Chapter 143 Hundred and forty three

Chapter 143 Hundred and forty three
Rowan's POV

By the fifth month, my belly had grown round and undeniable, and the painful episodes had lessened considerably with practiced control, though they never fully disappeared.

"You're glowing," Elowen said one afternoon, joining me in the nursery where we'd spent the better part of the week finishing the final decorative touches. "Genuinely glowing, not just the polite thing people say to pregnant women."

"I feel enormous," I said, though I couldn't fully suppress my smile as I ran a hand over the curve of my stomach. "But happy. Genuinely happy, most days."

"Most days," Elowen repeated, catching the slight hesitation in my voice. "What about the other days?"

I settled into the rocking chair Marcus had insisted on commissioning, taking a moment before answering honestly. "The fear doesn't fully go away. But it's manageable now, most of the time."

"That's real progress," Elowen said, hanging a final soft blue curtain against the window. "How are things otherwise? With Julian and Marcus, I mean."

I felt heat rise unexpectedly in my cheeks, and Elowen's eyebrows lifted immediately.

"That's an interesting reaction," she said, amusement dancing in her voice.

"It's nothing," I said, though the flush deepening across my face betrayed me entirely.

"Rowan Brooks, I have known you your entire life. That is not the face of nothing."

I sighed, unable to fully suppress a laugh despite my embarrassment. "The healer mentioned, during my last visit, that it's perfectly normal for... certain feelings to intensify during pregnancy. Apparently rather dramatically, in some cases."

"Ah," Elowen said, grinning now. "And are you experiencing this normal, dramatic intensification?"

"Elowen."

"I'm your sister. I'm allowed to tease you mercilessly about this."

"I have been thinking about my mates considerably more than usual," I admitted, my face burning despite the honesty. "It's rather distracting, if I'm being truthful. I'll be reviewing perfectly ordinary trade reports and suddenly find myself entirely unable to focus."

Elowen laughed properly now, delighted. "That sounds exhausting."

"It is," I said, though a helpless smile crept across my own face. "Julian walked past the study yesterday, sleeves rolled up, and I nearly forgot an entire sentence mid-conversation with Aldren."

"Poor Aldren," Elowen said, still laughing.

"He didn't notice, thankfully. But I noticed. I noticed considerably."

"Have you said anything to them?" Elowen asked, settling into the chair across from me. "About this particular development."

"Not directly," I admitted. "I've been rather preoccupied managing the pain episodes, and I didn't want to seem selfish, focusing on something so trivial by comparison."

"It's not trivial," Elowen said gently. "It's normal, and it sounds like you deserve a little uncomplicated joy amid everything else you've been managing."

I considered her words, warmth spreading through my chest alongside the persistent, distracting heat that had been building for days now. "Maybe you're right."

"I'm always right," Elowen said, entirely too pleased with herself. We both dissolved into laughter, the easy warmth between us settling comfortably into the afternoon.

We finished the nursery preparations shortly after, soft blues and warm creams giving the room a gentle, welcoming feel. I found myself, once Elowen had departed to meet Rhett for the evening, standing alone amid the finished space, hand resting against my stomach, thoughts drifting entirely away from nursery furniture and toward far less practical matters.

I found Julian in the study that evening, reviewing correspondence by lamplight, and something about the careful concentration on his face, the way his forearms flexed as he shifted papers, sent fresh warmth curling low in my stomach.

"You're staring," he observed, not looking up, though a faint smile tugged at his mouth.

"I'm allowed to stare," I said, crossing the room to settle onto the edge of his desk. "You're rather distracting, sitting there looking so serious."

"Am I?" he asked, finally glancing up, something curious entering his expression as he took in whatever he saw on my face. "Rowan, you look flushed. Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm feeling perfectly fine," I said, though the words came out more breathless than I intended. "Better than fine, actually."

Understanding dawned slowly across his features, warmth kindling behind his grey eyes. "Is that so."

