339 days since my last update but Chapter 10 is finally here. To all those who've stuck with this story, I apologise for the long wait. To all those who thought I'd given up, check the statement on my profile. This story has been burning and nagging in the back of my mind for months. I actually started this chapter back in September 2013 but inspiration is hard to come by for a fanfiction on a single movie while the books...don't read the books. The books fucked up my entire view and scene for this and it has taken awhile to get back on track while feeling like writing this one was like pulling teeth with rusty pliers. I won't get into a deeper explanation because I don't want to be a plot spoiler because I hate plot spoilers and I'm not gonna be one.
StraightJacket xD : My main dude (dudette?) Sorry for making you wait so long for an update and thanks for the support with this story. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.
KM Rune : Thanks for the review. Hope I earn an 'awesome'
Zelda's Hero : One update, get it while it's freezing cold!
DarkWolf-7168 : A new reviewer? I love fresh meat. I joke, of course. Thanks for the review and the feedback, feedback is always welcome and a great help. Read the latest and tell me what you think.
Keith : Ye of little faith. Ye shall find out how it turns out!
I do not own 'I am Number Four' or any of its characters.
"Sarah...Sarah..."
Sarah grunted at the voice, still clinging to the warm embrace of sleep and burrowed her face under the covers away from the bite of the chilly air but the verbal prompts continued before more physical methods of gaining her attention were employed. She groaned piteously at the finger that prodded her ribs, each prod becoming more and more insistent, and she shifted away to evade the disturbances. She sighed contentedly and settled back down into the depths of her warm cocoon before groaning at the knuckle that buried itself in her back, making her arch away. "Jane," she whined before forcing her eyes open a crack to look at her beloved groggily.
"Sarah," Jane said again, prodding her lover once again to try and wake her up a bit more. "It's important."
Sarah blinked hard to clear the sleep from her eyes and frowned slightly as she rolled over completely, concern starting to rise in her as she looked at the loric. "What? What's wrong? Is it the baby?"
"The baby's fine," Jane said reassuringly, putting a hand on her twenty-two week large stomach instinctively.
Sarah breathed a sigh of relief and laid back in the covers before looking at her mate again, her frown returning. "Then why did you wake me?"
"I really need some ice cream," Jane said simply, her eyes pleading.
Sarah stared as if the woman had turned smurf blue and sprouted a second head with feathers and it took several minutes for her to remember how to speak. "You woke me up to tell me that you need ice cream?" she verified, her disbelief clear.
Jane nodded earnestly.
"Jane, it's the middle of the night and it's freezing," Sarah said bluntly before pausing for a beat to pout. "And I was asleep."
"And I'm pregnant and I want some ice cream," Jane shot back stubbornly before starting to sniffle. "Don't you love me?"
Sarah sighed as she rubbed her eyes, forced patience on her face. "Of course I love you, you know I do," she muttered tiredly and sighed again at the replying sniffle. "Fine, I'll get you some ice cream."
Jane beamed before kissing her beloved's cheek happily. "You're the greatest."
Sarah grunted before forcing herself to leave her warm cocoon of blankets and brave the unnatural cold of the house and swore softly at the cold floor on her feet, chilling her, as she pulled on a robe and tied it shut before hurrying to the kitchen. She shivered as she padded through the house to the kitchen and pulled out a bowl before reluctantly opening the freezer and snatched out the ice cream, feeling the cold container sap even more warmth from her poor body. She gingerly spooned a reasonable amount of ice cream into the bowl before putting the container back in the freezer and hurrying back to the bedroom. "One bowl of ice cream," she said briskly and huffed at the warm appearance her mate had tucked in the covers.
"Ice cream? Sarah, it's below freezing, why would I want ice cream?" Jane asked dryly before hunkering down under the warm covers once more.
