chuckled and waved Carl over again. “I think we can take care of our girl.”
I sagged in my chair. Thank God. Because I sure as hell couldn’t.
6
After dinner, we had to put a pin in our threesome. An unfortunate belch that turned into me knocking the power out in the entire house kind of put a damper on the mood and a bullseye on my dysfunctional pregnancy.
“For the last time,” I argued, stomping my foot slightly. “How was I supposed to know that I had to keep an eye on my bodily functions now? It’s not like there’s a manual for a magical pregnancy. Though that’d be helpful,” I muttered the last bit to myself. For once, I wished I was on Earth where folks chronicled their own bowel movements. There I could at least Google what was going on with me. You know, if dragons existed there.
I shook my weird thoughts away and glanced back to the guys, who were staring at me like they didn’t believe me. Typical.
Jack lit a candle and handed it to Raiden before turning to me, another burning in his other hand. “The important thing is that no one got hurt.” He gave me a look that made me think there was a but coming on. “However …” I knew it! Jack continued after he paused for effect, “We really need to work on your new abilities before that changes. My uncle is not amused by your little hiccup.”
“I burped,” I corrected him. “I didn’t hiccup. It was a burp. And God forbid, I do anything to upset our host.” Jack gave me a look that had me adding, “Who has been nothing but kind to use and is even helping us take back Raiden’s kingdom. Really, he’s a standup guy. We shouldn’t do anything to get ourselves thrown out.”
“Exactly,” Jack concurred, clearly not amused by my theatrics. “Since Firestar is away, we need to work on your training. Obviously, I’ll work with you on my abilities and—”
“I’ll do mine!” Raiden practically bounced with joy, having been the only odd man out on this crazy train. I’d have hit him for being so excited about a new power when I clearly didn’t need or want one, but the thought that one of my babies belonged to each of them made me happy. No one was left out. No hard feelings. Plus, that meant when they were born, I could shove one at each of them and take a nap. It was a win-win.
“Sounds great, guys,” I smiled, but it wasn’t very enthusiastic as I stifled a yawn. “But can we work on that tomorrow? I’m pooped and could do with a bit of rest.” A weird pull on my stomach, like bubbles popping, made me frown. “Maybe a lot of sleep.”
“Of course.” Jack held his arm out and led me out of his bedroom and into my own. I half noticed Raiden didn’t follow after us but was too tired to wonder too much about it. I placed my candle on my nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed. Jack knelt before me and, before I could ask what he was doing, had my shoes off my feet.
He moved to my dresser and brought my nightgown over to me. I started to take my shirt off, but Jack stopped me. Dropping hands, I let him unlace the neck of my shirt and slide over my head. His hands dipped down to my waist, and a small tingle of arousal spread down below. Jack offered me a small knowing smile but didn’t try to act on his knowledge. Urging me to lift my hips, he drew my pants down my legs, leaving me in nothing but my underwear.
His appreciative gaze scanned over my form before settling over my stomach. Instead of helping me into my nightgown, he leaned in close and pressed the side of his face to my stomach. I jumped slightly at the cool contact of his skin but didn’t push him away.
“It’s remarkable.” His voice rumbled against my skin. “I never thought I would be the kind of man who would care so much about being a father. But here I am.” He glanced up at me, an expression on his face I couldn’t describe. “A gorgeous mate and not one but three children on the way. It was truly a blessing the day my uncle asked me to go to the West.”
My face flushed at his intense gaze. “I don’t know about that. No one’s ever said anything about me was a blessing. More like a curse but maybe that’s just my winning personality.” I shot him a cheeky grin.
Jack chuckled. “See, only you can make me laugh in such a serious situation. I love you, Maya.” He cupped my shoulders and drew me close. “I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you or our children.”
“I love you too,” I muttered into his neck. This whole conversation was getting me worked up and not in a good way. I’d had enough of my raging emotions and didn’t need any more touching moments to make me bawl like a baby. I was sure I’d have enough of those in the coming months.
“Now.” Jack pulled back and picked up the discarded nightgown. He slipped it over my head and then brushed his lips across mine. “Get some sleep. We will start training again in the morning. Who knows? Maybe by the time Firestar gets back, you’ll be able to knock him on his ass.”
I laughed at the visual as Jack moved away. I grabbed his hand before he could leave and dragged him back down to me. Pressing my lips to his in a hungry, desperate sort of way, I tangled my hands in his hair, keeping him there. When we withdrew to breathe, Jack let out another chuckle this time husky and low.
“You make it hard for a man to leave you, my love.” Jack’s pale eyes, so full of lust and need, made my skin flush with desire.
“Then don’t.”
Jack paused for a moment and then shook his head. “As much as I’d love to crawl into this bed with you and make sweet love to your luscious body, I have to talk with Raiden about your training, and you need your rest.”
My bottom lip stuck out as my last attempt to get him to give in, but he simply thumbed it slightly with a sigh. “Do not look so distraught. There will be plenty of time for other activities when you aren’t a walking time bomb.”
