Chapter Twenty

Delun looked at the screen. The image of Lexa was doing the Rapunzel fall with a harness, and then, the controlled fall went out of control, and she slammed into the partially deflated bag.

The gathering went quiet, and then, she staggered free and leaned against the stone wall, clutching her side as shouts for the medic started. The video cut off.

Ford came over and murmured, “The shoot medic checked her out, and she doesn’t have any head injury, just a helluva bruise.”

Lexa felt warm, and Hailey was cuddling in her lap. “It’s fine, baby. No problem. I am here. There were plenty of people to help me, and they took good care of me.”

“But, you fell.”

“I am not going to fall again. Ford isn’t going to let me do anything dangerous, which means I will be doing a lot less of the videos.”

Hailey frowned. “But you love them.”

Lexa leaned in and whispered. Hailey’s body got excited. “Really?”

“Yeah, a very long way to go, but today... yes.”

Hailey looked at the curious faces around them. “Do they know?”

“No. You were the first. I am going to have to tell them now.”

She got another hug, and Hailey went off to tell Hector, and Ford pressed some objects into her hands with a wink.

Delun was wary. “What is that?”

“Well, this is the early alert stick that I peed on that popped positive, and the paper is the bloodwork that they gave me so that they would know if they could give me an x-ray. My important bits were covered during the scan. Nothing broken.”

Arthur whispered. “You are...”

“Yeah. Grigory, you look a little weepy.”

Grigory had the little pee stick in his hands, and when she reached for it, he closed it in his palm. “You are probably pregnant.”

She nodded. “More likely than not at this point.”

His ice-blue eyes lit up, and he gave her a slow smile. “This is very, very good.”

“Uh, yeah. I am happy about it, too.”

“It means I can tell my family that you have caught.”

Delun chuckled. “And my mother will now grovel at your feet again for upsetting you yesterday.”

“Good, because right now, I cannot bow.”

He nodded. “Let’s get that fixed up. Hailey is basking in the glow of being a new sister in the abstract. We will tell her that the early things do not always last later.”

He cradled her carefully against his chest. Grigory was on the phone and making arrangements.

“What is he doing?”

“He’s making arrangements for a monthly party for the next forty weeks. And then a really big one.” He chuckled.

He carried her to his office and swept the surface clear with his free arm, setting her down carefully. He pulled her blouse up and started licking the bruise with slow mouthings of her skin. She swallowed and braced herself on one arm. “So, what is your opinion of the situation?”

He paused. “Let me finish healing you, and I will demonstrate at leisure.”

She smiled, and he met her gaze as he continued the slower healing of the deep tissue bruising.

“So, Ford is not going to have you on set?”

“I can be on set; I just can’t do the fun parts.”

“Probably wise.” He continued, and the restored skin and muscles started humming softly.

It took him twenty-five minutes to get a third of the way through, and he paused and sat her up to remove her shirt. He kissed her with a deep hunger, and she leaned into him.

His hands caressed her breasts and flicked her nipples, and just when she was about to say to hell with the bruising, he pulled away. “That was a nice break. Now back to it.”

She exhaled slowly. “Asshole.”

He chuckled and kept working. “Is that any language to use around the baby?”

“They don’t have ears yet.”

He lifted his head with a snap. “They?”

“Internal ultrasound to check for damage. Two specks. Fraternal twins run in the family.” She didn’t look at him but kept her gaze on artwork across the room.

“So either one of us got exceptionally lucky, or two of us got extremely lucky, and one gets to not wear a condom the next time you want to breed.”

She chuckled. “Is that the way it works?”

“Well, it’s only fair. We are all tested and fertile, so giving the other a fair chance to have a baby is only polite.”

She remembered flickers of the heat. “How long will that last?”

“First day, maybe the second. Third day all bets are off. Fourth day, no one cares.”

She snickered. “Fourth day, Grigory lured me out of the pile with a cup of coffee.”

Delun nodded. “He gets hot all cuddled up.”

“Yeah, well, with you guys, but you are walking furnaces.” She smiled as his mouth and tongue slipped and slid over her hip. “Apparently, I have a type.”

