"Brightest of Blessings on you and your child," Gavriel said, hugging Meryn.
Elizabeth hugged Aiden. "You're going to make a wonderful father."
"You'll be next." Aiden said.
Gavriel whipped around to stare at her looking startled.
Elizabeth frowned at him. "Next year it is a distinct possibility you know."
"I never thought about it." Gavriel walked over and pulled her away from Aiden to hold her close.
"Get condoms. They work extremely well," Aiden bragged. Elizabeth had to hide her smile. Meryn just giggled uncontrollably.
"Gods above, we better start stocking up on diapers!" Colton said, grinning from ear to ear.
"I don't do diapers," Meryn informed her mate. Aiden just smiled.
Elizabeth had a feeling that Meryn could have blown up their house just then and he would still be smiling.
The next second Meryn proved her wrong. Without thought Meryn bent down and picked up a stack of sheets for one of the guest rooms. Elizabeth blinked as Aiden proceeded to lose his mind.
"What in the hell are you doing? Put it down! You can't lift anything!" Aiden swatted the sheets out of her hands.
Meryn's head dropped back on her shoulders and she groaned. "For fucks sake!" Her head snapped back up and she put her hands on her hips. "Already? We're doing this already?" she demanded.
"Should you be standing? Why are you standing?" Aiden pulled at his hair.
"Okay. I can't do you right now." Meryn bent down to pick up the sheets.
Aiden knocked them away again as if they were the greatest threat known to man.
"You are impossible! I have to be able to function over the next nine months!"
Aiden just scooped her up and turned to face them. "Excuse us." He quickly walked towards their suite.
"Neanderthal!" They heard Meryn screech as they turned the corner and disappeared out of sight.
When they were gone Elizabeth couldn't hold it in anymore. She laughed so hard she thought she was going to rupture something. She wasn't alone, the men around her were laughing as well. Colton slid down the wall gasping for air.
Gavriel smiled as she wiped her tears. "Are they always like this?" she asked.
He nodded. "Pretty much. I was wondering how long she was going to wait to tell him."
Colton exhaled catching his breath. He smiled to himself. "I think everyone knew except Meryn and Aiden. Her scent and body chemistry changed last week."
"It's no wonder I didn't know, she's always smelled that way to me." Elizabeth said.
"I wonder if she'll get morning sickness, more food for us." Coltan gloated and stood rubbing his hands together.
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "You boys do realize that now that's she's pregnant she can't have any caffeine right?"
All sound ceased. The men froze looking at each other as their terror mounted.
"We won't survive," Keelan whispered.
Darian stepped forward, swallowing repeatedly. "When you say no caffeine, does that mean chocolate too?"
Elizabeth nodded. She was shocked when Keelan whimpered.
"We're done for the day. I'm going to my room until dinner," Darian said, a blank look on his face.
"Good idea," Colton agreed and started walking towards his suite.
"Maybe an invisibility spell," Keelan muttered to himself as he turned in the opposite direction to his suite.
"You, my love, are a very evil woman," Gavriel said steering her to their room.
She stopped in the middle of the hallway and offered her arm to him. "Can I interest you in a mid-afternoon respite?" she asked, turning his words from the previous day against him.
Not unlike his commander, he easily lifted her in his arms and began to trot to their room. He opened the door and closed it behind him. The room was pitch black. He hadn't raised the light blocking blinds. He put her down and moved away.
"Gavriel?" she called out letting her eyes adjust to the dark room.
She heard a masculine chuckle and saw a pair of red eyes glow from across the room.
"Elizabeth," she heard him call.
She swallowed. "Yes?"
"You're it," he whispered.
Oh Gods.
She watched as the red eyes began to circle her. Her heart began to beat a steady rhythm against her chest. Intellectually she knew he would never hurt her, but that wasn't the game they were playing right now.
"Gavriel?"
"Your blood is teasing me zain'ka moya, it's calling out to me." His voice was low and floated across the room.
"I would never deny you, my mate," she said, turning her head tracking his movements.
"What if I want all of you?"
She swallowed and watched has those red eyes stalked closer. "You already have my heart, soul and body. If there's anything else you want, it's yours," she promised.
"Then I intend to take it." His warm breath on the back of her neck had her shivering.
She turned quickly to face him. He took a step forward and she took one backward. When the back of her legs hit the bed his grin became feral. She felt his hands on her shoulders and then she was falling backwards, then staring at the ceiling. He climbed onto the bed and moved over her until he had a thick, muscular thigh on either side of her legs. Using his strength alone, his bare hands ripped her skirt up the side seam until it stopped at her waist band. She felt the scrape of his claw and her skirt was gone.