“I am not!” My pouting face now turned to irritation. Jack raised a brow at me, and I slumped on the bed. “I just don’t know how to control my powers yet or my emotions or my body functions.” I threw my hands up in the air with an over exaggerated sigh. “Fine, you win. I’ll go to sleep.” I moved under the covers and then pointed a finger at him. “But don’t think that means I won’t have naughty dreams of my promised threesome that never happened.”
“You wound me.” Jack placed a hand on his chest, mocking Raiden’s earlier movements.
“Yeah, yeah,” I rolled my eyes.
“Good night, Maya.” Jack pressed his lips to my cheek and caressed the side of my face.
“Good night.” I snuggled down in the bed, my eyes trained on Jack until he left the room, the door shut tight behind him. I turned over and stared at the lit candle, watching the flame dance this way and that. Before I knew it, I was asleep.
For the first time in a while, I didn’t have pleasant dreams. My mind filled with terrors that I could only assume my waking mind couldn’t deal with. Not that I could blame it; the last few weeks had more than enough trauma for everyone.
Standing in the dining hall of Lord Fafnir’s house, I found myself as the one Jack was yelling at. My eyes wide, I searched out where I should have been stand
ing and saw Gretchen in my place. The smug grin on her lips turned my pity for her to rage as she wrapped her arms around my men.
“You are dead to me.” Jack’s word resonated with me, shaking me to the very core. Panic filled me, and my hand instantly went to my stomach where it had already swelled to that of nine months.
“You’d leave me now? When I need you most?” But, as with Gretchen, my words weren’t acknowledged. My body trembled as I watched Jack walk away from me and over to where Gretchen stood. She pulled Jack into her embrace, her face that of gleeful victory and suddenly all I wanted was to kill.
A heavy weight filled my hand, and I glanced down to see the lost dagger in it. Tightening my grip on the hilt, I stalked toward the grinning foursome, my intent all too clear in my movements. I aimed the blade for Gretchen, my every desire to slice open her chest and find out if she really did have a heart, but the dagger found a home in someone else.
Jack jumped in the way of my attack and now lay bleeding on the ground, his eyes wide open in death. My hands came up to my mouth as I stared down at what I’d done. The dagger fell from my hands and clattered on the ground as more hands grabbed me, pulling me away from Jack’s corpse.
“I didn’t mean it,” I cried as they dragged me away, kicking and screaming. “I didn’t mean it!”
Forced out of the dining room, my hands were bound, and a dirty piece of cloth was tied around my mouth, making me gag. I tried to yell around the cloth, but it was no use. My captors had no sympathies for me. As if it couldn’t get any worse, a bag went over my head, and everything was black.
Shoved into a confined space, I bumped around in some kind of vehicle. Possibly a carriage. I could hear muffled talking around me but couldn’t see anything through the hood on my head. The hood made my heavy breathing heat up the interior, making the already musky hood smell even worse.
If I didn’t get out of here soon, I knew I was going to vomit. In fact, it was happening right now.
Jerking up in bed, I barely leaned over the bed in time before my stomach emptied itself into the bucket I’d put by the bed. Sweaty and hot, I wiped the back of my hand over my mouth and groaned. Talk about some dream. The babies affected me enough during the waking hours; couldn’t they at least leave my dreams alone?
Apparently not.
I eased off the other side of the bed, the light streaming through the windows and making my eyes squint. Practically blind, I somehow made my way to the bathroom where I rinsed my mouth and brushed my teeth like they would fall out at any moment.
As I grabbed the bucket next to the bed, I thought about that dream. It had been disturbingly vivid. I still remembered what it felt like to have the bag over my head. The taste of the cloth still clung to my tongue, no matter how much I scrubbed it. I’d heard pregnancy makes your dreams more real, but this was ridiculous.
Finished with making myself presentable, I headed for the door. Just as I opened it, I found myself face-to-face with Jack. Surprise filled his eyes before he settled into a blank expression.
“Hey,” I said softly, tucking a hair behind my ear. “What’s up?”
Jack inclined his head slightly. “Nothing of importance. Are you ready to head to breakfast? You should eat something before we train. Wouldn’t want you to burn out too quickly, like yesterday.”
Shutting the door behind me, I walked alongside Jack as we headed to breakfast. “Have we heard anything from Firestar yet?”
“He hasn’t been gone that long,” Jack reminded me with soft eyes. “I understand you miss him, but you have to trust he will be fine.”
“I guess,” I muttered, still not convinced. Last night’s dream was still fresh in my mind making it hard to believe anything will be alright.
We met Raiden in front of the dining hall, and he embraced me quickly before cupping my face in his hands. “You don’t look like you slept a wink.”
Giving him a weak smile, I sighed. “Is it that obvious?”
“Just a bit.” Raiden held his pointer and thumb finger an inch from each other.
Rubbing a hand over my face, I sighed even more heavily. “My dreams are getting worse. This time, I literally felt like I was in my nightmare.”
Raiden hugged me close and kissed the top of my head. “Maybe you shouldn’t sleep alone from now on? Might help your dreams.”
