Chapter 301
KESTER.
1 pulled into the driveway like I had a fucking purpose.
Because I did.
My guards straightened the second my car rolled to a stop. I didn’t wait for them to salute or do the whole formal protocol bullshit -I rolled down the window halfway and barked, “Empty the trunk. Everything. Take it inside, now.”
They moved fast, reaching for the trunk, but even they had to pause for a second when they opened it.
Yeah.
That shit was full.
I’d gone overboard, and I didn’t give a single fuck. If anything, I was pissed I hadn’t gotten more.
I had an idea what pregnancy does to women, messing with their appetite and all that. So, I was prepared.
There were grocery bags packed with everything she’d ever so much as glanced at. Her favorite chocolate chip cookies–the specific ones with sea salt flakes on top that only one damn bakery in town got right. I bought the whole shelf.
Snack packs of dried mangoes, that exact brand of spicy trail mix she claimed made her lips “tingle just right.”
A box of imported instant noodles from Korea she once mentioned in passing while scrolling on her phone.
Even the stupid purple yogurt she liked that I used to make fun of her for? Bought a dozen.
“Be gentle with that top bag,” I warned one of them, “Her strawberry licorice is in there. If it’s crushed, you’ll be mopping floors for
a month.”
Jay, a really young, vibrant boy, opened another bag and blinked. “Is this… garlic butter noodles? And… white truffle fries?” He asked quietly, almost to himself.
“Four servings,” I muttered, “I didn’t know which restaurant she liked better, so I stopped at both. There’s also that garlic bread from the place that gives you two dips. She liked the spicy one last time she tried it.”
Fuck. Did I just interact with a guard? I’d never spoken more than three or four words at most to him before. But tonight?
Kasmine was turning me into something I didn’t recognize anymore.
But guess what? I don’t give a fuck. She could turn me into anything she deemed fit, and I’d gladly let her.
There were cupcakes. The ones from the place downtown that had the lavender frosting she liked to lick off with her finger before eating the rest. I hated how that image stuck in my head.
I wanted her to have
I bought her a fresh phone. Not because the old one was bad but because this one was newer. Better. S the best of everything Then I added a tablet–something light and easy to use if she wanted to scroll or read or whatever while curled up on the couch. A laptop, too. Something solid, fast, good for streaming or doodling or just watching trash TV if that’s what she wanted.
She’d be staying at home for quite a while, and she’d need to keep herself occupied.
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Chapter 301.
I stepped out of the car, rolling my shoulders, the cool night air hiting me as I walked into the house..
“Be careful with the lavender box,” I said to one of the guards, pointing at it. “That’s the jewelry,”
I’d gotten her the newest line from Velour, that stupidly expensive brand she followed on Instagram.
She never once asked me for it. But I’d seen the way her eyes sparkle rings, the little moonstone anklet I knew would look obscene on her
watching their reels. The delicate chains, the minimalist bought the full fucking set.
“Sir, where should we place the electronics?” one of them asked when we entered the living room.
My eyes scanned the place. She must be in her room.
“Set everything on the dining table. Food, too. Don’t mix the snacks with the tech–use your damn heads.”
“Yes, Alpha.
20
The rest of them kept unloading: three different takeouts–Thai, Mexican, sushi, because I wasn’t sure what her “appetite mess” actually meant and I wasn’t about to guess wrong. Bottled fruit teas, her favorite iced coffee, the pink lemonade that only one brand made ist right. A box of strawberries. A bag of powdered sugar donuts. Even the weird pickle–flavored chips I hated smelling.
The guards were finishing up, dropping the last of the food on the dining table, when I noticed the faintest trace of her scent drifting into the living room from upstairs. My gaze snapped up immediately.
She was descending the stairs, her eyes already scanning and processing what she was looking at. I could see the confusion and surprise on her face..
And fuck, did she look even more beautiful than before.
There was a softness to her now; the weight gain from the pregnancy made her look fuller in all the right ways. More curves, more glow, more beauty. It didn’t make her less of a goddess; it made her more.
She paused at the bottom of the stairs, her brow furrowing slightly as she took in the scene. The entire fucking living room was overflowing with bags, boxes, takeout containers, and God knew what else.
“What… What’s all this?” she asked slowly like she was trying to make sense of it.
I couldn’t help it. laughed.
“You asked for food, baby,” I said, walking toward her.
As I reached her, I didn’t hesitate for a second. I wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug, lifting her off her feet just slightly, the softness of her body pressed against mine. I kissed her cheek before she had a chance to push me away, breathing her in for a
second like I was starved for it.
She tried to wiggle out of my hold, her hands pushing at my chest, but I held her just a little longer than she expected. When I finally let go, I cupped her face and looked into her eyes.
“How are you feeling, baby?” I asked gently.
She didn’t reply. She just stared at me deeply, like she was trying to figure out what the fuck to say but just couldn’t find the words. Her eyes were full of conflict as if she had a hundred thoughts spinning around in her head, but she didn’t know where to start.
I didn’t give a shit about any of that. “Tell me what’s going on in tha head of yours,” I said, my hand dropping to rest on her shoulder, “do you need something else?”
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Chapter 301.
“Kester… I…” She began but swallowed her words immediately, along with a lump which I could tell was forming in her throat.
She was sad.
And it hurt me.
“Tell me, baby. What’s wrong?” I pulled her closer.
She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath before speaking again
“Kester. I’m drowning.”
