Chapter 209 - Feels like forever (1/2)

Jos's eyes studied the gentle rise and fall of Shelly's sleeping body. Shifting her weight in the window seat of Arei's room, she realized her leg had already fallen asleep. Watching the wiggle of her tingling toes, Jos jerked slightly as long, thick fingers began massaging her feet.

”It's getting late. If you'd like I can have something brought up.” Arei said in a low, soothing voice. As he'd expected, Jos shook her head no. ”You need to eat something, Kitten. You haven't since picking at a slice of toast this morning.”

Jos let out a sigh as she shook her head again. ”I'm not hungry. I'm too upset to eat.” Her eyes moved back over to the bed. ”I can't help but think 'What if the test comes back vampire?' She would be devastated, and her people would never welcome her or the child... She would be an outcast just like me...”

Arei gently turned her gaze back to his. ”She will never be an outcast or be abandoned. She will always have you and me, and Raven and Isha, and even dad. Just like you will never feel abandoned and outcasted again either.” He shrugged. ”Even if it is a vampire, we will still be here by her side and help her raise it. As dysfunctional as we are, we are family.” He brushed a strand of hair out of her face as he smiled down at her. ”Or at least I'd like to say we will be here for her, but I'm not so sure if you starve yourself in the meantime... Heaven forbid if you find a better way of self-deprecation.” He gave an overexaggerated shiver.

Jos rolled her eyes and pulled away from his grip. ”I'm not trying to starve myself. I'm honestly not hungry. My stomach is still upset from earlier.” She attempted to slide down from the window seat, but Arei stepped in front of her. She pushed against his chest, but instead of moving, he clasped his hands gently over hers.

”And how is letting yourself grow tired and weak going to help her?” He blew out an exasperated sigh when irritated aqua eyes met his. ”I care for you more than you'll probably ever know. I'm not trying to be pushy or nag you. I only want to see your needs met, and I know for a fact that when you are this upset you never think of your own health.”

Her angry eyes softened as she relaxed the hands she had pressed against his chest. ”I... you...” She searched his eyes as he stroked his large palm across her cheek and leaned closer. She didn't fight against him when he placed a lingering kiss on her forehead before moving down her lips.

”I can easily fill that in for you.” He whispered against her lips. ”I love you, that is why I worry. Just let me help you. You don't have to carry all this burden alone anymore.” He wrapped his arms around her and held her against him for several minutes until a light tap at the door interrupted. ”Come in, it's open.” He called out not releasing Jos from his hold.

Raven's eyes scanned over their connected bodies for several minutes, questioning whether she should continue in or leave the room. Jos was seated in a window seat and Arei stood in front of her with her legs on either side of his and her face barely visible from around his massive chest it rested against. ”We can come back.” She mumbled, but before she could turn Isha was pressing past her. Her gaze shifted back and forth from Jos and Arei to her wife as she made her way over to the sleeping wolf. ”How's she doing?” Raven finally asked as Isha stroked a hand over the wolf's soft fur.

Arei gave Jos one last tight squeeze and kissed the top of her head, before releasing his hold on her and moving to sit beside her. ”She hasn't woken up yet, but it seems like a peaceful sleep. So, we haven't bothered her.”

Raven's troubled eyes stayed locked on Shelly. ”How far along do you think she is? Do you think it could possibly be that sick asshole's baby?”

Jos thought over the question as she slid out of the seat. Walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed opposite Raven and Isha, she began. ”I'm not entirely sure. It's hard to tell when she's in wolf form and I didn't get a good look earlier. She's showing a little, so I'd guess around four to five months if she were human, but I'm not sure how long wolf gestational periods are. We had been in Maine for a week or so before her morning sickness began, but that doesn't really help either. It could have been a sign of a few weeks in or a new trimester.” She shrugged.

Raven nodded as she rubbed her chin. ”Her and Russ turned eighteen in April... the beach party was the first of June-”

”But she said Dante hadn't- done anything s.e.x.u.a.l to her until after she and Rin were married.” Jos interrupted.

”The wedding took place during your last week in Florida, and they had already been together for some time before that. Russ and Ry spent a little over two weeks with them… So, there is a month without considering the time they were together beforehand.” Raven said.

”Come to think of it, after six weeks of not hearing from her, Russ asked Rin in class to try calling her because he knew no matter what she wouldn't ignore his call.” Jos's mind began working through a timeline in her head. ”I don't believe Rin came back to class after that. I don't recall having any of his papers turned in by the sub.”

”Sub?” Arei asked as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Raven watched as Jos's cheeks heated and she tried wiggling out of his arms. ”Jos…” She interrupted their hushed murmurs. ”You don't have to hide your feelings, or whatever it is the two of you are working toward. Jos, you are my friend first and foremost. I support whatever makes you happy.” Raven shrugged when Jos went still in Arei's arms and shot surprised eyes her way. ”What? You've only ever been with two men. It's kind of admirable.”

Isha's attention spiked, and her head quickly shot back and forth between Jos and Raven. ”You've only been with two guys in all… ALL your life?!” She scrunched her brows. ”But what about DeMarco? Surely you're not going through all this hell for someone you didn't even sleep with!”

Jos blushed. Instead of fighting his hold, this time she backed into him as she shook her head against his chest. ”I guess being married made him less pushy for such things… plus my curse affected him so it wasn't really an option…”

Arei stroked the length of her arms. ”It's nothing to be embarrassed about.” He tried to hide the pleasure he felt in hearing her admittance, but his smile could be heard in his voice.