Page 38 of Loving My Omega (The Perfect Designation Trilogy #2)

Chapter

Thirty-Eight

I took a deep breath as Marcus tightened his hold around me. Beau cleared her throat and Mrs. Alford stepped in again before I could rip this spoiled dragon down to size.

“Actually, it’s the reason we all are gathered. This is Colton…”

“I don’t care who the hell this mutt is, Candice. He shouldn’t be in this house. Nor should he be running his mouth about things he doesn’t know about.” Queen turned back to me. “Males think they know everything. Maybe you should step back and let the pregnant woman tell you what how pregnancy works.”

Growling, I started to get up but Marcus held me back. “Colt, no. It’s not worth it, I promise.”

“That is not how we speak to guests, Queen.” Mr. Alford stepped in this time, his voice stern. “Colton was invited, just like you. If you don’t want to join the conversation without the attitude, then by all means, head back upstairs.”

“Sweetheart.” Mrs. Alford wasn’t happy with how this was turning out.

For her, I sat back, not willing to agitate Marcus’ mother more. Queen seemed to not want to drop the attitude because she tossed her hair over shoulder. Grabbing the drink, she rolled her eyes and headed out of the kitchen. It was a moment before there was a screech and Audrey’s cries filled the house.

I was the first one out of my seat. In the hallway, Audrey had fallen back and it looked like she hit her head on one of the cabinets. Ellen was next to her while Mason was standing protectively by both of them. Queen, however, was standing with her arms out, her blouse completely wet with her glass nearly empty.

Focusing on Audrey, I walked around Queen and went down on one knee. “Hey, let’s see the damage.”

“She hit her head on the front part.” Ellen let me take over as I looked at the back of her little sisters head.

“It doesn’t look like it’s bleeding.” I smiled at Audrey who had tears and snot running down her face. “Someone has a bit too hard of a head for that.”

She snuffled. “It hurts.”

“I bet it does. You’re going to have a huge bump. They are going to be able to see it from space it’s going to be so big!”

Audrey giggled quietly. “No.”

I nodded. “I’m pretty sure they will. They are going to look out the window of the space station and go, would you look at that! That bump is wearing such a cute red dress!”

That got her to actually laugh. Queen seemed to recover her shock. She let out a full growl as her eyes glowed.

“Do you know how much this blouse costs? How dare you! What am I supposed to do? It’s ruined! This is one of a kind!”

Audrey shrunk down. “I’m sorry, Mama. I…I didn’t mean to…”

“You weren’t looking where you were going.” Mason crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s your fault. Rey was just standing there. You ran into her. You knocked her down.”

“Children need to be out of the way!”

My eyes narrowed as I pulled Audrey into a hug. “I think that’s enough. She hurt herself. Shouldn’t you be worried about that?”

“ Me ? Why the hell should I be? They are Keith’s responsibility at that age.”

Normally, I probably would have let it slide. Normally, I would have the patience and the wherewithal not to start something in the middle of my mate’s parents house after meeting them for the first time. However, this was not a normal time. Pregnant, hungry, and my hormones in high gear were all a recipe for someone getting bitchslapped.

“Funny, you just tried to tell me what a woman’s job was. Are you doing back on that now? Or did you just realize that you it would be too hard to care about someone other than yourself?”

Mason snorted next to me, but put my arm out, moving him back.

“Excuse me? Again, who the fuck are you to tell me anything?”

“I’m part of this family, is who I am. I have on multiple occasions hung out with these wonderful little dragons. I apparently know them better than you fucking do. Even if these weren’t your flesh and blood, you made a child cry. Your first thought should always be if they are hurt. Not if your ugly ass blouse from three seasons ago as some water on it.”

Her mouth hung open and apparently in the same fashion as every other spoiled female shifter, stomped her foot on the floor. I snorted, though.

“Careful, you might break your heel stomping like a child.”

“You little shit! I am pregnant! I am the one who should be…”

My eyes narrowed. “Coddled? Spoiled? Treated like a queen?”

“Yes!”

I stood up, moving Audrey around my leg as she held onto my pants. “Reality check, sweetheart. Life doesn’t work like that now. So you can take that fucking attitude and shove it up your ass. You might have to take your head out of there for it to fit but maybe you’d see that pregnancy doesn’t give you the right to be a fucking bitch.”

“Colton.” Marcus finally came around. “That’s enough.”

My eyes narrowed as I glared at the fuming dragon in front of me. “Is it? Because if this is how she has been treating your Mom and Dad, after they were nice enough to open their home, take care of her kids, and still manage to keep their tone respectful despite her audacity, I don’t think it is enough.”

“The kids, Colt.”

Damn it. He was right. I couldn’t do in front of her kids. Talk about a bad example. Nodding, I reached down and picked up Audrey. She smiled at me as she rubbed her face.

“How about we see about getting you something to drink and some ice for that head so maybe we don’t scare the astronauts?”

She nodded and I started to walk around Queen. I saw her reach out but I didn’t know what she was going for. It turned it out she was grabbing for me. Her hands were shifted as her claws racked down my back. Hissing, I wrapped my arms around Audrey so I didn’t drop her.

All hell broke loose. There were shouts and screaming. Marcus had Queen by throat, holding her up against the wall. His eyes completely taken over by his dragon as well as being partially shifted.

“Damn it!” Beau tried to come forward but Marcus wasn’t letting anyone close.

“The hell is going on here! Marcus! Put my fucking mate down!”

