Chapter 11

Lily

I loved seeing Thomas and Madelyn together. MC had been my best friend since we were just kids and no one had been happier than I when she discovered my twin, of all people, was her one true mate. It hurt my heart that she and Thomas had struggled to reconnect. But now, seeing them like this without prompting or even an audience warmed my heart.

The only thing keeping me from whooping with joy was the fact that I knew without a doubt that my mate was stressed, miserable, and angry.

Those feelings were coursing inside me too, only I had no idea why.

I'd been on my way to find him when Liam and Chase arrived. Chase had been called away to help with his girls the second he set foot in the house, which had left me a rare few moments with my twin.

"What's going on here?" Liam asked.

The two stepped apart and looked over at us.

"Thomas knows about Jack."

I cringed but tried hard to school my features. I'd known about Jack's involvement in their lives since the very beginning, but I knew Thomas had been kept in the dark.

Maddie, or MC, as I often referred to her, had insisted on it. She'd practically begged me not to tell him to allow them time to adjust and figure out what was best for them and for Oscar. It hadn't been easy, but as time went by, I just didn't know how to tell him.

I knew it would hurt him to find out. And this certainly explained the emotions I'd been feeling from him.

"You knew?" he demanded, staring right at me and no doubt feeling my guilt. "How long, Lily?"

Liam took a step in front of me. He'd always been just a little over-protective of me. I just chalked it up to being a twin thing, but then maybe it was more like a brother thing because Kyle and Chase would likely have done the same. My mate wasn't just anyone, though. He was an Alpha, but I knew my twin wasn't thinking about that just then.

Thomas growled.

"Calm down," I told him, which was probably the wrong thing to say.

"How could you not tell me about this, Lily?"

I pushed Liam aside and went to my mate. I knew my touch would soothe his wolf and calm him down, even if he didn't want to.

"It's not her fault. I made her promise not to say anything. I wanted to tell you in my own time and after a while the years just sort of slipped away," MC said, coming to my defense.

"Years? You've known since the very beginning, haven't you?"

"Of course I have," I confessed. "She's my best friend. We tell each other everything. You know that."

"But this? You knew I wouldn't be okay with this."

"Why do you think she begged me not to tell you?"

He didn't just look hurt, but the punch of pain that shot through me had me stepping back and doubling over from the shock of it.

"Oh no, the baby. It's too early."

Thomas went from angry to terrified in about two-point-six seconds.

"Maddie, call the doctor. I knew I should have demanded a check the second we arrived."

I stood up and smacked him.

"It's not the baby, you idiot. You're projecting a lot of pain right now and it just blindsided me."

"Wait, you guys can feel each other on that level now?" MC asked.

"Apparently. It's been getting stronger lately but new enough that we're still adjusting."

"It's starting to happen to us too," she confessed. "I didn't want to mention it because it's kind of hard to describe."

"Right? It's driving me crazy. Add these pregnancy hormones to the mix and I honestly feel like I'm losing my mind."

"I'm not sure it was ever there to lose," Liam teased.

I shot him a look that made him laugh.

The way Maddie looked up at him with hope in her eyes, I knew I hadn't been imagining things when he'd first walked in. Something was wrong. Liam was stressed out more than usual. We'd always had this weird twin thing where I knew when something was bothering him. I thought I'd been feeling it lately, but I couldn't be sure with the new invasion of Thomas's emotions affecting me so strongly.

"Are you really okay?" Thomas asked.

I hated worrying about him, but honestly, it had been a good distraction from our previous conversation.

"I'm fine."

"Why don't I call Micah to come and do a quick evaluation just to be sure? I'm sure Thomas will feel a lot better about it," Liam suggested.

"That's a good idea," MC said.

I just rolled my eyes. They were all going to baby me now, even if I suspected my best friend was just using it as a distraction away from the actual issue.

"Guys, I'm fine," I protested. "This isn't my first time being pregnant. I know what it feels like to go into labor, and this is not it."

"Get him over here as soon as possible," Thomas said, completely ignoring me.

I didn't bother to argue it any further. If that's what it took to calm him down, then I guess that was just what I was going to have to do.

"I didn't mean to keep it from you. I didn't even want to. At first, it was eating me alive. And then, with time, it just didn't seem to ever be the right time. I'm glad you know now."

He nodded, but I knew he still wasn't happy about it.

"Look, I know how you feel. I wasn't thrilled about it at first either. But like it or not, he's good for Oscar and it's helped Jenna a lot, too. She got her sister back in the deal. Oscar's a great big brother, and he adores Lake and River as much as Sara and Enzo. What kind of father would I be if I denied him that? Besides, what do I know about tiger traits? Even if he turns out to be a wolf, he could still have traits of a tiger, right?"

