"Hey, hey," Hunter says gently, his hands cupping my face. "Breathe, Amelia. It's okay."
"Is it?" I whisper. "We never talked about this. About kids, aboutmorekids, about if you even want that with me. I knowyou have Riley and Isaac, and maybe that's enough, and I wasn't trying to trap you or force anything. My suppressants aren’t really birth control but they were supposed to prevent this, but once my heat hit they stopped working and we never used protection and I should have said something but I wasn't thinking and now I might be pregnant and you might not want—"
Hunter kisses me soundly, cutting off my rambling, his hands gentle on my face. When he pulls back, there's something soft in his expression, something that looks like wonder.
"We should have talked about this," he says quietly. "You're right. We should have discussed protection, discussed what we all wanted. That's on us. We got caught up in the heat and the moment and we didn't communicate properly, and that was a mistake."
"A mistake we'll learn from," Wyatt adds from behind me, his arms still wrapped around my waist. "We'll be more careful in the future about talking through important things like this and making sure everyone's on the same page."
"But honestly?" Hunter continues, his thumb stroking across my cheek. "I'm thrilled. The idea that you might be carrying our baby? That's not a burden, Amelia. That's a gift."
Silas reaches out to rest his hand on my knee. "We want this and building a larger family with you sounds perfect."
"Even if it's happening faster than we planned?" I ask, my voice small.
"Even then," Silas confirms.
The fear doesn't disappear completely, but it eases slightly. I look past my Alphas to where Dylan is standing, his expression unreadable. This is the part I've been dreading. My overprotective big brother finding out that the men I've been with for barely two months might have gotten me pregnant.
Dylan's jaw is tight as he looks between me and my Alphas. "So let me get this straight," he says, his voice carefully controlled. "My sister, who just escaped an abusive relationship a few months ago, who's been through hell and back, might be pregnant?" He seems almost in shock and there might even be anger in expression.
Hunter stands slowly, squaring his shoulders. "Yes."
"Dylan—" I start, but he holds up a hand.
"I'm not done." He takes a step closer to Hunter, his expression hardening. "That's my baby sister. The person I've been protecting since our parents died. The woman who showed up at my door in the middle of the night covered in bruises and terrified for her life. And you're telling me you might have gotten her pregnant without even discussing it first?"
I cringe, knowing that Dylan’s anger is founded but he didn’t even get this angry when my Alphas took me into their home. Or maybe he did, I don’t know.
Hunter doesn't back down or look away. I appreciate that he doesn’t start Alpha posturing with my brother. "We should have discussed and as much as I want to say that this is between us and Amelia, I told you that I would protect her. And I will, with everything I have. From here on out, she won’t know anything other than love."
"If you hurt her, if you make her feel trapped or scared or anything less than cherished, I will make sure you regret it,” Dylan says. His hands clench into fists at his sides. "I don't care how good you've been to her so far. I don't care that she's happy with you. You screw this up, you hurt my sister, and I will—"
"Dylan, stop," I interrupt, climbing to my feet. Wyatt releases me reluctantly, his hands steadying me as I stand. "I'm okay. I'm scared, yes, but not because of them. I'm scared because being pregnant makes me vulnerable again. I'm scared Vincent or Marcus or whoever the hell he is might somehow use this againstme. I'm scared I won't be a good mother after everything I've been through. But I'm not scared of them. They've never made me feel trapped. They've never made me feel anything but safe."
Dylan's expression softens slightly as he looks at me. "Vincent’s never getting out sis.” He steps a little closer, his shoulders relaxing a little. “But, you're sure? You're really okay with this?"
"I'm terrified," I admit. "But I'm also happy. Is that weird? To be both at once?"
"No," Dylan says, his voice gentler now. "No, that's not weird at all." He runs a hand through his hair, the tension fully draining from his shoulders. "Fuck. Okay. I'm going to be an uncle again. That's... that's actually pretty great."
The shift in his demeanor is so sudden it makes me laugh despite the emotional intensity of the moment. "Really? That's it? Stern big brother to excited uncle in five seconds?"
Dylan grins, though there's still a warning in his eyes when he looks at my Alphas. "I meant what I said. You hurt her, and I'll make you regret it. But if you're taking care of her, if she's happy and safe, then yeah. I'm excited. Another little niece or nephew to spoil? Sign me up."
"Two," Silas says suddenly. "There might be two."
I blink at him. "What?"
"Twins run in my family," he explains, looking slightly sheepish. "And with three Alphas, the chances are higher. I can smell it on you, the change in your scent, and it's... stronger than it should be for just one."
My hand flies to my still-flat stomach. "Twins?"
"Maybe," Silas amends quickly. "I could be wrong. But it's possible."
The thought makes my head spin. One baby already feels overwhelming. Two? But then I imagine it. Two little ones to love, to protect, to watch grow up alongside Riley and Isaac.The fear is still there, but so is something else. Hope, maybe. Excitement. The possibility of a future I never thought I'd have.
Hunter pulls me against his chest, his arms wrapping around me. "Whatever it is, however many, we'll handle it together. You're not doing this alone."
