Page 185 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha
“That smells great,” I said. “Could I have some?”
“Of course, baby.” Her eyes twinkled as she gestured for me to sit. “Sit, sit. I’ll make you a cup.”
I sat at the table, and she filled two mugs with hot water and tea leaves before handing one to me. “I had a feeling you would come and see me today,” she said as she sat across from me.
“I’m sorry I haven’t come by to see you. Things have been?—”
“Hectic, I know.” She nodded. “Bryn, anyone with eyes can see how hard you’re working. You don’t have to apologize to me for taking care of business.”
“I know, but still…I’ve missed you.”
She patted my hand, her fingers warm from handling the hot cups. “I’ve missed you, too, love. So, let’s catch up a little before you get back to work.”
I sipped the tea and found it warm, comforting, and refreshing. I loved Violet’s teas, but there was something special about mymom’s. Probably just bias on my part, but I felt thoroughly relaxed as I leaned back in the chair.
The more I drank, the better my stomach started to feel. I wasn’t sure if the tea, the walk, or just my mother’s presence helped. Maybe Tavi was right, and my nausea was stress-induced. If so, a few minutes of relaxing with my mother was exactly what I needed to refresh.
“I wanted to ask if you might have some tinctures or herbs that would help with stress,” I said. “This tea is already working wonders.”
“I’m glad it’s helping, but I’m sorry you’ve been uncomfortable, honey. What’s been going on?”
“I feel okay usually, but in the mornings, I get headaches and nausea that last until lunchtime. I thought it might be something I ate, but it’s been days now, and it’s making it harder to get work done.”
“Describe the headaches for me?”
“Okay,” I lifted a hand and touched my forehead. “The pain kind of wraps around here, if that makes sense? Like a rope that’s tightening around my forehead.”
She nodded. “Hmm. And the nausea? Is it more of a dizziness?”
“Well, I do feel dizzy, but I also get sick. After I get out of bed, I have to rush to the bathroom.”
Mom pursed her lips in thought for a few seconds, running her thumb back and forth over the handle of her mug, then she pushed her chair back and got to her feet.
“I’ll be right back,” she said, heading toward the bathroom. When she came back, she had a small box in her hand. “I like to keep one of these in my medical kit just in case someone comes to me with symptoms like yours.”
“Oh?” I took the box, and immediately, my eyes went to the words PREGNANCY TEST typed in purple lettering across the box. The sight of it confused me, and if I was being honest, it also scared me a little.
“Mom, why did you bring this to me?” I demanded, my face flaming. “I’m not pregnant, just stressed out. Probably. And…and anyway, Night and I have only been having sex for a few weeks or so.” It was hard to believe that Night and I had met only a few months ago. It felt like an era had passed between the day he’d kidnapped me and now.
“I’ve never been pregnant myself,” she said, easing into her chair again. “But I know the signs. Go on and take it. What’s the harm in being sure?”
She made a good point, but the walk to the bathroom seemed to go on forever. My hands trembled as I held the box up to read the instructions. I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience as I went through the motions of taking the test—I had no idea how to feel about this. Never once had I thought about having a baby. I’d spent my life believing I was human. I never thought I’d find a mate or a lover, let alone have children.
With Night, everything changed, and now it seemed there was a chance I could be pregnant.
I sat on the toilet and waited for the test. The box told me I would only have to wait a few minutes, but each second felt like an hour. If I was pregnant, what would that mean? The timingwasn’t exactly ideal. Troy was out there planning something with who knew how many ferals at his command, and my position as alpha would only last for another couple of weeks, at which point the alpha ceremony would determine the new leader.
There were so many unknowns, and the certainty of having a baby wouldn’t clear any of them up…though I had to acknowledge that the thought of having a baby with Night electrified me. What if our child had his gorgeous emerald eyes? His smile or my hair? I became giddy just at the thought of it.
But what about Night? He had so much going on—a baby would just be one more thing for him to stress about. I also had no idea how he felt about children. He was good with them, but did he want them? Did he want themwith me?
I looked at the sink where I’d left the plastic stick and took a few deep breaths before getting to my feet. It was time to see the truth with my own eyes. The too-small rectangular screen revealed two vertical red bars. My stomach flipped.
I double-checked the box to make sure I wasn’t misinterpreting the results, but no. The truth was right in front of me. Those two bars meant that the test was positive.
“I’m pregnant,” I breathed in the quiet of the bathroom.There’s a life growing inside me right now…
An overwhelming dizziness settled over me. I pressed my back to the wall. Bubbles filled my stomach, bubbles that could have carried me away to a level of happiness I’d never known before. The dark questions plaguing my mind vanished in the wake of the two red bars. My body felt warm, light.I’ve got to tell my mom and Tavi and Night…