I was so surprised as Keith walked into the house. When I said I couldn’t imagine Marcus with a beard, I really couldn’t. Now, I was seeing it in person. Keith, despite wearing a button up shirt and slacks, looked like a lumberjack. His beard was long enough I bet Ellen could braid it like she did Audrey’s hair.

They did have similar face structure but Keith didn’t have the same presence as Marcus. He seemed a bit stockier as well. His hair was pulled back into a pony tail but even he was stopped by Marcus’ level of power.

“Marcus, now. She’s pregnant.”

Sighing, I handed Audrey to Beau. Stepping up to Marcus, surprising everyone but Beau and Mr. Alford, I put my hand on his arm.

“Let her go, Alpha. Please.”

He looked down at me. “You’re bleeding.”

“I’m fine. I’d like a new shirt. If you could grab one from the car. Also, I’m super hungry. I felt queazy this morning but I’m okay now. I’d really like to have something before I start alerting the neighborhood with my growls.”

His eyes searched mine and I smiled. Slowly, he let down Queen who gasped as she leaned against the wall. Marcus blinked a couple times before his color came back.

“Are you okay?”

I nodded. “I went too far. It’s my fault.”

“Damn right.” Queen coughed and I glared at her.

“Maybe not run your mouth right now. Considering I just fucking saved your life. Yeah?” I snapped at her.

Marcus took a deep breath. “What do you need?”

“Shirt first? Please?”

He nodded and stepped away, purposefully pushing Keith aside as he walked by. Keith stepped up, holding Queen’s face as he looked her over. His eyes were soft and I could see he loved her. It hurt to watch as she swatted his hands away and pushed him back.

“Leave me the hell alone. Or better yet, take me home. I don’t want to be here.”

“Queen, please…we don’t need to do this right now. We understand that you’re pregnant…” Keith was soft and it sounded a lot more like Marcus.

She glared at him. “No! I am not sharing the room with…with…”

“A pregnant wolf?” I asked her.

Her mouth dropped open as she looked over at me. “What?”

“I’ll be six months next week.” My eyes narrowed. “So, I guess I should get the same treatment as you expect, right?”

Scoffing, she rolled her shoulders and pulled down her shirt. “It makes sense now how Marcus could bring someone like you home. You trapped him with a pregnancy. Well done, Omega .”

I moved so she could walk by me and to the stairs. She did head past me but stopped when we were shoulder to shoulder. Leaning down, she whispered so only I could hear.

“You don’t deserve to carry an Alford dragon. I hope you lose it and Marcus abandons you for someone who is worthy of standing next to him.”

My eyes widened and I stood rooted in my spot. Tears filled my eyes and I looked back up at her as she ascended the stairs. She had a smirk on her face as she looked down at me.

“No more little wolf.”

Turning, I hurried through the kitchen to the side door I’d seen. It opened up to the side of the house and jumped the three steps before leaned over and threw up. I’d had some breakfast this morning on the way up, but it all came out. A hand rubbed my back and I continued to heave into an overgrown flowerbed.

The heaving turned to sobs as my body shook. I should have gotten angry. I should have torn her to shreds. Except that I couldn’t. She might as well have stabbed me in the heart. It felt like a curse and I wanted nothing to do with her. Putting my hand on my bump, I tried to hold myself together.

“Lauren…” Beau stepped through the door and came over to me as well.

“Hey, love.”

I tried to gather myself enough to not look like a complete mess. “I’m sorry…I didn’t…”

Lauren was actually surprisingly tall. She was in the six foot range and I had to look up to her. There was a soft smile on her face.

“Don’t worry about it, Colton.”

Beau growled. “I heard what she said. It was fucking uncalled for. Dad is pulling Marcus off Keith right now.”

“Queen?” When Beau nodded, Lauren sighed. “I didn’t get a warm welcome either. Still, she did some damage.”

Lauren reached out and lifted up the rags of my shirt. I wiped my face before I shook my head.

“I’m okay. I just…need a minute.”

Beau handed me a shirt and I thanked her. Pulling off my sweater and shirt, I inspected the damage. Both were completely ruined. Not to mention the blood was soaked into my white button-down and would be almost impossible to get out completely.

It was odd after so many months of never allowing anyone to see me, just standing in front of two shifters who weren’t Marcus, exposed to them. I trusted Beau and I knew she that she chose Lauren. Both Marcus and Beau talked about Lauren as this incredible shifter. She also was going to be the one to help with the nursery.

“You do look better, Colt. You still need to fill in some places.”

I smiled and nodded, pulling the shirt over my head. “Thanks. I’m trying.”

“This is better? Beau…he…”

Lauren looked from me to Beau. Beau chuckled and patted her mate on the back.

“Trust me, this is much better. Less bones are showing now. Still all hatching though.”

Shrugging, I walked around them to a trash can that was pulled up next to the house. “I don’t think that is going to change. No matter how much weight I gain.”

“Probably true. At least for you. The only good thing about Queen ever getting pregnant is watching her blow up like a balloon and her still trying to squeeze into her designer clothes.” Beau winked at me.

I chuckled but it was hollow. Her words haunted me now. I felt them loom over me and I just wanted to scrub them from my heart where they sunk.

“I need to take a walk. Can you…try and get Marcus to calm down enough to make some ginger tea? I think he brought a box of tea with us.”

Beau headed back up the stairs. “I can. I don’t think anyone else wants to brave the fight. Mom took the kids into the other room.”

Nodding, I turned and headed into the shade of the forest for a second. I needed away from the house and the people for a moment.