Page 40 of Blood of the Damned: Thorn
It shouldn’t matter, they were mates.
Yet now the thought was in his head, it seemed to take root and bloom around Ledger’s past insecurities—present insecurities.
“Okay, but when were you gonna tell us?” Rowan asked in an accusing tone, coming to lean against the counter when Ledger rose, needing to do something, but it meant he couldn’t avoid looking directly at Rowan.
Awkward.
Ledger blew out a breath and met his stare, trying to figure out the best way to play it.
Rowan made a show of cupping a non-existent belly. “You’re pregnant and you didn’t tell me. Why?”
A rush of heat ran up Ledger’s neck. He dipped his gaze to where his jacket hung open and the shirt embraced his roundingstomach. He had been unable to do up the button on his slacks for the last two weeks, but he had been a little in denial about needing bigger clothes. Instead, he’d used a belt to keep his pants up under the bump. He supposed carrying twins meant it was going to be more obvious quicker than usual. Although Ledger had no real clue, this being his first time, and he hadn’t been around other pregnant omegas to ask.
“I’m still adapting. I’ve not told anyone about it, to be truthful.” For him, it had been intentional keeping his pregnancy quiet. He’d not known who to tell. There was the worry about what they’d potentially ask him, which was something that had to be considered when he was mated to a vampire. Some of the staff, the ones who had signed a non-disclosure agreement, knew what the brothers were. The circle of folks that did was tiny, making it harder.
Rowan was aware, and they were friends, so shouldn’t it have been easy to say?
He had no actual answer to that.
Thorn had told his family immediately, and his sister, who was traveling right now and hadn’t come to the wedding. She had been very enthusiastic about everything, especially coming to visit after the birth. Along with the wedding gift she had sent came a truckload of baby things that had arrived the day before the wedding. Thorn had them stored in one of the cellars for now, until Ledger finished with the refurbishment of the cribs and decorating the nursery. It all took time and with the wedding, working full time and being pregnant, there was only so much energy Ledger had. Pregnancy sure was an energy sapper, he’d discovered, and he wanted to do the stuff himself making it slow going.
“Not even your family?” Rowan asked, wearing a look of sympathy which pulled Ledger back into the conversation and away from his thoughts. No one had questioned—to his face—why none of his relatives came to the wedding. He suspected the staff had gossiped about it, and Rowan’s question confirmed it when he looked upset for Ledger.
A stab of loneliness came and went as he deflated like a balloon popping at the mention of his family.
“I don’t have a family who would be interested in knowing,” he replied stiltedly and honestly, hating the feelings twisting through his defences at such a confession. He’d long since accepted his past, but with how fresh Thorn’s friends and family’s enthusiasm was over the wedding and the girls, it was hard not to think about how he had no one to be excited for him.
We have lots of people now. Family.
The forceful way his squirrel jabbed at him made Ledger stand straighter and acknowledge people wanted to be a part of his life. That included the man in front of him, showing his concern.
“Then it’s their loss.” Rowan came forward and gave him a hard hug, the type that made a guy feel special.
It was difficult to swallow as he hugged him back. “Thank you.”
Rowan's brows pinched together after letting go. “Why you thankin’ me? We’re friends and I’m just sayin’ it as I see it.”
A furious blush warmed his cheeks as he grinned sheepishly at Rowan, opting to change the topic of conversation before he got sappy and did something silly, like cry over Rowan. “Thorn is beside himself. He’s worse than a mother hen.”
He witnessed Rowan’s conflict before he let Ledger off the hook and went with the change of topic. “I bet he is.” His grin widened as an impish light appeared in his eyes. “He was protective of you before, I can only imagine how he’s gonna be with you having a baby.”
“Twins,” Ledger shared, hoping that would take away the sting of him not confiding in his friend earlier.
Rowan snorted, his eyes growing impossibly wide. “Twins? Holy cow, let’s hope they get on better than Calvert and Dacian.”
Ledger bit his lip, but it didn’t stop his amusement. Calvert, though most definitely more reserved than Dacian, was just as bad for bickering. “Let’s hope so. Though I think it’ll be a while before I need to worry about that.”
Chapter Eighteen
Thorn
“What the hell are you talking about?” Thorn glared at his sister on the tiny screen, trying to assess whether or not she wasbeing serious. She wasn’t like their brothers except what she was saying had to be a wind up. Didn’t it?
“That’s… that’s nonsense!” he stuttered, struggling to get his head around the words‘eat their way out’.
“Don’t shoot the messenger. You were the one who asked me to find out exactly what happens during a vampire birthing. When you couldn’t get much from the family history, I was kind enough to do some digging for you whileI’m on vacation andlook where it’s got me.” She made a noise of distaste that matched her expression. “It’s enough to put a vampire off for life. I mean, the very idea of—”
“Don’t say it again!” he hissed, glancing in panic at the door Ledger had exited from not more than five minutes earlier to run their bath. Ledger’s hearing was not anywhere as good as Thorn’s, but their mating had given his hearing, along with his other senses, a boost. The last thing he needed was to freak Ledger the fuck out when he wasn’t liking how little Thorn could explain about vampire pregnancies the bigger he got. Right then, he was doing the freakout thing enough for both of them.
