Page 49 of Owned By Shadows

We spend most of our time on the hidden beach or resting in the house, just enjoying each other’s company. My stomach grows as our child does, and each of the guys loves having their palms resting on it, feeling him move. Nik has taken to singing Russian lullabies softly as I fall asleep, his lips near my stomach, and it’s so sweet it brings me to tears every night.

Pregnancy is no joke, and if my now swollen ankles and feet aren’t bad enough, for the past couple of days, I’ve had alow, throbbing headache that just won’t go away. I’m rubbing my temples when Andrei finds me lounging on one sofa, Hunt, Bubby, and Roman out, checking our perimeter as the guys do every day. Nik is working on his encrypted laptop while Rowan is somewhere checking the weapons.

Andrei’s brows furrow as he looks at me, his gaze landing on my ankles.

“Do you have a headache, Iris?” he questions, grabbing the medical bag that he keeps near to him and kneeling beside me. Nik’s tapping on his laptop stops and something in the pit of my stomach clenches.

“Yeah, I’ve had for the past few days and nothing shifts it,” I tell him, sitting up and holding my arm out when he pulls the blood pressure cuff from his bag. “Why?”

“Let’s just check your blood pressure first,” he states, his voice calm as it always is, but there is an intensity, a focus that reminds me of the bleeding I had back in Russia. “That can’t be right,” he mutters after several moments, checking the reading again.

Nik comes over, sitting behind me and taking my free hand in his. It makes me realise how cold my hand is, his warmth seeping into me.

“What is it, Andrei?”

“Her blood pressure is 160 over 95. That’s dangerously high for a pregnant woman.” I take in a sharp inhale, my mouth going dry at the implication that something is wrong.

Clearing my throat, I try to calm my racing heart. I’m sure it’s fine. “I’m just stressed. We all are.”

“Even so, we need to test for protein in your urine,” Andrei says, getting out a pot that I know he’s going to ask me to pee in. It won’t be the first time I’ve had to do it since becoming pregnant. “If that’s elevated too, we could be looking at preeclampsia.”

“What?” The word is whispered, my blood turning to ice in my veins at the mention of a condition that can be fatal to both mother and baby.

“Let’s not get too worried just yet, Iris. And it’s a treatable condition with the right medications, monitoring, and rest,” Andrei assures me, and my racing pulse calms a little. “Let’s do the test and take things from there, okay?”

“Okay,” I reply in a shaky voice, Nik standing up and then taking my hand to help me up too.

“I’ll help you,Dorogaya,” he tells me softly, not letting go of my arm as we head to the bathroom. “Whatever this is, we will deal with it and everything will be fine, I promise.”

I hold on to his promise like a lifeline, not even blushing as he helps me collect the urine sample. We’ve gone beyond that point anyway, and it’s also really fucking hard to see a tiny pot to piss in when you’re pregnant.

Within a few moments, we’re back in the main living room, the rest of the guys waiting for us, Bubby and Dima too. I lock eyes with Hunt and then burst into tears, the fear and worry overwhelming me, and in seconds, he’s gathering me into his arms, kissing my temple and whispering reassurances while Nik hands Andrei my sample.

“Iris?” Andrei’s voice filters in after my cries have quieted down, and I look up from Hunt’s chest to find him standing next to me. “It’s come back elevated, so I’m pretty certain, along with your other symptoms, you have preeclampsia.” I take in a sharp breath, Hunt’s arms tightening around me as Rowan comes over to sandwich me between them. “I’m going to arrange a meeting with an obstetrician that I know who can be trusted so he can give us more information, but it’s a perfectly manageable condition, okay?”

“O–okay,” I reply, taking in an inhale.

“Nik? Can you help make that happen? Video if possible?”

“Of course,” Nik replies, taking Andrei’s place at my side and cupping my damp cheek in his palm. “This will be fine,Solnishko.”

Then he presses a quick kiss to my lips before heading to the table with Andrei, Roman coming over and taking his place.

“We’ll take care of you and our baby, Princess. This doesn’t change that. We just need to take extra special care,” he tells me, leaning in and pressing his forehead to mine while Hunt and Rowan hold me.

Within moments, we have Dr Clive on video, an older gentleman with kind blue eyes and grey hair. After going through my results and symptoms, he confirms the diagnosis.

“Now, I’m going to be honest here, Iris,” he states, his attention solely focused on me, even though the guys are pressed close to me as I sit on one of the dining chairs. “Without proper medical supervision, this condition can escalate quickly. The only cure is delivery, but at twenty-nine weeks, that brings its own risks for you and your baby.” I take in a sharp breath, clutching Hunter’s hand so tightly in mine I’m surprised I don’t break it. “But the good news is you can do that easily where you are with some extras that I’ll send through, especially with Andrei, a very capable young man.”

I glance over at Andrei, who is blushing, and it’s too cute, especially as Dima presses a light kiss on his head.

“What can we do, doctor?” Hunt asks, his voice more serious than I think I’ve ever heard it. This must be making his Daddy protector vibes go into overdrive.

“Well, rest is good to help keep her blood pressure down. Plus daily monitoring of her blood pressure, protein levels, and any other symptoms. A low-sodium diet may also be of benefit,” Dr Clive tells us, and I see Roman making a note of all he says on his phone. “Keeping stress low is a must.” I can’t help the huff of unamused laughter falling from my lips. Clive pauses butdoesn’t comment. “And no marathon sex sessions, though if her blood pressure remains low with the medication, you don’t have to forgo it completely.”

My cheeks blaze, my eyes widening as I try not to look at the four men who I have sex with.

“Define marathon?” Roman asks, and I snap my gaze to him, my mouth agape.

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