Sarah stared, her eye twitching at the statement, and opened her mouth to berate the woman before closing it and shook her head before carrying the bowl back to the kitchen and shoved it into the freezer before scurrying back to bed and slipped back under the covers. She grunted as she fussed and shifted, trying to reform her cocoon before spooning her beloved from behind, drawing in her warmth with a groan of relief. "You're crazy...lucky I love you," she mumbled and felt a smile touch the loric's lips before running her hands over the distended abdomen affectionately, feeling her cold hands leave trails of goosebumps and make the recipient squirm. "Love you both."
Jane twitched, still not accustomed to the new additional word to 'love you' or the affectionate and endearing touches to her abdomen. It still tore her two ways on how to feel about the change in behaviour. One way was the now familiar discomfort associated with her situation. The second way was reassurance that her mate had her back and was being so accepting of the situation.
Sarah sighed her contentment as she felt herself lull back into sleep's beautiful embrace with a soft smile before jerking back awake when something hit the window and wrinkled her nose with a groan of displeasure. "I got it," she muttered woefully as she slipped out of the bed, picking up the loric gun as she went to check everything was alright.
Jane strained her ears as she listened to the wind and snow buffeting the side of the house, rattling a few loose fixtures as she slid from the bed to the floor and pulled out her dagger. A soft fluttering to her insides made her sink further into the shadows as her eyes hardened. "Shhh, I won't let anything or anyone hurt you," she promised lowly, adjusting her grip on the dagger as she put a hand to her stomach. "I'll protect you, little one." She flinched at the second noise of something striking the side of the house and tightened her grip on the dagger as she waited. As she waited she felt Sarah through their bond and was surprised at the lack of fear, normally there would be some fear or apprehension from the human but not this time, just a fierce determination to protect and drive off any intruders.
Sarah checked the security monitors critically for any intruders, or sign of intruders, but the snow was untouched. She flicked her eyes to the wall when there was another thump followed by something scratching across the window before she activated the appropriate camera, prepared to see a mogadorian sneaking around, and relaxed when she saw an overgrown tree branch instead. "Note to self, trim branch," she said softly as she deactivated the gun before heading back to the bedroom. "All clear, just a branch."
"Are you sure?" Jane questioned with a frown from her defensive position.
"I checked all the cameras, the snow is fresh and untouched, and I caught the branch making the noise on one of the cameras," Sarah reported as she put the gun back before helping the loric up and back into bed. "We're safe."
Jane nodded apprehensively as she rubbed her belly soothingly before letting her mate press a tender kiss to the distended area with a great deal of affection that made her smile.
"Back into bed, you're freezing," Sarah said briskly as she gave a shiver, finally acknowledging the effect the temperature was having on her as she bundled the loric up before slipping in next to her. "It'll be morning soon."
"Yeah," Jane said with a wide yawn before cuddling up with her beloved, entwining their legs and pressing close to give and take more body heat, driving away the chill in their bed. "You're cold."
"Mmm~ like you can talk," Sarah muttered as she closed her eyes and buried her face in the loric's shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent contentedly. "Sleep now."
Next Day:
Jane wrinkled her cold nose at the chill in the air and the patch of light that had fallen directly over her face. She opened her eyes a smidge to the cold glare of the morning and made a noise of disgust before shivering and straightened under the covers but it wasn't from the cold. Her cheeks flushed red and she squirmed. "S-Sarah," she squeaked before throwing her head back against the pillows with a moan as hands trailed up and down her inner thighs teasingly. She made a croaking noise and went cross eyed at the game of ring-around-the-sweet-spot happening between her legs from under the covers.
Sarah grinned wickedly in the dark the thick covers granted her as she traced a hot wet circle with the tip of her tongue. The scent of arousal, desire and need was thick in the confined space and she drew in deep breaths greedily. Her tongue danced, circled, teased and flicked the needy flesh to the muffled noises of the recipient. She made one last circle before finally pressing the length of her tongue to the moist mound, making the loric jump, and she took a long, slow, hungry lick. Savouring the taste with a groan of approval.
"Sarah," Jane whined as she clutched at the covers with white-knuckled hands before giving a muffled squeal through her clenched teeth as her lover's mouth started to suckle tenderly and she felt that talented tongue delve into her. "A-Ah! Ngh!"
