Page 21 of King’s Obsession (Obsessions #5)

Asmodeus

His stomach heaved and more bile burned the back of his throat as the vomit hit the bucket because yet again he hadn’t made it into the toilet. It was the never-ending vomiting cycle. Months he’d been doing this, and it wasn’t only confined to the morning. Despite all of that, his belly had grown.

He cupped it now, rubbing at the mound, worried he could upset the baby.

A damp cloth pressed to the back of his neck as Dougal lifted his hair out of the way. A cool welcome relief to the sweat coating his skin.

“That’s it. Nearly done,” Dougal mumbled, a hand stroking slow circles over his lower back.

It didn’t feel like it was nearly done! But Asmodeus couldn’t say that, as he remained otherwise occupied. He’d tried switching to his human half for the vomit sessions, only they weren’t having any of it.

Four more bouts of heaving and he felt able to take his face out of the bucket. The mattress dipped as he sat back up and Dougal made room, offering another damp cloth to wipe his lips.

Dabbing at his lips, Asmodeus released a shuddery breath, relieved to feel his body behave. He dropped the cloth back in the bowl of cold water Dougal had brought up with him when he’d returned from the forest.

Dougal encouraged him to rest his head on his shoulder as he always did. They’d established a routine. Dougal went into the forest early, leaving him sleeping, then managed to appear just as Asmodeus started the morning ritual of saying hello to the bucket.

He gave a disheartened sigh, trying to think positively. “How much longer?” he asked for what felt like the billionth time.

Dougal’s warm chuckles rumbled as he hugged Asmodeus to him, dislodging the cloth from his neck. “It shouldn’t be much longer.”

“You keep saying that,” he grumbled, pulling a face at the bitter taste in his mouth. He wasn’t quite ready to go to the bathroom yet to brush his teeth. Magic never felt the same as a toothbrush after being ill.

“Did you have a chat with Scott about his experience?”

Asmodeus glanced sideways at Dougal, arching a brow. “You know I haven’t. He only had the baby last week.”

Was it cowardice to not want to actually go and visit when he was concerned about getting graphic details on the birthing part? Witnessing Peni give birth was something he worked hard not to think about. Although he would say the fluffy demon was beyond cute with her gummy smile.

“Then maybe it’s time to go and pay a visit. Take a gift for the baby.” Dougal kissed his head. “I’ve some saplings for George’s garden for Remi, when he’s bigger, to nurture and help him learn about nature.”

Asmodeus grinned at his blissful one and considered how many comments they’d had about the changes to his greeting room. It got more like a forest every day. “If you carry on the way you’re going, there won’t be much of your forest left here.”

He laughed hard enough to rock Asmodeus. “Is that so?”

“It is. How many of your plants are vying to come to the demon realm?”

Dougal blushed and wore a sheepish expression as he shrugged. “They like the attention they get.”

“I’m sure they do with how you have been giving potted shrubs to everyone that shows an interest.” It was quite something.

In the months since Dougal started coming with him to the demon realm, complaints were down.

They sometimes didn’t need to spend the whole two hours seeing demons.

Dougal had a calming presence along with his plants.

It could also be that he brought with him a big flask of his home brew, which was equally popular when he used it as a technique to distract those ranting when Dougal thought the energy was bad for the baby.

A baby Asmodeus continued to keep to himself.

His belly rippled under his palm. A habit he’d developed was stroking his belly unconsciously.

Something Baal had noticed once or twice and drew Asmodeus’s attention to what he was doing over the last couple of weeks.

Asmodeus tried hard not to touch the round mound. He failed, but he did try.

“You’re going to have to tell everyone soon.”

The ease with which Dougal picked up his thought made him sigh. “I want to keep it between us just for a little bit longer.”

He kissed the side of his head. “Whatever you want, my love.”

Four hours later, the last demon had just left, Asmodeus rose, his robes flapped apart, and Baal, who had gone to stand in the open doorway, gawped. “Your Highness, your belly! Oh my… are your pregnant?”

Dougal’s lips quivered, but he didn’t laugh at how Baal never moved his gaze. He winked at Asmodeus, who groaned.

“Yes… I am! But keep—“

“Pregnant!” Apparently, Lady Flora was right behind Baal, and she shoved him out of the way to bustle past him. She didn’t seem to care she was breaking protocol. “Why I never. It’s a miracle. A pregnant king.”

She reached out to touch his belly and Dougal was there, blocking her before she could get anywhere near him. “It’s not polite to touch what isn’t yours.”

His growly possessive voice was doing a number on Asmodeus like it tended to do. Which meant there was more than his belly on show. He grabbed the edges of his robe and tugged them together, giving Lady Flora a stern look he knew wouldn’t faze her or stop her from spreading this juicy tidbit.

More resigned than ever to the news getting out, he saw Baal had remained rooted to the same spot, staring at him like he’d never seen him before.

Lady Flora tapped at Dougal’s arm in a flirty fashion and fluttered her eyelashes. “It’s the stones. I knew it. Do you, by any chance, have any more of those warming stones?”

Asmodeus, who’d been about to snap, just as possessive as Dougal, bit the inside of his cheek to keep his laughter from escaping. Those damn warming stones. The demonesses were doing who knew what with the things—Asmodeus did his best not to think about that—but they made Dougal very popular.

Did Flora think the stones had gotten him pregnant? The demonesses was crazy, if she believed that.

Dougal put a hand into one of his many pockets and pulled out several shiny stones.

Flora couldn’t take her eyes off them, her hands clapping. “I’ll take them all and share them with the ladies.” She came a little closer, peering at them. “Which one is the strongest?”

How Dougal kept a straight face as he pointed to the largest stone, Asmodeus didn’t know but he had to look away or risk laughing in her face.

“Wonderful.” Without another word, she scooped them up and shivered, tucking them into the pocket of her dress.

“Make sure to share now,” Dougal said as Flora pivoted on her heel and headed back out past Baal.

“Of course,” she replied, not even looking back as she hurried off.

“She’s going to tell everyone,” Asmodeus said fatalistically. He beckoned Baal closer. Already considering what he was going to have to do to stop the rumors before they started, and Baal found himself inundated with demons demanding to see him. “You need to send out a decree.”

“I do?” Baal squeaked. “You haven’t done that in a century.”

“Yes. Probably more than one.” He had to stop from snarling, and Dougal was there running a hand up his arm. “Get your notepad…”

Back in the forest not more than twenty minutes later, Dougal guided him to his favorite sitting place.

There was Silas, Dakata, Scott, and George who was holding his son, looking like a giant next to the small bundle in his arms. Peni sat next to him with his daughter and Merihem, who was beaming at Asmodeus.

He glanced at Dougal. “You told them!” he mumbled out the side of his mouth.

Dougal just shook his head. “Looks like we got visitors.”

The little baby boy, Remi, held Asmodeus’s attention. He seemed fine. So that had to be a good thing, right?

Scott had only been five months pregnant when he’d given birth. A mixed species baby seemed to go between both gestation dates. What did that mean for him and Dougal? How many months has it been for us already?

Why do you have to constantly think about giving birth?

Asmodeus rolled his eyes heavenward. Because you’ll be doing that part as I’m doing all the heavy lifting now. He added with so much glee he sensed his human half wince.

We’ll see about that.