Page 84 of Vengeful Mates

My sturdy man wasn’t taking no for an answer. “I don’t give a fuck about that,” he growled, inching back to slide his hand to my belly, stroking so gently, so lovingly, it made my heart squeal and fawn. “I only care about you right now.”

Fuck. What did a girl say to that? Nurse A had plenty to say. Me? Exhaustion and an empty stomach trapped the words in my throat.

Zethan tugged me down the hall. “Come on. We’ll tell them we’re getting more beer.”

Fuck, I loved this man. Loved that I was more important to him than the move and the house. This wasn’t his home without me and Mia. Tears sprang at the corners of my eyes, and he dashed them away with his fingers.

He steered me into the garage and tucked me lovingly into the seat of Alaric’s Forester, sliding the seatbelt over my stomach, unable to stop touching my belly at every opportunity. I watched him navigate the hood of the car, smiling stupidly with delirium that the weight was off my chest and at his pleased satisfaction.

“Can you tell if it’s a boy or a girl, and whose child it is with your powers?” Zethan asked as he slid into the driver’s seat. “Liz was able to tell when she fell pregnant with Castor’s baby.”

Hearing that, even after all the time that passed between us, still stung me. Hormones made me even more of a jealous bitch.

Trying to shake it aside, I tuned in with my fertility powers and got the answer he wanted. Tingles spread from my belly to my chest. “Yes, I know.”

He nudged me with a squeeze of my shoulder. “Out with it.”

I never took Zethan for an impatient guy. Kids were a different story, though.

I snorted and hit him. “No! You already know my secret. Can’t I leave some things a surprise?”

CHAPTER28

Aaliyah

He better stop lookingat me like that. Expectant. Exuberant. It made my heart giddy to spill every little detail.

“Will you at least tell me if it’s mine?” He squeezed me again, the warmth of his palm on my arm clouding my judgment. “Make a man fucking happy.”

Shit. How did I say no to that? Zethan took years to mourn the death of his son. He only emerged from the shadow Dylan cast when Mia came into the family. Nothing would ever replace Dylan, but the way Mia cuddled with him, played with him, eased the grief and sadness that haunted him for so long. His heart told me he longed for another child of his own, and I didn’t have the heart to deny him that.

The full weight of his hopeful gaze made me break. “Yes, it’s yours.” I traced a scar with my fingertip, loving the hardness, the faded pink against his tanned skin, the story there. “But I’m not telling you the sex.”

Determination dug in its heels to hold onto some secrets for the reveal. Surprise Zethan with details, so that when I told the others, it didn’t seem like he already knew and disappointed my other mates.

He smiled so brilliantly that it warmed me all over and I felt like a drenched flower drying in the sun. “You have no idea how fucking happy that makes me.” He crushed me to him, and I reveled in his scent, his warmth, his embrace.

“I have a pretty good idea.” I stroked his stubble and the rest of my words evaporated at his kiss.

My giddy heart took off at a crazy pace that I had no hope of slowing down.

Zethan drove me to the mall and let me go nuts, his bond glowing passionately with every item I added to our cart, filling it with a variety of goodies for the pale blue gift boxes. Ribbons, baby announcement cards, printed mugs, and various knickknacks, all color coordinated to the sex of the baby. Individual tailored gifts to suit each of my men, some I had to hide from my joyful mate. Excitement got the better of me, and I couldn’t help it. Bikers went hard or went home, and that was what my men were getting from me.

Alaric would treasure this the most and hold on to the mementos the way he treasured his grandfather’s vinyl records. He might even drink from hisWorld’s Greatest Dadmug. Slade definitely would and he wouldn’t shut up about being the best daddy.

The whole time we were at the mall, our phones were blowing up with calls and messages asking where we were.

Gone to get beer,Zethan replied to Castor.

Getting ice and more alcohol with Zethan,I told Alaric.

On the way home, Zethan pulled into the drive-thru liquor store, getting a case each of Budweiser and Corona to mask our disappearance. I showed him my appreciation for covering for me with a rub of his stubbled jaw.

Back at home, we sat in the Forester’s front seat for a moment. Zethan’s fingers tunneled into my hair, the ghost of anguish that haunted him long gone. Gratitude warming his smile drove home his exhilaration and buoyed mood, and I was glad I was able to give this to him.

“Thank you for taking me, my love.” I trapped his hand on my thigh.

“Any time, baby.” He gave me a quick kiss before stretching his arm into the backseat to steal a peek at the gifts I hid from him.

---