Sarah held onto the loric's hips to keep them from bucking too hard and possibly breaking her nose as she feasted, humming her enjoyment as she went. She took her time as she laved at the inside of her beloved warrior, licking up as much nectar as possible, before withdrawing her tongue and started to run the tip up and down her lover's sweet spot. She often wondered if the odd raised line running from clit to slit was normal for all female lorics or was just a unique feature of her mate. She tended to it with the upmost dirty affection, hearing her lover's cries get louder and more breathless. Her mate's heels started to press against her, threatening to wrap around and lock her in place. She took one final lick and latched onto the bundle of nerves with a scream from the loric as the powerful hips bucked and heaved.
Jane tossed her head from side to side, her eyes squeezed shut as lights exploded and euphoria roared through her veins and into her brain. Her muscles went slack and her body slowly relaxed as her climax ended before she looked down at the lump that was moving under the covers and moving up to her slowly. She managed a goofy smile when her lover's head popped out from under the covers over her, a pleased and rather smug look in the hazel eyes. "Hi."
"Hey there," Sarah purred smugly before planting a kiss on the soft lips happily.
"You're unbelievable," Jane said breathlessly before taking another kiss, tasting herself.
"Don't play coy, you know you loved it," Sarah said huskily, leaning down to suck and nibble on an earlobe. "Time to get up."
Jane huffed as she watched her lover leave the warmth of the bed. "Why do you have to throw cold water on it? We were just getting started," she complained as she watched the human disappear into the bathroom before the nightshirt, pants, socks and panties were individually thrown back into the bedroom...in that order. She laid there for five seconds before throwing the covers back and quickly followed her sexy, naked lover to a hot shower. "Wait for me!"
Sarah laughed at the reaction as she adjusted the temperature of the water before stepping in and watched with amusement as Jane stripped as fast as she physically could without ripping the clothes. She shifted back to let the loric into the shower with her before giving a welcoming kiss. "What took you so long?"
"Clothes," Jane mumbled into the kiss, running her hands over the water slick body, loving the feel of each curve. "You're so beautiful."
"Is that post-sex you talking?" Sarah inquired over the tongue probing her mouth.
"Maybe."
"Post-sex you needs to shower and so do I," Sarah said when the loric's tongue withdrew so the owner could breathe. "No sex in the shower where you could slip."
"Oh come on-," Jane started, displeasure in her voice.
"You already did that this morning," Sarah said dryly before smirking. "And it was delicious."
Jane blushed self-consciously but quickly recovered. "You haven't though."
"You owe me an extra next time then," Sarah said lightly as she picked up the soap and started to lather up, seeing the blue eyes following the trail that the soap left on her skin.
Jane licked her lips to moisten them as she watched the lucky bar of soap roam and rub her human lover's body, leaving trails of suds on the perfect skin.
"Can you do my back for me?" Sarah requested innocently as she turned around, offering the soap back to the loric.
"I suppose I could," Jane said with a false air of carelessness as she took the soap before starting to wash the vast expanse of skin slowly. She grinned as she ran the soap and her free hand over the smooth skin thoroughly.
"Jane? Jane," Sarah cooed with a crooked smile after five minutes. "I think my back is clean now."
"I might have missed a spot."
"Unlikely," Sarah said as she took back the soap before grinning. "Your turn now."
Jane returned the grin and stood still as the soap was run over her skin liberally, caressing every inch of her skin and washing around the sweat and grim. She gulped as she looked into the sultry hazel eyes of her mate as the woman slowly knelt down in the shower to wash at her legs. She bit her lip to hold in a moan, not about to give the satisfaction of a verbal reaction to the exhale over her womanhood. "Teaser."
Sarah smirked before blowing again and watched goosebumps rise in the surrounding area. She finished washing the toned legs and lower abdomen before moving back up again and claimed a firm kiss. "All clean except for your dirty mind. I'm afraid I can't do anything about that."
