Hated Ties That Bind

Gabriella awoke to the loud rumbling of her stomach, opening her eyes she squinted at the dawn sunlight that streamed through a c***k in her curtains.  Rubbing her stomach she grumbled in a low voice of annoyance, ‘it’s not even morning yet madam, why are you waking me up?’  Her reply was a hard kick that made her giggle softly. Rolling over, her smile widened as she took in her mate’s sleeping form, Rowan was laying on his back, his right arm stretched underneath her pillow, the other resting on his muscular chest.  Moving closer, Gabriella snuggled into his side, inhaling a relaxing breath as their unborn baby calmed down from the close proximity to her father. Frowning slightly, Gabriella breathed in again before pushing herself up and sniffing Rowan tentatively, then more insistently. ‘Babe, why are you smelling me?’ Rowan croaked, his eyes still shut, ‘it’s the middle of the night.’ Gabriella poked him in the chest as she climbed on top of him, sniffing her way up his neck, ‘you smell’ she stated, her voice excited. Rowan cracked an eyelid open, peeking out at her, ‘I had a shower before I came to bed’ he huffed, ‘I do not . . ‘ Gabriella placed her finger to his lips shushing him, ‘no! you smell! You have a scent!’ she repeated, her excitement growing, ‘I can smell you!’ Both of Rowan’s eyes opened as his eyebrows furrowed cutely, ‘babe, maybe it’s just the pregnancy, we both know I don’t have a scent’ he replied carefully. Gabriella sat up on his stomach glaring down at the warrior who flinched under her gaze, ‘don’t you dare blame my pregnancy for anything’ she warned angrily, ‘you have a scent, I can smell you!’ Holding up his hands in surrender, Rowan nodded, ‘OK, I have a scent!’ he agreed immediately, making the she wolf relax slightly and lay down next to him, breathing deeply, ‘so what do I smell like?’ Rowan asked, drawing lazy circles on the she wolf’s bare arms. Inhaling deeply, Gabriella smiled in approval, ‘like apple pie’ she replied dreamily. Rowan laughed, ‘I smell like your favourite dessert?’ he asked in amusement. Gabriella shoved him playfully, ‘well it makes sense, that my mate smells like my favourite thing’ she scoffed. Pulling her closer to him, Rowan nodded, ‘I wonder why I suddenly have a scent; I haven’t had one for nearly thirty years’ he mused. The she wolf cuddled against him as she pondered the question, ‘maybe because we broke your curse? Maybe it wasn’t an immediate thing, maybe it’s gradual and finally your scent has re-emerged?’ she offered. Rowan shrugged, ‘I don’t really care’ he admitted, ‘I’m just glad you can finally scent me.’ Gabriella propped herself up on her elbow as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, ‘me too’ she replied. Tightening his arms around his mate, Rowan began to deepen the kiss before Gabriella’s stomach gave another loud obnoxious rumble. Looking down, Rowan laughed as he rubbed his hand over the swollen bump between them, ‘my baby girl is hungry, isn’t she?’ he murmured softly. Gabriella nodded, ‘yup, that’s what woke me up, I have a feeling that she’s going to be a little hellion when she gets here’ The warrior chuckled as he threw the covers off himself and sat up, reaching for his sweatpants, ‘just like her mother then’ he replied with a wink. ‘Hey! I am not a hellion!’ Gabriella huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. ‘Of course, you aren’t baby’ Rowan agreed, ‘you are just fiercely independent and not afraid to go after what you want’ he teased. Gabriella shrugged, ‘mum would be horrified if I had grown up as a walk over’ she countered as she clambered out of bed and threw on her dressing gown, feeling around with her feet under the bed for her slippers. Walking around to Rowan, Gabriella pecked his cheek as he pulled open the door, waiting for her to walk through before he followed.  Looking across the hall at the door opposite, Rowan pressed his ear to the wood before smiling back at his mate, ‘still sleeping’ he said with a wink. Gabriella laughed, ‘not for long daddy, he’ll be jumping on you soon enough’ she retorted as she heads down the corridor toward the stairs. Making their way to the kitchen, Gabriella swept toward the fridge, pulling open the huge silver doors and rummaging through the shelves before stepping back triumphantly holding a pie in her hands. ‘Apple pie babe? Really?’ Rowan asked in amusement. ‘Don’t blame me, you put me in the mood for it’ Gabriella retorted as she grabbed a plate from the draining board and walked over to the table and placed it on the tablemat, before heading to the drawer and pulling out a knife and two forks. Sitting next to each other, the she wolf cut two decent sized slices and placing them onto a plate before handing Rowan a fork and tucking into the sweet dessert. ‘Ohhhh Myyyyy Goddessssssss’ Gabriella moaned in ecstasy, her eyes closing as she murmured ‘this is the best pie ever!’ Rowan raised an eyebrow as he looked over at her, ‘umm, do you have to make those noises babe?’ Cracking open an eye, Gabriella glared at her mate dangerously, ‘do not come between me and my pie unless you want this little girl to be the last pup you are able to create.’ Eyes widening, Rowan immediately looked down at his plate, shovelling a large piece of pie into his mouth before raising his gaze again and making muffled noises, pointing to his mouth and shrugging his shoulders. ‘That’s what I thought Ghost boy’ the she wolf replied with a wink. Once the pie was gone, the pair cleared up before Rowan helped his mate back to their room, bending down to take off her slippers and put them back under the bed. ‘I really miss my feet’ Gabriella mumbled as she clambered back into the bed, letting Rowan pull the covers over her again. Climbing in beside her, the warrior pulled her close to him, curling her against him as his arm encircled her belly protectively.                               ************************************* The following morning, as Gabriella was making her way down the corridor, she noticed that her mother’s office door was open, walking up to it, she peeked inside to see her father rummaging through the papers on the desk. ‘And what do you think you are up too Luna?’ she shouted authoritatively. Jumping a foot in the air, Riley span round to glower at his daughter who started to laugh uncontrollably. Goddess Gabby, do you want to give me a heart attack?’ he grumbled as he walked over to his daughter and pulled her into a hug before patting her stomach lovingly, ‘and how is our newest princess today? Is she being a good girl?’ Gabriella rolled her eyes, ‘well if you count using my bladder as a football and doing what can only be described as advanced karate moves in there, then she’s absolutely good as gold’ she grumbled as her father laughed. ‘The pleasures of pregnancy sweetie, ask your mum, she has some wonderful stories she can share about when she was pregnant with you’ he teased, ‘though I still can’t believe that ass hole got my baby pregnant’ he added, his face contorting into a look of annoyance. 'Seriously daddy you need to get over this! it’s been 4 years! he’s been the perfect mate and you know it’ Gabriella growled back. ‘Doesn’t mean he’s any less of an ass hole’ Riley grumbled under his breath. A small gasp sounded from the doorway, before a little voice said loudly, ‘Grampy said a bad word, my tell Grammy Izzy.’ Riley’s face dropped as he turned toward the door where his two-year-old grandson was standing, looking up at him, his little mouth open in horror. ‘Hey buddy!’ he said loudly, walking over to the dark-haired boy with piercing grey eyes, ‘Grampy is very sorry, it just slipped out, we don’t need to tell Grandma about my words do we? How about some ice cream? I heard that Mrs Carter got Rocky Road yesterday, your favourite’ he cajoled. ‘Dad! Are you bribing my son to not tell on you?’ Gabriella demanded, her hands on her hips. ‘Um, of course not baby girl, but Ethan looks like he has been a very good boy today so surely he deserves some ice cream?’ her father replied quickly. ‘Ethan? Where have you gone you little tike?’ came Rowan’s voice before the hulking warrior entered the room, glancing up and giving Gabriella a guilty smile.  ‘I literally turned around for a second baby and he was gone’ he said weakly as the she wolf placed her hands on her hips, giving her mate a knowing look. Looking over to his son, Rowan smiled brightly before meeting his father in laws gaze and his face hardening. ‘Riley’ he said formally with a nod of his head. ‘Rowan’ the Luna replied icily before placing the boy back down who ran back to his father excitedly and held his arms up. ‘Did you sneak off after mama again’ he growled as the little boy giggled. ‘Grampy said a bad word’ Ethan replied in a loud whisper as Rowan’s eyes swivelled to the older werewolf’s suspiciously. ‘Oh, did he, and what word would that have been?’ he enquired tightly. ‘I don’t think we need to be encouraging our child to learn these words Rowan’ Gabriella butted in, giving him an icy stare. ‘Of course not babe, we don’t say bad words do we Ethan’ he added, looking at the little boy who shook his head immediately. Giving his wife a wave and Riley a cursory nod, Rowan walked out again, taking the youngster with him. ‘That is possibly the most amazing little boy in the universe,’ Riley said with a loving grin, ‘even if half his DNA does belong to that ass hole’ he added quietly. ‘DAD! Stop it’ Gabriella growled angrily. Giving her an innocent look, Riley held up his hands in surrender, ‘I don’t know what you mean sweetie, I’m not doing anything’ he replied. Gabriella glared at him, ‘if you keep this up, I’m telling mum and it will be much worse than her finding out that you were teaching her grandson bad words’ she warned. Sighing deeply, Riley fought internally with himself for a few minutes before nodding in defeat, ‘good’ Gabriella said before turning around and walking out of the room again She still overheard her father mutter ‘I still think he’s an ass hole though’.