by Cara Wylde
Blake sighed. “She’s been like this the whole day. She barely had anything for breakfast, but she keeps throwing up every…” she checked her watch, “… ten minutes. Must have caught the stomach flu or something. I called dad’s doctor half an hour ago. He should be here any minute.”
Seth stared at the closed bathroom door and contemplated going in after her. Blake read his thoughts.
“I don’t think she wants you to see her like this.”
His shoulders sunk, then he remembered why he was there. “I need to tell you something. I mean, I need to tell you and Roman something. Let’s go to his room.”
“Don’t wanna wait for Amelia?” Blake stood up and stretched.
“No… not this time.” His voice was barely a whisper. Only another fox-shifter could have heard him.
Blake raised an eyebrow, but didn’t ask any questions. She trusted her future Yako, so when he said he needed to tell her and her father something, it meant it was important. She went to the bathroom door and knocked lightly. “Amelia, are you okay in there?”
“Mhm…”
“I’m going to get that doctor, so wait here, okay?” She motioned for Seth to follow her and they both got out of the room and sneaked into Roman’s room silently. The old Inari was dozing with a book on his lap and a cup of cold tea on the coffee table. The soft click of the door startled him.
“What’s up with you two sneaking up on an old man like this?” He closed the book and set it on the table. He reached for the cup of tea, then changed his mind when he realized it had gotten cold.
“Ask Seth.” Blake sat down and grabbed her father’s book, curious to see what he was reading. She was relaxed, quite content even. She was a bit worried about Amelia, but she was sure it was nothing serious. The trial from a couple of days ago had ended on a positive note, especially for the Blackmanes. She didn’t care about the werewolves, of course, but she did care about her own faction, and Jason Woodtail had done a great job of taking all the guilt upon himself. However, the moment Seth started talking, Blake’s shoulders tensed, and she put the book down. While telling them about the conversation he had just had with the retired bear-shifter detective, he was pacing the room and gesticulating wildly.
When Seth was done, Roman rubbed his temples and sighed. “It never ends,” he thought. He felt as if he had had to solve more crappy, messed up problems in the past few months than in his whole life. He was nearing 200 years old, and he had gone through a war too…
“This is good,” said Blake. “It sucks that things are so complicated and the Tricksters seem to be involved, but at least we’re making progress. I’m glad you found the bear-shifter detective and he was willing to talk to you. When will he send the documentation?”
“It might take a week or two,” said Seth. He finally sat down. “But listen… I… There’s more. It’s just a gut feeling, but it prevented me from telling Amelia first. I came to you because I know you’ll find the best way…” He stopped and thought for a minute, trying to find his words. In his mind, it made sense, but he felt like it would all sound so paranoid and silly if he said it out loud.
“Speak up, son,” Roman encouraged him.
“I… well… It’s about my parents. My father and his wife.”
Roman straightened his back, unable to relax in his armchair anymore. Of course Seth would go there.
“The Tricksters are a small guild, so I was thinking… maybe…” He shook his head. “It sounds stupid, I know, but I can’t help thinking about it. We have to take this possibility into consideration. I mean, could you even imagine the impact on Amelia? On us?” He wasn’t sure if by “us” he meant Amelia and him, or the entire clan. “My father and his pure-blood fox-shifter wife were, and if they’re still alive somewhere out there, still are assassins. If there’s the slightest possibility they were the ones who killed Amelia’s parents, then I have to know. We have to find them and make them pay for what they did.” His voice trembled when he spoke the last words.
“Seth…” started Blake. “Let’s not jump to conclusions.”
There were more things Seth wanted them to pay for. Mainly, for abandoning him and his human mother when Roman realized who they were. They had managed to infiltrate Clan Sylfur, probably with the mission to convince Roman, the five-tailed Inari, to join their cause or kill him if he refused. When they were discovered, they ran away in the dead of the night, leaving a young Seth behind with his mother. He and his mother had never known who they really were and had never suspected the truth: that the only reason his father had bought a shifter bride and had a son had been to better cover his identity. Seth had never forgiven him for this. Even if Roman took him and his mother under his wing, and then Roman’s Yako married his mother and raised him as his own son, he was never able to get over the fact that he was the son of an assassin. An assassin who used him and then abandoned him without a second thought.
