Ten Days Later.
I watched as they laughed and joked around with each other, poking and taunting each other. Reminiscing old times. Why did this image bring me so much….. Happiness? Was it because I was a part of this? Well, I was cooking but it was because I wanted to.
“Hey, Amelia you know you don’t have to cook you know?” Joseph asked sitting on the counter next to me. “Like Bryan said you aren’t a burden”. I smiled at him somewhat shyly, I was still getting used to them.
“I know, but I love cooking so let me cook” I told him gently yet firmly. Smiling at me a lazy look in his eyes.
“So, what are you making?” He asks looking over my shoulder.
“Oven roasted tandoori chicken” I told him. My former pack loved spicy food with meat.
“Wow, never mind you can cook whenever you want!” He exclaimed looking longingly at the chicken in the oven. I chuckled slightly, which made him look at me in shock and surprise. A smile grew on his face “I’ll leave you to the cooking, I better go check on the twins before they end up destroying something” he said rolling his eyes. I smiled slightly maybe I will grow to love this place as my new home.
Home was a strange concept for me even though I’ve lived in one my whole life. No that place was never our home my wolf told me Home is where you can be you without fear. Pain. Sadness. Emptiness. And that is all we got at the place. It was never Home it was our prison and our jailors were our supposed family members. Even if their wolfs never did want to hurt us, they never stopped their human side from hurting us. She quipped at me.
Your right I said back to her. They were never our family. Grinning I went back to work enjoying the laughter flowing in to the kitchen from the dining room. Here in my home I feel like I belong.
Putting on some oven mitts I pulled out the chicken goody-ness and walked out into the dining room smiling at the confusing yet amusing scene in front of me.
Joseder was lying across 4 chairs looking half asleep, a kitten curled up in his lap. Cane and Camden were balancing on their heads sticking their tongues out. Joseph staring at them with a smile on his face and trying to get them back onto their feet. Bane and Bryan were running around trying to catch a small black, white, and grey Siberian husky, speaking to it like it was a small child.
“Umm…. Guys, what are all of you doing?” I asked warily. Everyone paused to look at me, the poor puppy ran into wall.
Joseder’s eyes popped open and rolled to meet mine. “Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum over their” He said pointing a t Cane and Camden “Thought it would be an amazing idea to get you a puppy as a welcome home pet, and got carried away and got this kitten too”. He said pointing at the still sleeping kitten.
The Twins bowed mockingly “Yes. You can always take more than nothing” the said in unison.
“That’s the Mad Hatters line dimwits” Bryan told them exasperatedly. They just rolled their eyes in annoyance.
“Umm… Can we talk about the pets?” I asked hastily trying to get them back on track.
“Well, we knew you were really worried about staying here and everything so we thought that if we got you pets you’d feel more at home” Bane answered before the twins could get a word in.
My eyes widened, did they really do this for me? My former pack didn’t even get me birthday presents, or even remember my birthday, yet these people, people who I’ve just met got me a puppy and a kitten jest because I was afraid. A tear burned at the edge of my eye.
“Why?” I asked, they looked confused “Why did you get a present, a puppy and a kitten when you hardly know me?”
“Because you deserve happiness” Joseph answered with pause “What they did to you was wrong no matter their reason for the abuse you didn’t deserve the treatment you got”. I quickly put down the chicken.
Tears streamed down my face I went over to him and gave him a hug. A first his body was rigid then relaxed hugging me back “Thank you” I told him sniffling slightly. What is up with my hormones?26
Someone cleared their throat behind them breaking me and Joseph apart.
Looking behind me to see no one other than Wonder bread staring at me, shifting from one foot to the other.
“Miss. Romano I just got your lab test results back and would like to discuss something with you in private” He uncertainly commanded me.
Nodding my head towards him I turned back towards the guys “We’ll talk about the pets later” they nodded heads and I began following E.T. out of the dining room and to what I think was his office.
“Please have a seat” he told me gesturing his hand to the two chairs in front of his desk. Warily taking a seat I faced him trying not to squirm in the chair. “Your lab tests were okay not great, but your healthy. The scars on your body will never fade, unfortunately. Mentally you’re stable from what I’ve seen so far, but physically you can’t handle someone touching you unless you are the one initiating the contact. There is one more thing you need to know, although I have no idea how to tell you”.
