Page 34 of The Alpha's Forced Pregnant Mate

“Thank you,” I said, accepting the food and setting it on my lap. My stomach turned over just looking at it, but I hadn’t eaten for hours, and I knew I needed to try.

“How are you feeling?” Laura asked, sitting down beside me and pulling her knees up to her chest.

“Fine,” I lied, forcing myself to take a bite of pasta. I swallowed it down, ignoring my body’s protest. “This is good. Thank you.”

She smiled, shaking her head. “You don’t have to lie to me, Whit. I know you’re feeling like shit. And I don’t blame you. You’ve been through a lot in the last week.”

I nodded, taking another bite of the pasta. “True, but I usually bounce back faster than this.”

“Heavy magic is new. I bet it’s draining. Why don’t you just go lie down for the night?”

“I’ll be okay, really.” I swallowed down the pasta and took a sip of the broth, letting it soothe my throat and stomach. “I’m fine, Laura. I’m sure it’s just because of all the stress. It’s been a lot.”

“I know,” she said, sighing softly. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to stop it.”

We ate in silence, the mood heavier than either of us wanted it to be. I was ready to get back to hunting demons, not just sitting around trying to be something I wasn’t and waiting for Julian to return.

With my stomach calmed for the moment, I helped Laura clean up. We returned to the couch to watch a movie, but after I fell asleep before the halfway mark, I gave up and went to bed for the night.

My sleep was restless. I tossed and turned all night, plagued by dreams of demons, and waking up sweating and crying.

Laura slept on the pull-out couch in the living room, and when I finally woke up she had already made us breakfast and was curled up on the couch with a book.

“You’re awake,” she said, smiling at me. “How did you sleep?”

“Terribly,” I admitted, standing up slowly. I rubbed my stomach, which felt tight and bloated.

Laura frowned at me, her brows pulling together. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” I shook my head and smiled at her. “It’s just the stress, like I said.”

“Maybe you need a day off? Just relax and take a break from training? You could use a little R&R.”

I sighed, walking over to the couch and sitting down beside her. “I know you’re probably right, but we have to get this demon situation under control. People are dying. I don’t want to be the one responsible for that happening.”

“I know, but you can’t keep pushing yourself like this, Whit. It’s not good for you.”

“I’m good,” I said, sighing softly. “I just need some breakfast. Did you save any for me?”

“Yeah, of course.” She stood up. “Go sit down. I’ll bring it to you.”

I did as she asked, letting her take care of me. She had always been protective of me since we were little, and it was nice to be cared for. I was so used to being the strong one, the one who looked out for everyone else, that it was a nice change of pace.

Laura brought over a plate of waffles, along with a small bowl of fruit and a cup of tea. “This will help your stomach,” she said, setting the tea in front of me. “And eat slowly. You don’t want to make yourself sick.”

“Yes, Mom,” I said, grinning at her and digging into my waffles. I took her advice though, and ate them slowly, letting them settle.

It should have worked, but after a few forkfuls, my stomach started to turn even more violently than before. I jumped out of my seat, clamping my hand over my mouth and running to the bathroom where I vomited up my breakfast.

“What’s wrong!?” Laura asked, coming in and kneeling down beside me. She grabbed my hair, pulling it away from my face and rubbing my back soothingly.

I vomited again and then flushed the toilet, leaning back against the wall and groaning softly. “I don’t know what’s going on with me.”

“I think I have an idea,” she said gently, “But we can talk about it when you’re feeling better. Why don’t you brush your teeth and take a shower? Maybe you’ll feel better after that?”

I nodded, standing up slowly. “Yeah, okay. That sounds nice.”

She smiled, then turned and walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

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