Triplets

MALIA’S POV
“Don’t take this the wrong way but this outfit doesn’t look right on you,” Ryder said.
We were in our closet and getting dressed for Damien and Penelope’s wedding. I didn’t know why they hadn’t just made their union official before the baby. It’s not like they were having second thoughts or something.
Little Damien was already a year old and a month old and even though she hadn’t told me yet, I suspected that she was pregnant again.
I frowned at what my husband had said to me and took another look at my reflection in the mirror. In my own opinion, there was nothing wrong with the dress that I was wearing. It looked perfect on me.
“What exactly isn’t right about it?” I queried.
“I think it’s a little too revealing,” he replied, buttoning his shirt.
I scoffed. “You’re kidding, right?” I quizzed. The dress was an off-the-shoulder knee-length pencil dress that revealed just a little bit of my cleavage.
“No, I’m not. The other day when you wore something similar to this, I didn’t like the way that the men were ogling you,” he replied.
I rolled my eyes. “Men will always ogle women, especially the pretty ones no matter what they wear,” I pointed out.”
He inhaled deeply before moving closer to me and embracing me from behind. I stared at our reflection in the mirror and had to admit that we looked perfect together. Our kids were going to be pure perfection.
“I know it’s not your fault the way men stare at you. I mean, just look at you. You are a very beautiful woman and I feel so proud when I walk into any place with you in my arm.”
“But it’s just that you’re Luna and have a reputation to maintain. I want them to fear you rather than see you as a sexy woman because you are way more than that. You shouldn’t just give them any reason to justify the way they look at you, that’s why I suggest that you change into something more appropriate.”
I closed my eyes and sighed deeply. I wasn’t in the mood for an argument so I agreed and changed into a long dress that had a shallow scoop neckline.
He nodded in approval and finally, we exited our chambers and made our way to the ballroom where the wedding of the Beta was to be held.
All in all, it was a successful ceremony. Penelope had never looked more radiant and my heart sang in happiness. Damien too, looked like being with my best friend was the best decision that he had ever made.
Aurora had been given the task of keeping little Damien away from his mother in order to allow her to fully enjoy her big day.
She hurried towards me when she was able to and engulfed me in a wide hug.
“You look so beautiful,” I complimented her and she beamed.
Her expression suddenly became serious and I arched an eyebrow questioningly. “I need your honest opinion about something,” she began and I nodded.
“Do you think I look fat?” she queried.
I would have burst out laughing if not for how serious she looked.
“You look perfect,” I replied. “But I want to be sure of something. Are you pregnant?” I asked.
She gave me a sheepish grin and I chuckled. I had thought as much. I smiled inwardly, remembering how she hadn’t been sure that she wanted the first baby but now here she was, pregnant with the second one. Little Damien had just started walking.
“I think it’s going to be a girl this time,” she said and I believed her.
She had been so sure that she had been pregnant when there were no symptoms yet and she had turned out to be right. I had no doubt that she could be right about the gender of the child she was now carrying.
“Uh-oh,” she suddenly murmured, her attention fixed on the other side of the room.
“What is it?” I asked, turning my head to see what she was looking at.
I couldn’t help but laugh as I saw little Damien toddle his way towards where we were standing. Seconds later, Aurora appeared right behind him and swept him up into her arms. He wailed in protest but she was surprisingly good with kids so he stopped crying after a moment.
“Whew, that was close,” she murmured. “I do not have the strength for mommy duty right now. And I’m starving. Are brides not supposed to eat on their wedding day?” she queried just as her husband came up behind her and gave her a hug.
“There you are,” he murmured. “I didn’t know it was the Luna who had kidnapped you. I was about to send out a search team to find you.”
She giggled and then told him how she had barely escaped being attacked by little Damien.
“And I’m starving,” she said to him.
“Yeah. That’s one of the reasons I came to find you. I got one of the maids to get us food. It’s already in the room over there.”
Penelope didn’t need to be told twice. She headed towards the place her husband had pointed at without even saying goodbye to me.
He shook his head and laughed as he followed her.
I was still staring after them when someone placed a kiss on my cheek. It was Ryder of course, looking rather dashing. It suddenly occurred to me that women also ogled him. Maybe I should also tell him not to wear clothes that showed off his broad shoulders and well-defined pecs, I thought. Or maybe it didn’t affect the reputation of an Alpha if he was being ogled by women on a daily basis.
“Why are you frowning so hard at the flowers?” he queried in an amused tone. “They haven’t done anything wrong to you, have they?”
