Brother’s Best Friends Are My Mates novel Chapter 195

Lia

I stared at the ceiling for the third morning in a row. My heart was racing again, for no real reason. My stomach felt weird. Not sick, just… off. I didn’t want to think about what that could mean.

But I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I called Simone.

She answered, yawning. “You know it’s not even eight, right?” “I think I might be pregnant,” I said, fast.

Silence.

Then, “Wow. Good morning to you, too.” “I’m serious.”

“Wait-what? Are you sure?”

“No. That’s the thing.” I sat up and put a hand on my stomach. “I’ve just been feeling weird. Sore. Nauseous some mornings. I smell different from myself. Isn’t that a thing?”

Simone made a weird noise. “Yeah, that’s a thing.”

“And I’ve been eating weird, too. And I got really mad at Matt yesterday because he was breathing too loudly. Then I cried because I couldn’t find my hairbrush. That’s not normal.”

“To be fair, Matt does breathe like a bulldozer.” “Simone-“

“Okay, okay. I’m focused now. Lia… oh wow. You really might be.”

“I don’t want to be. I don’t even know how it would’ve happened.” A pause. Then: “Lia. You do know how that happens.”

I groaned and flopped back on the bed. “I mean, yeah. But it didn’t feel like… enough.” “You’re an omega with four alphas, Lia. It doesn’t take much. Your body’s built for this.” “Awesome. My own body turned on me.”

“Or it did what it’s supposed to.”

“Do not get all deep and wise right now.”

She laughed. “Okay, I’ll stop. But seriously-have you taken a test?” “No. I’ve just been… pretending it’s nothing.”

“You’ve been feeling like this for days and just ignored it?” “I’m good at denial. You know that.”

“Well, guess what? Denial’s over. You need to find out.”

“I know. I just…” I hesitated. “What if I am?”

“Then you handle it. And you’re not handling it alone. You’ve got me, the guys, even Michael. And if he says anything dumb, I’ll punch him.”

A laugh slipped out of me. Shaky, but real. “I’d pay to see that.” “I’ll film it.”

“God, Simone.” I wiped my eyes. “What if I’m not ready?”

It still felt like I was too young, even though I had been through a lot. First, I find out I have a bunch of fated mates. Not one, not two, not three, but four! Then I realized all of them were my brother’s best friends, the ones who bullied me.

But we had come a long way. Kidnapping attempts, magical battles, saving the world, etc.

Saving the world had been the craziest thing yet. But I had done it. Now I was involved in local politics, trying to make sure the different races didn’t drive each other fucking crazy.

It was bound to happen. So far, there hadn’t been any other incidents, so I was trying to focus on this. As long as the dragon shifters were doing their best to adjust to how they were currently living, things were going to be fine.

Adding a kid to the mix? It seemed crazy, and a part of me felt like I couldn’t do it.

Also, it could be anyone’s kid, given that I had four different mates. All of them were going to have to have a DNA test.

But what if I had multiples? Gabi had multiples. If I had more than two, I was going to kick all of their asses. They would never be able to sleep soundly knowing that they had impregnated me with multiples.

“No one’s ever really ready. But you’re strong. And you’ve got us. Whatever happens-we’re with you.” I took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll take a test today.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“Thanks.”

There was a pause. Then she said, quieter, “You’d be a good mom, you know.” “Don’t say that yet.”

“Fine,” she said. “But I still believe it.”

My mother had been great. It was a shame she died so young, so there was nothing else I could do other than tell my future children about her. The same went for my father.

I thought of Michael, who was a great father to his kids. The same applied to Gabi, who was a great mother! My niece and nephew were great, and I watched them a lot, but the point was that I could always return them to their parents after they started to get a little crazy.

Simone snorted. “You think they care about your legs? Girl, half the people in that store probably have centaur blood. You’re fine.”

I cracked a smile. “That’s fair.”

There was a beat. Then her voice softened. “Do you want me to grab the tests before you get there?”

“I… no. I should do it. I need to feel like I’m part of this decision. Even if it’s just which box to buy.”

“Okay,” she said gently. “But I’ll be waiting by the cold drinks, judging every customer who tries to grab the last lemon sparkling water.”

“I love you for that.”

“Obviously.”

I paused, biting my lip. “Simone?” “Yeah?”

“What if the test is negative? What if I’m just crazy?”

“Then we celebrate your sanity with a cinnamon roll.” “And if it’s positive?”

She hesitated. “Then we buy two cinnamon rolls and cry in the car.” A weak laugh bubbled up in my throat. “Solid plan.”

“I’ve got snacks, tissues, and an emotional playlist on standby. We’re covered.” “You’re too prepared.”

“Lia, you have four alpha mates. You think I haven’t been emotionally bracing for this since the mating ceremony? I have ago-bag.”

“Ago-bag?”

“With chocolate, calming tea, and a bottle of wine I’m legally not allowed to give you right now.” “God, I love you.”

“Damn right you do. Now hurry up, or I’ll start texting you fertility memes.”

“I swear to the Goddess, Simone-” “Tick tock, mama.”

I groaned and hung up before she could say anything else, but I was smiling now. Sort of.