“You know we couldn’t track them down after they ran away. We tried for months,” said Roman.
“Yes, yes… But we have to try. Please. I need to know.”
“Look,” said Blake. “We won’t rest until we find the ones who killed Amelia’s parents. But until then, try not to think too much about this theory.”
“Just don’t dismiss it.”
“We won’t. I promise.”
***
Amelia didn’t need a doctor to tell her why she was feeling sick. It was time to admit that, yes, she had skipped a period and it wasn’t because of the stress. She had tried to put it out of her mind, but the violent sickness had brought her back to earth. However, she still had some hope left when the doctor came, consulted her and asked her some questions, and even when he handed her a pregnancy test. She gulped, smiled, then went into the bathroom. Hope was still fluttering in her chest, albeit weakly, when she peed on the stick then set it aside.
“Please bring it to me when you’re done, my dear.”
Amelia rolled her eyes and went back into the room, where the doctor was waiting for her. She was grateful that at least Blake and Seth had given her some space.
“Nervous?”
“What gave it away?” Amelia smiled sweetly, but her pulse had started rising. She was sure she was going to be sick again.
“Let’s hope for the best.”
“Oh, I’m hoping all right,” she thought. “But what exactly is ‘the best’?” Positive? Negative? Oh, she was going to throw up.
“And here we go…” The doctor showed her the two thin pink lines. “Congratulations!”
Amelia jumped to her feet and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. She hugged the toilet as she dry heaved. There was nothing left in her stomach. Just anxiety.
CHAPTER FIVE
Weakness…
“Can you come over? Just you… please.” Amelia tapped “send” and waited. The doctor had just left, not after promising her he would come to see her regularly. She asked him not to tell anyone for now, as she preferred to give them the news herself. It took Seth three minutes to knock on the door, but those three minutes felt like an eternity.
“Is this good? Bad? What was I thinking?” She hadn’t been thinking, that was the problem. Every time she found herself alone with Seth, all reason flew out the window and all she wanted was to feel his strong body pressed against hers, and his cock inside her. It was a primal urge she couldn’t suppress. Even the simple thought of suppressing it vanished at the sight of his naked body. Amelia had never thought it was possible to fall in love with someone so deeply and recklessly. “Technically, it should be a good thing, right?” she continued her train of thought while absentmindedly massaging her belly. “Everyone will think it’s Blake’s child… I was supposed to give him… her… an heir anyway.” But from there, it went downhill. Amelia chewed on her nail while considering the negative consequences. “What if the baby looks exactly like Seth? What if there’s a way… any way of telling it’s not the child of an Alpha, but of a B
eta. Don’t shape-shifters feel that sort of thing?” She took a deep breath and tried to calm down, least she’d make herself sick again.
Seth knocked gently, then entered without waiting for her answer. He could hear and smell her, so he knew there was something wrong. She was distressed. Was there any way she had heard him talk to Blake and Roman about her parents? No, that was impossible. She didn’t have the hearing of a shape-shifter. He had expected to find her with the doctor, but when he realized he wasn’t there, worry rose in his chest.
“Are you all right? Why did the doctor leave? What did he tell you?”
Amelia smiled at his nervousness. A crease had appeared on his forehead, as it always did when he was worried or thinking deeply about something. She loved it.
“Everything is fine. Or… I think it is. I’m not sure.”
“What are you talking about?” He stepped closer to her and ran his hands up and down her arms. “Are you feeling better?”
“Well, given that my stomach is empty, I believe I’ll be all right for the next couple of hours. Just as long as I don’t see or smell food.” She wrinkled her nose in a way Seth found adorable. “Listen, I… I wanted to tell you first.”
