I couldn’t be happier, either, but if pregnancy meant being this tired all the time, I was going to miss most of it sleeping. And how did I get ready for a baby when I was unconscious?
Chapter Twenty
Seth
We still had two cars, but we didn’t want to ride separately, so we arranged to have Indy’s driven back by a service and all piled into my sports sedan for the trip to my shimmer. Indy’s was very close by, and I had a faint hope he’d say, “Let’s go to mine first,” but of course he did not. He’d been pretty clear that he wanted to be second.
And so, I would step up and be the first. No matter what.
When we’d made the plans to travel, we weren’t going with—as far as we knew—a pregnant omega. I hoped the idea of an heir, even if it wasn’t exactly the way they’d demanded, would soften their hearts. Father was not easy when he thought things were not as they should be.
It was our first road trip together. Indy and I had never even taken one. Our “dating” had been limited to the local area where we tried not to be too obvious and upset our parents. Or the shimmers. An implication that we were dating would send a message that neither alpha wanted. Implying that they were joining forces or one was weaker than the other. Who knew where they’d go with the whole thing.
So cruising down the highway, the three of us laughing and singing along with the radio, was more fun than I’d ever known it could be in a car. Bram was having a pretty good day, although he did take a long nap stretched out in the back seat.
He even survived lunch at the diner we passed along the way. And with the giant burger, fries, and root-beer float, I wasn’t sure how my stomach would have handled it.
It was fun, but the closer we got to home, the more nervous I got. Indy took over the driving after lunch, while I sat in thepassenger seat and talked about ordinary things that were not life-shattering like my father could be on occasion.
“He’s very loving, you know,” I blurted out, thinking about all the times he had not been harsh. “He’s just very traditional.”
“Of course.” Bram reached over the seat and patted my shoulder. “Fathers can be like that.”
“Tell Bram about your lands,” Indy said. “They are not far from ours, but where we have mostly flat forest land, they also have some pretty steep foothills and into the mountains.”
“That sounds like a lot of land,” Bram marveled. “We have a nice area, too, but nothing that big.”
“Most of the land is not usable, so humans didn’t place a high value on it at the time we came here, or we’d never have been able to have so much.”
“Still, incredible.”
“You’ll see for yourself, soon.” Indy took the turn off the highway. We didn’t have a gate or anything like that, but the drive was so disguised by bushes and trees, if you didn’t know it was there, you’d drive right past. The trees encroached on either side, brushing the roof of the car. I made a mental note to have some of the landscaping crew come out and trim them back.
If I was still here to do that.
This homecoming was poignant because I didn’t know what would happen. If I’d be welcome or not, and whether my father could accept my mates. Indy, he knew, although he always acted like he didn’t. Father was just so rigid, and when we mingled with other groups, the young were not really on his radar. But he knew enough that what I had to say shouldn’t be a surprise.
Again…he might pretend it was.
We parked in front of the alpha house and climbed out of the car. No one came out to greet us, which made me more than a little nervous. What did it mean? But as we reached the foot ofthe porch stairs, the door opened and revealed Father standing silhouetted in the light spilling out from behind him.
“He’s tall,” Bram whispered.
“That he is. And he uses it to intimidate people.”
“Don’t worry, he can’t use that on me. I’ve seen taller.”
I wasn’t sure if he said that because he meant it or was trying to bolster his courage, but he looked solid. “He’ll back off if you don’t let him intimidate you.”
“Good advice.”
We advanced up the stairs to meet Father where he stood. “Hello, Father.”
“Son. You brought guests.”
“You know Indy. And this is Bram. They are my mates.”
His face tensed, fingers tightening on the doorframe. “You have mated without pack sanction.”
