Page 36 of Catalyst

“Guys…” I breathed, trying not to let my amusement show. “Can wenotdo this in public?”

“Nu-uh.” Jace’s hand once again crept higher, this time landing on my shoulder before he pulled me in to kiss the top of my head. The action caused my heart to flutter. “You’re fucking withvillainsnow. We do what we want.”

The nurse let out an uncomfortable breath as if to remind us she was there before leading us to a small exam room. Kane helped me onto the table, the white paper crinkling as I shifted around, doing my best to get comfortable.

The nurse glanced down at her clipboard once more before forcing a small smile.

“I just need to get a few more vitals, and then I’ll leave you three alone until Dr. Fields comes in, alright?” Her tone seemedtoochipper for my liking.

I did my best to ignore it, mostly because I didn’t want the boys to pick up on the fact that somethingmightbe wrong. There was no reason for them to worry, especially if they didn’t have to.

I plastered a smile on my face as the nurse took my blood pressure. It’d been low since I got pregnant, which meant it wasn’t a concern. But my heart beat a little faster when she pulled out the thermometer. My temperature hadn’t been in normal range since I got pregnant, but until recently, I’d gotten used to it. My body had adapted, and while I knew it would do it again, the idea of being given a test I was guaranteed to fail never felt good.

Still, I parted my lips and allowed her to slip it under my tongue, snaring her gaze in mine so I could hear her thoughts loud and clear. I wanted to be prepared when Dr. Fields came in.

The thermometer beeped, and the corners of the nurse’s mouth flicked down for a second.

110.4…Should I take it again?

My heart skipped, and I regretted rifling through her thoughts. My temperature had rested between 103 and 105 for the last ten weeks, and I assumed that was as bad as it could get. My palms started to sweat, and I balled my fists to prevent the boys from seeing it.

The nurse kept her eyes anchored on the thermometer, her lips parting as she swallowed hard. Her inner monologue was a jumbled mix of protocol and nerves. All of it boiled down toI can’t alarm the patient–Dr. Fields will handle it when she gets in.

After a beat, the shock wore off, and she jotted the number on the clipboard before fleeing from the room. Jace and Kane looked at her like she was crazy, and that became just another thing I ignored.

“Hey, Jace?” I mumbled.

His gaze shifted to me. “Hmmm?”

“You’re a hemomancer… When Sulien was here, he’d do this thing where he pulled the extra heat out of my body… Can you do something like that?” Iknewit was a long shot, but it didn’t hurt to ask.

“Uh, no?” Jace snorted. “Sul could siphon heat and use it to power his flames. I… well, I don’t do that.”

“Why do you need him to do that? You feel hot again?” Kane asked before he stood and reached out to put his palm on my forehead.

I swatted him away. The last thing I needed was for him to confirm what I already knew.

“Just in case!” I panicked through the words. “I know Sulien’s mom died during labor because she got too hot–I just. I want to be prepared.”

Kane allowed his hand to drop.

“Don’t worry about her. She wasn’t a super–Plus, we won’t let that happen.” His words were confident, but his thoughts betrayed him.

They ran wild with the same fears I’d been trying to keep at bay. Fleeting worries about how they wouldn’t be able to care for me if I got too sick, or what would happen to the baby if I died. I forced myself to ignore the uneasy flutter in my stomach, electing to focus on Jace’s hand as it gently brushed over mine.

I looked down, hoping Jace would break the tension with a joke. Instead, he brushed a kiss to my knuckles. Normally, that action would have been a little swoon-worthy, but I didn’t like seeing that fromJace.

A knock on the door shattered the silence in the room. We all sat a little straighter as Dr. Fields walked in. She quickly verified my birthday before washing her hands and settling onto the rolling stool in the corner. Her woody gaze flicked between the two men I’d brought with me.

“Which of you is dad?” She asked calmly.

Jace and Kane exchanged a look, one that told me they were as surprised by the question as I was. I assumed that the entire universe knew Sulien had gotten me pregnant.

“It uh, it depends on the day.” Jace laughed, grabbing my hand a little tighter.

Dr. Fields raised an eyebrow as she studied Jace. “I was hoping one of you could tell me a bit more about the father’s medical history… Well, that and his mother’s.”

The mention of Sulien’s mom caused me to shirk in on myself as I immediately feared the worst.

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