Changes

Chapter 22

Z's POV

I held my mate close to me as many emotions swirled within me. I couldn't believe it was true. How was it even possible? How do I even prepare for something like this? She began to stir and my thoughts halted. She opened her eyes and gave me a sleepy smile. "How do you feel," I asked her. "Hungry," she replied with a yawn. "And how do you feel about yesterday," I asked her. I was fucking terrified our feelings weren't going to be the same. She was my mate, and I loved her, but I don't know how to wrap my head around this.

The she gave me a breath taking smile, "I'm excited." She then seemed nervous, "And how do you feel?" "I haven't been this scared since I was human staring death in the face," I confessed to her. "Yes I feel some excitement, but my fear is what's winning right now." She cupped my face, "It's gonna be okay." My beast and I felt soothed by her
reassurance. I turned my head to kiss her palm, "I pray you have a lot of patience with me. I can handle torture, death, gore, and many other things, but this is uncharted territory." "We'll take this one step at a time together. Our first step is going to be getting me something to eat and then making the announcement to our people," she said sweetly.

She then slid out of bed and got dressed and I soon followed. When we left the room I slid into a coldness I only feel when on the battlefield. The faction didn't approve of my mate, and I didn't know how they would act after I make my announcement.

We found the kitchen empty and I made her some bacon and eggs. She scarfed it down and after yesterday, I wasn't surprised. After she finished we went to the meeting hall where everyone was gathered. The room was silent as we went to the front and I had to resist the urge to tear out a few of their eyes for how they looked at my mate. When we got to the front I wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Many of you may have heard that my mate was ill yesterday. Well we have found out that she isn't ill, she is pregnant," I announced to them. The only ones who showed any reactions was her mom and brothers who were happy for us. The others were trying to wrap their heads around it. Alanna sighed, "To answer some of your questions, only female Founders can become pregnant. We don't have monthly cycles like humans, instead we only have two chances a year to get pregnant, and my beast failed to inform me when those times are because she wanted it to happen despite we have so much shit on our plate already." She then sighed and kept going, "Naturally born Founders can be stronger than turned Founders depending how strong the child's parents are. The child wont be able to turn until the age of fifteen and wont be able to control their abilities without training. They will age just as fast a human and stop aging by the age of twenty five when their immortality kicks in and stops them from aging."

"What should we expect during the pregnancy," Axel asked her. "Well besides the normal mood swings and such, as of right now I can't shift into my beast form. If I do, it will kill our child. By the time I'm six months, I wont have complete control of my magic because the child will be able to control some of it. Of course Gamora has a sick of humor and said we're gonna have to figure out the rest on our own," she explained to us. "What about your other form," Silver asked her.

"Wait, you have two forms," Mackio asked her in shock. "I can still shift to it, but it will be really draining and I won't be able to hold it for long," she replied to Silver, ignoring Mackio's question. "Now it does affect my mating bond and warrior bonds," she informed us. "It's going to make your beasts even closer to the surface, and until our child hits fifteen, the warrior bond will branch off to them so you can feel if they're ever in danger. While Zeviathan will be even more ready to attack someone if you hadn't noticed when we first came in."

"And your diet," Axel asked me. "Stays the same, just increases," she replied. "The child will have a diet like a human as well until they change." "Will the child be able to be killed like a human," Jay asked her. She shook her head, "Only while I'm pregnant can they be killed, once they breathe air for the first time, they're like us and can't be killed."

"Do you think it's a good idea to bring a child into this world with the shit we're trying to deal with," Claus asked us. "It has nothing to do with whether or not it's a good idea, it's about what we're going to do, which bring this child into the world and raise it. We deal with shit like this all time. Think of it as a light in the dark shit storm we have going on right now. Now suck it up and deal with it," she told him. After that I dismissed everyone. Kelsi hugged her daughter, "I'm so happy for you." The women began to talk about their excitement and I stepped away.

"How do you feel," Jay asked me. "Lost," I told him. "How did you handle it when your woman told you, you were going to be a father?" He smiled softly, "Over the moon. I was going to share something so special with her that no one else could. You may want to hurry up and get a handle on those emotions or you'll make her feel like you don't want it," he told me. "Congratulations Z." He then went over to congratulate his sister. I stood there watching her. Her smile lit up the room and I could feel my beast purr in happiness. As I watched her, it wasn't hard to imagine what our kids would be like.

She came over to me smiling and I pulled her to me, crushing my lips to hers. She moaned and gripped my shirt as she melted into the kiss. My woman was pregnant with my child and I felt so proud and possessive. She let me hear a soft purr and made me hard. She pulled back with a smile and I felt myself return it.

Later that day I was in my office, occasionally tapping the mating bond to see where Alanna was, when her warriors came in. "Rumors and dislike have spread around the others," Axel informed me. "Some are even going as far as questioning if she is really a queen or a burden," Silver added in, his jaw clenching. "Of course that's everything the Faction has said. Some think you will be an unfit father, too hardened by war," Talos added in. "I share thoughts on the last one, but for my mate I am going to try," I told them. "As for the others, let them talk amongst each other, but if they question her directly you have fully permission to put them in their place. She is to not get violent no matter what. If I or her brothers aren't with her then I want one of you with her anytime she isn't in our room. I don't want any of the faction to get ballsy."

They nodded in agreement then left the room. My stress has grown, no doubt about that, but this was going to be worth every headache. I looked at the photo on my desk of Alanna where she sat on the counter at the store her back against the window, her shoes on the floor, ear buds in her ears, as she sketched in a notebook. She was so calm and in her element. It was a rare sight to see. Anytime I see her like that I always feel like messing it up by taking her in every way possible. What can I say, I enjoy pleasuring my woman.

I smiled softly when I heard her laughter echo down the hall along with Violet's. I don't deserve any of this, but I refuse to let anyone take this from me.