Mara smiled. “Good. Now, Athena, you’re going to need to rest more. No strenuous activity for a
while. And the arousal symptoms should start easing within a week, but until then, just be patient
with yourself.”
I felt my cheeks heat up but I nodded. “Okay.”
She stood up. “Do you have any questions?”
“Is it safe?” I blurted out. “For us to… you know. Given what happened before.”
Mara’s expression softened with understanding. It’s perfectly safe,” she assured me.
“The trauma you experienced before was from external force, not from intimacy with your mate.
Just be gentle and listen to your body. If something doesn’t feel right, stop. But normal intimate
activity won’t harm the baby.”
I felt some of the tension leave my shoulders. “Okay. Thank you.”
“Anything else?” she asked.
“How soon will we know if everything is okay?” Tristan asked. “If the baby is healthy and
growing properly?”
“I’ll be able to sense more at the next visit,” she said. “But so far, everything feels strong and
healthy. The pregnancy is taking well.”
Tristan let out a breath of relief.
“Alright then,” Mara said. “Come see me next week. And try not to worry too much. I know that’s
easier said than done, but stress isn’t good for the bby. Focus on the joy and let me worry about the
medical side of things.”
We thanked her and left, walking back to the ca in a daze. Neither of us spoke until we were
both inside with the doors closed.
D
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Chapter 256
Then Tristan turned to me. “A baby,” he said.
“A baby,” I agreed.
“We’re going to be parents,” he continued.
“Yes.”
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“Holy shit,” he said, running his hands through his hair. “Holy shit, Athena.”
I started laughing because what else could I do. The whole situation was insane. We’d gone from
thinking I had an abnormally long heat to finding out I was pregnant.
Tristan started laughing too and soon we were both laughing so hard we couldn’t breathe.
When we finally calmed down, he reached over and placed his hand on my still flat stomach.
“I’m going to protect you both,” he said seriously. “Nothing is going to happen to either of you. I
promise.”
“I know,” I said, covering his hand with mine. “I trust you.”
“I won’t be like Daxon,” he said. “I’ll never hurt you or this baby.”
“I know that too,” I said. “You’re nothing like him, Tristan. You’re good and kind and you’re going
to be an amazing father.”
His eyes got shiny with tears. “I’m going to try so hard,” he said. “I’m going to do everything
right this time.”
- me.
“You will,” I said with certainty. “We both will.”
He leaned over and kissed me again. “I love you he said. “And I already love this baby so much.”
“I love you too,” I said. “Both of you.”
He started the car and we began the drive home About halfway there, something occurred to
“We have to tell Orion,” I said.
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Chapter 256
Tristan glanced at me. “Your brother is going to lose his mind.”
“In a good way or a bad way?” I asked nervously
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“Probably both,” Tristan admitted. “He’s very protective of you. But he’s also my best friend and
he’ll be happy for us.”
“And Sarah,” I added. “She’s going to be so excited.”
Tristan smiled. “She’s going to lose her mind. In the best way possible.”
“When should we tell them?” I asked.
“Usually people wait until after the first trimester,” he said. “But Orion isn’t just my best friend
he’s your brother. I think we should tell him soon. And Sarah too.”
I thought about it. Part of me wanted to wait, to make sure everything was okay first. But
another part of me wanted to share this joy with my brother.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.