That’s when my fears started to voice their opinion What if its life threating? What if I have a disease? What if I have cancer? What if its life altering? What if….. What if….
“Miss. Romano?” Dr. Gupta’s voice called my name worriedly “are you oaky?”
“Umm…Yeah I’m okay” I told him clearing my throat.
“As I was saying I have no idea how to say this to you but your Pregnant” He told me warily.
My heart stopped beating. I’m pregnant? My shocked mind kept on repeating pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant!2
“Wh-h- why, h-how?” I stuttered my eyes widened as the room began to spin.
“Calm down Miss. Romano” Dr. Gupta said appearing suddenly right beside me. “Deep breaths in….. Out…. In…Out”
He spoke trying his best to calm me down “Miss. Romano please calm down… you being stressed isn’t good for the baby” he stressed.
That statement got me to calm down, and my breathing leveled out.
“Now, Amelia. Are you better now?” I nodded my head “Do you know the baby’s father?” I nodded my head again and my heart started pounding harder thinking of Hilton “That’s good, now your only 1 week and 3 days pregnant” My eyes snapped to meet his.
“Is the baby okay?” I questioned hesitantly.
“I don’t know, but I’ll have to do an ultrasound for that, but in my professional opinion both you and your baby are perfectly healthy” He reassured me.
I smiled at him relived “Now that you know you’re pregnant you’ll have to make consider many things. One, is calculate your due date. Since its December 20th I’m thinking your pregnancy will be around July 20th.
The second step is to Prime you’re body. That means eat healthy make sure you’re getting enough folic acid, start taking a prenatal vitamins, eat a healthy pregnancy diet, consider a pregnancy-friendly exercise routine, and try to get plenty of sleep.
Step three, be prepared for early symptoms. That means fatigue, morning sickness, odd-food cravings, sore breasts, maddeningly frequent bathroom trips. And that’s not the half of it, but I’m sure the guys not so patiently eavesdropping will take care of you” he told me.
My mind was spinning with all of the new information, but the thought that ruled my thoughts was that I’m pregnant! My hand slipped to my abdomen, I can’t wait to see my stomach grow with my baby, my mate’s baby. No matter how much I hate him I’m surprisingly happy that I’m carrying his baby.
It’s only natural Amelia, he’s our mate. My wolfs voice popped into my head. I agreed with even though I didn’t like it much. Then another question popped into my head. Am I going to tell Hilton? Do I even want him to know?38
“I’ll let you think about it” he told me gently “and congratulation” I sat in his small office thinking I hope I can make a better future for my baby then I had.
Standing up I went back to the dining room. The guys were pacing in unison, if I hadn’t learned what I had learned only minutes ago I would have been laughing at the concerned yet nosy expressions on their faces.
I cleared my throat brining their attention to me. Bane and the twins snapped out of their pacing, worrying stance and rushed to me.
“Are you okay?”
“Is it deadly?13
“How long do you have to live?”
“Oh, God no you’re dying aren’t you!”
They babbled to me running their hands threw my hair and playing with my fingers while staring at me looking for answers. I just stood in shock my hand still pressed up against my stomach.
“I’m pregnant” I said in shock. The room fell silent, the guys froze. Cane and Camden’s mouths dropped open.
“You’re What!” the twins said in awe.
I looked down suddenly afraid. What would they think of me? Would they think I’m some whore that slept around? They must think I’m a whore with nothing in my life other than sleeping around and finding my next big break.
Thoughts ran through my mind when a pain ripped through my body.
It was too much pain.
I couldn’t handle it.
Booming shouts passed through the cloud of pain. I felt someone rubbing my forehead, it was warm, it made me lean against it. But I could still feel the pain getting dangerous level stealing my breath away.
I was too hot, the fire burning brighter and brighter inside of me. The only thoughts in my head we’re are my babies okay? Breathing in deeply I tried to ease the pain, but it got worse as it spread across my body engulfing me in its fiery depths. Opening my eyes slightly the images we’re blurry, all I could see were color everywhere.
The pain lasted for what it seemed like hours, like it would never end.