"I don't know," Thomas told him honestly.

"Exactly. This wasn't easy for any of us. But it's okay, man. We've all adjusted. If I can manage to forgive him, so can you."

"Maybe," he muttered.

I knew we would most likely have to talk about it later, but that was best done in private. For now, I was actually grateful when Micah and his mate, Lucy, arrived.

"Lily. Thomas. It's good to see you again," Micah said. "Now what's going on?"

"She's pregnant," Liam stated the obvious.

"Clearly," Lucy teased. "How far along are you?"

"About thirty-three weeks."

She looked at me like I was crazy.

"Are you expecting twins?"

"What? No. I've gotten bigger with each pregnancy. Sam says it's because my stomach muscles are basically non-existent at this point."

"Maybe," she said, but she didn't sound too certain of that.

"Trust me, if there was more than one kid in there, we'd know it. Sam obsessively checks via ultrasound, and I've had weekly visits with him since I hit the twenty-week mark. Only ever one heartbeat. With as paranoid as this guy right here is, I'm lucky Sam hasn't just moved in with us already."

Thomas glared at me, but we both knew it was true.

"How are you feeling after the flight, Lily?" Micah asked.

"I'm fine. Thomas is just being extra cautious."

"Can we head inside for a quick check, or would you prefer to come down to the clinic?"

"Inside so we can just get it over with."

We left Maddie and Liam there while Thomas, Micah, and Lucy followed me inside and up to my old bedroom.

I knew the routine well, so I removed my pants and underwear and climbed up on to the bed with my knees up.

Micah looked surprised.

"I've got this," Lucy said. "Does Sam always do an internal check?"

"No, but after that flight and Thomas's nerves he would, so I just assumed."

She frowned a little as she checked me.

"Only thirty-three weeks?"

I nodded.

"And we're sure it's just one?"

"One hundred percent sure."

"Your baby is sitting low and you're about one centimeter dilated, but your cervix looks good and thick, no effacement yet. You aren't in active labor by any means, and you could ride out the remainder of the pregnancy one to two centimeters dilated, but I'd place my bet that this kid isn't going to stay put for that long. How far along were you when you delivered your last child?"

I snorted. "Almost forty-three weeks. We weren't sure she was ever coming out of there."

"Have any of your children come early?"

"No," Thomas answered for me.

"Well then, it's probably normal and nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about? She's only thirty-three weeks. It's too soon for her to be dilating."

"Thomas, I'm fine. That's normal. You're just freaking out over nothing. This kid will come when she's ready and not a moment sooner. Nothing we can do about that, but I am not going to just lie around with my feet in the air trying to keep her in until then."

"So it's another girl?" Micah asked.

I shrugged. "Probably. The odds are certainly in favor of team pink."

Thomas groaned.

"Sounds like someone is rooting for team blue," Lucy said.

"Always. Or at least right up until they lay our newest baby girl in his arms, then he instantly falls in love and can't imagine having a son."

"You're going to be fine, Lily. Take it easy and try to rest while you're here," Micah instructed.

"Oh, I am. We're hosting a ladies' night tonight, but we'll just be sitting around catching up and stuff. And then tomorrow, I've already been informed that I am off duty for the picnic. Everyone keeps telling me to just sit back and enjoy it. For once I'm going to listen."

"Sounds like a great plan," Lucy said.

"Would you like to join us?"

She laughed. "I've been to enough ladies' nights around here to know better. While fun, I'm going to have to pass for a quiet night home with my little family."

She showed me a few updated pics of their kids and then they both said goodbye.

I was still sprawled out on the bed, half-naked.

Thomas disappeared into the bathroom connected to my room and returned with a wet cloth.

"What are you doing?"

"Cleaning you up," he said with a sly smirk.

The second he touched me, my whole body lit with need.

I moaned with the anticipation of so much more.

"Knock that shit out. There's no dampener in that room, Lily Ann," Elise yelled from somewhere else in the house.

This time, a growl of frustration left me, followed by a houseful of laughter.

Sometimes it really sucked being in a wolf-shifter house where everyone has heightened hearing and listens to everything.

"You suck, E."

Laughter followed my response.

Thomas just shook his head, finished cleaning me up, and took the rag back to the bathroom, knowing damn well he wasn't getting any now. Then again, I was so worked up that I could have been easily persuaded.

When he returned, he went to the suitcase and pulled out a dampener to plug into the wall.

"Now you use it?"

He grinned. "You weren't getting any anyway. You heard Lucy, you're already a centimeter dilated. I'm not taking any chances."

"What? You're serious?"

"I am. Until Sam gives the okay and we know this baby is ready to safely enter this world, you are cut off."

"No!" I protested.

"This is the way it has to be."