CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

"You actually prefer it raw?"

Bastion and I approached the makeshift training grounds, munching on some bacon we managed to sneak from the fridge. He shrugged, popping the rest of his strip into his mouth before reaching for mine. I snarled, pulling my hands away defensively.

"Really? Coming to training eating raw pig fat?" Anthony said in amusement, looking between the two of us.

"Don't go there, Dad. She's very protective of her bacon. Trust me, I know." He gave me a wink, and I returned it, finishing my helping and licking my fingers.

"Don't worry, General. I work off the extra calories," I replied, stretching my arms as I stepped into the track field-sized ring we used for boundaries.

"With help, of course," I heard Bastion tease in my mind.

"Pervert," I retorted in kind.

He jogged over to where the other two were standing, stripping himself of his shirt and shorts. We tried not to shred through clothes if we could help it, and I guessed he was planning on letting Dorian out to play. Just as I called, he shifted into his enormous all-black wolf.

"Dorian," Sella cooed in our head.

"Damn it, Sella, focus. He isn't our mate right now. He's our opponent." He did this on purpose.

I smirked at him, crouching into my fighting stance as I waited for Anthony to call the match. I always started with one, then another would be added as time went on, until I faced all three. It was their way of warming me up yet tiring me out at the same time. Anthony took his final step out of the boundary, signaling our battle's beginning.

"Bring it on, pup," I egged, flashing my set of pearly white fangs and blackened eyes.

He growled before springing into action. We weren't all that careful with each other since we had a never-ending supply of vampires to heal us, so Bastion didn't go easy on me. I managed to dodge his attack fairly easily, but I couldn't depend on running the whole time. I had to counter, which meant I had to stay close by. I leaped into the air to get his back, but he dove forward, skidding to a halt to face me, baring his large canines in a snarl.

I attempted a direct frontal attack, but he clawed at me, managing to clip my shoulder with the razor-sharp weapons and spilling my blood. I winced but quickly corrected myself. No normal wolf could've caught me in time, but Bastion was no normal wolf. I tried to listen in on the subtle shifting of his paws to detect which direction he would sprint. Right. I matched his burst, appearing behind him and landing a bone-crushing kick on his hind leg. He cried out, making my ears ring.

"Son of a bitch," I complained, gripping my temples. In the slight second I was incapacitated, he pounced, knocking me to the ground with a hard thud. I couldn't breathe. He had knocked the wind out of me, and I lay there wondering how I had managed to lose my first battle of the day. He seemed equally as confused, shifting back and arranging himself to sit beside me. His leg was completely shattered, but he paid it no mind as he looked at me utterly dumbfounded.

"What the hell was that, Aria?" he asked.

I raised myself to my elbows, trying to control my pounding headache and the dizziness that threatened to overtake me. "I don't feel so good."

He reached up to feel my head, checking for a fever. "Oh God."

Rory's awed but panicked voice alerted us, and we watched as he sprinted to my side.

"She's fine, man. Just a little winded," Bastion assured him, equally as perplexed by Rory's sudden concern.

"Shh. No. Listen, Aria." He took my face in his hands, staring deeply into my eyes to purvey a message I wasn't getting.

"I can't. My ears are still ringing," I explained.

He bit his lip, his eyes slowly trailing to my stomach. Oh gods.

"What? What is it? Is there something wrong with her?" Bastion was near hysterics, leaning towards Rory as much as he could with a broken leg.

"Three," Rory muttered so quietly that I could barely catch it, fascination dominating his features.

"I'll go get Kim," Anthony announced, racing towards the house.

"Rory," I pleaded, hoping he would confirm my suspicions.

He startled, his blue eyes landing on mine again. "Three heartbeats," he clarified. "Yours." He delicately pressed his hand to my chest. "And two more." His hand slid over my breast, stopping when it reached just below my belly button. "Holy fuck. She's..."

"Pregnant."

We all sat on the news for several seconds, staring at my belly where apparently two children were stewing. Bastion seemed the most surprised of all of us, probably because he didn't know that it was already being worked into my destiny from the gods. I withheld that information from both of them, not wanting to worry them if it didn't end up happening for a while. But it had barely been just over a month! I was finally strong enough to defeat the Alpha, and now I found out that I was expecting?

As if just realizing my condition, Rory licked over the flesh wound on my shoulder and jumped to his feet. "Shit, we need help. We need a doctor. Aria, are you okay? How many fingers am I holding up?" He showed me three, and I laughed. "I'm not concussed, Rory." But I was still a little dizzy. I moved to stand but was quickly caught off kilter, stumbling back towards the ground. Thankfully, Rory moved fast and was able to lower me back down gently.

Bastion crawled to me, wrapping me in his arms and laying my head against his chest.

"Bas, your leg," I reminded him.

He glanced up at Rory. "I'll get some blood and a doctor. Take care of her."

I rolled my eyes as he flashed the same direction Anthony had. "I'm not crippled," I muttered bitterly, but stopped my complaining when I felt Bastion's hand find its way over my still flat stomach.

"Twins?" He tested the word with furrowed brows.

His moment was interrupted by my mother racing towards us. "Oh my Goddess, Aria! Are you okay? Anthony said I had to come see you, but the ass wouldn't tell me why!"

I gave the man in question an appreciative smile, which he returned with a nod. He thought I ought to tell her. "I, uh." She gripped onto my hand, holding it to her chest as she searched me for injuries.

"Spit it out already. Are you dying?" She was so dramatic. I stifled my giggle.

"No, I guess I'm just... pregnant."

"With twins!" Bastion added excitedly.

My mom's eyes widened into saucers, her jaw falling slack. Her trembling hands were shaking me subtly, not helping with my nausea. "I-" She started, but stopped, furrowing her brow and looking at Bastion. "You?"

He seemed caught off guard by her question. "Well, it's at least one of us," he assured her, making me laugh.

She slapped at his arm, scowling. "Smart ass," she growled, turning back to me with a softer expression. "Congratulations, sweetie. I'm so happy for you. I was worried sick, but I'm glad it was happy news. Very happy news." She kissed my forehead as Rory reappeared with a pouch of blood and an older vampire woman.

I could hear my mom complaining to Anthony about freaking her out, but my attention was soon drawn back to the people in front of me. Bastion was sucking down the entire eight ounces of viscous liquid with a pinched nose, his leg returning to its original shape and position. As for Rory, he was hovering over the fifty-something-year-old, watching me with great interest as she gave my body a once-over. She used a small pocket flashlight to check my eyes and throat, then gave me a neuro exam where I had to answer more complex versions of the "how many fingers" question. When she was done, she stood up, dusting off her knees.

"Well, Queen. Let's get you off the ground and into a bed. I would like to take some blood."

Rory hissed, but she cocked her brow, unafraid. "For testing. Not drinking," she clarified, pacifying him. "King Bastion, if you will?" She nodded to me, and he picked me up, carrying me bridal style to our bedroom. I was thankful she hadn't asked Rory. We may have gotten there faster, but I would've puked all over him, and that was not an experience I ever hoped to have.

She drew my blood into six vials, and not even three seconds after she left the room, a loud banging was heard on the door. We all exchanged worried glances before Rory yelled for our visitor to enter. The door swung open to reveal Dylan, panting while holding a stack of papers in his fist.

"The crazy bastard's done it. He's declared war!"