Page 50 of A Baby for the Beast
"You filmed me," I repeat, making sure he understands just how unhinged that sounds.
"I was filming the sparring happening, and then you were on the phone," Jace says, clearing his throat. "It doesn't make it any better, but when your voice rose, I turned to face you. I didn't realize I was still recording until afterwards, when I went to start filming the sparring again."
"It wasn't your place to share that with anyone," I tell him, my cheeks heating.
It was one thing to know someone at the gym had done it, but it's a whole other thing to know it was someone who I thoughtI was getting close to. Jace means a lot to this family. Hell, he's part of it just like I am at this point. That's why this hurts so much more than if it had been a stranger.
"I know that now," Jace says. "At the time, I was just so mad because who treats someone that way, especially someone putting their trust in you when they're so vulnerable. I didn't want him to just walk away from it, not when he was trying to paint it as if it was all your fault. None of it was your fault."
A cramp hits me again, this time, Jace doesn't miss the way my brows tug together or the way my mouth tenses as I try to hold in the pained sound. I press my fingers to my abdomen, Jace's whole face draining of all its color.
"Oh shit," he says.
I grab his bicep, squeezing it hard as I shake my head. He turns our bodies, his bigger one blocking everyone else's view of me as he tries not to panic based on the way his determined demeanor has shifted into him now looking like he's going to puke or pass out, maybe both.
"Did I make you so mad you're having the baby?" Jace whispers.
"What?" I ask, the absurdity of it almost making me laugh. Almost.
I'm still mad at him, and I'll be mad at him until I have some time to figure out my feelings about all of this. It was an invasion of my privacy, but I get his point. He thought he was doing the right thing, and it has ended up with us learning that I wasn't the first of Kyle's victims. It's also turned my life upside down because I'm seen as the face of this justice being brought to Kyle when the only thing I wanted from him was to sign away parental rights.
"Should I go get Lilah? Or Scott? I bet he'll know what to do." Jace panics and looks around, eyes wide.
I squeeze his bicep harder, feeling a little bad about how my nails dig into his skin. "Don't tell anyone. It's those fake contractions, probably."
"Probably?" he squawks, looking around again, this time opening his mouth like he's about to call out for someone to come help.
"I won't be mad if you keep this quiet," I say to him quickly, and that gets his attention. Not for long, but long enough that I know I'm on the right track.
"I don't know if I can do that, Hayley."
"I'll forgive you, forgive all of this, I swear, just don't tell anyone." I practically beg, tears beginning to brim on my lower lashes. That must be what does it for Jace. His purr rumbles out, his arms wrapping around me.
"I'm so sorry," he mutters against the top of my head. "I don't think I can keep this quiet even if–"
He doesn't need to finish what he's saying, and I don't get to beg him anymore because Sam and Janie are coming out from the kitchen, looking happy as can be.
"We have an announcement to make," Sam says, causing everyone, including Jace and me, to face them.
I wipe at my tears as Jace continues to purr with his arm over me, making me feel safe and comforted even though he's part of the reason I'm crying. He's safe even if he made a mistake, and that's what I cling to.
"Shut up!" Lilah screams, hitting Scott in the arm, who glares at her for half a second before it softens into adoration.
Janie beams, glowing like she's the happiest woman in the entire world. "We're going to have a baby!"
"Oh my god!" Lilah screams, running at her sister-in-law and wrapping her in a hug with Scott right behind her, his eyes fluctuating between golden and dark over and over as though his beast wants to be here just as much as the alpha.
Sarah shoots a look up at Henry, who's already shaking his head, "I told you. I said it after our wedding, and you thought I was reading too much into things."
"I can't believe you're telling us all now," Henry says, smiling as he follows Sarah over to where she's joining Lilah in trying to squeeze the life out of Janie.
As far as I'm aware, Lilah doesn't want kids, and neither does Sarah, which works out well since they're with beasts who actually got sterilized instead of just saying they did.
I find myself wiping away tears, but they're not sad ones. No, I'm so happy for the family I've lucked into becoming a part of. Not only will Janie's baby have a huge family, but they're coming into this world with so much love and adoration already being given to them.
I wonder if finding out I was pregnant wouldn't have been so scary if I had this amount of support behind me. Sure, I had my parents and my coworkers. My Night Owls family was excited for us to have a bar baby. That's what they decided to call the first baby one of us had, though we definitely all thought it'd be Brad knocking someone up.
"You okay?" Jace asks, his purr low and vibrating softly against me.
