Fate Stained - Part Two
Chapter 26 - Family Breakfast

My abdomen distended and curved in the most beautiful way possible. The swell started just above my pelvic bone and softly jutted out, pushing my naval outwards so it was almost flush with the rest of my skin. I watched intently as Jayce’s large hand cradled the bump, my eyes drinking in the way his palms stroked the area lovingly and protectively.

“Well, hello you” he crooned, leaning down to press his lips softly on my stomach, “Aren’t you just full of surprises”

The baby wasn’t the only one full of surprises. I stared at my mate in stunned silence, shocked at how quickly he just accepted my appearance. Only yesterday I’d had no bump at all and now I looked like I was only a few months off giving birth. We already knew this pregnancy was unusual, we knew that this baby was special and I’d been slowly adjusting to it all. But now, looking down at my round stomach, the sudden realisation that maybe I didn’t have as long to adjust as I’d first thought, dawned heavily on me.

“Jayce” I whispered, my voice weak and shaky.

Jayce looked up at me, slowly standing with his hands still resting on my stomach.

“I’m scared”

My bottom lip quivered and Jayce sighed, wrapping his large arms around me and pulling me into his chest. The warmth of his skin on mine worked as an instant calming affect, knowing that when I was with him, his body coiled around mine, that I was safe - protected.

“I know you are” he soothed, kissing the top of my head, “So am I. But we’re in this together, you and me. I won’t let anything happen to you”

Letting out a long breath, I buried my face deeper into Jayce’s chest, absorbing his scent and enjoying the way his wolf comforted mine.

He’s not the only one we’re in this with…don’t forget that.

Rogue’s voice broke through from my subconscious and suddenly the fear and nerves started to creep back in. She was right - Kyanite. He was as much a part of this as Jayce was and I hated myself for replaceing as much comfort in Jayce as I had in this moment. I pushed back a little from my mate’s chest and he softened his grip on me, looking down until his searching eyes found mine.

“I have to see Kyan” I whispered, “he needs to see—”

“—you need to have breakfast and see Moira and Flynn first. We need to make sure you and the baby are ok. Moira is already on her way, I linked her just before. She’ll come via the flat and bring your brother and Kyanite too. That ok?”

I didn’t deserve him.

“I love you” I muttered, wiping away another stupid tear that rolled down my cheek, “Thank you”

“I love you too. Now go get that beautiful body into a shower, I’ll see you downstairs in ten minutes”

Kyanite POV

I burst through the back door of the pack house, not even waiting for Moira and Flynn to catch up. The second Moira had said that Jayce asked for all three of us because something was happening with Quinn and the baby, I almost lost my mind.

“Where is she!?” I roared.

Jayce stood at the kitchen bench, serving up five plates of bacon and eggs. He looked calm, composed…happy. This only made me more mad. If there was something wrong with Quinn then why wasn’t he by her side? If there was nothing wrong with Quinn then what was with the urgent need to attend the pack house?

“Calm down” Jayce groaned, “She’ll be down in a minute. You being all wound up is not going to ease her mind in the slightest”

Just then Moira and Flynn came walking in the back door, not as frantically as me, but I could see in their faces they were rattled too.

“What’s going on?” Flynn asked, “Where’s my sister?”

“Here”

Everyone turned to face the stairs and a collective gasp echoed through the room as all eyes fell on Quinn. My gaze, normally drawn to her stunning face, was instead drawn to the round, full belly that stretched the material of her skin tight dress. For once I was speechless. I wanted to speak, I wanted to ask questions but my mouth simply could not form the words that my brain wanted to utter.

“Quinn! Your belly!” Moira gushed, running over to the dark haired goddess as she descended the stairs.

Her blue eyes lit up as the wolf doctor placed her hands gently on Quinn’s bump and I was surprised at the small grumble that emanated from my panther. He wanted those hands to be mine, not understanding why I hadn’t run straight over to her too.

“I know, hence the early morning visit” Quinn answered.

I licked my now dry lips, my eyes once again scanning Quinn’s round belly. I knew she was pregnant, I knew she had a baby growing inside her, but now, looking at the gorgeous swell of her stomach…it was all becoming very real. I was going to be a father.

“Kyanite. Say something”

I snapped out of my little bubble and looked up until my moistened gaze met Quinn’s. Her ice blue eyes also glistened with unshed tears and at that moment all I really wanted to do was run up to her and take her in my arms

“Breakfast is served. Sit, eat”

My panther hissed as Jayce’s voice cut through the moment Quinn and I seemed to be sharing. He’d done it on purpose, I knew he had. Prick.

“You look…amazing” I breathed.

I moved towards Quinn as everyone else moved towards the table, leaning forward and placing a lingering kiss on her cheek. She softened under my touch and just as I was about to step away, grabbed my hand, holding it gently against her stomach.

Goddess.

It was as though everyone else disappeared around us and it was only Quinn and myself in the room. The feeling of her firm bump under my hand affected me more than I could have ever imagined. I allowed my hand to move lightly over the material of the dress and Quinn’s hand gently squeezed mine.

