Chapter 42

**ELENA**

For once, I'm not too hot when I wake up, which makes me notice instantly the absence of my mates in our bed.

It's been a fairly quiet week, professionally speaking, but emotionally charged. I still can't believe my father should have been alpha instead of Eric. But the more I think about it, the more this information doesn't seem all that surprising. It's always been clear to me that my father was a beloved and respected member of the community. I remember that people would naturally go to him with their problems and he would offer solutions. If he was still around he would never have allowed what happened to me to happen, but I wouldn't have become the person I am today. Sighing, I turn around in bed, not determined to get out. If I could, I'd stay there, bathed in the scent of my mates.

"We're not going to call you Snow White anymore, but Sleeping Beauty," Finn says as he sits down next to me. "It's not like you to be the last one up. Usually, it's me and I want to keep it that way," he adds before kissing the top of my head.

"It's Saturday and the only thing I have planned today is to get dolled up."

"Not that you need it," Theo adds, sitting down on the other side of the bed.

All that's missing is...

"You're having a meeting without me?" Caleb asks before sitting down at the end of the bed.

I grunt and sit down, which makes them smile. They each hold a coffee mug in their hands and wear only boxer shorts. Is it even legal to look this good in the morning?

Our strategy hasn't changed, we were all so stunned by the news that we agreed to keep it to ourselves, like my pregnancy, but after the way Caroline and Mary looked at me at our dinner last night, I'm not sure I can keep it a secret any longer because I think they've found me out. I'm sure they're just waiting for us to tell them ourselves.

As I stare at the apollonian mates, I'm overcome by a wave of nausea. I hope I'm not one of those women who feel nauseous throughout their pregnancy.

I get up hurriedly to go to the bathroom. From the bathroom, I can hear the boys talking about my morning sickness and Theo telling them about an article he'd read. I snort, of course, he had to read up on the subject.

Caleb is finally back to his normal self after what we found and his mother who bailed on him on Wednesday by not showing up for the appointment she'd given him. She disappointed him yet again, even though he assures anyone who will listen that he no longer expects anything from her, I think deep down he still held out hope that she could be part of his life.

I shout to the boys that I'm going to the shower, and as soon as I'm in the shower, I hear the door open and close. I sniff, but the smell of my shower gel covers the smell of whoever has just entered. It's only when his hands are on me that I know who it is.

He places little kisses along the nape of my neck and moves slowly down my back, making me shiver. With both hands on my hips, he turns me over to face him. Kneeling in front of me, I lower my head to look at him.

"I read somewhere that the baby feels its mother's orgasm, when it's in her womb it makes little bubbles. Like a Jacuzzi."

I giggle. "You've really read up on everything."

He slaps me on the butt. "Don't make fun of me, I want to be prepared."

In a fraction of a second, all trace of a joke vanishes as my head tilts back to rest on the shower wall as he licks my slit. My hands go to his hair and my upper back leans completely against the wall to keep my balance. I moan as he sucks my clit. Theo and his magic tongue make me moan and he continues to lick, suck and nibble until I explode in his mouth.

"Fuck! That was perfect." I tell him as I catch my breath.

He moves his mouth closer to my belly. "You can thank your daddy T for the hot tub." He murmurs and I'm quite confused regarding this interaction between my mate and my belly. I frown and shake my head as I pull on his arms to get him up.

"Don't ever do that again, okay?" He looks at me confused. "Talking to our future baby when we've just had sex is ... fucking weird."

"Okay no more talking under the circumstances." He raises his hands in sedition.

"Thank you."

No sooner is that word out of my mouth, than I'm caught in the wave of nausea. I push Theo to put my head over the toilet and feel his hands holding my hair.

"I have to eat," I tell him once I've flushed. "And sorry about..."

"Don't ever apologize for that. You carry life inside you, I can hold your hair just fine."

He kisses me without worrying about what might have come out of my mouth a few seconds before.

"I love you... Daddy T," I tell him, giggling.

"I love you too." he sighs. "It's the only thing I could come up with. If he just says Daddy the three of us will turn around and not know who he's talking to."

"You know there's a 50/50 chance of him being her."

"I know... A girl." He opens his eyes wide, shaking his head, which makes me laugh before an unpleasant sensation reminds me that I need to eat something urgently.