Chapter 239: Baby’s Favorite Dad

By the time we crossed into the thirteenth week, the relentless morning sickness finally began to recede, leaving behind a deep, steady appetite and a low, perpetual ache in my lower back. The subtle curve of my lower stomach had filled out into a firm, unmistakably rounded bump that no oversized shirt could hide anymore.

​I was sitting at my desk, reviewing an assignment on my laptop, when a sudden, strange sensation rippled deep beneath my navel.

​It wasn’t a cramp, and it wasn’t indigestion. It felt like the softest, tiny flutter—like the delicate sweep of a butterfly wing or a tiny bubble bursting against the inside of my stomach.

​I froze, my hand dropping instinctively to press flat over my bump, my breath catching sharply in my throat.

​Across the room, Reid’s head snapped up from his financial spreadsheets. His Alpha instincts immediately picked up on the sudden spike in my pulse.

​"Kain?" Reid asked, pushing his chair back and crossing the floor in three long strides. He dropped to his knees right beside my chair, his grey eyes searching my face with instant, protective concern. "What is it? Are you in pain?"

​"No," I whispered, my voice trembling slightly as I took his hand and pressed his broad, calloused palm flat against the curve of my belly. "Reid... don’t move."

​He stayed completely still, holding his breath, his eyes locked onto mine.

​A second later, it happened again—a gentle, unmistakable tap from the inside, right beneath his palm.

​Reid’s breath hitched. His dark grey eyes blew wide open, a look of pure, unadulterated awe washing over his sharp features. The arrogant, untouchable former rookie completely vanished, replaced by a man looking at a miracle.

​"Was that..." Reid rasped, his voice dropping into a rough, breathless whisper. "Was that the baby?"

​"Yeah," I breathed, tears pricking the corners of my eyes as a radiant, helpless smile broke across my face. "That was our baby."

​Reid leaned forward, resting his forehead gently against my lap, right beside his hand. A shaky, profound laugh spilled from his chest, his fingers spreading wider over my bump as if trying to hold onto the tiny life thriving inside me.

​"They’re moving," he murmured against my clothes, his voice thick with emotion. "Hey there, little one..."

​He tilted his face up, his eyes shining with a fierce, burning devotion as he looked at me. He stood up slowly, leaning down to capture my lips in a deep, agonizingly sweet kiss that tasted of absolute promise.

​"I think it can hear me, Kain," Reid whispered against my mouth, his hand steady and warm against our child. "I suddenly feel like we’re already parents."

​"We are," I agreed softly, threading my fingers through his thick blonde hair.

"Aw, man, I should start taking pictures. Maybe keep a journal," Reid said, excitement spilling from his eyes and the broad curve of his lips as he looked up at me. "If I talk to the little one every day, do you think I’ll be their favorite person?"

I couldn’t help the soft, helpless laugh that bubbled up from my chest. I combed my fingers gently through his thick blonde hair, looking down at his ridiculously eager face.

"You’re already planning to bribe our child before they’re even born, McCoy?" I teased, a tender smile softening my voice. "And for the record, you’re the Alpha. Between your loud voice and those constant frozen pine pheromones, they probably already recognize you more than anyone else in this estate."

Reid’s face lit up even brighter, that arrogant, golden-retriever grin breaking out full force. "Hell yeah. That means I’m winning the favorite-parent race early."

"It’s not a competition, you idiot," I murmured, though my heart swelled with so much warmth it almost hurt.

"Everything’s a competition, honey," Reid countered smoothly, leaning up to press a lingering, sweet kiss against the curve of my cheek before resting his ear flat against my rounded belly again. "Hey, little one... It’s your dad. Your favorite dad. You hear that? Don’t let your mother fool you with those lectures; I’m the fun one."

I rolled my eyes, but my hand instinctively rested over the back of his neck, holding him close.

"Keep talking like that, and I’m assigning you to midnight diaper duty for the first six months," I warned playfully.

"Worth it," Reid whispered against my skin, his large hand cradling the bump with a gentle, fierce protectiveness that made every lingering fear about the future completely melt away. "I’ll take every single shift."

