“Urgh! I can't believe those bitches really did that! The audacity,” Ruth huffed, handing me the slices of apples she cut up for me. I happily munched on one of them while I listened to her curse out Jessica and Liya. “The audacity to do that when they were talking shit about you behind your back all the time! Do you know how vile they were when Alpha Cassian moved to another cabin for his rut? They were saying all kinds of things that almost made me fight them in the middle of pack lands.”
“Leave it,” I shook my head. “I've assigned them to kitchen duties. I think that's enough punishment for running their mouths. They'll learn a few things there,” I grinned.
“And you're a savage for doing that. It's what they deserve!”
I laughed at Ruth's excitement. “I missed you so much. How were your exams?”
“Meh, I don't know. I'll pass I guess,”
“What happened? I thought you were studying well,” I frowned.
“I did. A few of them were good but I'm scared about the rest. I'll pass of course but I don't think I'll be a topper,” she pursed her lips while her shoulders slumped down, obviously disappointed.
“At least, you won't fail. I'm sure you'll get good marks,” I tried to reassure her.
“Ah, leave that. Tell me about how you feel. When's the next check-up? Can you feel the baby now?”
“Lily said next week,” I smiled. “I'm feeling fine and I can’t feel the baby now. I think it'll take twenty-five weeks or something to feel movement. That's what I read,”
Ruth grinned widely when she heard it. “I can't believe this. I'm going to be an aunt. I never thought I'd be an aunt this young.”
“Honestly, same. I had never thought I'd carry this young but look where we are.” I shook my head with a small smile.
Ruth snickered. “Blame your omega genes,”
I glared at her before huffing and looking away. “Once you meet your mate, you're going to beg him to knock you up too,”
Ruth paused before her eyes glinted. “No way!” She said before breaking out into a maniac laughing spree. “You begged Alpha Cassian to pup you up?!” she shouted shamelessly, causing me to look around to make sure nobody had heard the atrocities my best friend was screaming out.
“Will you calm down? I was in heat,” I grumbled, hitting her on the hand hard enough to make her yelp. “What did you think we did anyway?”
“I knew you begged him to fuck you but I didn't knew you begged him to fill you up with his ball barf,”
“His what?” I looked at her with questioning eyes.
“His ball barf. You know his penis colada, his man foam—”
“For the love of the god, Ruth, just say cum,” I slapped my hand on my face.
Ruth narrowed her eyes. “Oh, look at you, so brave and daring,”
“Cum sounds less dirty than whatever words you are using to describe it.” I shook my head.
“What's wrong with them? I honestly think love juice and Forbidden Mayonnaise is actually a good metaphor. You know we have to be discreet. Good natured girls don't say ‘cee euu emm’.” she spelled it out before rolling her eyes. “It's not classy and it's not fun,”
I huffed out a chuckle. “Since when did you become a good-natured girl?”
“I've always been one,” Ruth winked and then flipped her hair, causing me to shake my head in disbelief. This girl is unbelievable.
“Anyways, since you’re pupped up, you need all the rest you can get. I've ordered some magazines about pregnancy. I'll give them to you on Sunday,”
“Yeah, thanks. But it's really boring staying inside all the time. I want to go out and take a walk,” I grumbled, looking longing out the window.
“Alpha Cassian didn't let you out because it was winter. Since winter is over now, you can ask him to take you for a walk or let you take a walk. I'll come with you for company,” Ruth shrugged.
“Winter is really over…. It's been three months…so fast,” I placed a hand on my swelling belly.
“You're going to have your pup at the end of summer, aren't you? That little pup really is going to be a sweet summer child,” Ruth laughed while I stared at my belly with a soft smile, feeling endeared by the thought that I really would get to hold my pup in just six months.
“I can't wait to hold my pup in my arms. I dream of it every day now,” I softly mumbled into the air, not really expecting Ruth to hear it but she did. I knew it when I felt her hands on my shoulders, gently massaging them before she leaned down to place her chin on top of my head.
“I told you, you're going to love this journey. Your omega knows what's best,”
“Thank you, Ruth. I don't know what I would've done without you,”
“Hush! No thank yous in friendship. That's how it works,” she slapped my shoulder and laughed, causing me to laugh with her. “Now, get your cute little ass off this couch. We need to visit Stella. She said she prepared something for you,”
“Really?”
“Yep, seafood I heard,”
“Oh my, I have to be fast before Cassian slurps it all up,”
____
“God, you're really bad at this. More pressure, Cassian. Why are you acting like I'm made out of porcelain and you're some kind of a bulldozer?”