“Tell me what? See? Now you’re scaring me. Just say it already!”
She took a deep breath and released it with her next words: “I’m pregnant.”
Seth blinked a few times, but remained silent. Her words hadn’t exactly registered, and he felt confused. What did she say? Pregnant? Did that mean… a baby? Yeah… pregnancy usually resulted in a baby… He shook his head lightly.
“You’re…” He left the sentence hanging, hoping she’d finish it for him and clear the fog in his mind.
“… pregnant. I’m pregnant.” This wasn’t the reaction she had expected. Her heart sank a little when she realized Seth was just standing there, his hands still on her arms, as if he had forgotten them there. Then, a huge smile spread on his lips and his eerie, purple eyes started sparkling with something she had never seen before.
“Baby, that’s amazing!” His hands moved down to her waist and he lifted her up effortlessly. He spun her in the air until she dug her nails in his shoulders and he figured she was still feeling nauseated and spinning her like that wasn’t a good idea given her condition. “I can’t believe it! Are you serious? Is this really happening? Amelia, this is the best!”
She closed her eyes and waited for the dizziness to pass. “I thought… I don’t know what I thought. I was afraid you wouldn’t like it.”
“Why wouldn’t I? God, this is the greatest news you could have given me!”
“Well, much better than stomach flu… although it will last longer.”
“Come here…” Seth pulled her in his arms and kissed her hard on the lips. His tongue soon sought hers, and Amelia melted in his embrace. Her hands ran up and down his back, enjoying the feel of his big, taut muscles. It wasn’t long before her panties got wet and her pussy throbbed with desire. Pulling away was even more difficult now that she could feel his erection pressed up against her stomach, but they couldn’t do anything now. Not in her and Blake’s room, not at the mansion.
“I’m so happy…” she whispered against his lips. Now that she knew Seth wanted the baby, she allowed herself to give in to the sweet, sweet images of the next couple of months. Baby foxes were usually born after five or six months, much like in the case of baby wolves. Amelia couldn’t wait to hold her and Seth’s little bundle of joy in her arms. Then, she remembered her initial fears.
Seth noticed the sudden change in her eyes. “What’s wrong? What are you thinking about?”
“It’s just… what if this isn’t such a good thing? I mean, yeah… it’s the only way Blake can have an heir, but… there are so many things which can go wrong…”
“Nothing will go wrong, I promise you.” He kissed the top of her head. “We’ll be careful, and no one will ever know.”
“You won’t be able to spend a lot of time with the child… with me… He will never know you’re his real father.”
“It’s a small price to pay.” He offered her a reassuring smile and smoothed down her hair. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. A baby with the woman I love? I had given up this dream a long time ago, and then I met you. We’ll raise our child together… the three of us. When he’s old enough, we’ll tell him the truth. With two Alpha mothers and a Beta father, he’s the luckiest baby fox in the world!”
Amelia laughed at the idea. She had to admit it wasn’t a bad one. “Yeah, you’re right. You, Blake and I will be some awesome parents. In a weird way, but still…”
“We’re quite a triad.”
She buried her head in his chest. “We are.”
They stayed like that for long minutes, each making their own scenario of how things would work when the baby would be born.
“So… how do you want to do this?” asked Seth. “Do you want to tell Blake and Roman yourself or do you want me there with you?”
“I was thinking…” She pulled away so she could look into his eyes. “What if we invite everyone to dinner… Roman and Blake, of course, Aaron, Elena, Sebastian, Julian, and Charles… and I tell them then? The clan should be delighted to find out that only a month after the mating ritual their future Inari is already giving them an heir.”
Seth thought for a second. “I don’t know… Taking Blake and Roman by surprise?”
“And why not? Admit it: they haven’t gotten many nice surprises lately.”
