Pregnant With Four Alphas' Babies: A Reverse Harem Romance Chapter 138: Can We Trust the Beta?

*Adam*

“My mission?” I repeat. I can’t believe that he’s saying that right now. I don’t know what to do. I can only think of one person who can help me at this moment, and thankfully she is quick to answer on the mind-link. “Shelby?”

“Yes, dear?” she says.

“Get into Rose’s room now!” I know that she was taking a nap. She’s been working so hard lately, watching over Rose, but I’m thankful that she’s awake now and nearby. I just need to buy a few moments. My wife knows better than to question me.

I clear my throat. “Right now, Sire?” I ask.

“That’s right!” he barks, pointing at Rose. “Do it!”

“Do what?” Rose asks, her eyes slightly wide as she stares first at the king and then at me. “King Gene, if you’re confused, I’m already pregnant. And Adam is not one of the Alphas. He doesn’t need to do anything to me while I’m in my bed.”

Horror flashes in front of my eyes as I ponder which would be worse, having to have sex with a woman who isn’t my wife–or kill her and her four children. I decide that the latter is worse, but not by much.

“What?” Gene shouts. “No! Not that! I’m not an idiot. I know that he’s not one of your four Alphas. That would be, uh… Mark… Reece… Tristan… and that other guy!”

His mind is definitely slipping lately. He used to be so sharp, so good with names. I think I hear footsteps in the hallway, so I should only have to delay him a few seconds longer. “Sir, I’m afraid I can’t fulfill my mission until after you’re king again.”

“What are you talking about?” he says. “I am still your Alpha!”

“Yes, but for a mission like that, I’d have to have permission from Alpha Tristan. Rose is his woman, after all, and if I fulfill my mission right now, it would be going against a sitting king. No offense, sire, but I’d like to keep my head where it belongs–on my shoulders.”

Gene turns and glares at me. With a finger raised, he begins, “Now, you listen here, Adam!”

But just then, the door behind us flies open, which startles him and makes him lose his balance. He does a strange spinny thing and almost topples over onto the floor. I grab his arm and steady him.

“Unhand me, fool!” he shouts, and I do just that. He stumbles backward into Rose’s dressing table and grabs a spray bottle of perfume in an attempt to hold on to something. The bottle spirts out a cloud of floral pineapple smelling perfume that coats Gene, and he begins to sputter.

“Oh, are you all right, King Gene?” Shelby asks as she comes in.

“Damn it, I’m fine!” he says, finally regaining his balance and releasing the perfume. “Now, will you tell your husband to follow my orders and go on with his mission?”

Shelby looks at me, gaping with fear as she realizes what’s going on.

But I speak up quickly. “I’m sorry, King Gene, but I’m afraid I can’t do that now because Rose has a guard.”

“What?” he shouts as he looks from the confused Breeder to my wife and then back at me. “Son of a two-headed tortoise!”

“What mission?” Shelby asks, trying to sound like she doesn’t already know.

“Oh, uh, the king just wanted me to rub the Breeder’s feet to make her feel better, but he didn’t want anyone to know about it because… he was afraid he might get the reputation as a softy.” I shrug, not knowing where I am going with this.

“Oh!” Shelby says, her wide smile obviously fake to me. She turns to Gene. “That’s so nice of you, King Gene, to make Rose feel so comfortable now that her pregnancy is advancing. But you know what, I will be happy to rub her feet. I’m sure one of the Alphas will take care of it later.”

She doesn’t know that Tristan is the only Alpha left in the castle. I’ll fill her in later. I don’t want Gene to know that either if there’s a way to prevent it.

“Dagnabit! We missed our opportunity!” Gene shouts. “Come along, Adam, and leave your wife to rub the Breeder.”

Shelby and Rose both look mortified, but I am satisfied that I have at least prevented this catastrophe and can move along.

I follow Gene out to the hallway, and he says under his breath, “Where is that Alpha Tristan anyway?”

I am about to try to find that out for myself when we reach the library. The door is open, and I see Tristan and Kelly walking between the bookshelves. I am about to tell him to duck, to run, to disappear when Gene shouts, “There he is!”

* * *

*Rose*

“Are you okay?” Shelby rushes over to me and pours me a fresh glass of cool water from the pitcher next to me. “You’re so pale.”

I take the glass and sip at it, absently. I’m not sure if I’m okay or not. I am still stunned by what’s just happened with the king.

After she takes the glass from me and sets it down, Shelby makes herself comfortable next to me on the bed, and I lean against her. She wraps an arm around me and rubs my shoulder. “He was going to have Adam kill me, wasn’t he?” I ask. I can’t believe that King Gene really does want me dead–and all of my children. The thought is not only disturbing, it pisses me off.

I should’ve killed him first, while he was standing here in my room, talking about noises in the wall and finding Tristan. I should’ve just picked up my glass, shattered it against my nightstand, and used the biggest piece to cut right through his throat.

Rather than answering my question, Shelby says, “Adam would never do that. You do know that, right?”

I’m honestly not completely certain. Adam is the pack Beta. The Alpha has a bit of sway over him, like he does over everyone. If King Gene orders him to do something, he’s compelled to do it. Even though he has free will like the rest of us and we can choose not to follow his directive, it’s not easy.

Besides, I’m not convinced that Adam even likes me. Sometimes, I see him looking at me, and I think maybe he wishes I had never come here to begin with. His life had to be a lot less complicated when he didn’t have a Breeder and four Alphas running around stirring up trouble.

“Rose?” Shelby prompts. “You do know that my Adam would never, ever hurt you, right?” she says again.

I want to force out the words she wants to hear. “Of course,” or “Obviously!” but instead, I just sit there, unable to speak. Unable to move.

“Rose?” she demands, letting go of me and moving so that she’s in front of me. “Rose, Adam would never, ever hurt you or the babies. You have to know that!” She looks angry; she looks like she feels betrayed.

But I have to be honest with her. I have to be honest with myself.

So I look straight into her eyes and say the only thing that I can.

“I don’t know.”