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It began innocently enough. What sleeping arrangements was Devin planning for, would she breast feed only. A slew of innocuous questions hurled at her that she had no answer to. It was dependent on Rey and what he decided to do with her after the baby was born, but she couldn’t exactly tell Janet that. That her daughter lived in shame every day and had ruined the bond.
Then Janet had asked about schools and sports and things that Devin would never have to worry about since they were years in the future.
“What kind of mother doesn’t plan for the future,” Janet had asked, sending Thomas into an apoplectic fit as he stammered out apologies to Rey for his wife’s brazen statement.
What kind of mother, indeed. A horrible one. One that didn’t deserve anything less than what she got if Rey kicked her out as soon as this baby was free of her. Devin didn’t merit a single ounce of his attention and she wondered at how desperate he was for his child if he heaped it upon her every hour of every day.
She’d listened to Rey escort them out, trying to ignore him as he came to her to soothe away her tears. It was a just thing that she be miserable for what she’d done. Shying away from his cautious touches, she’d buried herself in the bed and hadn’t emerged until he demanded she eat, only to return as soon as she was finished.
They were due one more visit the next day, and Devin swore to herself she wouldn’t give Rey any further reason to despise her. She’d behave herself and bite her tongue, wouldn’t lose her shit when her mom said something.
It all went to hell shortly after their arrival the next day, late in the morning.
“Mom, it’s fine,” Devin bit out, doing her best not to snarl as Janet loaded the dishwasher all wrong. Rey was already tense, watching the two Betas hovering around his mate with growing agitation.
“You don’t need to be doing this, Devin,” Janet said, ignoring the fit of temper. “Just go sit down. They’ll come clean. I promise, I’ve been doing dishes longer than you’ve been alive.”
“Janet, just do it her way,” Thomas pleaded, glancing back at Rey for the thousandth time.
At least one of them had the sense to keep the huge male in mind.
Between the growing ache in Devin’s back and her mom’s insistence on doing everything her own way, the smallest spark was ready to implode the entire thing. It was the last day of her parents’ visit, and it couldn’t be over soon enough. Within minutes of their arrival, Devin began to count down the hours until they’d climb aboard the train and head back home.
They’d only finished lunch, with dinner yet to come.
Devin was trying her best to be meek and subservient, but something about her mom always brought out the worst in her. It wasn’t that she didn’t love her parents. She did, dearly, but they saw her as a lesser person than themselves. Nothing but a slave to instinct despite the fact she’d proven otherwise time and time again.
Now that she was mated and pregnant, it was as if all the intervening years had never happened.
“If you would just let me—”
“There,” Janet proclaimed, shutting the dishwasher door and turning it on. “Now you can’t see it and it won’t bother you.”
“Mom, I—” Devin cut herself off with a pained whine, crumpling against the counter as a ferocious agony encircled her belly and hips. Clinging to the smooth stone, a scream built deep within, battering the back of clenched teeth as the virulent misery continued to grow. The horrible thought that it surrounded the baby had her wrapping one arm tight around him, trying to protect him from the viciousness of the sensation while attempting to remain upright.
Rey caught her as she began to fall. Cradling her against his chest, he purred for her. Loud and rich, the perfect resonance that refused to touch the scorching fire encircling her middle. Back seizing, the cramping ache whipped around her sides.
The scream came loose as she fell into Rey, clawing at his starched shirt, ripping at it in her attempt to get away from the furious agony. Arching and twisting, she tried to ease the pain only to be brought double as it clenched and twisted around her middle.
They were moving. Shouts ringing out, the growl of an engine. Rey’s reassuring voice rising and falling around her as she writhed in the backseat. She didn’t know who was driving, but they weren’t going fast enough for his tastes as he barked orders for them to hurry the fuck up.
Everything smeared and blurred, twisting in around itself with the pain. It was all she knew as Rey pet at her, trying to keep her from scraping her nails over the agony centered around her sides and belly.
White lights. Hurried footsteps. A strident female voice that demanded compliance.
Precious darkness.
* * *
Devin whined low in her throat as she woke, blinded by dimmed lights above her. She twitched and let out a shuddering cry as pain ricocheted through her belly and hips, searing its way up her spine until she fell back with a plush thump.
“Shh, sweetheart. Be still,” Rey whispered, crawling onto the large bed to hover over her. Trembling hands pet at her, soothing away her tears as he purred. “It’s going to be okay.”
He didn’t sound at all certain.
“Good, she’s awake,” Dr. Annan said, striding into the room as if she owned the place.
Ignoring Rey entirely, she checked the various monitors attached to Devin. Brows raised high, she stared at Rey for long, silent moments before he eased off of the bed to allow Dr. Annan space to check Devin herself. She was quiet the entire time, worrying Devin more and more until finally she broke.
