Page 49 of Arthur

“I wish you were. I would gladly bear all of the less enjoyable parts of being pregnant for you if I could.”

If I wasn’t already completely in love with Arthur, I would have fallen in love with him then and there. “I know you would. It’s not so bad, truly. It’s really all about figuring things out in the beginning, and then it becomes so much easier once you do. Today is the first that I sensed the baby, and it’s a bit early, really. I think he just wanted us to know he was there and he’d be making changes to our lives starting today.”

Arthur snorted. “True baby Whitmore fashion.”

I chuckled. The chuckle turned into full-out laughter, and when I struggled to hold the mug, Arthur took it. The laughing fit then morphed into crying, and I was once more being held and soothed by my One.

“I don’t know why I’m crying,” I told him.

I felt Arthur kiss my forehead before he started rubbing up and down my back. “Because you’re pregnant and emotional. It’s all right that you’re crying. It’s a perfectly normal and acceptable emotion for both pregnant and non-pregnant carriers.” A tissue appeared in front of me, and I eagerly took it. We sat there forseveral more minutes while emotions coursed through me. This was something new. I’d never been emotional like this before.

After I’d finally stopped crying and I finished my tea, Arthur kissed me again before giving me one of his amazing smiles. This particular type was reserved only for me. Our children had their own smiles, but this particular one was mine only, and it always made me feel cherished and that the world would be all right because Arthur would see to it.

“Feeling better?”

I tilted my head to the side a bit. “Eh. Yes and no. I know you’re here for me and will be every moment of the pregnancy and after. I’m not sure what’s going on with my emotions.”

“They’ll mellow out,” Arthur ran his fingers through my hair. It was incredibly messy, but I simply couldn’t come up with enough energy to care. Arthur had seen me at my absolute worst and still loved me without a question. He’d also seen me at my best, and his pride in me and my accomplishments had never been hidden.

“I love you,” I told him. Arthur immediately smiled.

“I love you too. How about some toast, and then we’ll see about lunch in a bit. You can join me in the office here while I work on something for Dante to do because the poor man is bored out of his mind.”

I laughed at that while nodding. I had obviously met Dante but only briefly before I’d gone off to Montana with Edric. I’d not been out of our quarters except to take Edric to class since our return.

“Toast sounds amazing. But what are you going to come up with Dante to do? The coven is secure. Even before you took over, Dad had ensured this place was locked down and secure.”

“True.” Arthur stood with me in his arms and started toward his office he had here in our quarters. “You can’t have a coven of warlocks and shifters in a world of humans that know nothingabout us without it being secure.” Arthur carefully set me down on the plush chair he’d put in his home office for me. It was overstuffed and had an ottoman that, when pushed up against the chair, basically made it a lounger. It was amazing, and I often spent hours in it without moving. Arthur held out a plate with several pieces of toast, and I took it, placing it on my lap. “Here’s another tea. This is just breakfast tea that you drink daily.”

I smiled up at my One. “You take such wonderful care of me.”

“It’s my pleasure. You take care of me as well though.”

“Yes,” I said. It did no good to argue because he wasn’t wrong. It went both ways with us and always had. Arthur, from the very beginning, had always doted on me. He’d brought me tiny tokens back then: flowers, small gifts that he’d created himself with and without magic. I still had some; others had long been lost centuries ago.

“Eat your toast if at all possible.” Arthur’s phone rang on his desk. I picked up a piece of toast that was smothered in butter and jam while Arthur went to answer his phone. I was surprised he’d left it in the office, but then again, I’d been ill, and it wasn’t unlike him to drop everything to rush to my side. I had been truly blessed when I’d been gifted Arthur as my One.

Chapter 19

Arthur

“Please come in,” I said, holding out my hand as I came around my desk. “It’s Dr. Hawthorne, correct?”

“Hawthorne is my first name. To the humans I have worked with, it’s Dr. Brauer. But I’m all for being more relaxed now that I’m working for the council.”

I smiled. The council really was working hard to add more support staff. More enforcers as well, but the fact that they now had added a fourth psychologist to their staff was amazing if you asked me.

“Well, if you prefer Dr. Brauer, I don’t have issue with addressing you as such. If you prefer the use of your first name, that works as well.”

Dr. Brauer grinned. “Either works. I know the others in the office go by both, first names and at times last names. It truly just depends on the patient and what they are comfortable with, I believe.”

I nodded. That made sense. “Well, the patient in question this time is my son. He’s all of eight. He will address you however you first introduce yourself, so that choice will be yours.”

Dr. Brauer nodded. “Understandable.” He sat in the chair I indicated, and I hopped up on my desk in order to try and be more informal. I didn’t feel the need to put the desk between us. “I’ve read a bit about the issue you’re having, but I’m not sure if I understand.”

I sighed. “It’s our son Edric. He’s eight, as I’ve said. He’s fine if he’s with the other children in the coven. But when classes and after-school activities are over and he has to return to our quarters without anyone else, he becomes…well, petulant because he doesn’t have a sibling to play with.”

Dr. Brauer’s smile was faint, but I could still make it out. “So he’s an only child?”

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