He bit at her hip, and he chuckled. “I know. I was surprised at first. You looked at me on the bench like I was the most fuckable thing you had ever seen. Shocking.”

She blushed. “Ah. Yeah, I was also surprised that you were hearing my case, which was fine then but wouldn’t be now.”

“Definitely not. For one thing, I would have to see you in my chambers wearing a lot less.” He gnawed at her hip. “Done.”

He lifted his head.

“That was fast.”

He huffed and pushed her skirt to the floor.

She sat up, and he parted her thighs.

He knelt and pulled her to the edge of the desk with her feet on his shoulders. He grinned and said, “Hello, petals.”

She whimpered when he applied his tongue to her and the world spun around her.

Minutes later, she was gasping as he stood her up and got her dressed while aftershocks were still rippling through her. She clutched at him and mewled.

“We still have guests, petal. Back to the gathering. Consider it a dry run for the weekend.”

She whined in frustration, and he kissed her, stroking her neck and running his hands down her arms.

She clutched at his crisp shirt, and he smiled against her lips. “Come on. It is getting close to Hailey’s bedtime, and you want to be there to give her a hug.”

She huffed at him, and he smiled.

She checked the lines of her clothing, and she stalked out of his office. Her shoes had disappeared somewhere, but she wasn’t going to go look for them. On the patio, she looked around and saw Hailey draped over Hector, the tiger looking indulgent. Hailey looked up and smiled. Hector got up and walked over with the little girl riding her. Lexa plucked her off and hugged her.

“Mom. You are feeling better?”

“I am. Delun helped me.”

Lexa turned and looked at him as he walked out, wiping his mouth with a folded handkerchief.

She turned crimson, and he came over to her, whispering, “You are right. There are two in there.”

She blinked and stared. “Okay, oh wise one. Whose are they?”

He winked and whispered, “One for the sun bear and one for the polar bear. You went off before your heat.”

“Oh... so the shower...”

“Correct. Next time, let’s chase you through the woods and see who wins?”

She blinked. “The next one is nearly a year away if this stays.”

“It will.” He smiled and stroked Hailey’s cheek. “Excited to be a big sister?”

“Yes.” She cocked her head. “How is the thought on a puppy or kitten?”

“Ask Grigory, and he will ask Misha. Her kittens are expensive, though. You might have to do chores.”

Hailey started squirming, and Lexa put her down. Hailey ran over to Grigory and began to press her case.

“You have raised her to have a lot of confidence.”

“Her mom was strong and ballsy. I wanted to make sure that Hailey turned out like her.”

“You are so used to putting her first; you haven’t thought of yourself in a while.” He wrapped his arms around her.

“I have thought of myself. That I was tired, exhausted, broke, and furious. The bitchy beta.”

He stroked her cheek. “When are you going to tell Grigory?”

“Um, I will save it to see if he needs to be negotiated with to part with the kitten.”

“A child should not be a bargaining chip.”

“No. Plus, if I know you, you already sent him a text.”

He chuckled. “Perhaps. I have been watching for him to check his phone.”

Lexa held her breath as Grigory frowned and pulled out his phone. He read it, furrowed his brow. Read it again and then shouted with glee, picked Hailey up and pressed a dozen kissed on her face while she giggled. He paused and said, “One kitten, when it is old enough.”

She nodded eagerly and did a happy dance. Arthur came by, and Grigory picked him up and hugged him.

“Uh, Delun, can you distract him while I hide? He looks a little... huggy.”

“Nope, but I will make sure that he is careful with you.”

She watched Arthur’s face for signs of disappointment when Grigory whispered in his ear, but he was beaming. Arthur picked up Hailey, and Lexa was pretty sure her daughter was being used as a human shield against Grigory’s hugging.

Grigory rushed up to Lexa, and he stood with his chest heaving. “Yes?”

“Ask the honey tongue.”

Delun nodded. “Yes, one mine, one yours.”

Grigory cupped her face. “My treasure.”

He kissed her carefully and then lifted her against him. “It isn’t real for me yet.”

He chuckled. “It will be when they grow.”