“Well, excuse me for not wanting to hurt my pregnant mate,” Cassian huffed.
“You're supposed to massage my feet, not polish it,” I rolled my eyes.
Cassian frowned and then applied a little more pressure. “Is this okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, just like that,” I let out a sigh of relief and leaned back against the bathtub, closing my eyes as my body relaxed under his touch. Good heavens, it takes a lot to teach an alpha how to massage. “Hmm…it feels good. They were hurting so bad,”
“This is why I told you not to walk too much, it's not good for you,” I could hear Cassian grumble but I didn't open my eyes.
“The pup needs it. Lily also recommended that taking walks and breathing fresh air is good for the pup,” I defended.
“You're using our pup as an excuse to do whatever you want, aren't you, you little vixen?” He scoffed and then tickled my feet with his fingers, causing me to pull them out of his grasp while giggling like a schoolgirl.
“Don't tickle me or else I won't be responsible if I accidentally kick you in the face,”
Cassian scoffed. “I have good instincts–aw! Ivy, what the fuck?” The alpha rubbed his chest while he looked at me with a betrayed expression.
I raised a brow, smiling smugly at him. “I thought you had good instincts, Alpha Cassian,”
He glared at me while I snickered. “Try it again, I'll show yo—see?” He asked, smirking while holding my leg tightly captive with his wrist.
“Alright, alright, let me go. I'm carrying your pup. Cut me some slack,”
Cassian let out a hearty laugh before he shook his head. “There it is! You're using your pregnancy to your full advantage, aren't you? You're such a little shit,”
“I don't know what you're talking about, alpha. Now, bring me the towel,”
“This is exactly what I'm talking about.” Cassian let out a huff. “Using me as your servant. I can see how much you enjoy it,” he said while walking away to grab the towel.
I smirked. “Don't act like you don't enjoy it too,” I grabbed the towel from his hand and stood up in the tub.
Cassian immediately wrapped his hands around me to prevent me from slipping. He placed a soft kiss on my cheek and then bit my earlobe before whispering. “Can't say I don't, darling,”
“Shut up,”
____
“The pups look healthy. There's nothing to worry about,” Lily smiled before she looked at me and then Cassian. “We will be able to know the gender on the next check-up. Do you want that?”
Cassian turned his eyes towards me, waiting for me to speak.
I shook my head. “I want it to be a surprise…if that's okay…”
“That's okay,” my mate smiled, walking closer and then placing a kiss on my head.
“Do you feel nauseous now, Luna?” Lily took her notepad as she asked.
“No, I take the pills daily,”
“Hmm…,” she nodded. “After the next check up you might be able to stop taking the pills because usually at that point, the nausea and vomiting end. Some might have to deal with it throughout the pregnancy but let's hope you're not in that category,”
“Are the pills bad for the baby?” my concern seeped into my words and tone while I stared at her, lips caught between my teeth. Everything makes me scared nowadays.
“There are many pills on the market that are suspicious and not safe to be taken but the one I've prescribed you is perfectly fine so don't worry,”
“Thank you, Lily,” I relaxed after breathing out a sigh of relief.
“No worries, Luna. You're free to go now,”
“Oh, Lily, is it fine for me to go for small walks?”
“Yes—”
“No—”
I looked between Lily and Cassian as they both talked at the same time.
“Lily, she can't walk. She gets her feet swollen every time she does that,” Cassian crossed his arms.
“You shouldn't overdo it, Luna. You have to take care of your body,” Lily gave me a scolding look, causing me to look away in embarrassment.
“He wouldn't let me go out at all now. I can walk a little. It's boring to stay inside all the time,” I huffed. “I just crave the fresh air. You know what I dream of nowadays? The woods! It means even my wolf is depraved. I miss it so much,”
“It's only been a week,” Cassian scoffed.
“It's still long,”
“Alpha, it's fine for her to go on little walks. A healthy amount of exercise is needed for a healthy pregnancy.”
“Fine, you can go for walks in the pack lands. But only in the pack lands,”
“Why not the woods?!” I groaned, throwing a tantrum like a little child.
“It's not safe. The woods aren't safe now,”
Lily and I turned our heads towards him, a frown forming on our faces. “What's wrong?” I looked at him expectantly.
I could feel the slightest bit of change in Cassian demeanor from having accustomed to it for so long. He was stiff and bothered. Something clearly made him unsettled. That much was enough to know from the way his jaws clenched and he rolled his shoulders. It was hard to reach him through the bond. He felt so….guarded.
“We've spotted some traces of rogues…”