Page 23 of Matched in Mayhem

“It was vomit not me hacking up a literal organ,” Alby said and took a sip of the water.

“I.. It’s still important. You’re important,” I said, fighting off the urge to step closer to him. He’d just been sick and needed at least a little space.

“No more important than any other pregnant person,” he smiled.

“To me you are.”

“Well, yeah. I better be. There is a high possibility that you really did put all of our future children into me at once,” Alby said, fighting off a smile. I smiled too because I couldn’t help it. The joke had gone on since the first time his wolf made it. “But,” he continued. “To the universe at large? I’m just another possibly pregnant omega.”

“Fuck the universe then, because to me you’re the center of it.”

“You are so sexy when you’re being cheesy,” he grinned. “And before you say you’re serious, I know that. It’s still cheesy, but so am I, because I love it.”

“I love you,” I said and reached out to rest a hand on his knee.

“Love you,” he smiled softly and took another sip of his water. “Grandpa left a pixelated baby test. I can take it now or back at the house or…”

Everything inside me wanted to shout to do it now, but it wasn’t my choice. Not really. Maybe he didn’t want to pee on a stick here in the temple. It was my second home, but he hadn’t been here nearly as long as I had. Maybe he wanted to do it in the privacy of his own house or maybe he wanted his carrier with him instead of me or---

“Hold on. Your thoughts are making my head hurt,” he flinched. “No, none of those reasons. I just… I’m not ready to tell everyone if I am. It’s okay that Raziel probably has figured it out, but I’m not ready for the onslaught of comments and maybe touching. Like I will literally eat someone if they touch my belly right now. Like I will tackle them, take their throats, and eat them to fuel my young.”

It was hot to hear him talk like that, but I knew better than to say it right now.

“He’s definitely pregnant,” my tiger said, shifting my eyes to his to look out.

Then I couldn’t fight off the urge any longer. I leaned in close but not quite touching him and sniffed his belly. Then his crotch. Alby’s back went ramrod straight for a second and then he relaxed, running his fingers through my hair. He pulled my head against his belly and held onto it for a long moment. Up this close and personal, not only did Alby smell pregnant, but I heard their little heartbeats too. I tried to count how many little hearts beat under Alby’s, my eyes misted over, making it impossible to think straight. We were having babies. Alby was pregnant. We’d have little tigers or wolf pups running around soon. Maybe both. Raziel was definitely going to have to tell me if he left anything weird in the house.

“I want this to be ours for a little bit. Not a long time, but for a few days at least,” Alby said, still holding onto my head. “Just long enough for me to wrap my brain around it.”

“I’ll be your belly guard,” I whispered, nuzzling against him. “Unless you’re just hungry and want to eat people. Then I’ll be a maneater and drag you in whatever sort of shifter you’re craving.”

Alby laughed, but underneath it all we both knew my tiger meant the sentiment. It wasn’t just about us anymore. It was about our babies and I’d do anything it took to see them safely into this world. I always admired and felt honored my parents died to save Ryder and me but now… I understood it. If Frost walked out of a bathroom stall right now and told me to come with him and die or our unborn babies would perish, I’d go with him in a heartbeat.

“Shh….Alpha,” Alby cooed to me, running his fingers through my hair. “These are different times and we’re safe.”

I told him about Frost’s warning while I was still nuzzling into his stomach.

“Well, that could mean a lot of things,” Alby said when I finished speaking. “Maybe he just wants you to remember that you’re a protector and you got this. We have this. I guess, taking the test right now won’t matter one way or another. Not after what you heard. So, I can…”

“Let’s just rest and then go out and celebrate our mating feast, okay?” I offered, because he still sounded hesitant. Without the test we didn’t know for sure. At least, that’s what we could tell everyone at the feast. I’d tell Raziel and Slyvin about Frost’s warning as soon as I could but would respect Alby’s wishes about not announcing the pregnancy yet.

“Okay,” he grinned and hugged my head.

I stayed there, leaning against his belly with my arms wrapped around him for a long time. When we finally left the bathroom, Raziel was still guarding the door. It felt crappy to take over the whole bathroom but each floor of the temple had an omegas only bathroom.

“Pizza?” Raziel offered.

“Where did you get pizza at?” Alby laughed. “The temple catered.”

“Clyde asked if I was hungry. I said always. He asked what I wanted. I said pizza. He brought that back,” Raziel said, pointing to a pack-sized pizza on a nearby table.

“Pizza,” Alby nodded and picked up a slice. I held my breath as he took a bite. He swallowed and took another ravenous bite and I sighed in relief. For now, his pregnancy sickness had passed.

We hung out with Raziel for almost an hour. Everyone knew our mating feast would go late into the night because most of them did. They also probably assumed that Alby was pregnant, but no one came looking for us, giving us space to relax and enter the feast at our pace. Eventually, Raziel wandered off too, probably on purpose.

“This is really good pizza,” Alby said, picking up another slice of pizza. “Pat’s Pies,” he read the name off the top of the box. “Gotta get these more often. Am I horrible for eating so much pizza despite the catering?”

“Eat whatever you want. It’s our day,” I grinned.