"The healer mentioned this might happen," I said, heat rising further in my cheeks despite my attempt at composure. "Apparently it's rather common."

Julian set down his papers entirely now, giving me his full, undivided attention. "And how long has this particular development been building?"

"A few days," I admitted. "It's rather inconvenient, actually. I nearly lost an entire conversation with Aldren yesterday."

A low, genuine laugh escaped him, though heat had clearly kindled in his own gaze now as well. "That does sound inconvenient."

"Where's Marcus?" I asked, unable to fully keep the want from my voice.

"Finishing rounds with the evening patrol. He should return within the hour."

"An hour," I repeated, a soft, frustrated sound escaping me.

"Patience," Julian said, though his own voice had roughened considerably, betraying that patience wasn't coming easily to him either.

I shifted closer, close enough that he had to tilt his head back slightly to maintain eye contact, and watched his composure fray visibly at the proximity. "I've been patient for days, Julian."

His hand found my waist, gentle but firm, though he made no further move beyond that single point of contact. "We should wait for Marcus."

"Should we?" I murmured, leaning down to press a slow, deliberate kiss just beneath his jaw.

A rough sound escaped him, and his grip on my waist tightened. "Rowan."

"I'm simply saying," I continued, trailing another kiss along his jaw, "that an hour feels like a very long time, given the circumstances."

"You're testing my restraint," he said, voice rough now, though he made no move to pull away.

"Is it working?"

"Thoroughly," he admitted, a soft groan escaping him as I shifted closer still.

The door opened before either of us could act further, and Marcus's voice carried amused surprise across the room. "Well. I leave for an hour and return to find this."

"Perfect timing," Julian said, though his voice remained strained.

Marcus crossed the room slowly, taking in the scene with obvious, dawning understanding, a slow, wicked grin spreading across his face. "The healer mentioned this might happen, didn't she."

"You knew about this," I said, mock accusation coloring my voice despite the heat still building steadily through me.

"I read the same materials Aldren gathered," Marcus said, settling onto my other side, his hand finding my hip with deliberate warmth. "I confess, I've been rather hoping you'd mention it."

"You could have said something," I said, breath catching as his fingers traced slow patterns against my hip.

"And ruin the surprise of discovering it myself," Marcus said, leaning close enough that his breath ghosted warm against my ear. "Where would the fun be in that."

I turned toward him, catching his mouth with mine, and felt his low, satisfied hum against my lips as he deepened the kiss unhurriedly, Julian's hand still resting warm against my waist on my other side.

"I believe," Julian said, once Marcus finally pulled back slightly, "we should relocate somewhere more comfortable than a study desk."

"Agreed," Marcus said, already helping me to my feet with careful, gentle hands.

We made our way toward our private quarters, and I found myself, walking between them both, practically vibrating with anticipation that had been building for days now, finally close enough to satisfaction that patience felt entirely unnecessary.

"You've both been remarkably patient with me lately," I said, as Julian closed the door firmly behind us. "Given everything I've been managing with the pain episodes."

"We'd wait as long as you needed," Marcus said softly, pulling me gently against his chest. "Though I confess, I'm rather glad tonight isn't requiring quite that much patience."

"Neither am I," I admitted, warmth and want tangling together as Julian's hand found my other side, both of them surrounding me with careful, deliberate warmth.

"How are you feeling," Julian asked, concern threading gently beneath the obvious desire in his voice. "Truly. We don't have to do anything that isn't comfortable, given—"

"I'm feeling wonderful," I interrupted, a soft laugh escaping me at his careful consideration even now. "Genuinely, thoroughly wonderful. Please don't overthink this."

"Just making certain," Julian said, though relief and renewed warmth colored his voice.

"Then perhaps," I said, reaching for both their hands, "we stop discussing it and start actually enjoying it."

Marcus's low laugh rumbled warm against my ear. "I believe that's an excellent suggestion.”