“That’s true…” He thought back to the conversation he had just had with them, while the doctor had been consulting Amelia. He looked at the rosy tint her cheeks had finally gotten after she had felt sick for the past few hours, and realized he couldn’t say “no” to her. What was the worst that could happen, anyway? Blake coughing her wine out through her nose? That would be rather funny. “Okay, if that’s what you want. I’ll go talk to the cook and the maids. Any preferences for the menu?”
Amelia tried not to gag. “Whatever you want… I’ll probably just drink water. You know better than me what Blake likes. Ask the cook to prepare that.”
Seth smiled. “Yes, ma’am!”
***
It was difficult to avoid Blake until dinner. After the doctor left, Blake gave Seth and Amelia some space, but when she saw they weren’t getting out of the room or calling her to join them, she took it upon herself to find out what was happening. After all, she too cared about Amelia’s health. Seth made his escape by running out of the room and telling her he had something important to take care of. Amelia told her it was nothing and that she felt too tired to talk about it.
“Has the doctor given you any pills? Was it the food?”
“Yes, most likely. It will pass.”
“But you haven’t eaten anything since breakfast!”
Amelia waved her off. All she wanted to do was sleep for the rest of the day, and Blake was getting on her nerves. “If I tell you it’s nothing, then it’s nothing.”
Blake crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her friend. “Are you PMS-ing? Nevermind. I don’t care anymore.” She walked to her desk and opened the books she had been studying before all this drama interrupted her.
Both Blake and Roman were surprised when Amelia invited them downstairs for dinner, and their surprise turned into something between shock and confusion when they saw Sebastian, Julian, and Charles were already there.
“To what do we owe this pleasure?” asked Julian, albeit a tad condescendingly. “We haven’t had a proper family dinner in years.”
“To what? Better ask to whom…” commented Blake while sitting down.
Asian-steamed sea bass was Blake’s favorite, and it was a good thing Amelia’s sickness had passed, leaving her hungry, otherwise the rich smell would have made it impossible for her to even enter the dining room. She was sitting between Roman and Blake, with Seth, Elena, and Aaron right across from her. It helped that Roman’s brothers were lined up by the old In
ari’s side and she couldn’t see them quite well unless she leaned to look past Roman’s frail body. Surrounded by the people she loved and considered her friends, she felt protected.
“It’s me you have to blame,” she said. She wondered if they could tell how nervous she was. She was really trying to keep her voice under control. She threw Seth a quick glance and his smile encouraged her, so she turned towards one of the servant girls. “Please pour the wine.” The girl carried out her request immediately.
Amelia was aware Blake was glaring at her again. She offered her a sweet smile, then turned to look at Roman. The old Inari was looking at the red wine filling his glass.
“Well, this is nice,” said Sebastian. He raised his glass and nodded towards Amelia. “I see things are changing around here. Amelia, darling, I liked you the moment I saw you, but now I must say I like you even more.”
“Indeed,” intervened Charles. “Blake, I think you have a lot to learn from your bride. It’s clear she knows how important it is to keep your family close.”
Blake smiled tensely. Her mind was going in circles, trying to figure out why in hell’s name would Amelia do something like this. She had never given any signs that she actually liked her uncles, so why invite them to dinner? Of course, if they had been a normal family, it wouldn’t have been so strange. But they weren’t. They hated each other most of the time. Amelia was the Alpha bride now, but since when had she taken it upon herself to make decisions without consulting Blake first? She looked at Seth and it suddenly struck her that he didn’t seem very concerned. “Hmm… I wonder…” she thought.
Amelia wasn’t sure the conversation was headed in the right direction.
“I… I’m glad you accepted my invitation.”
She swallowed hard before continuing, then grabbed the glass of wine and stood up. It crossed her mind that maybe, just maybe, she should have thought about this better. There was no turning back now, and she did know that if the Sylfurs had been a normal family, what was happening now would have been absolutely natural. They weren’t. That didn’t mean they couldn’t at least pretend.