A few weeks into the second trimester, the estate’s grand living room was filled with the familiar, chaotic energy of my family.

My parents, Kalvin, Kelvin, the other twins, and Jennifer had all gathered for the weekend. The atmosphere was light and relaxed, a far cry from the tense media storms that had plagued us just months ago.

Reid sat beside me on the sofa, practically glowing as he leaned forward, showing my parents the latest 3D ultrasound image on his phone.

"Look at this angle," Reid insisted, his grey eyes bright with unbridled excitement. "The doctor said they’re already moving so much. And yesterday—I swear to you—they kicked right beneath my palm. A real, solid hit! I’m telling you, this kid’s going to have a killer wrist shot before they’re even out."

"Or a very strong kick for soccer," my mother corrected gently, her eyes crinkling with warmth as she looked at the scan. "They look so healthy, Reid. That’s what really matters."

I let out a low groan, leaning my head back against the cushions and reaching around to press the heel of my hand into my lower spine. The dull, constant ache in my back had been grinding at me all afternoon.

"Mom," I sighed, looking over at her with genuine, newfound bewilderment. "How in the world did you carry seven of us through this kind of stress? My back feels like it’s going to snap in half, and I’m only at four months with one."

My mother let out a soft, knowing laugh. "You’ll learn to adapt, dear. The first one is always the hardest because your body has no idea what’s happening."

"It’s not just the backache," I muttered, my voice dipping into an irritable pout. "The mood swings are ridiculous. Yesterday I almost cried because Reid ate the last slice of strawberry toast, and then two minutes later I wanted to throw a pillow at his head for apologizing too softly."

"Hey," Reid chimed in, turning his head to press a quick, unbothered kiss to my cheek. "I went straight down to the kitchen and made three more slices, honey. You got your strawberries."

"That’s not the point," I huffed, though the corner of my mouth betrayed me with a faint smile as my fingers tangled into his shirt.

My father chuckled into his tea, giving me a rare, nostalgic look. "Your mother threw a shoe at me when she was pregnant with Marina because I brought her blue hydrangeas instead of white ones. It comes with the territory, Kain."

Reid turned toward my parents, his expression softening into something sincere. "By the way... Dad told me recently that you guys were the ones who picked out our Hawaii villa and even covered part of the expenses with my parents, despite everything. I never really got to thank you properly for that. It was... perfect. Exactly what we needed."

My mother smiled softly, shaking her head. "You two deserved a quiet place to breathe after everything you went through. We just wanted to make sure you were taken care of."

Marina, who was leaning against Jennifer’s shoulder on the loveseat, raised an eyebrow with a playful smirk. She looked over at Jennifer, tapping her chin. "You know, if Hawaii is that great... maybe we should head there for our honeymoon too."

I looked over at my older sister, curiosity catching my attention. "Does that mean a date has finally been settled on?"

"It does," Marina declared, a brilliant, triumphant grin spreading across her face as she flashed her engagement ring. "Now that my younger brother has officially finished his whirlwind romance and settled down, Jennifer and I are finalizing our wedding for next month. And unlike Kain’s rushed—though admittedly flawless—event, we are taking our sweet time to make sure ours is an absolute masterpiece."

"I’m happy for you. I know it’s because of our mess you’ve had to postpone over and over." I said softly.

Marina’s expression softened instantly, the sharp, teasing edge melting away into that familiar, protective warmth she only ever showed when it was just the two of us.

She set her glass down on the side table, leaning forward and reaching across the gap to squeeze my knee firmly.

"Kain, stop that," Marina said, her voice dropping into a quiet, serious tone that silenced the rest of the room. "Don’t you dare start carrying guilt for that. You were fighting for your life, your career, and your family. Jennifer and I postponed because we wanted to wait until the storm cleared so you could actually be there, healthy, happy, and standing beside us."

"She’s right," Jennifer added softly, placing a warm hand over Marina’s shoulder and smiling at me. "We wouldn’t have wanted to celebrate without both of you there in peace. There’s no debt here, Kain. I mean it."