Pregnant With Four Alphas' Babies: A Reverse Harem Romance Chapter 43: Somehow, It's Even Worse

*Rose*

The butler is in a hurry.

Either he has lots of more important things to do than to walk a pregnant nobody in to see the king, or he just doesn’t realize his legs are a foot longer than mine. I feel like I am running to keep up with him, but then, as I start to tire about halfway to the king’s office, I remember that I know how to get there, so if this butler wants to get there twenty minutes before me and explain to the king that I’m on my way, that’s his prerogative. I slow down before I pass out.

He notices when he gets to the next corner, and I’m not there to turn it with him. “The king is a very busy man,” he says to me.

“I’m sure he is,” I reply with a confident nod. “And I am a very short woman, compared to you.”

He makes a face but refrains from rolling his eyes. He waits at the corner for me, but when I catch up, he takes off again, and I have further proof that it is difficult to teach lessons to grown men.

I wonder if my baby will be a boy. If so, I will have to teach him to walk patiently beside ladies so that when he grows up and marries, he won’t do this to his wife.

But then, I remember, I won’t teach him anything–will I?

Maybe the king is calling me into his office to tell me that he wants me to be the next Luna!

For a moment, I let that settle into my mind, and it almost makes me smile, but then I remember that that is not likely, and my smile fades.

We make it to the king’s office within a few minutes of one another. The butler knocks and waits for King Gene to call. “Miss Rose, Your Highness,” he greets with a bow.

“Yes,” he says again. “Took her long enough,” I hear him mumble.

The butler gestures for me to enter, and I give him a small smile of feigned appreciation as I enter the office.

King Gene sits behind a massive desk, one so large, he looks like a child behind it. He’s not a large man anyway, and the desk dwarves him even more. Under different circumstances, I might laugh, but I don’t. It’s not as if I haven’t been in here before, but the first time I came here, for my initial interview, I must’ve been too nervous to notice.

Either that, or he’s gotten new furniture.

“Sit down, Breeder,” he commands, pointing to one of two chairs across from him. He doesn’t say that word, “Breeder,” like it’s a curse, but he’s not particularly kind about it either.

I sit and wait, thinking I should allow him to lead the conversation since he’s the one who has called me in, but he says nothing for what seems like minutes, and I feel my stomach churning.

Do you get kicked out of the palace if you puke on the king?

“You don’t look pregnant,” he states flatly to me, his eyes seeming to stare through my abdomen.

I’m not sure what to say to that. The statement, “You don’t look royal, little boy,” comes to mind, but I don’t say that. Instead, I mutter, “I’m only a few weeks.”

He shrugs as if he thinks that perhaps I have tricked Dr. Penterghan into thinking I am pregnant when I am not.

“Well, I guess this is progress then. What is it?” he asks me.

My eyebrows raise, not sure what he is asking. “What is… what?” I ask him. Does he not know what the word pregnant means? Is he looking for a definition?

“The baby,” he says, rolling his eyes. “Is it a boy or a girl?”

“Oh,” I say, trying not to laugh at his idiocy. “They won’t be able to tell that for a few more weeks.”

“Really?” he questions in disbelief. “I thought we had machines for that.”

Is he accusing me of lying again? “I don’t think the tiny clump of cells has those parts yet,” I manage.

He thinks I am being sarcastic. He stares at me, his eyes narrowed. I am suddenly very sorry that the Moon Goddess does not label her baby parts better.

“So you’ve got, what, another year then until it’s born?” he asks me.

“Uh, probably about eight months.” Seriously? Was he ever a baby himself? I’m starting to see why so many people say that King Gene isn’t the brightest. He hides it well until you’re in a situation where you’re forced to have a conversation with him.

He nods. “Very good. Well, you’ll stay here until the baby is born. I don’t want you going back to your own pack carrying it around with you. Something might happen to it.”

At least he hasn’t asked me to leave the baby here while I go home and pick it up later when it’s time for me to deliver it.

Now, I am wondering if he even knows how that works.

But then… I’m not exactly sure I know how all of that works either.

I really need a book….

“Now that you’re knocked up, there’s absolutely no reason for you to be around the Alphas anymore. I’ve already noticed what a distraction you’ve become. With this potential crisis with Alpha Kane on the way, and Emily needing to get to know whomever she will marry, you being part of the equation is just too… messy.”

I stare at him for a moment. I wasn’t expecting this news. I can’t see them anymore–at all? Emily will be marrying the Alpha that becomes king. She isn’t just saying that to make me mad. One of my men will soon be hers.

But then… none of them are even technically mine now if I’m not even allowed to see them.

I’m speechless. I just sit there, trying not to cry.

“Oh, don’t look so surprised,” King Gene says with a dismissive wave of his hand. “You’re a Breeder, nothing more. Sure, your father might be an Alpha, but he’s not a good one. Your pack has been poor for generations. I should’ve replaced your father years ago.”

He continues, “I always hoped he’d have a son and that your brother would be a decent leader, but there’s just you. And now that he’s got a large payout coming for your services, perhaps he’ll be able to get his shit together. But I doubt it. He’s… lazy. Stupid. It’s a wonder you were even chosen for this job. But then, that had more to do with your anatomy than your intelligence. I hope the baby ends up carrying genes from its father’s side of the family and none of yours.”

I want to tell him he’s the idiot, that he doesn’t even know how DNA works, but I can’t say anything. He’s insulted my family and me. He’s taken away the only people who have ever cared about me, the Alphas.

And soon enough… he’ll take my baby.

“You can go now, Breeder,” he says offhandedly. “But don’t get too attached to this baby. The moment that it crawls from your womb, you will leave this castle, never to return.”

I get up without a word and walk backward to the door, as that is what is expected of me. I want to shout at him to tell him he cannot have my baby–and that he’s a moron if he thinks babies crawl out of wombs! I don’t know anything about birthing babies, but I know that!

I run down the hallway to my room, not looking at anyone. When I get there, I remember that my friends are waiting. Shelby and Kelly stand up and stare at me. “What happened?” Kelly asks for both of them.

I shake my head. I have tears gliding down my cheeks, but I pretend them away. “Nothing,” I tell them. “Everything is… what we thought it would be. Now, if you’ll excuse me… I’m tired. I’d like to sleep.”

“Rose,” Shelby begins, coming at me with an arm out to touch me.

I step away. “Please!” It’s not a question. They both head to the door, and I wonder for a moment if maybe my Alpha blood is not as weak as King Gene believes it to be.

I toss myself onto the bed and begin to cry, and I end up falling asleep with tears cascading from my eyes, my pillow soaked from my efforts.

For the next several days, I refuse to see anyone but Vienna, and then, it’s just because I know I have to eat. Just because my life is miserable, that doesn’t mean my growing baby deserves to suffer. I’m not hungry at all, but I force the food down for the baby’s sake.

On the third day of my self-inflicted isolation, I hear a crash against my window and look over to see the figure of a male, bright red wolf sliding down the glass. He’s grappling with his paw, trying to keep up on the window, but there’s not enough of a place to grab onto, and he’s losing traction.

Quickly, I get up and throw the window open. I’m not exactly on the ground floor here, and while I can see which lower roofs he must’ve used to propel himself up, I’m not convinced he’d be lucky enough to hit them all on his way down.

Eli lurches into my room and quickly shifts back into his human form. He’s standing there, in my room, naked.

All I can do is shake my head at him and wonder what he’s doing here.