"You love my dirty mind, babe," Jane said casually as she looped her arms around the trim waist. "Don't try to deny it."
"Ok then, I won't," Sarah said lightly, looping her arms around her beloved's neck as they stood under the warm spray of the shower before she leaned in and took a chaste kiss filled with affection and adoration and she felt the grip on her tighten in response. "Love you."
"I love you too," Jane breathed when they separated and she pecked a cheek tenderly. "You're my world."
"As long as you don't start calling me 'Lorien'," Sarah said playfully before her gaze lowered as she looked at the swollen abdomen, tracing the edges with her fingertips.
Jane let her head hang back, turning her face up to the water's spray, and a groan sounded from the back of her throat at the soft touches.
"You like that?" Sarah asked as she continued her gentle ministrations.
"Yeah," Jane sighed absently before twitching when her stomach growled insistently.
Sarah giggled at the noise before pressing a firm kiss to the belly. "I'll get started on breakfast while you finish up in here," she said calmly before withdrawing from the warm shower to dress and head to the kitchen.
Jane sighed her disappointment at the loss of company before a fluttering in her gut made her look down and she stroked her abdomen soothingly. "Settle down, she's going to make breakfast for us," she said patiently before wrinkling her nose. "Great, I'm going soft and squishy."
A tiny thump of a kick was her only response.
"What are you doing in there? Practising your fighting technique?" Jane muttered with a grunt at the harder than normal kick. "I'm not your punching bag," she said sternly before getting two quick little kicks from her tenant. "Cheeky brat."
Another two kicks.
Jane grumbled at the lack of respect as she rinsed the soap suds off her body before getting out of the shower and drying off quickly in the chilly air. She eyed the open door that all the steam was escaping out of murderously before scurrying out and rummaged through the chest of draws and pulled on several layers of clothes. Dark words tumbled from her mouth to curse the cold.
"Jane! Breakfast!" Sarah called from the kitchen. "Get it while it's hot!"
Jane shivered and rubbed her arms to try and generate some warmth as she hobbled through the house until she came upon the living room where the heater was going. "Oh hello, gorgeous," she sighed contentedly, feeling the warmth seeping into her and driving off the chill.
"Are you having an affair with the heater?" Sarah inquired with a raised brow, amusement in her eyes as she watched her mate.
"It was supposed to be a secret love," Jane said dramatically, giving her beloved a mischievous look. "Our relationship is much more...heated than yours and mine."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Well then I guess I'll just be keeping and eating all these pancakes and eggs and bacon," she said lightly before grinning at the change in expression. "Enjoy your affair."
Jane stepped away from the heater. "It's not going to work out in the long run," she said brazenly before following her grinning lover into the kitchen and sat down at the food laden table. "Mmm~ it all smells great."
"One of us has to be able to cook," Sarah said casually as she set out the maple syrup and salt before sitting down. "And you're definitely not the one to do that in this relationship."
"The cook and the ass kicker?" Jane suggested as she loaded up her plate with a generous number of pancakes before accepting the syrup and nearly drowned her pancakes in it.
"You're going to give yourself diabetes...or at least give the baby a sugar rush," Sarah said dryly, watching the display and imagining the effect it could have on the unborn child. "Turn you into one of those bouncy castles you see at the carnival."
Jane wrinkled her nose at the notion as she relented with the syrup before digging into her breakfast greedily. "Is there any coffee?"
"You know you're not allowed coffee," Sarah said sternly, disapproval on her face. "It's bad for the baby and for you."
"I need coffee," Jane complained before stuffing another mouthful of syrup and pancakes in her mouth hungrily.
Sarah sighed before cramming some bacon into her mouth and got up. She pulled out a glass and went to the fridge to retrieve the bottle of apple juice before pouring out a glass and set it in front of the loric. "There. That will wake you up much more quickly than coffee ever could and it isn't bad for you," she said lightly before smirking at the look of disgust. "Drink that and I'll make you a cup of hot chocolate later."
