Hendrix was glaring at the doctor as she walked in, even though she’d been their doctor for years, taking care of all the various injuries they’d gotten in their line of work…including their recovery after the blast.
Right now, he was staring at her though as if she was a random stranger off the street who’d offered her medical services.
"And you’re qualified for this?" he pressed, for what must've been the millionth time since she walked into the room.
Dr. Clayborn brushed her hair out of her face, taking a deep breath as she obviously tried to control her annoyance. "Yes, Hendrix. My specialty in residency was gynecology. I just got sidetracked a bit in emergency medicine once I got to my fellowship. Your mate’s in good hands.”
I noted that none of them made a move to correct her, so I didn't either. Plus, I really liked the sound of that. Mate. And judging by the grins on all of their faces, they liked it too.
She walked out into the hallway and a second later wheeled in a large machine that she pushed next to the table I was laid out on.
I’d already peed in one of her special cups, and I was definitely still pregnant.
So that was a good start.
“Are you ready to see your baby?” the doctor asked with a smile, ignoring the two out-of-control alphas behind her. Fireflies sparked to life in my stomach and I nodded, finding that I’d suddenly lost the ability to speak.
I lifted up my shirt and she squeezed some warm goo on my skin before moving it around with a wand-shaped device. She twisted some knobs on the machine, and a second later, the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard came out of the speakers.
A heartbeat.
It echoed around the room and time seemed to stand still. Hendrix, Caspian, and River had stopped growling and grimacing, and they were standing there, dreamy looks in their eyes. I’m sure it was the same look that was in mine.
A hiccupped sob burst out of my mouth when she pressed another knob and a black and white picture came up, with a tiny, squirming gummy bear-shaped creature moving around inside of a kidney bean-shaped space.
My little gummy bear.
“I’d say you’re about eleven weeks along already, mama,” the doctor cooed, typing some buttons on her computer and then taking some measurements. A moment later, images started printing from the machine and she handed them over to me, eliciting another sob as I softly traced the image of our child.
Caspian was suddenly by my side, and without a word, he just buried his head in my hair, his arms carefully wrapping around me.
River looked like he was about to start crying again.
And Hendrix, he appeared to be freaking out.
The doctor used a wipe to clean off my stomach, and with a few more instructions on foods I should be eating, vitamins to take, and some tips for my constant nausea—I’d thrown up in Hendrix’s hair this morning, and I wasn’t keen to repeat that—she turned to leave.
Hendrix cleared his throat, looking awkward for the first time since he’d come storming into my life. I raised an eyebrow, wondering what was going on.
“Sex?” he blurted out, stopping the doctor in her tracks.
“Pardon.”
“Is sex…good?” he mumbled, his cheeks turning pink.
She chuckled, and I was impressed, because very few people outside this room would dare to laugh at my scary alpha.
“Yes. Sex is good,” she said reassuringly. Her gaze flicked between the three of them, and then back to me, a faint blush now blooming on her cheeks.
“Although maybe…”
“Yes, Doctor?” goaded Caspian, obviously enjoying making her embarrassed after the attitude she’d been giving them.
“Caspian,” I chided, but he just shot me a sexy wink.
“Maybe the group activities, if there are any,” she rushed out, “could be relaxed a bit.”
“Okay,” I squeaked, thoroughly embarrassed, especially thinking of how I’d been spit-roasted between Caspian and Hendrix just this morning.
“Okay,” the doctor repeated, in the same embarrassed tone that I’d just used. Then she pushed her machine towards the door and left the room as quickly as she could.
The second she was out of the room, their gazes were back on the set of pictures in my hand. They crowded around me, staring at them in awe.
“Our little bean,” cooed River. I shook my head and he looked at me questioningly.
“Our little gummy bear,” I corrected, and Caspian chuckled.
“Okay then, our little gummy bear,” he said, softly rubbing my stomach, so much love in his gaze that I was about to cry…again.
* * *