“I am suddenly reconsidering having you guys as my preferred body type.” She was wary.

“My mother can tell you how it is carrying, but she had all of us without any trouble and a lot of cursing.”

“Oh. Good. I feel like cursing now.”

He chuckled. “Curse me out. I can take it.”

“You aren’t the one who started it. I started with a silent heat, and that’s when I ran.”

He rubbed his nose against hers. “Do you regret it?”

“No, but it is good to know for next time that it is likely I go off a few days early.”

He grinned. “You are already planning the next time?”

“Well, this one is already on its own track. All I can do is plan for the heat after this one. We didn’t discuss it. How big a family should we shoot for?”

Grigory’s eyes went wide, and she realized that he was not the one to ask. “Arthur? How big a family is too big?”

“Since twins run in your family, I would say that a dozen is about right. You are young enough to recover, and that would give everybody a huge family for the holidays.”

She smiled slowly. “This means I could feasibly have two children a year for six years and have them all before I turn thirty-one. Not that I will do that. It is unlikely that the next heat will be successful. The ratio is supposed to be less than fifteen percent successful pregnancies.”

Grigory smiled. “You think your body listens to statistics? That mark was supposed to be obliterated, but it burned bright; you were brought to the edge of financial disaster again and again, and you came back from it. You should have wanted nothing to do with alphas, but you are here in my arms, and the speck of my baby is inside you.”

She put a hand on her forehead as the household members got excited. “You said the quiet part loud.”

He rubbed his nose to hers. “I know. I want it all over the families before the party.”

“Why?”

“You have not been properly spoiled yet. We could do it, but by getting our families involved, it will spread the acknowledgement of your place, and you will not be considered a pet for our sloth.”

She stared at him. “That’s the option? Family member or kept woman?”

“For an omega? Yes. It took my mother six years to catch with her first alphas. That you have done it in weeks means that we have a strong attachment.” He said a word in Russian and then smiled. “Destiny.”

“Oh. At some point last night, Fen told me I was lucky for the family.”

“And Devon Hall?”

“He said Delun was a lucky SOB, and then, he looked around to make sure that Fen wasn’t close enough to hear.” She smiled. “Families are complicated.”

“Was yours?”

“No. My family was basic. The moment you were one of us, you were one of us.” She smiled.

“Ours is the same. We just have to let them know that you are one of us, and they will accept you.” He chuckled. “You haven’t seen the pile of gifts that arrived from Delun’s family, have you?”

“Um, no. I just came home and got a shower.” Her inner five-year-old had perked up. “Presents?”

He chuckled. “You don’t get many, so you just want to unwrap things.”

She twisted her lips and nodded. “Not an inaccurate description.”

“Then, we shall head inside so you can play a little.”

He didn’t want to put her down, so he wrapped his arms around her and carried her inside. Illyana had Hailey by the hand and brought her inside. Arthur was talking to Olivia and her men. Delun wandered with an impish grin on his face. Grigory rubbed his face in her hair and neck, and then, he paused in one of the living rooms. “Here we are. The first batch.”

She turned to look and was glad he was holding her. “What the hell, and why are they all red?”

Delun grinned. “Mother Fen’s orders. It is lucky.”

She poked Grigory. “Put me down.”

He set her down, and she looked at the pile of red boxes that was as tall and as wide as she was. She sniffed the air and found a box that smelled like cookies. She took the box and frowned. “Do I just open it?”

“Yes, petal. Just open it.”

She pulled the ribbon at the front, and the box fell open. “Woohoo! Cookies!”

She carefully opened the inner box and lifted a cookie. It looked delicate and was coated in chocolate. She nibbled the cookie and smiled. “It’s good.”

“One of the cousins owns a bakery.”

“So, all of your family have settled down with betas?” she asked Delun as she looked for another cookie.

“Yup. Males and females. I was the only holdout.” Delun smiled. “I am glad that I waited.”

She smiled. “Me, too. Which one next?”

Delun smiled. “Try some of the small ones.”

She looked at the stack of small boxes. “Why do they make me nervous?”

Grigory snorted, “Because his family met you first.”

