55. Aurora

CHAPTER 55

Aurora

December

I rise out of bed and stretch slowly. I slept, but I'm still fucking tired. I swear, nothing I do seems to alleviate it. I head to the kitchen in my fuzzy sleep pants and Dominik's sweatshirt that I stole from his bag yesterday. I move silently, walking barefoot through the marble halls heading towards the kitchen. I must be radiating my aggravation due to my exhaustion because everyone clears the halls when I pass them.

Upon reaching the kitchen, I find Klaus teaching the chef some of the dishes of his clan. I guess I had a great idea when I chose to have heritage food nights to sample all the different foods out there. Dominik, Jayce, and Alaric are at the table having giant, fluffy waffles. My stomach begins to growl, and everyone turns to face me. I roll my eyes and take my seat at the table. Dominik smirks and pulls at his sweatshirt I'm wearing, letting me know he knows I took it. I shrug my shoulders, looking at him, then over to the chef. He comes running over with my steak smothered in salsa, fried peppers and onions, and homemade burrito wraps.

Nicodeamus enters the kitchen and starts laughing at my antics. "Seriously? What the fuck, Dad? Can't I enjoy what I want to eat without it being amusing?" I practically growl out my words as I feel my beast make herself known.

Nicodeamus raises his hand, trying to show he meant no harm. "I'm sorry, daughter. I'm just a little concerned for you. With everything that needs to come to pass, we have a guest among us, I believe." My father's eyes are those of his dragon, and my eyes shift to those of my beast as we stare at each other.

I'm cranky, tired, and really not in the mood for his games. I start shoveling my breakfast into my mouth. Tired, hungry... yeah, I'm a fucking ray of sunshine over here. The royal physician decides to come into the room and begins to approach me. A wave of frost shoots out in all directions from me as I stand to face him head-on. "Leave us alone!" My voice is not my own: its tone is that of my beast. My arms and hands shift rapidly. I am on the defensive, and I'm not sure why. I'm feeling my beast fight me for control. She hasn't done that since the time Dimitri smelled of the other woman.

Alaric waves the terrified physician off and comes to hold me, trying to soothe me. The soft rumble of his dragon puts my beast at ease. Alaric moves me to his side of the table, and I climb onto his lap and press my forehead to his throat.

Nicodeamus clears his throat. "Aurora, I believe we need to have a talk, sweetheart." Nicodeamus pulls up a chair close to Alaric and waits for me to lift my head.

"I don't want to. I don't feel good, and I'm fucking tired." I yawn promptly after speaking, then place my forehead back against Alaric's throat. One of the guys must have ordered hard-boiled eggs, and the smell makes my stomach instantly protest. I leap off Alaric's lap and run out onto the balcony where I vomit my breakfast over the railing. Jayce is at my side, holding my hair back so I won't get puke in it. Eventually, all my mates and my father come outside with me.

Great. I look and feel like shit, and now everyone wants to be all Kumbaya up in this mother. I'd start growling at them, but quite frankly, I don't have the energy right now. My father holds out a glass of ginger tea to me and I sip it slowly. I'm stressed the fuck out, and everyone is staring at me like, hell, I don't even know right now.

"Aurora, daughter, you're carrying the next heir. One of these geniuses got you pregnant while you were in heat." Nicodeamus gives the boys each a sharp glare before looking at me tenderly. "Depending on which male is the father, you could possibly deliver in as soon as three months or as long as seven months. Your mother carried you to term at five months because of your hybrid status." I'm hearing the words coming out of his mouth, but it isn't registering just yet.

I hand my father back the glass and walk away from the group. Dimitri always used to hold me when I didn't feel good, so he is the one I logically seek out. Dimitri, however, is still in bed, sleeping. He looks so peaceful, all stretched out on his huge bed. I approach slowly from the far side of the bed and snuggle into his side. He reflexively turns and kisses my forehead, mumbling something about how's his cub.

I flat out tell him, "I puked, I'm tired, and my dad is talking crazy talk." Dimitri turns and curls his large form around me and buries his nose in my hair like he always does. I almost fall asleep instantly in one of the safest places I know.

I know my mates seek me out at some point, but I am too tired and snuggled to care. Some poor male servant enters Dimitri's room, I'm guessing to wake him up like usual. Dimitri's shift happens instantly. His bear leaps off the bed and rises up onto its hind legs, roaring at the man. My mates and father come as quickly as they can.

Nicodeamus attempts to talk Dimitri down from his rage, not having seen me in his bed. I yawn and slowly slide out of bed to come up to Dimitri's side. I look up to his angry bear and wrap my arms around his middle the best I can. Slowly I feel his bear settle within my grasp, and I back away, allowing him to land on all fours. Dimitri's bear sniffs me from toes to nose, making sure I'm okay. Three times his bear presses its nose to my lower stomach then looks up to me.