I rolled my eyes. “Very funny.”
He chuckled and offered me the second glass of wine that he had been holding.
“I don’t think weddings are my thing,” I said as I accepted the glass from him.
“But battlefields are,” he stated with a grin.
“Yeah, whatever,” I murmured before bringing the glass to my lips.
He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer. “Have I told you how stunning you look today?” he asked.
I swallowed and lowered the glass from my lips. “Uhm, let me think,” I replied and pretended to be deep in thought for about three seconds.
“Yeah. I remember you telling me that when we stepped foot into this ballroom,” I said and he chuckled.
“I’ve always said, that beauty and a good sense of humour are very attractive traits a woman should have and luckily for me, you have them in abundance.”
I tried not to smile but ended up smiling anyway. Ryder just had the power to make me smile even when I wanted to be mad at him.
After the Beta’s wedding, I began to notice how controlling Ryder was. I could still bear the fact that he was very overprotective of me but I loathed that he tried to control every area of my life. The way I dressed was even the least part of it. He had a list of who I wasn’t supposed to be friends with. It was as though he was trying to shape me into someone that I wasn’t.
“I don’t know why he keeps doing that. I’m sure he has someone spy on me anytime I go to see Ronan because he makes references to things that his brother and I spoke about. Things that he is not supposed to know except if someone who had been listening to our conversations had told him about them. Now he’s saying it’s not proper for a Luna to associate with criminals,” I complained to Penelope.
We were sitting on the river bank in the forest that sunny afternoon.
“I guess he’s just being jealous and protective. And in truth, even if I hate to say it, they are criminals ” she replied, looking at her son who had insisted on coming with his mother. He was currently circling a tree as fast as his tiny legs could carry him and I was sure she was scared that he would hurt himself.
“Don’t tell me you are taking his side,” I said to her.
She turned to face me. “Of course not honey. You’re a grown woman and he shouldn’t get to control who you see or don’t see,” she replied and then turned her head to keep watching her son.
I admired the way her eyes lit up every time she watched him and thought how nice it would be to have a child or children of my own. I was only hesitant because of Ryder’s recent behaviour. I didn’t want to raise kids in such an unhealthy space.
My husband didn’t have breakfast with me the next morning because he had something that urgently needed his attention.
When the maids first brought in my meal, I thought they had made a mistake.
“I didn’t ask for this. I thought I specifically requested french fries and hot chocolate. So why do I see oats and whatever this is?” I asked the both of them.
The older of the two was the one who spoke. “I thought you knew about the nutritionist the Alpha employed specifically for you. She already has your meal timetable drafted.”
I gasped in shock. Then I took a deep breath to lessen the rage that was roaring inside of me.
“Please take this rubbish out of my sight and get me what I requested.”
They didn’t need to be told twice. I waited til they were out of the room before I screamed into a pillow.
Ryder was so lucky he wasn’t there at that moment. I would have attacked him.
I didn’t even care about what reason he could possibly have for getting me a nutritionist without even letting me know.
He had barely shut the entrance door behind him when I confronted him later that evening when he got back.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I queried.
“Wow. Good evening to you too, Malia. I missed you too,” he drawled.
I resisted the urge to wipe the smirk off his face with a punch.
“Why did you employ someone to plan my meals without letting me know first? Imagine my surprise when the maids brought me something very different from what I requested for breakfast,” I said angrily.
He dropped his briefcase on the sofa and shrugged out of his jacket.
“Is that why you are so angry? I think you seriously need to chill,” he replied.
I clenched my fists and tried focusing on my breathing. I didn’t want to do something that I was going to regret.
“Why did you do it?” I asked when I trusted myself enough to speak.
He plopped down on the sofa and sighed deeply. “I’m sorry if you’re upset that I hired a nutritionist for you. I just thought I was doing you a favour,” he replied.
I furrowed my eyebrows. “How is that doing me a favour? I do not understand so please enlighten me.”
He regarded me with an unreadable expression for about a minute before speaking.
“What I’m about to say might cause you to get offended but I do not want you to be. It’s not my intention to get you upset. I love you too much to do that.”
I nodded and he exhaled sharply. “I thought your diet was the reason why you have not been able to conceive and that was why I had to seek the services of a nutritionist.”
I opened my mouth to speak but I found out that I was shocked and speechless.
“I knew you’d take it this way, that’s why I didn’t discuss it with you first.”