“I can’t believe she’s in there” I whispered, my head lulling forward until my forehead rested on Quinn’s.

She have a little laugh and sighed.

“I know. All ten little fingers and ten little toes”

“Probably a smile as beautiful as her mother’s”

Jayce cleared his throat and Quinn tensed, taking a fraction of a step back from me even though my hand still rested on her stomach. I hated that we had to share that moment in front of him, it wasn’t fair. I was jealous. I wanted to be the one that woke up in the same house as her and that cooked her breakfast each morning, and I knew if she was staying in Panthera then I would be.

“Jayce is right Quinn, you need to eat. Come sit”

Quinn POV

Breakfast had actually been a good way to kill a few birds with one stone. I was able to share the news of my growing bump with Kyan, Moira and Flynn and fill Flynn in about his mate’s former pack.

He’d taken the news quite well, I think. He’d obviously never heard of the Point Invictus pack but almost seemed relieved to hear that Fern’s father really was a renowned piece of shit. Maybe it made it easier to hate him - and hate him he did. Every time Jayce would utter Alpha Rhys’s name, Flynn’s fists would ball on the table. I noticed Moira place her hand gently on his back a few times, maybe trying to ground him and remind him to control the animals within - I knew that feeling all too well.

“So we can expect them to come in all guns blazing then?” Kyanite asked.

I reached under the table and placed my hand on his knee. I knew what he was thinking and right now mine and the baby’s safety was the only thing on his mind.

“Yes. I can imagine Alpha Rhys won’t let his daughter go without a fight. But we are ready, my fighters are the best - they are trained for this”

“Then there is the matter of Darius and the Yo-Na tribe” I added, “We received word that his coronation was yesterday, so it’s only a matter of time before he shows himself too”

“I’m not happy with this” Kyan growled, leaning back in his chair.

“Nothing has changed” Flynn reassured, “We knew Fern’s pack and Yo-Na would be a problem. Jayce and Cameron seem to have it all under control Kyan, I think we need to trust them”

Kyanite’s hand moved from the table and found a new position resting on my stomach. I could sense Jayce’s anger through our bond but he kept his mouth shut, not letting the action force a physical reaction out of him.

“This has changed” Kyan answered, “There is no doubting now that Quinn is pregnant. It will only serve as leverage and ammunition to anyone that wants to hurt this pack. We weren’t anticipating this, I know, but we can’t ignore it”

“So what do you suggest?” Moira asked.

“And don’t say take her to Panthera” Jayce grunted.

Kyanite rolled his eyes and shot Jayce a look that screamed ‘don’t fucking tell me what to do’.

“Ok, enough!” I yelled, “I’m right here and you’re talking about me like I’m still unconscious in that bed. I know you’re all worried about me but I’m not. I’m strong, the baby is strong and I’m not going to go hide somewhere just because some wolves and bears have their noses out of joint with my pack”

Moira looked down at her hands, unable to hide the unmistakable grin that crept over her face.

You tell em, she linked me, sometimes men need to remember that us women can be stronger than all of them combined.

I smiled back internally, Rogue doing a little happy dance as the men in the room shut their mouths and finally looked to me for guidance. Moira was right, I was strong and not just because I was a Queen, a Luna and a tribrid…but because I was a woman and a woman that was single handedly growing a life inside me. A life! I was literally creating life and I knew that one of my mate’s had a hand in it but the rest was up to me now. This little girl was my responsibility and I was not about to do anything that would put her in danger.

“I am not going to Panthera” I added - a smug smirk from Jayce catching my eye across the table, “But there is no reason Panthera can’t come here”

Kyanite turned his head and raised his eyebrow at me.

“What are you saying?” he asked.

“I understand you want to do your bit to protect this baby—”

“—and you”

“And me. So why don’t you bring some of your panther warriors here”

Kyanite made a humming sound and rubbed his jaw. Clearly it hadn’t been something that the Prince had considered but I could tell from the look on his face that he was open to the idea.

“I’ll need to run it by Onyx, but I’m sure she’ll be fine with it. She is heading back to Panthera tomorrow and I was going to go with her, briefly, to touch base with my mother and father”

I smiled at Kyan and took his hand in mine. I was happy he was finally going back to see his parents. No doubt they missed him very much.

“Are you going to tell them about the baby?” Jayce asked.

There was something in Jayce’s tone that made his question sound like more of a warning than anything else. I knew he wanted my pregnancy to stay in house for now, but Astrid and Magnus had as much right to know about the baby as Dominic did.

“I haven’t decided yet”

Kyanite’s answer hurt me a little bit. I didn’t know why. I should have been happy that he was considering keeping it to himself, the less people outside this pack that knew, the better. But if it was his baby then I’d want him to want to scream it from the rooftops, to let everyone know that he was having a child, that he was going to be a father. But before I had a chance to dwell on it too much, Cameron’s panicked voice came through the pack link, causing Jayce, Moira and myself to tense in our chairs.

Quick. It’s Blake! The baby is coming…Now!