Pregnant and Mated to Three Kings

The Beginning

Isabella Hawthorne

All my emotions were still simmering inside me, confusion and disbelief leading the show. I couldn't shake the surreal feeling of standing in the Mayor's office, face-to-face with three incredibly handsome men who claimed to be kings, my mate, and the father of my child. The weight of impending motherhood added another layer of complexity to the situation.

To be fair, this wasn't the kind of thing that happened every day. I'd grown accustomed to being bullied throughout my childhood, always fading into the background to avoid attention. But now, the literal most powerful creatures in the realm wanted me. It was as if my entire existence had been flipped upside down in the blink of an eye.

As I gazed at the trio before me, each with their own regal presence and undeniable charm, I couldn't help but feel a surge of disbelief. How could someone like me, who had spent so long hiding in the shadows, suddenly be thrust into the spotlight in such an extraordinary way?

As Mayor Caldwell droned on, my attention drifted to the three kings seated before me. Ulric, the Lycan King, emanated an undeniable aura of strength and power. His broad shoulders stretched the fabric of his shirt, accentuating the well-defined muscles beneath. His piercing gaze held a hint of intensity that sent a shiver down my spine, and the ruggedness of his features added to his undeniable allure.

Damien, the Vampire King, exuded a different kind of magnetism. His lean, athletic frame moved with a fluid grace that hinted at his supernatural agility. Despite his slender build, there was no mistaking the strength in his lithe muscles, visible even beneath the fabric of his tailored suit. His dark, brooding eyes seemed to follow my every move, drawing me in with their hypnotic intensity.

And then there was Draven, the Dragon King, whose presence commanded attention like a blazing inferno. His muscular physique was a testament to his dragon heritage, each sinewy muscle flexing beneath taut skin as he shifted in his seat. His golden eyes burned with fierce determination, and the sheer power emanating from him left me breathless. And, Gods, he was so tall. Even sitting down, he looked taller than the other kings.

As the three kings conversed with Mayor Caldwell, I couldn't help but notice how their gazes kept drifting in my direction. Each time our eyes met, a rush of heat flooded my cheeks, and I quickly averted my gaze, unable to withstand the intensity of their stares. They were undeniably hot, each in their own unique way, and the realization left me feeling both exhilarated and unnerved.

As Mayor Caldwell droned on, my mind swirled with disbelief and anxiety. Why would these powerful kings waste their time on a mere human like me? An orphan with nothing to her name, I felt like a pathetic loser in their presence. They could have any woman in the world, so why choose me?

But the most bewildering thought of all was their claim to my pregnancy. How could they possibly know? I racked my brain, trying desperately to remember the face of the masked stranger from that fateful night, but the memory slipped through my fingers like sand.

The Mayor continued to speak, but I couldn't hold back my rising anxiety any longer. "If any of you really is the father of this child," I blurted out, interrupting his dialogue, "when did we first meet?"

The room fell into stunned silence, the kings and Mayor Caldwell turning their attention to me with incredulous stares. The tension in the air was palpable, each of the three kings bearing down on me with intense gazes that felt like they were drilling into my soul.

"At the Treaty Ball," they answered in unison, and I felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over me. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks, leaving me reeling in shock. How could they all know? I only slept with one man that night!

The kings exchanged looks of confusion and shock, mirroring the turmoil raging inside me. I buried my face in my hands, a heavy sigh escaping my lips as I fought back the tears threatening to spill. This was beyond ridiculous.

My heart raced in my chest, my palms growing clammy with anxiety. The weight of the situation bore down on me like a suffocating blanket, leaving me gasping for air in the midst of the whirlwind of emotions. It was as if the very fabric of my reality was unraveling before my eyes, and I was powerless to stop it.

Theodore Caldwell's pudgy voice cut through the heavy silence like a knife. "You slept with three men?" he asked, his expression a mixture of disbelief and accusation. I shot him a look of pure disgust and despise, the anger rising in me like a tidal wave.

"Of course, I did not!" I snapped, unable to contain my frustration any longer. Pushing back my chair, I stood up, my hands trembling with emotion. "I... I only had an encounter with one... one man," I stammered, my voice cracking with emotion. "He was... he was wearing a mask, and he didn't tell me his name. This is impossible."

I shook my head in disbelief, the weight of the situation pressing down on me like a leaden cloak. "Unbelievable," I whispered, my voice barely above a hoarse whisper. "I... I..." Tears welled up in my eyes, and I could no longer hold them back.

As the tears streamed down my cheeks, I realized that as gorgeous and powerful as these kings were, I didn't want any of this. I didn't ask for their attention or their claims of fatherhood. All I wanted was for my life to return to some semblance of normalcy, free from the chaos and uncertainty that now surrounded me.

"Hush now, my dear." Mayor Caldwell reached out to me, his expression softening with sympathy. "That's why we're here, Isabella," he said gently, his voice a soothing balm to my frayed nerves. "To fix this. To find a way forward."

I stared at him through tear-blurred eyes, still unable to comprehend the enormity of the situation. Slowly, hesitantly, I reached out and took the handkerchief he offered, using it to wipe away my tears and sniffle back my sobs.

"Are you calmer now, Miss Hawthorne?" Mayor Caldwell asked, his use of my last name catching me off guard. It was the first time he had ever addressed me with such formality, a stark contrast to the years of indifference I had endured in Meadow Brooks.

I nodded weakly, my emotions still raw and turbulent beneath the surface. But despite the turmoil raging inside me, I knew that I couldn't afford to fall apart now. There were too many unanswered questions, too many uncertainties looming on the horizon. And if I wanted to find the truth, I needed to keep my wits about me, no matter how impossible the situation seemed.

"Now, now, where was I?" Theodore chuckled, his jovial demeanor momentarily breaking the tension in the room. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before his eyes lit up with realization. "Ah! Yes, the tests."

Confused and dazed, I couldn't help but interject, "What... what test?" My mind was still reeling from the whirlwind of emotions and revelations that had been thrown my way, and I realized that I hadn't been paying much attention to the conversation.

Theodore Caldwell grinned at me, his expression paternalistic. "Ah, child," he said affectionately, "We were just discussing testing the parentage of your baby. To determine who the real father is."

The words hit me like a bolt of lightning, and for a moment, I felt a spark of something akin to relief. At least one thing would finally be certain in the midst of all this chaos.

"We can do that?" I asked, my voice tinged with hope. The prospect of finally putting an end to the uncertainty that had been plaguing me was almost too good to be true.

"Of course, you silly child," Theodore Caldwell explained, his tone reassuring. "Our modern medical advances have made remarkable strides. We can now perform DNA tests even for an unborn child, and in a matter of minutes, we will have this issue resolved."

"Really?" I couldn't help but ask, the glimmer of hope growing stronger within me with each passing moment. "When... when are we doing this?"

Theodore Caldwell glanced at his watch, his brow furrowing slightly as he squinted at the timepiece. "In approximately one hour," he replied, his tone businesslike. "I've already informed the Capitol's Medical unit, and they're sending an expert to assist us tonight."

The realization that the moment of truth was fast approaching sent a surge of anticipation coursing through me. Finally, after so much uncertainty and turmoil, I would have answers. And as the clock ticked away the minutes, I couldn't help but wonder what the outcome of the tests would reveal.