Forged in Fire (Forgotten Series, #2)

Epilogue

Two months later

"My feet hurt." I had only been on them for the past twenty minutes but at seven months pregnant, I was a little too big to be walking around comfortably. Luka chuckled, the sound brushing my skin, sending shivers through me. I shoved them away to give him an unimpressed look. "It's not funny. They hurt." I looked around at the various Alphas that were in the rather obnoxiously decorated hall. I thought the entire room looked gaudy.

"I'll give you a foot rub in our room but I've already had Michael and Kiel find you a chair." Luka's words brushed my ear as he bent down closer to me. I went the rest of the way, giving him a chaste kiss. He was far too thoughtful. He cupped my face and kissed my forehead. "Go on and rest your feet." He gave me a gentle push towards the wall where I could see Ezekiel and Mike sitting beside a chaise lounge. The party-goers gave the two large black wolves a wide berth.

I waddled, yes waddled, there was no more walking for me, towards them. I had my shoulders shifted back and one hand on my lower back and the other at the front of my belly. The twins were heavy. Doc Howard said that the Alpha Gathering would be the last time he would let me leave the territory. He wanted me on eighty-five percent bed rest and fifteen percent light activity when I got back. I knew I wouldn't have been so upset by it because I honestly preferred to minimize my moving around anyway but I hated being told what to do.

I could feel Luka's eyes on me and my wolf and I were relaxed with the thought that he wouldn't let anything happen to me. Although the power I had radiating off of me had several of the others Alphas, both male and female, keep their distance from me, even as pregnant as I was the power was a deterrent. It made me feel a bit smug as I finally reached the chaise and almost fell onto it. My back was sore, my feet were killing me, and my ankles were swollen.

Those that said pregnancy was a wonderful experience were fucking liars. Pregnancy was horrible. My girls I loved to pieces but the process of growing them, was fucking terrible. My diet had to be altered to prevent gestational diabetes and I had to take a lot more prenatal supplements than a single gestation pregnancy. My feet, ankles, knees, and hips ached a lot if I stood on my feet too long. I had heartburn constantly, I had to cut out a bunch of foods in an attempt to get it to stop being so regular.

Ezekiel jumped onto the lounge with me, looking at me expectantly. I nodded and he lay down, resting his head across my lap, leaning his head against the bump. Despite their lessening space they both gave him a kick. Babies. His voice was almost loving as he nuzzled closer to my stomach. I ran my finger through his fur, scratching at his scalp. He let out a groan as Michael shifted closer to me. He was in wolf form for the first time in months. He was making the transition between being wild and normality. I now knew he had retreated into his wolf because of the grief of losing his mate and child but he was starting to work through it.

He wasn't the only one working things out. Luka and I were in couple's counselling due to the fact our previous relationship had been so toxic I was pretty sure it could have been classed as a radioactive dump. May was quite helpful in teaching us how to communicate effectively. There were still times when I couldn't express my feelings to him or tell him my problems. I had continued my letters but I would read them to him so he could understand my emotional state. I had simply wanted him to read them on his own but May had explained to me that it would help me learn to express myself to him if I read them to him.

She was a natural counsellor. I was actually surprised at how much Amber had been able to teach her and she was constantly ordering new textbooks on different communication techniques. She wasn't a certified counsellor like the mundies had but she was just as good. We didn't need a certificate to be able to use the techniques. The job suited her and helped her pull out of the somber state she had been in after Lily's death.