Of all my mates, he went through this before, and recognized the signs.
I crushed my eyes closed and whimpered, “You can’t tell the others.”
He squeezed me in protest. “We’re going straight to Doc Schriever for some tests to check if the baby’s okay.”
I shoved at his chest. “Absolutely not. What if Colton has connections and finds out? He’ll use it against us!”
Zethan tried to bring me down with a deeper squeeze. “He won’t get anywhere near you.” His soft, loving motion on my belly drove my queasiness away. “Tell them so we can best protect you.”
I couldn’t stop shaking my head. “If Slade knew, he’d turn feral and territorial. He wouldn’t think straight. He’d act on emotion and turmoil. He’d make mistakes and get you all killed.” I rubbed at the soaring ache in my temples, conflicting emotions, excuses, and lies. “I can’t... I can’t handle the stress of Colton hiding, planning to hurt my children or me.” My eyes flew to my mate. “Or my men.”
Zethan’s hand brushed my back. “It’s hard on us all.”
This wore us all down. Drove Slade back to smoking again after he eased up on his nicotine. Scaled up Zethan’s worry about the club and family. Awoke Alaric’s PTSD and anxiety. Tested the limits of Castor’s gifts and his confidence in himself.
Previously, I trusted Zethan would keep secrets if I asked him to. This was something else entirely, and I felt his resolve torn between the two choices.
Zethan spun me to face him, cuddling me to his hard chest and I buried my face in it, needing his scent but almost throwing up at his natural oil and citrus aroma. “They have a right to know if they’re going to be fathers.”
“Don’t tell me what I’ve agonized over for weeks.” I hooked my fingers onto his shoulders, a little bird terrified of sliding from her nest into oblivion. “Please. Just let me handle this. I don’t want it to get in the way of the plans to eliminate Raine. I’ll tell them when it’s safe.”
Zethan’s brow creased with lines. “What if we don’t find Colton for months?” He stroked my belly. “And the evidence becomes obvious?”
“You’re scoping Faline next week, right? Kidnapping her soon?” I pleaded with every inch of my body and soul. “If that fails, I’ll reassess and come clean, if necessary.”
Zethan’s hard eyes settled on a hard bargain, and I knew I lost this one. “Fuck, baby. I’m on your side. Always. But this puts me in a difficult predicament with your other men. You’ve got two weeks, baby, then I’m telling them.”
That was fair. A deal I could live with. I asked a lot of him to come and rescue Mia and break club rank and rules.
“Okay.” I raised my palms. “Just give me time to buy cute little gift boxes with daddy cards and other trinkets.”
Something fun that one of my former collogues did for her husband.
Zethan kissed the tip of my nose. “Slade will love that.”
Yeah, he would. My worry rested with Castor and Alaric, who both took a bit of time to adjust. “What about the other two?”
“Castor might be shocked. Alaric warm to the idea.” A rumble of satisfaction traveled from his chest to his throat. “I think they’ll be really happy. Look at the way they took to Mia so quickly.”
That was what I hoped. And that they weren’t angry with me for hiding it from them for a month.
At first, I was hesitant to get pregnant. Reluctant when Slade kept dropping hints like there was no tomorrow. After the dinner at Hades’ palace, the thought kept ticking over in my head, warming by the day. Probably because little ones cooked in my belly. Now that the secret was out, it solidified how much I wanted to be a mother again. From the start this time so I got to experience all their firsts.
“Come on.” Zethan’s fingers curled around mine, his warmth chasing away my doubt. “Let’s get out of here. Go and get those daddy gift boxes.”
I jerked free. “No. I can’t. I’m the hostess.” My protests sparked his arm to sling around me, and I sighed, rubbing my forehead.
“They won’t miss us for a couple of hours.” He stroked my belly lovingly as if communicating to our little one. “You did most of the packing, and it’s only fair we do our share of the heavy lifting.”
He had a point.
His dark gaze drifted down my body, caressing my belly, which hadn’t started to show yet. “And I don’t want you lifting anything in your current state.”
His lips pressed to mine, the slow glide roughening with the growing flame in his chest, lit by admission. He yearned to be a father again. Atone for being the cause of his child’s health complications or early death. To get his second chance and not mess it up this time. To love, honor, and protect his child, be there through thick and thin.
“They’ll find out if we leave.” Excuses, excuses. “I’ve got to prepare for the housewarming party tonight.”
Damn bikers never did anything in half measures. Didn’t give me a week to settle into my new home before we invited the club over to celebrate the move and thank them for their contribution in shifting furniture.