I looked into his eyes and shook my head. “You’re so unbelievable.”
I couldn’t bear to be in the same place as him so I headed straight for the door.
“Malia, I’m sorry,” he said but I shut the door without looking back.
I didn’t have any particular place in mind that I wanted to go but all I knew was that I wanted to be as far away as possible from Ryder.
I heard my bodyguard’s footsteps behind me and I turned to tell him to get lost.
To my surprise, he listened to me and walked off.
I didn’t stop walking until I had reached the river that was deep inside the forest.
I screamed out of sheer fury and frustration and that was when I discovered that I was not alone.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d have said you were a banshee and not a werewolf. You nearly took my eardrums out,” a voice that was certainly Lucien’s said and I turned around to find him leaning against a tree. I would have noticed him earlier if I wasn’t so lost in my inner turmoil.
I thought it rather odd that he was in the forest at that time of the day. The sun had already set and most people were preparing for bed.
I didn’t think I felt like having a conversation with him so I ignored him and turned to face the river without giving him a response.
I lowered myself to the ground and tried to lose myself in the sound of the flowing water.
Unfortunately for me, the peace didn’t last long. Lucien plopped down beside me and I was forced to speak.
“I do not wish to speak with you,” I said.
He chuckled. “I know I’m not your favourite person in the world but at this moment, I’m the only one present for you to speak with. I advise you to let it all out for your own good. You look ready to explode and the consequences could be disastrous.”
I considered his advice and decided to tell him all that was going on.
He chuckled when I was done talking and I scowled at him. “I can’t believe you find this funny,” I said.
He shook his head. “What I find funny is how so similar he and his father are when it comes to being overprotective and sort of controlling. I think they do it from a place of love though.”
“But it’s not a healthy way to love someone,” I cried.
“Of course, it’s not. I think you two should sit down and talk about it. Let him know how much you appreciate the fact that he cares deeply for you and then tell him just how you want to be loved by him,” he replied.
My lips curled into a smile and he arched an eyebrow. “I didn’t think you could be this wise,” I murmured and he burst out laughing.
Ryder was up waiting for me when I returned to the palace. As soon as I stepped into the chambers, he engulfed me in a wide hug and began to apologize profusely.
I hugged him back but we still had to have the conversation in order to resolve the issues we were having. I hated the continuous cycle of him doing something to vex me and then apologizing for it. It didn’t make any sense.
I took Lucien’s advice and sat him down to have a heart-to-heart talk with him.
It was from his father that he had learned what love was. But unfortunately, his father’s version of love was unhealthy.
He promised to change and love me just the way I wanted to be loved especially when I confessed to him that it wasn’t as though my diet was preventing me from conceiving, but that I had been taking birth control pills because of his unhealthy attitude.
That night after dinner, we made sweet love and I had hope that everything was going to be alright between us.
The next morning, the Alpha prepared a special breakfast for me as a token of his affection and undying love for me.
We stayed for a little while in bed after that, whispering sweet nothings to each other.
I was very surprised when he accompanied me to Penelope’s chamber. Her belly kept on growing so big every day, I was sure she was going to have triplets. Damien shared the same thought too.
I stayed with her and my godson while Damien and Ryder left to attend to their duties.
“Don’t you think you’re also supposed to be busy with Luna duties?” She queried as she munched on her craving for the day which was ripe tomatoes dipped in olive oil.
I rolled my eyes. “As if you don’t know how super busy I was last month. I nearly drowned in my sea of duties,” I replied and she giggled.
Young Damien who was running back and forth between where his mom was sitting and the wall on the other hand, ran up to his mom and opened his mouth for another bite of tomato before running off again.
I wondered how he found it delicious. Kids were supposed to be into stuff like candies. This kid was built differently.
“I want to do something different today,” she suddenly announced.
“That’s cool. We could go shopping,” I suggested.
“Nah. I was thinking of something different. Like the training field,” she said excitedly.
I gave her a look. “Since when did you become interested in watching men fight?” I queried and she giggled.
“I guess it comes with this pregnancy. I have a feeling that these kids in here are going to be a menace,” she replied, rubbing her belly.
“They are going to give your kids a tough time,” she added with a smirk.
“Let’s hope not,” I murmured. “But I know my kids are going to be real adamant just like their father. I just hope one of them takes after me.”
She gave me a look of mock horror. “That mustn’t happen. We can’t afford to have two gluttons in the palace.”
“Penelope, did you just refer to your Luna as a glutton?”