Jane grumbled but pulled the apple juice closer, accepting the agreement.
Sarah smiled before sitting back down and put some more eggs on her plate before digging in, glancing up occasionally at the pregnant loric. "Adelina and Marina should be stopping by today with groceries for us," she said after several minutes of silence and eating utensils clinking against plates.
"You mean to get a report on me?" Jane deadpanned, unimpressed that the Cêpan was keeping such a close eye on her. "I'm not a child."
"No, you're just with child," Sarah said pointedly, her eyes stern. "And since we can't go to the doctor and you need someone...monitoring your condition... Do I need to go on?"
Jane made a noise of displeasure, not about to get into a losing battle with her mate.
"Can you take care of the dishes while I get a load of washing done?" Sarah requested before smiling at the nod and collected her dishes before putting them in the sink. She kissed the loric on the cheek as she headed off to collect the dirty laundry from around the house and get it to the washing machine. Since it was always cold and snowing half the time she had to wash the laundry and then put it in the dryer or else it would never get dry and probably come back frozen if hung outside in the freezing air.
Jane watched her human lover disappear before finishing up the rest of breakfast greedily and collected the dishes to be washed. She made quick work of the dirty dishes and set them to dry on the rack before retreating to the living room to curl up in her chair in front of the heater with a sigh of contentment. She settled down in the cushy chair before twitching at the fluttering coming from her abdomen and groaned. "That had better not be from the syrup," she warned before grunting at the series of sharp kicks. "You must be joking."
"Everything alright out there?" Sarah called from the laundry room.
"Fine!" Jane hollered with a huff of irritation before settling back once more, stroking her abdomen to try and soothe her tenant. She held her breath as she waited several minutes without any movements before closing her eyes with a sigh of contentment, wiggling her toes at the heater happily. She inhaled deeply as she tensed her muscles before exhaling with a sigh as she relaxed again, settling into a warm doze and the sweet embrace of a dream.
Sarah peered into the living room to check on the pregnant loric and smiled at the sight of the warrior settled in front of the heater in her favourite chair before withdrawing back to the laundry room, leading her lover to snooze.
Dream:
Jane looked around in the abyss of darkness. Normally she would be unnerved at being surrounded completely by the dark. She never feared the dark itself. The dark wasn't the problem. It was what could possibly be hiding in it and out of sight. She didn't have that sense of unease about this darkness. There was something comforting about it. She was safe in this darkness.
A faint blue light shone through at the end of the dark.
"Hello?" Jane called before squinting at the soft glowing light. "Sarah? Is that you?" she questioned as the light got closer and larger. She tried to get her guard up but the comforting and soothing feel of the darkness put her guard back down again no matter how hard she tried to keep it up. She started towards the light, curiosity and wariness warring within her as she walked before finding herself running towards the growing light. She ran towards the light and squinted at the growing strength as she got closer before skidding to a stop as she found herself in front of the source and stared in utter disbelief at the sight that met her eyes.
The blue glow fluctuated in response to the loric's presence.
Jane gulped as she stared at the giant baby wrapped in a glowing blue light suspended in the darkness. "W-What?" she stammered before half stepping back when the glow intensified at the sound of her voice. "This is weird," she muttered before flinching at the light fluctuation and gave the oddity a suspicious look. "You can hear me?"
The glow flickered.
Jane twitched at the response before looking around and then back at the form. "This cannot be the inside of me. This is just a weird dream from eating too much syrup or something," she said firmly before flinching at the sharp glow. "What? You expect me to believe I'm inside me and looking at you? My own unborn kid?" she deadpanned and got a flicker. "That's ridiculous."
The glowing blue light intensified before lighting up a thick cord of blue that twisted and turned and snaked through the darkness.
Jane traced the glowing blue trail through the dark before looking down and blanching when it thinned down to a string that connected with her belly button. "Oh come on," she complained before feeling something flutter in her gut and looked up to see the baby in front of her shifting and stretching before going still and the fluttering stopped. She stared before inching closer, her eyes critical as she took in each detail before freezing when the eyes slowly opened and she looked straight into her own blue eyes. "O-Oh," she breathed faintly. "You're really..."