She didn’t understand what that meant, but she opened the box, and she backed away from the box, but Delun pushed her back toward the table. “May I?”

He picked up the wide bracelet that was not costume jewellery. He put it on her wrist and kissed the clasp. “Keep going.”

Grigory took a seat and watched her get decked out in delicate gold and exquisitely cut gemstones that featured a lot of diamonds and rubies.

Lexa finished with the last small box, and she slid the ring on. “Is that it?”

Delun grinned. “Today. You made a very good impression. The other boxes have clothing, but we can deal with those tomorrow. Arthur, Terrance, and I are meeting with the counsel of the other party tomorrow. I look forward to the first offering from their camp. We already know what we want. How do you feel?”

“Really nervous and kind of heavy.” There wasn’t a part of her neck or arms that didn’t have gold on it.

“You look like a queen, treasure.”

“I look like a treasure, Grigory.”

Delun kissed her neck. “Who do you want in your bed tonight, petal?”

“You two tonight, Arthur tomorrow, and then all of you before the party. Yes, Grigory, I know you have to attend to business. Wake me up when you get in or before you get in. That is a bit of a startling thought.”

He chuckled. “Always so you know it is me, treasure.”

“I just need to put this stuff back in the boxes—”

Delun and Grigory looked at her with glowing eyes as they said, “Leave them on.”

She smiled. “Well, I suppose I should head to the nest at a stately pace. No running.”

She walked slowly out of the room, slid her hands down her skirt, grabbed handfuls of fabric, and then bolted for the stairs. She was grinning as she pelted past Rya and Yorgi, and they frowned and had to lean back as Grigory and Delun pounded up the stairs after her. The shriek and giggles followed.

She was caught in Delun’s arms, and they stumbled into his room. Grigory closed the door and began to unbutton and unzip. Delun set her on the bed and removed her skirt and top. He did something, which made her laugh, and took cosmetic wipes and cleaned her feet. “I bet that Dexter made some of these. A few have peaches on the clasps.”

He snorted. “We will have to commission him for some signet rings with roses and bears. The Rose Sloth needs its own registry.”

She knelt naked and waited for her mates to join her. Both of them knew how to treat an omega, and suspecting what her instincts were screaming at her, she had prepped for two in her bed tonight. Well, two in bed with her. Well, two in her.

Grigory was naked first, and he rolled onto the bed, pulling her on top of him. She pushed on his abdomen and sat up as she rocked against him, gliding her sex across his cock and the heavy band of his knot.

“Oh, treasure, I am very glad that I have kept myself for you.”

She giggled. “I am glad that you have practiced.”

He grinned, and Delun laughed.

Delun reached out, and her hair tumbled down.

“Oh, treasure. The image of you is spectacular. I want to burn it into my brain.”

There was a flash, and Lexa growled. “Really, Delun?”

He grinned. “Too good not to share. Only your nipples are exposed.”

She looked at him and said, “You want a really fun one?”

Grigory remained quiet. He was smart when he had to be.

Delun nodded. “Let me know when.”

She swivelled her hips and caught Grigory. She moved slowly on him, and then, she stroked her clit while she rose and fell, but when she was ready, she surged downward and caught him completely; one hand was on her neck and the other cupped her breast. She whined, and he got the photo, then he tossed the phone aside.

Grigory groaned. “I need copies of those.”

She chuckled and kissed Delun as he leaned in before he worried her nipples, and his devious mouth triggered a rocking of her hips that tugged Grigory inside her. When Delun’s teeth bit down, she wailed, and her hips thrust down while she clenched hard. Grigory shouted, and jets of cum roped into her abdomen, she squeezed, and he pulsed again.

Delun moved behind her and kissed his way down her spine.

“What are you doing?” Her voice was throaty.

“Well, as the pregnancy and heat began with you pressed to the wall. I thought I would stage a re-enactment.”

She laughed and moaned as Grigory pulsed inside her without prompting. His knot reduced, and she slowly dismounted, the slick and his cum mixing and sliding to the towel under his hips. She smiled. Delun was sneaky.

His dark order was whispered in her ear. “Run, Lexa.”

She ran.