Page 58 of Marked By the Alphas

A knock came on the door, and I frowned, but before I could respond, the door was pushed open, and Naya poked her head into the room.

“El,” she called, approaching the bed carefully and I pulled myself into a sitting position, inviting her to sit.

“Your mates wanted me to check up on you. They said they might have pissed you off,” she said as she moved closer to me, and I felt regret once more at the harshness of my words.

“They didn’t. I’m just a little overwhelmed,” I confessed and Naya pulled me into a hug.

“It’s okay to be overwhelmed. I hope you always remember that you have one of the most genuine support systems and all the love you could ever get.” She pulled away as she spoke, tilting my head gently so she could watch my face.

“What’s wrong, Elara? Why do you look so sad?” she asked, pulling me back into her arms, and I sniffed, the tears that I had struggled so hard to keep at bay came running down my eyes in torrents.

“I’m pregnant,” I whispered and Naya gasped loudly, pulling out of my hold with excitement shining in her eyes.

“Goddess El, that is wonderful news!” she began but quickly sobered up. “What’s the problem? You’ve always wanted a family! This has always been your dream.”

“I’m scared. What if I turn out to be a bad mother? What if I can’t protect my children and they fall into dark hands like Silas’?” I sobbed as I spoke, and Naya’s features softened.

“You can’t think like that, Elara. You’ll be a wonderful mother, and you have three amazing mates to help you along the way so you never have to feel like you’re alone. You’ve been safe here all this time and I’m sure that they will continue to make sure that you and your baby remain safe,” Naya said softly and I cracked a smile for what felt like the first time that morning.

“There’s so much to plan. Goddess, you have quite a lot of shopping to do! Come on, come on, let’s get on it. It’s never too early to shop for babies! Get your ass off this bed, young lady!”

Naya made whooshing motions with her hands to get me out of bed and the action made me laugh, but it worked, because I pulled myself out of bed, picking up my purse that had been left on the dresser before taking the hand that Naya offered and following her out of the room. The thought of leaving the safety of the pack house made me anxious, but I knew that I also needed the distraction.

“I can’t believe you’re going to be a mother!” she exclaimed as we walked down the stairs, and my heart skipped a beat at the words. It was going to take some time before I could get used to the sound of that.

In the living area, Kai, Rowan, and Rhys were sitting with Smith and they seemed to be having some sort of meeting. Their conversation halted the moment Naya and I walked into the space.

There was a look that seemed to pass between Smith and Naya, but it had happened so fast that I almost thought I had imagined it. Kai stood up first, his stone-cold expression softening into a smile when he saw me.

“Baby, are you okay?” he said as he beckoned to me and I moved toward him, accepting the warmth of his embrace as he wrapped his arms around me.

“Yeah, I am. I'm sorry I was mean to you three,” I said, looking in the direction of Rowan and Rhys as I spoke and they all moved toward me, taking turns to place gentle kisses on my lips.

“It’s okay, baby. We’re sorry for overwhelming you, and we’re glad you’re doing better. Are you going somewhere?” Rowan asked and I nodded.

“Naya wanted us to go shopping.”

The words were barely out of my mouth before all three men were speaking.

“I’ll send a guard with you.”

“You need a guard.”

“You should go with a guard.”

The way they all said the words at the same time made me laugh and even Naya joined me.

“I don’t think I’ll stand a chance if I argue,” I said, and they all agreed with that.

With a guard accompanying us, we made our way to the mall and the shopping trip turned out to be a welcome escape. Naya was the perfect companion, and her laughter was infectious. We went into various stores, trying on clothes and fitting together tiny baby outfits. For a few hours, I managed to forget my worries.

But as the day wore on, a growing sense of fatigue washed over me. My feet were starting to hurt from walking around and I felt ready to call it a day.

“I think we’ve done enough shopping for today, Naya. I don’t feel too good anymore,” I said and as if on cue, a wave of nausea hit me with unexpected force.

Thankfully we were close to the restroom, and I dashed into it, moving into one of the stalls to empty my stomach. I hated the feeling of it, and just like that, it felt like the day had been ruined. I knew that I needed to go home.

When I emerged from the bathroom, I bumped into someone.

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