The glow fluctuated in response.
Jane swallowed hard as a lump lodged itself in her throat suddenly before she smiled slightly. "Wow," she murmured, feeling a wave of emotion welling up inside her unexpectedly. "I promise you right now, I'm never going to let anything bad ever happen to you. Ok?"
Ding dong.
Jane twitched at the distant noise and watched the baby shift at the sound, causing a fluttering in her stomach in response.
Ding dong.
"Jane! Can you get the door?!" Sarah's voice called.
Ding dong.
Ding dong.
Ding dong.
Jane grimaced and shook her head as the noise from the doorbell continued and she was slowly dragged out of her dream.
End Dream:
Ding dong.
Ding dong.
Jane snapped her eyes open as she shot awake and looked around, getting used to the waking world again and relaxed back with a sigh.
Ding dong.
Jane ground her teeth at the insistent noise as she pushed herself out of her chair, abandoning her warm spot.
Ding dong.
"Alright! Alright! Enough with the doorbell!" Jane shouted, her irritation clear at the dinging as she wrenched the door open and slapped a hand over the button while glaring bloody murder at Marina. "I heard the first time."
"Wow, you're huge, Six!" Marina exclaimed brazenly, her eyes wide.
Adelina dragged a hand down her face at the tactless words as she watched the warrior loric flush with rage and indignation and for a moment she thought the Garde might actually strike her charge. Then the rage and indignation was taken over by tears of hurt and hormones and she wished the rage and indignation had stayed as the Garde sniffled as tears welled in her eyes before she threw herself back inside and slammed the door in their faces with a wail. "Marina," she said with forced patience and waited until her charge looked up at her. "We don't say those things to pregnant women."
"But it's true!" Marina said insistently. "Six is always so fit and-."
"Six is trying to make a baby and criticism isn't going to help her in that endeavour," Adelina said delicately. "If she looked thin then that would be a bad thing so don't say she's huge like it's a bad thing."
"I didn't mean it as a bad thing. I was just saying that she is huge," Marina protested, getting a little upset that she'd upset the older loric.
Adelina nodded sagely. "Pregnant women are not rational, you just say that she's practically glowing."
"Like a firefly?" Marina questioned sceptically.
"Maybe you should just avoid interacting with Six," Adelina advised as the door opened again to reveal a bewildered Sarah.
"Did you seriously call Jane fat?" Sarah asked blankly, her disbelief clear at the lack of tact if the blubbering sobs of her mate were true.
"No!" Marina exclaimed indignantly. "I just said she was huge!"
Sarah closed her eyes with a grimace at the wail in the deep recesses of the house from the pregnant loric. If she could burn hormones then she'd pour gasoline on them and light up the night sky.
Adelina cleared her throat sternly before nudging her charge pointedly and gave her a stern look.
Marina pouted at the look, feeling rather stupid as she shuffled on her feet. "But, uh, Six is practically glowing?" she offered awkwardly before watching with a baffled expression as the human smiled before letting them in. "I've got to remember that one."
Adelina shook her head ruefully as she stepped inside before shedding her thick jacket and gloves. "How is Six doing?"
"We're back on solid ground again and she's getting better about the baby," Sarah admitted as she helped Marina untangle her scarf. "We've mostly been staying bundled up inside."
"Exercise is important," Adelina said pointedly as she picked up the bag of groceries they'd brought with them and took the bag to the kitchen. "Staying warm at night?"
"Mostly," Sarah said sourly and didn't have to turn to see the look the Cêpan was giving her. "Last night she woke me up to get her some ice cream, I bring back ice cream and she acts like she never wanted it to begin with. Then some stupid branch hit the side of the house and you know what that would have done."
Adelina nodded grimly, everyone knew what Jane was like when there was a possible security risk. "You need to make her understand that she can't-."
