And we were back to the caveman supe protecting their mate thing. I could sense Louis was giving me that look of his, the one that was all “See, I told you so, it’s our job to protect our mates.” Stubborn males.
It was definitely not the ideal time to have me pregnant and vulnerable, especially if I was carrying some sort of magical warrior child. I could find myself hunted by more than just the dragon king. But still, we might have created a child together and it was something to be joyful about. Braxton was still just holding me, his features and grip calm.
“Despite your freak out over Larky, you’re acting very chill about our possible pregnancy,” I said, my eyes narrowing. “Why are you not more surprised?” Sure, I’d explained to them what the queen had said about me being fertile from the moment my mark’s powers were unlocked. That this was part of the curse of the dragon marked, the part which Larky put into play to make sure he’d get his dragon babies. Fucker. But still, I expected that the news of our possible baby would have taken Braxton by surprise, instead he seemed content with the knowledge. Like he’d known all along.
“Your scent has changed a little,” he finally said. “I thought pregnancy was impossible because of your fertile time, so I assumed it was to do with being stuck in Faerie, the absorption of some of the magic here, but with this new information, your backache, and you not wanting to be touched … it makes sense.”
So basically he had known the second I reached that part in my story. My mate was all about being an overachiever on the intelligence train. Which was both annoying and hot as hell.
Braxton turned to Louis. The sorcerer was back to being blank-faced. “Is she far enough along yet for you to try the pregnancy spell? We need to both confirm and to make sure everything is okay.”
The other quads were all eyeballing the magic user, each of them outwardly expressing their extra surge of over-protectiveness toward me. This child was not only going to have a dragon shifter for a father, but three uncles of scary-ass nature. Plus, Jonathon. Holy freakin’ hell, this kid was going to be one spoiled and protected pup.
Louis stepped closer to me, his eyes scanning across my body. My stomach was flat, no signs of a child there at all. Most supe races have different gestation periods. Shifters were about six months, magic users nine. Vampires were very short, only two to three months; and fey were the unlucky bastards at fifteen months’ gestation for their young. The demi-fey all varied, and some of them didn’t even carry their young in their bodies. Some had pods, or capsules or eggs.
Louis lifted both hands as if sensing the air around me, before taking a step back. “If she is pregnant her body is hiding it well. No magical essence of another is clear. It’s hard to tell how far along she is. In Jess’s time it’s been no more than a week since you were together, but being in Faerie can mess with timelines, so it’s hard to know what her body is doing development wise. I need some ingredients from home to do the gestation and pregnancy spell, so for now we can be cautiously optimistic that we will have a child in our lives in six months.”
“Don’t you need the full moon?” I asked.
Louis shook his head. “Nah, I think I’ll manage without it.”
“Showoff,” Tyson muttered.
The sorcerer shot him a smile. He enjoyed taunting the brothers, but there was actually something genuine in that glance. “Don’t despair, young wizard. I sense your powers are awakening. It started when you joined with your brothers in the sanctuary. I don’t think you’ll have to wait long until you unlock your sorcery energy.”
Tyson narrowed his eyes. “Are you fucking with me? Because that would mean I’m going to beat your record.”
Louis gave a single nod. “Yes, if you make sorcerer in the next few years, you would be the youngest mage in our history. Of course, you haven’t actually made it there yet. I just sense the power emerging.”
Tyson grinned. “Oh, I’ll make it, don’t you worry. I’m going to be wizarding the shit out of things, getting those powers going.”
I shook my head, laughter unfolding from me. Braxton distracted me by cupping his hands on either side of my face. As my chuckles died off, I was captured by the emotion in those stunning blue orbs. His words were equally as emotional.
“Despite the fact that this pregnancy was not planned, I need you to know that if you’re carrying my young, there’s no better gift you could ever give me. The joy thrums through me and my dragon. You’re our true mate, our other half. There’ll never be another for me.” His lips touched mine, and I could actually feel that joy he spoke of. He pulled away too soon, his hand lowering to fall against my stomach. The other hand threaded through the hair at the nape of my neck. “I’ll die before I let anyone touch our child. I have no doubt you’ll do the same. Your fierceness is going to go into overdrive now.”
I heard laughter from behind him. “Holy shit, Jessa is going to be a freaking nightmare. Food cravings, weird hormonal outbursts…”
“Sounds normal to me,” Tyson said with a snort of laughter.
Great, not only did I have to deal with Jacob the jackass, but Tyson was joining in too. Still, they both made good points. I would probably be a nightmare. The quads must have decided that they’d held back long enough. The three of them wasted no more time pounding over and stealing me right out of Braxton’s arms. I was passed around for hugs and cheek-kisses, before ending up in Maximus’s arms. He gave me the gentlest of hugs I’d ever felt from him.