Pregnant With Four Alphas' Babies: A Reverse Harem Romance Chapter 42: Reality Sets In

*Rose*

I find myself walking around with one hand over my abdomen because I know that there’s a tiny person inside of me.

I know that this is the reality I am experiencing now, that I have fulfilled my duty and become pregnant. Yet, I’m still having trouble wrapping my mind around it.

There is a person in there!

After my visit with Dr. Penderghan, Shelby insists on taking me out for a short walk in the garden to get some sun–and to get away from the Alphas who are clearly stressing me out.

Kelly meets up with us outside, and we walk along in silence for a while. I am still feeling queasy, but I am feeling better than I was earlier. I am beginning to realize why it’s called morning sickness.

But then, I have also read that sometimes it lasts all day….

“How are you feeling now?” Shelby asks me, as if she is reading my mind.

“I’m feeling better,” I tell her with a nod. “But I do think I’d like to sit down.”

We sit on a bench near a fountain, and I take some deep breaths. I’m not feeling sick to my stomach anymore, but I am feeling a little sick to my heart…. This is all coming to a head way too fast, and I have to wonder what it will be like when the baby is here…. Then what?

“Who do you think the father is?” Kelly wonders aloud, and I don’t know if she’s talking to me, like she really wants to know if I have an idea who it might be, or if she is just asking the question in general terms, like even Shelby can have a guess.

I look at my friend and see that she is staring at me. So she really does want me to guess. I shrug. “How would I have any idea?” I ask her. “I had sex with four different guys basically all at the same time, so–”

“Well, not all at the same time,” Shelby clarifies with a giggle. “I mean, that would’ve been something else completely! Can you even imagine? Where would you even put all of those–”

“Shelby!” I exclaim, cutting her off. “Don’t make me feel nauseated again.”

She just giggles harder. “Sorry. But you know, some people do stuff like that. If the guys were into it, who knows?”

“Dude!” Kelly exclaimed. “One of those guys is my brother!” Her eyes were as wide as the antique roses vying for the sunlight behind her.

“Sorry,” Shelby mumbles, her face turning red, and then they both start laughing.

I don’t see what is funny about it. I know they are just playing around, but I can’t help but think about the fact that this will all be over soon.

All of it.

No more Alphas, no more Alpha’s sister, no more Beta’s wife, no more garden, no more castle, no more… any of it.

A tear streams down my cheek, and I quickly brush it away, hoping to get to it before the girls notice, but I am too late, and they both stop laughing and look at me.

Kelly rests her arm on my shoulder. “Rose!” she calls out. “I’m sorry. We were just being silly.”

Shaking my head, I say, “No, it’s not that. It’s just… everything is already changing.” I don’t want to tell the men how much I’m going to miss sleeping with them. After all, I don’t want to sound like a whore, and now that I have that vibrator, it’s not even about that–assuming I can still use it while I’m pregnant. I haven’t even thought to ask that. It’s just… I like being with the men.

They each make me feel special in their own way. They each make me feel loved. It doesn’t matter that not all of them have told me that they love me. I feel it, or something like it, when I’m with each of them.

Does this mean I’m no longer Mark’s baby or Tristan’s little flower? I’m no longer Reece’s darlin’ or Eli’s sweetie?

Soon enough, I’ll be back home. I’ll have to face my parents, knowing that they will never understand what I’ve gone through. They haven’t even written me a letter or called since I’ve been here. They’re probably at home bathing in all of the money I’m earning them.

And I am here… building a baby, putting this tiny person together one cell at a time, so that I can push it out and then hand it to someone else.

Someone else is going to take care of my child!

Someone else is going to rock my baby to sleep each night.

Someone else is going to be there when my child says his or her first words.

It will not be me that my baby calls, “Mama.”

It will not be me that my baby walks to on unsteady legs when they take their first steps.

It will not be me that the baby’s father lies down next to in bed at night.

As all of these thoughts collide in my head, I break down sobbing, and both Kelly and Shelby wrap their arms around me.

“It’ll be okay,” Kelly tells me, stroking my hair. “No matter what, Rose. It’ll be all right.”

“We’ll still be friends after all of this,” Shelby promises.

“And if I’m your baby’s aunt, you know you’ll always have a place in this family,” Kelly assures with a happy tone.

I look at her. “But what if Eli’s not the father?”

She shrugs. “Well, then… I’m sure whoever the father is, they won’t just cast you aside. All four of them care so much for you.”

“Sometimes caring isn’t enough,” I remind them. “Sometimes, even loving someone isn’t enough.”

“We will figure out a way to make it work,” Shelby tells me. “I know Adam will do whatever he can to help.”

“Besides,” Kelly jumps in, “it’s not like they can kick you out right away.”

“Why is that?” I question, trying to stop my tears from continuing to fall.

“Because… someone has to feed the baby,” she shrugs.

“That’s right!” Shelby agrees. “I mean, only you can do that.”

I stare at each of them. “I’m pretty sure that the king can afford to buy formula.”

“But that’s not what’s best for the baby,” Kelly states firmly. “He’ll want to do what’s best for his heir, so he’ll have to keep you around to feed the baby.”

I look at her skeptically. “Aren’t wet nurses still a thing?”

“This isn’t the Middle Ages,” Shelby reminds me.

I think they are still used by important people–like kings–but I keep the thought to myself. I want to think they are right, but I don’t know that they are.

One thing I can’t even allow myself to think about is the possibility that Emily might be the one raising my child. She says she’ll be Luna, that she will marry the Alpha who is named as king, and that would mean my baby would call her mommy instead of me. It’s like a knife cut right through my heart.

I start to cry again, but my friends have had enough of it. “We should go do something fun,” they suggest. “Like watch a rom-com.” Shelby smiles like it’s the best idea she’s ever had.

“Or eat a bunch of chocolate!” Kelly adds.

“Or both!” Shelby cheers before they both start laughing again.

I’m fine with that. “Okay,” I tell them. “But let’s go to my room so we can sit on the bed. I’m getting tired.”

They both agree, and we head back toward the palace door. I’m starting to feel better already, but as we near the door we came out of about an hour ago, a servant comes toward us, walking like he has a purpose. We all pause.

The butler stops as well and bows his head slightly as he informs, “Miss Rose, you are to come with me at once.”

My already high blood pressure begins to boil. “For what?” I ask. Has it begun already? Have they devised a way to make it so that my baby can be grown in someone else’s womb? Are they already throwing me out?

All the butler says is, “King Gene will see you now.”

With a deep breath, I start to move forward again. The other two ladies come along with me, but the butler stops them.

“I’m sorry Ms. Shelby, Miss Kelly, King Gene has asked for Miss Rose to come in to see him alone.”

My eyes widen as I feel my heart leap in my chest. I look at both of them. They are attempting to give me reassuring smiles, but it’s pretty clear they are both nervous for me as well.

“It’ll be okay,” Kelly tells me.

“We’ll wait for you in your room,” Shelby adds.

I nod and follow the butler, but not for the first time that day, I feel like I’m about to throw up.

And it has nothing to do with morning sickness.