"She stayed in the bedroom while I checked it out," Sarah said calmly, helping put away the groceries as the Garde and Cêpan stared at her as if she'd just sprouted a second head. "What?"
"Six stayed in the bedroom while you checked out a disturbance in the middle of the night?" Marina asked brazenly, an incredulous expression on her face.
"Of course. Jane is pregnant," Sarah said with a slight frown, wondering why this sounded so strange to the pair. "She can't be investigating disturbances in the middle of the night in her condition. Something could happen to the baby."
"It seems your bond is strengthening with Six," Adelina commented once she'd regained her voice. "You're becoming more protective of her."
Sarah rolled her eyes dismissively before starting to make some hot chocolate. "That has nothing to do with our bond. She's pregnant."
"Were you afraid last night?" Adelina inquired with a raised brow and saw the human pause. "I've suspected as much ever since that run-in with the mogadorians. You stood your ground against a mogadorian warrior and held your own. Six's strength and fearlessness is becoming your own."
"Wait, wait, wait," Marina said instantly, holding up her hands as she shook her head, trying to understand and keep up. "Sarah is becoming Six?"
"No," Adelina said patiently as she looked at her charge and then back at the equally confused human. "It comes from the bond and while I'm still unsure about a few things I believe that Six's strength and courage is being channelled into you. That way you can better defend Six and the baby."
"I don't have Jane's strength though," Sarah said insistently before gesturing around aimlessly. "It took me hours and I worked up a sweat trying to move the furniture."
"When the situation calls for it Six's strength and fearlessness will be yours," Adelina said dryly. "Not for something so mundane."
Sarah muttered under her breath about lorics and their super strength and how they could never understand the pains of moving a couch like a human. She looked up when movement caught her eye as Jane entered the kitchen, coaxed out by the smell from the hot chocolate. "You ok?"
"I want my hot chocolate," Jane said with as much dignity as she could muster.
Sarah nodded before focusing back on her task and the kitchen fell into an awkward silence.
"You look great, Six," Marina said suddenly. "You're practically glowing."
Adelina pinched the bridge of her nose, exasperation on her face.
Jane eyed the younger Garde suspiciously. "You said I was huge."
"I, uh, didn't mean it like that," Marina said nervously, glancing around for help but got none. "I meant huge as in just bursting with, uh, glowy-ness."
Sarah raised a brow as she looked over her shoulder at the young loric from behind her mate's back, wondering if she was serious.
"You've got five seconds," Jane growled, her eyes narrowing.
Marina paled instantly. "U-Uh, why?"
"Because I'm going to kill you," Jane said simply and watched the Garde back up quickly.
"Jane," Sarah said sternly.
"Five."
"You need to stay calm for the baby," Adelina said firmly, a slight frown on her face.
"Four."
"I-I'm sorry for calling you huge," Marina squeaked fearfully as she kept backing away.
"Three."
"Jane," Sarah chastised sharply. "Do not kill Marina."
"Two."
Marina's eyes widened before she turned tail and bolted with a noise of terror, the front door flying open as she launched herself outside.
"One!"
"Jane!" Sarah shouted before blinking when the loric turned around and claimed the cup of hot chocolate, pecked her on the cheek, before she headed back to the living room and the heater.
"I'll get her when she doesn't expect it," Jane said dismissively as she settled down in her chair once more with her cup of hot chocolate. Taking pleasure in the knowledge the young loric was outside in the cold without her protective layers waiting in a snow drift to be murdered while she was inside in front of her heater with a hot drink. A sigh of contentment escaped her lips as she rubbed her belly with a smile. She would keep both her vows. To protect the being growing inside her and to murder the younger Garde when she least expected it.
And that is Chapter 10. Review and let me know what you think. Also going to start taking chapter prompts to help me with ideas and inspiration for the next chapter because right now I have no idea where I'm going after Chapter 10. I'm leaving civilisation for the next few days and it would be awesome to come back and have a few review notifications in my inbox. Peace, out.