“Maybe,” I agreed as we sat at the breakfast table. When Carl brought out our meals, he waited at my side. I glanced up at him and then realized he wanted to be sure I wasn’t going to send my food back. Turning back to my plate, I scooped up a substantial portion of eggs and put it in my mouth. “Mmmm.” I nodded, smiling at him. It seemed to satisfy him enough that he headed back to the kitchen.
We ate our meal in silence for a few moments before I broke it. “So, what’s on today’s agenda?”
“Well, Raiden and I are going to start helping you go through some breathing exercises,” Jack answered, picking his cup up.
“What for?” My brow furrowed.
“To help you control your emotions.” Raiden piled eggs and meat onto his plate before showering it with syrup. The sight of it made my stomach churn.
Reaching for the teacup Carl had been kind enough to provide for me, I took a long drink of it before saying, “I don’t think breathing exercises are the answer.”
Jack sat his utensils down and stared at me hard. “Why?”
I stared right back with an edge of defiance. “Because I have a problem.”
“Yes, you do.” Raiden pointed his fork at me, a piece of syrup-covered meat on the end. I forced back the urge to throw up and turned to Jack.
“Can’t we just go look for the dagger, like Firestar suggested? I can practice my breathing and magic without being anywhere near civilians.”
“Why would you want to do that?” Jack demanded, an icy bite in his tone. “It’s gone. You should let what’s dead stay buried.”
“Well, I can’t do that, and I won’t,” I snapped before he could argue with me further.
Jack seemed about ready to explode, but when Raiden cleared his throat, giving him a meaningful look that I didn’t understand, he sighed. His face smoothed over and a soft, almost pitying look took over.
“You are too nice for your own good, Maya.” Jack took my hand in his, rubbing his thumb over the back of it. “If it makes you feel better, I guess I can’t argue.”
“I guess not,” I couldn’t help but quip back, earning me a rightly earned glare.
Before Jack could chastise me further, Lord Fafnir approached with three other men at his side. We stopped eating and turned to the group, nodding our heads in greeting.
“I thought I might find you three here.” Lord Fafnir glanced around the table with a curious look. “I’m sorry to interrupt your meal, but a rather large army is demanding entrance into my town.” Jack and Raiden jumped to their feet at his words, but the lord didn’t seem worried but looked to me. “And the one leading them is someone I can only assume is your sister.”
“Aeis?” I got to my own feet.
“Well, you did send word for her to send an army,” Raiden reminded me, following me out of the dining room.
I scowled at him. “Yeah, but I didn’t expect her to come with it!”
7
We followed Lord Fafnir down toward the entrance hall. There we found a group of guards and leading them, my sister, Aeis.
Aeis should have been the heir to the throne of Western Waesigar, which she was until a few months ago, when she found out she couldn’t have children. That was when my father suddenly pulled me out of my life on Earth and demanded I pick a mate and get pregnant.
Aeis had always been the perfect child and the perfect warrior, with long legs and a curvy build. She had the right attitude for ruling as well. A no-nonsense, mother-knows-best kind of personality that I had always hated growing up. Something I would have killed for now. Especially since it could have been my father showing up instead of her.
“Maya!” Aeis cried out when she saw me, her arms out wide as she pulled me into her embrace. Her leather armor pressed against the side of my face, the fur lining her coat tickling my nose.
“Hey, Aeis.” I held my sister tightly, inhaling the scent of home lingering on her person. I leaned back and tugged on the braid of her dark hair with a grin. “It’s good to see you.”
Her emerald eyes looked me over as she held me by the shoulders. “And I you, but when did you get so fat?”
Okay, I take it back. My father would have been just fine.
I shook my head and smiled. “I’m pregnant, that tends to happen.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I thought you were still faking. I didn’t know you were actually pregnant.”
“Well,” I shrugged, “I am. Sorry, I didn’t send word, we’ve been pretty busy.”
Aeis glanced around the entrance hall of Lord Fafnir’s house and nodded. “I can see that.” She then turned her attention to the two men close behind me. “And I see you haven’t scared these two off yet but” - she leaned to the side, her eyes searching - “I don’t see the hothead anywhere.”
Raiden chuckled and nudged Jack behind me. “Hothead.”
“Firestar,” I corrected her, sending Raiden a look over my shoulder, “went to ask his father for his help. Obviously,” - I gestured down to my stomach - “you can see why I couldn’t do the same.”
“Lady Aeis, we are so happy to have you as a guest here,” Lord Fafnir interrupted our little chat from where he stood off to the side. There was a slight glint in his eyes, showing his amusement at watching our back-and-forth. What could I say? My family and I had a weird relationship.
“Thank you, Lord Fafnir. But please, just Aeis.” She smiled her diplomatic smile. “I hope we haven’t caused you any alarm. It’s hard to hide such a large army.”
While Lord Fafnir and my sister had a good chuckle, I cocked my head to the side. “How many men did you bring? And why are you here anyway? I only asked for the army, not you.”