“Oh?” I raised a brow. “What happened next?”
“There was an island. Not like our island. It had lots of trees and a mountain and sand and…”
I was more than grateful to have these kinds of mornings again, especially without the added weight of something terrible coming my way. It was unbelievably peaceful, getting to spend the sunrise with my mates, listening to my sister chatter about her dreams.
And I wouldn’t change it for the world.
5
Ivy
Iwas really starting to count down the weeks until the midwife arrived. Twin pregnancies—actually, multiples—were hard onallpregnant people. Not just humans, but creatures, too.
Vampires didn’t hold them well at all. It turned out during my research, it was advised for them to not go on with the pregnancy at all. Vampire birth rates were really, really low. Non-existent with Changed vampires, but for those Born? They struggled—hard. Something to do with the blood diet.
Shifters were better at handling multiples, but the pack mentality meant care for them was so much easier. They could carry to term, birth naturally, and their care systems provided a lot of support for all birth givers in their packs.
Demons and Fae were wildcards. Demons were sort of like shifters; they could carry up to triplets, but no more, and they had some of the best midwives in all the realms. Damon ensuredthe bestwas coming for my birth, which I appreciated.
Then there was the Fae. Similarly, they could only carry up to triplets—albeit rarely. Like, one female every century. Multiples were just rare for them. And usually, they were a one and donekind of creature. Only sometimes did they have more, and that depended on mate circles.
The witches were a lot like humans anatomy-wise, more so than the other creatures, so births were similar. I sat on that edge, though my connection to my mates and their abilities afforded me a little more help.
But it was the support that was still so, so shocking to me. Even Thea struggled with how hands-on everyone was.
“You know,” she said, folding a baby blanket, lips pursed, “thisalmostmakes me change my mind about kids.”
I couldn’t help but gape at my staunchlychild-freefriend. “I thought spending a month alone with my sisters would have been good enough birth control. You haven’t had sex since…Jase. Before all ofthis!” I grabbed the onesie and folded it while watching my best friend, who wouldn’t look at me. “What about this changes your mind?”
She shrugged, setting the yellow blanket down. “Well, for starters, you aren’t punished for getting pregnant here. Could you imagine having twins back home and working? Boss-man wasn’t horrible, but the way he treated some women when they got pregnant…” She shuddered, grabbing a handful of clothes from the laundry basket—we were nesting. “And especially in the kitchen. Plus, back home, they’re so expensive. Granted, you’ve got Prince Charming with generational wealth, Prince Broody withmore. And I think even Maeve has like stashes of cash.”
I snorted as I added to the growing pile of clothes for the twins. We’d decided against a baby shower. It was just one of those things I couldn’t bring myself to commit to. A small part of me still thought this wasn’t real. That I would wake up tomorrow and it all would have been a dream.
Some days were still better than others. I would wake up more excited to meet my babies. The ones who defied us all andsurvived Dante. Their nursery was almost done, our bedroom was set up for their first few months—well, year—co-sleeping, and everyone was preparing for what came next.
But there were other days when I struggled. Where I still wondered if this was the right choice. But they were becoming rarer. Especially as everything else fit into place.
“But was supportreallywhat you were worried about?” I asked honestly.
“No.” Thea eyed a t-shirt one of the kids must have thrown into the load before folding it and setting it aside. “I mean, if it happened, then I always knew I had you. We would have raised little monsters together, though we would have had to fight Mrs Peterson for her three-bedroom upstairs.”
I giggled as I considered the older woman trying to say no. For starters, she loved Thea. Well, Thea’s baking. Enough brownies and muffins and we could have made a switch. But then she would have had to move her seven different parrots and other birds, which would have been a mess.
“I mean, we are seriously lucky here,” I replied, wiping my eye. “Other than the support, you’re right. We wouldn’t bepunishedfor being pregnant. And we’re not punished if we aren’t.”
“Being a woman in the modern, human world sucked ass,” she muttered, setting aside her pile of laundry. “I think I’m still anoon the baby front. Kids are a little easier, so I’m not opposed to like…sort of grown ones. If that makes sense. But being in a world without that sort of struggle…it changes your perspective a bit.”
I looked around the large living room; at the photos now hanging on the walls, some new, some old, all of our growing family. At the space my mates built for us, at the life we’re building here. “I never thought I could have this life,” I admitted, voice quiet. “Sometimes I still don’t.”
“Well, you deserve it,” Thea said, taking my hand. “We both deserve whatever future we fucking want.”
“Agreed,” I murmured, smiling.
Thea’s hand tightened around mine for a moment before pulling away. “Let’s get these to the nursery.”
I groaned, pushing off the sofa. It was really becoming a struggle. “Then I need to find my mates. Where the hell are they?”
All my bonds were quiet. Sneaky. They were doing something, either something I wouldn’t approve of, or they were hiding from me.
