Sol chuckled. “It’s a swaddle, little flower.”
I turned it over and raised an eyebrow. “Oh… um, thanks?” I said, giving him a weak smile before putting the leaf back into the tissue paper.
The gift-giving continued as the fae offered me more presents—some of which I hadn’t even noticed beneath the tree, thanks to magical enchantments crafted by Aflora and the others.
Each present was stranger than the last.
Gina gave me a row of sticks that supposedly would help me predict nap times.
Aflora and Zephyrus gifted me with a seed that they stated I would not want to plant. Something about burning thwomps and only using it as a protective measure.
Vox’s family had sent a rather annoying set of wind chimes that I suspected had a curse attached to it.
My mother and Mortus provided the most normal present of them all—a book of elemental stories to read to our faeling when she or he was older.
I started to read it as a distinct sensation made me cross my legs and start to squirm. Crap.
“What is it?” Cyrus asked, placing a hand on my knee.
Sol wrapped his fingers around the curve of my shoulder in that possessive way I liked. He had sensed my sudden discomfort, too. I almost allowed it to lull me into a state of comfort.
Until my bladder protested and forced me into action.
I shot up, flinging my mates off of me. “Bathroom!” I shouted, not caring how everyone openly stared at me as a sudden, inexplicable urge swept through my body. “Gotta… pee!”
Gina’s prophetic words followed me as I bolted out of the room.
Welcome to pregnant life, Claire. It’s going to keep you on the run.
CYRUS STOOD outside of the bathroom, waiting for me.
“Ready for another gift?” he asked, a hint of promise in his voice.
“Is it sex?” I guessed.
His lips quirked upward at the sides. “That’s a given, not a gift,” he drawled, holding out his arm for me. “Come on, Exos and I want to show you something. And no, that’s not a euphemism.”
“With you two, it’s hard to know for sure,” I muttered.
“Definitely hard,” Exos echoed.
The two males laughed, and I just shook my head. “I rest my case.”
Cyrus wrapped his arm around me, steering me away from the nesting party and toward the building’s exit. “Where are we going?” I asked.
“Home,” he replied.
“Without saying bye to everyone?” I asked, frowning.
“I’ll mist you back for that,” he promised as Exos took my hand and walked along on my other side.
“All right. I’m holding you to that.” Not that I really wanted to return to the party, but it seemed rude to leave without at least expressing my gratitude to everyone. Especially Aflora and Gina, who had traveled the realms to get here.
Titus, Vox, and Sol joined us outside, their gazes all filled with questions.
“You don’t know what their gift is, do you?” I asked them.
A chorus of negatives met my question.