Page 40 of In Their Arms

He hums, tightening his arms around me. “I’m the boss.”

Laughter fills the nest as I lean into this moment for just a little while longer.

26

Luca

I didn’t think coming back here would bring back any memories. I thought I could walk in, get checked out, and leave without feeling a damn thing. But the second I step into the sterile, white-walled hospital room, the cold from the metal slab beneath me seeps into my skin like a ghost of something I can’t shake off. The last time I was here, I was being torn away from Blake.

Now, he sits next to me, his fingers loosely threaded through mine, keeping me tethered. Quentin stands in front of us, checking Blake’s vitals, his expression neutral but amused. “You’re in much better shape than when I last saw you,” he mutters, scribbling something onto his clipboard. “But you still need to take it easy. And from everything I’ve been told, that’s apparently impossible as part of the Keller pack.”

Blake scoffs, his thumb brushing over my knuckles as he leans into my side. “Taking it easy is boring.”

Quentin lets out a dry chuckle, shaking his head before turning his attention to me. His expression shifts slightly, less humor, more careful consideration. “Alright, Luca, lay back for me.” He doesn’t react to my hesitation, just keeps talking, walking me through it like he already knows I need to hear it. “I’m going to check your vitals, take some blood, and then we’ll check on the baby, alright?”

I nod, but my fingers tighten around Blake’s without thinking. Quentin was brought up to speed the moment we got here and even though Ward said it would be best to find an impartial doctor, I wasn’t having it.

Blake just adjusts his grip, letting me clutch onto him as I lower myself onto the slab, the metal cold against my back. Quentin moves efficiently, pressing the stethoscope against my chest, listening to my heartbeat, his movements impersonal, but not unkind. Our other mates are just off to the side, their confidence thrumming through the bond as I try not to think about what it felt like to be dragged away, to be put in that fucking Omega center, to be told where I belonged by people who didn’t even know me.

Quentin’s voice breaks through the haze. “You’re doing fine, Luca.” His tone is softer than before, like he can feel the tension winding up in my chest. “Your heart rate is a little high, but that’s to be expected.”

I nod, forcing myself to take a slow breath.

“Let’s do the blood draw next.”

I watch as he preps the needle, the sharp glint of it making my stomach turn. Blake shifts closer, his free hand resting on my thigh, rubbing soothing circles over the fabric of my sweats. “You’re good with needles, right?” Blake teases, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

I glare at him. “Fuck off.”

He laughs, but he doesn’t let go of me, and that’s what matters. Quentin finds a vein, the slight pinch barely registering with everything else I’m feeling. The vial fills steadily and when he’s done, he tapes a small cotton ball over the puncture.

“Alright,” he says, discarding the needle and replacing it with an ultrasound wand. “Now for the fun part.”

I swallow hard, my entire body going stiff.

Blake gives my hand a squeeze. “It’s okay, sweetheart.”

Quentin directs me to roll up my shirt so that he can check on the baby and it takes me a moment to comply. I’m not even sure why I’m terrified. This is the easy part. I exhale slowly, lifting my shirt, not really thinking about it until I glance down. My stomach is protruding, just the slightest bit, a curve I hadn’t noticed before. I wasn’t aware I’d be showing this fast. I thought I had more time.

Even dragging my pants on this afternoon made me feel bloated, like my body isn’t my own anymore. I press my lips together, swallowing down the uncertainty as Quentin smears the cold gel over my stomach, dragging the wand through it. The screen flickers to life and there it is.

A tiny shape. A heartbeat.

Quentin hums in approval, clicking a few buttons before nodding. “Seems like you’ve got a healthy baby,” he says, his voice professional, steady. “From everything I can see, you’re about two to three weeks along at this point.”

I barely register the words. I’m still staring at the screen, at the little thing growing inside me, at the proof that my life is never going to be the same again.

Quentin keeps talking, smoothing the wand over my stomach as he points things out. “You’re still in your first trimester, but in another week, everything becomes a little more pronounced and nuanced. You might notice emotional changes, hormonal shifts.” He pauses, tilting his head before adding, “More than you already have.”

I blink, snapping out of my daze, twisting my head to look at him. “Wait, that fast?”

Quentin laughs, shaking his head like he expected that reaction. “Luca, I hope you listened in biology class.”

I scowl, wrinkling my nose. “I presented in college. It never mattered to me.” I sigh, my gaze drifting back down to my stomach. My fingers twitch, itching to touch, to trace the slight curve, to make it real in a way my mind hasn’t fully caught up with yet. I wasn’t supposed to be able to have children. “How long do I have?” I ask, my voice quieter now.

Quentin wipes the excess gel off my stomach before meeting my gaze again, something serious settling in his expression. “Most male pregnancies last about three to four months,” he says. “They’re fast and wildly unpredictable, Luca.”

Blake nudges me with his shoulder, his glasses sliding down his nose as he grins. He’s glowing, still looking soft from the past few days, still looking at me like this is the best news in the world. “You’re going to be absolutely gorgeous as a daddy,” he teases, reaching out to tug my shirt back down my belly.

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