Just as we approach the double doors of the dining hall, Kenzie and her quintet turn into this hallway from another corridor. Kenzie spots me and squeals as she hurries to my side, gearing up for a hug. I brace myself, because she’s one of the very few outside my quintet whom I would like to grow accustomed to affection from?—
But Everett steps in front of me to act as a shield at the last moment.
“Mind her boundaries,” he firmly reminds the lioness shifter.
As far as shifters go, Kenzie is fairly good at controlling her intense, swinging emotions most of the time—which is why I startle when she loses her temper and snarls loudly at him.
“I’ve been worried out of my fucking mind about my best friend, so get your bossy, frozen, scarred ass out of my way!” she hisses, baring her teeth.
Whoa.
Ghosts scatter nearby, speaking in hushed, unintelligible tones like they don’t want to be too close to the angry shifter. I quickly check to make sure her pupils are round and I’m not dealing with another changeling Kenzie—but no, this is her.
“Hey.” Baelfire slows his stride, stopping beside the rest of us to address Kenzie as the rest of the Decimus family goes into the dining hall ahead of us. “What’d Snowflake do to piss you off?”
The rest of my quintet is just as baffled as they face the Baird quintet. Vivienne takes one of Kenzie’s hands, rubbing the back of it soothingly.
The typically bubbly lion shifter grimaces as she realizes we’re all confused about her strong reaction. “Gods, I’m so fucking sorry, Everett—I shouldn’t have gone off on you likethat. That’s embarrassing. Feel free to bury me in snow or something.”
She’s so contrite that my testy elemental brushes off the interaction as he glances down at me. “I’ll be inside organizing the chaos for you.”
I nod.Thanks.
Silas kisses my cheek as he goes in ahead of me, too, sidestepping several ghosts drifting through the vaulted hallway.
Baelfire and Crypt remain out here with me. Dirk strikes up a conversation with Baelfire, and Vivienne pretends to tune in. My Nightmare Prince slips easily into Limbo to give Kenzie and me the illusion of privacy, even though I can clearly sense him standing beside us.
Since Kenzie’s quintet has also given us a tiny semblance of privacy, she gives me a sheepish smile. “Sorry again about that. And gods, I’m so fucking sorry I haven’t been here more—I’ve just been going through something huge and unexpected. I know you were asleep for a couple of days, and I heard that there was a whole thing with those weird cultist people camping outside, but…fuck, May, I’m so sorry I’ve been MIA. I just barely got you back, and we’ve barely had time to talk. I’m like, the worst best friend ever—you’re even rebonded to your guys and everything! I missed it,” she huffs, getting teary-eyed out of nowhere.
Okay, I’m missing something. What the hell is up with her crying so much more than usual?
I note the way her quintet members keep obsessively glancing at her like they’re making sure she’s okay. It’s normal for quintets to become highly possessive and protective of their keeper, but Kenzie isn’t made of glass. There’s no reason they’d be so worried about her, unless…
When I look at Kenzie again, it hits me hard.
Oh, shit.
“You’re pregnant.”
Kenzie’s mouth drops open. “How did you?—”
“You’re experiencing stronger emotions,” I point out as my heart pounds in that strange, unfamiliar way. According to my quintet, that means I’m either anxious or excited. “You said you were going through something big and unexpected, and your quintet is far more protective than normal. Also, your boobs are bigger.”
“Hell yeah, they are,” she laughs before beaming at me. “And yeah. I’m pregnant!”
“Holy shit—congratulations!” Baelfire grins at Dirk and the rest of Kenzie’s quintet. They’re all over the moon as Vivienne bounces with excitement, Dirk preens with pride, and Luka looks at Kenzie like she’s the center of his existence.
What’s delayed you, my blood blossom?Silas checks through the bond.
Kenzie is pregnant,I explain.
No wonder she almost bit my head off,Everett grumbles.Godsdamned pregnant legacy hormones.
I smile at the lioness shifter. “You’ll be a badass mother,” I inform her.
Kenzie bursts into tears and throws her arms around me, careful not to touch my skin.
“Fuck, I really hope so,” she half-laughs, half-cries before launching into a slew of words so fast I barely catch them all. “I’ve always wanted a quintet and babies and the whole nine yards but now that I have a little crotch goblin baking in my oven, I’m so excited but it’s also so fuckingterrifying—like what if this baby takes after me? I don’t remember a lot, but I know from stories and my old journals that I was such a rebellious little punk when I was a kid, and I put my parents through so much stress, and if this cute little goblin does the same things to us once it pops out of my oven?—”
