Page 23 of Naughty Elf: Aster
“Yes. It takes two minutes. How do you do it in the North Pole?”
He pulled out the stick and examined it. “The omega usually has an aversion to sweet things but, in your case, sweet things soothe you. It’s interesting. Go on, then. I want to see if there’s an elf in your belly. If not, I’ve got plans to put one in there before the new year.”
I peed on the stick and put it on the counter.
“I could sing a song while we wait.”
Adorable alpha. Always joyful and singing a song. I still had pointed words to share with Santa, but I didn’t want to go up there. They might steal my alpha back, and there was no way I was giving him up.
I didn’t answer, but he sang me a Christmas song anyway. The two minutes passed quickly.
“What does it say? Does it talk to you?” Aster asked, making me giggle.
“Two lines means pregnant. One line means…”
“It has two blue lines on it, omega. Two lines for sure. You’re having my elfling?”
I looked at my stomach as my son often did his. He was talking to his wolf when he did, but I was looking at mine because our pup was inside me. “Yes. Yes, I am. Are you happy?”
Aster chuckled and hugged me tightly. “Of course I am.”
“Hey, what’s the commotion?” Noel yelled as he came inside, slamming the door behind him.
Commotion. This kid. “We’re in the bathroom,” I said.
“Should we tell him?” my alpha asked.
“Yes. I always try and tell him the truth.”
Later that night, we sat around the fire. Noel opened his pajamas and, despite having seen his wooden truck, acted surprised. We shared sugar cookies dressed with all the red and green decorations and frosting we could get onto the rounds.
Aster and I shared a look, and I nodded, knowing what he was, without words, asking about.
“Noel, we wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Shoot,” my pup said, making us laugh.
“We realized today that your dad is having a baby.”
“Tonight?” he said, raising his eyebrows and slowly backing away. Cheeky little pup.
“Not tonight,” I said. “But in a few months. It’s Aster’s and my baby. We made a baby together.”
“Good. I’ll have a brother to play with,” Noel said and began racing his truck. It looked like he could care less about me having a baby.
“He’ll be excited once the baby comes,” Aster soothed.
I nodded, melting into his arms. He covered us with a blanket and underneath it, stroked my belly in languid circles.
“Merry Christmas Eve, Aster.”
“Merry Christmas to you, omega mine. And now, father of my child. I once thought Santa turning me into a statue was the worst punishment in the world but now, I’m grateful Fate has a hand in everything, including my salt and sugar.”
Chapter Sixteen
Aster
Christmas Day dawned bright and clear, another day when we would probably end up outside in the snow playing. I couldn’t imagine people I’d rather spend the day with. Christmas had always been the highest holiday, at the North Pole, of course, and as I stood there on that shelf, I had not allowed myself to think what it would be like without all my friends up there.