Page 47 of Knot Our Reality

Chapter Twelve

Emilia

“I’m fine,” I assure Tessa for what feels like the millionth time.

She and Bree wanted to delay me meeting the day four suitors, but I wasn’t having any of it.

“My headache is gone, and there have been no other bouts of morning sickness. Sometimes, pregnancy throws curveballs at us, and we just have to adjust our course,” I tell her with a laugh. “I took the time I needed to rest and recuperate. I’m looking forward to meeting the last of the suitors.”

Tessa sighs. “Okay. I’m sorry. I know I’m probably annoying the hell out of you. I’m just worried. I want to make sure you’re not doing too much. You might not be my omega, but that doesn’t mean I won’t always look out for your best interests.”

“And I appreciate that more than you’ll ever know. But you need to believe me when I say I can handle something. I know myself and my body better than you can. There might be times I push myself too hard, but I try not to. I need to be healthy, so my baby is. I’ll tell you if it becomes too much—like I did today.”

“I understand.” She gives me a quick smile as Bree joins us. “All done with the interview?”

Bree scoffs. “I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t. I just wanted to check in and make sure you’re still good to go, Emilia.”

I giggle. “That’s exactly what we were just discussing, and I’m good.”

“Let me guess—Tessa was worrying all over you?” Bree laughs as she grins up at Tessa. “You were, weren’t you?”

“Shut up. You act like it’s a bad thing.” Tessa’s face flushes. “We’re all on the same page. Emilia is fine, and the first suitor will be here in a few minutes.”

She stalks away while Bree laughs her ass off. “Don’t mind her—or me, for that matter. I enjoy giving her a hard time. Isn’t that what best friends are for?”

“I think so? I haven’t had one since I was a kid,” I admit. “Besides Ryan, that is, and it’s not the same when you’re lovers with them.”

Bree wrinkles her nose. “Well, that’s not fair. You definitely need best friends who are female. Don’t worry, as one of our omegas, we’ve adopted you. Plus, Evangeline loves you—Sophia too. She arrived earlier today with her pack.”

“All of them? With four babies in tow? Are they insane?”

She shakes her head. “No, but with both of their omegas needing to be here to help you, the rest of the pack wasn’t going to let them come alone. Especially not when they would have to have the girls with them. It’s okay. We’re all a big family here—you’ll see. You’ll get to meet all of them on Sunday—including the babies, if you haven’t already.”

“We’ve been meeting at her house since she’s not back to working full time yet. She always has at least one baby attached to her at a time. I don’t know how she deals with four of them at once.”

“Me neither. It’s hard enough with the three I have, and they’re all at least a year apart. Okay, I’m going to leave you to it. The limo will be pulling in any minute. If you need a break at any point, let us know.” She holds up her hand when I open my mouth. “I know you’re fine. That’s not just for right now, either. Pregnancy is hard on the body, and you might need a break now and then. There’s nothing wrong with asking for a break.”

I nod. “You’re right. Thank you.”

Then she’s gone, leaving me alone. I turn toward the driveway as nerves bubble up in my stomach. None of this has gone as expected, and the unknown can be scary.

My eyes find Reginald, who’s watching me with a worried look. I roll my eyes, flipping him off. His grin is immediate. At least he doesn’t need to be convinced I’m fine.

The first limo pulls into the circular drive, and while I might be the picture of calm on the outside, inside, I’m a mess. An equal part of nerves and excitement are at war, making it hard to concentrate.

The limo comes to a stop, the door opens immediately, and a familiar face pops out. “Emilia!”

I immediately relax. That’s not to say I’m not still nervous, but it’s easier when I know the man who’s stepping aside to allow his brother to climb out of the limo.

Alexei and Nikolai Ivanov.

They were two of my brother’s suitors, and I never understood why he didn’t choose them. They’re both wildly attractive with their Russian accents. Nikolai might be the only alpha of them, but they’re both just as protective as they are hot.

Remington said the chemistry just wasn’t there, but he loves them, which is why he kept them around for so long.

Having them here as my suitors is freaking me out a bit, but it also excites me.

I lick my lips as warmth builds in my lower belly, slick spilling from me. It’s not the first time I’ve responded to the two of them like this. The first time had been when they were vying for a spot in my brother’s pack, so I hid it the best I could.

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