Chapter 20

“I’m terrified of standing in the way of a pregnant omega male and his cravings.”

“Good call. Will it disgust you if I mash the chocolate cake into the ice cream and pour honey all over the mixture?”

James appeared queasy at the image, but shook his head. “Go ahead.”

Blake beamed at his best friend and proceeded to combine everything. Then he lifted the bowl of blended ice cream, cake, and honey and slurped it down in less than a minute. He put the bowl down and leaned against the chair before patting his stomach lightly.

“I’m full.”

“You should be. You just ate enough for two or even three alphas.”

He narrowed his eyes at James. “Is there a hidden implication behind your second statement?”

James put up both hands. “Of course not.”

He glared at James for a few seconds longer before glancing down at his protruding stomach and smiled. He was content and ecstatic. This would be his first child with Kian and Mason, and he hoped to have two or maybe three more. That would be a dream come true. Blake was certain it would take him a few years to give birth to that many children, but he was determined to do it. He and his alphas grew up without any siblings of their own, so they yearned to have a large family. He would remain patient. It was just a matter of time. 12

Kian almost choked when the doctor spoke up. “Excuse me? How many?”

The doctor smiled at him, Blake, and Mason. “You’re expecting triplets. All boys. Congratulations.”

Kian stared at Blake and Mason, who were still gaping at the monitor. “Are…are you sure, doctor?”

“Yes, I am. Having said that, it would be best for the three of you to visit me once a week from now on until I deem it safe to perform a C-section to get the babies out. The pregnancy risk for an omega male is higher than the others. Multiple babies for a first pregnancy increase that risk by a larger percentage.”

Over the next few minutes, Kian and Mason discussed with the doctor everything that they had to watch out for, including the necessity of adding more prenatal vitamins for Blake. Kian was worried that Blake remained silent throughout, but he couldn’t detect any panic in their bond. He figured Blake was simply trying to digest the news. Later, when they were on their way home, Kian turned around from the front seat and checked on Blake while Mason drove.

“Are you okay, babe?”

Blake nodded. “Just feeling surprised and overwhelmed. Excited, too.”

Mason glanced at Blake via the rearview mirror. “I feel the same way. Anyway, you heard what the doctor said earlier, sweetheart. You mustn’t overexert yourself.”

“I’m fine, Mase. Don’t be dramatic.”

“Mase and I are worried about you, babe,” Kian said.

“I know,” Blake responded. “Just don’t go overboard, though. I need some breathing space from time to time.”

“We’ll try, but no promises,” Mason chimed in. “My instincts are going haywire at the moment. I have to protect you and our triplets. I’m also concerned about Kee, but he’s an alpha, too. I’m less inclined to hover around him.”

“What Mase said,” Kian added.

Blake sighed. “Fine. The two of you just have to do your best to let me do my own thing as much as possible.”

Kian smiled at Blake. “Okay, babe. You got it.”

It wasn’t as easy as Kian expected, though. He couldn’t stop himself from checking on Blake. Mason was much worse than he was. Fortunately, Blake was able to tolerate them so far, but he noticed the omega was about to explode from being overly coddled. He had to encourage Mason to deal with the diner for a few hours, hoping Blake could breathe easier without having to handle both him and the other alpha at the same time.

In order to take his mind off the omega for a few minutes, Kian decided to grade some of his students’ homework. It worked so well he was taken aback the next time he glanced at the time on his smartphone. He managed to finish all the work he’d brought home in slightly more than two hours. He got to his feet and searched for Blake. As expected, he found the omega drinking milk and eating chocolate chip cookies at the table in the backyard while reading on a handheld device. Blake smiled at him when he approached the table.

“Hey, alpha.”

“Hey, babe. What are you reading?” he asked as he sat on the chair next to Blake.

“A romance story sets in a dystopian world.”

“Do you like the story?”

“Uh-huh. I like it so far. By the way, are you done with the grading?”

He nodded. “I finished them all.”

“That’s awesome. Oh, by the way, James, Tony, and Alan are coming over for dinner this evening. I asked for Mase’s permission. I wanted to check with you, as well, but you were busy.”

“It’s fine. This is your home, too. You don’t need our permission.”

“I’m aware, alpha, but it’s better for me to confirm with either you or Mason, just in case you guys have something else in mind for this evening.”

He shook his head at Blake. “None. Wait a minute. Who’s Alan?”

“You haven’t talked to Tony at all? I thought you, Mase, and Tony often chatted with one another.”

“Once or twice a week,” he clarified.