I don't understand what he's getting at. Carefully, I climb onto Dimitri's back and lie down. At least with me up here, he won't do anything rash. My father ushers the frightened servant away before closing and locking the door behind him. Dimitri brings me back to what's left of his bed; I slide off and make myself comfortable.

Dimitri's bear meanders over to the ensuite bathroom, where he chooses to resume his human form. Dimitri comes back out in sleep pants and a bathrobe. "Aurora, I could have killed that man. If you're going to climb in bed with me, lock the door. My instinct to protect you and your child is too strong." Dimitri's eyes beg me to understand him, that he's not mad at me: he's worried for the rest of the population.

I sit there staring at Dimitri and think back over the last two, almost three weeks of being here. My eyes widen as all the pieces of the puzzle snap together. I look between the twins and Alaric, then over to my father. My hand lands on the small swell of my stomach, and I lightly rub the small dome.

"Holy fuck!"

Yeah, not exactly the most eloquent way of announcing a pregnancy, but hey, it's me, right? I'm about as subtle as a freight train. I start crying. I can't fucking help it. I'm scared more than anything. Me? A mom? Whose fucking brilliant idea was that? I have severe anger issues. The guys are honestly not sure what to do with and for me right now. Dimitri kneels before me and lays his head on my lap and hugs my legs. Out of reflex, I start to run my fingers through his thick brown hair. I slowly begin to calm down and relax again. I begin to hum the old Romanian lullaby he used to sing to me as a child.

Nicodeamus ushers the boys out of Dimitri's room, then comes to sit beside us. "You two share a bond that spans more years than anyone here. It's hard to go from guardian to lover. The bond is there; I see how you two seek each other out for comfort." Dad tilts his head as he studies Dimitri and me.

"For example, what happened here today. Aurora wasn't feeling well, so who did she seek out? Dimitri, you bring her a different kind of safety and security that her bonded mates can't. Aurora, Dimitri has been your rock since you were itty bitty. You both have a mental block that's preventing this bond from blazing to life after that witch's brew." Nicodeamus slowly rises and leaves the room.

Dimitri slowly climbs onto his bed with me and lays his head entirely in my lap so he can look up at me. I can see the turmoil behind his brilliant amber eyes. I know he loves me, and I know it's more than just as a guardian. I can't and won't push him; he needs to come to this conclusion on his own. I'm just glad I'm not nuts. My wolf was right; he is ours. I lean down slowly and gently place a kiss on his full, pouting lips.

My hands caress his beard-covered cheeks as my fingers thread through his facial hair. I always had a thing for the big guy, so I honestly can't help myself. Kissing Dimitri feels like coming home, where I'm always safe and protected. Dimitri breaks the kiss and sits up, kneeling on the bed with his ass resting on his heels. He carefully lifts me up to straddle his lap, which I do willingly. I wrap my arms around his neck and look deep into his eyes. He's fighting his instincts; I can see it. Part of me is upset he doesn't want me, and the other part wants to rip Elena's head from her shoulders.

"We don't have to do anything, D. I don't want you to feel pressured." I smile at him and lightly kiss his lips, trying to reassure him.

Without hesitation, Dimitri launches forward and pins me beneath him on the bed. He captures my lips with a renewed passion that he's never shown before. I can't help but sink into his embrace and follow his lead. Dimitri's hands roam all over my body, caressing every curve. Every new sensation is driving me nuts. I have to have him. My beast demands it. I break the kiss and begin to nip and suck at his throat. His moans are music to my ears. I feel his rather large erection press against my lower stomach as he begins to grind against me.

I take a chance and bite his collarbone hard, drawing a small amount of blood. In an instant, I can feel Dimitri's hands shift as he begins to shred the offending clothing off my body. It takes Dimitri mere moments to have me bare before him. We've been naked before each other many times in the past, but this time is different. Dimitri's gaze isn't passive like it has been for most of my life. His gaze burns with an inner fire that I never thought I'd see from him. He's staring down at me, looking like he's ready to devour me. Suddenly, he shakes his head as if clearing a fog and looks embarrassed. I feel the evidence of his excitement roll down my side and onto the bed. Dimitri was so excited he experienced premature ejaculation.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to," Dimitri says in a hushed tone, low enough for only me to hear. He leaves the bed quickly, only to return a few moments later with a washcloth and a towel to clean me up.

Once I'm clean, I kiss him again before moving to his closet to find something to wear. I find Dimitri's fuzzy sweatshirt that I've always loved. I slip it on over my head, and it goes down to my knees. I have a woman's version of blue balls.