Vengeful (Her Gods - Book Two) Completed

15. Moving Forward

"Owen, just think about it, you know it makes sense" Terra's voice came out of the speakerphone sounding annoyed with my bossy god.
"No" he replied abruptly and cut her off .

"Problems?" I ask coming into his office and round his desk, his chair already pushing back to allow me to drop onto his lap, his warm hand coming up to rest on the small bump that had popped up this morning.

"Nothing for you to worry about" he whispered, his focus mainly on my changing body. "How are you feeling, did they let you nap?" he asked his fingers splaying and caressing gently, making me groan.
"Yessss" I moan out as his fingers continue their seductive exploration.

"And have they fed you?" he questions in between nibbling along my collarbone.
"I wasn't hungry" I gasp out and he stills. Damn it, I forgot, he had a thing about me having regular mealtimes and eating well at the moment.  Since we have found out I was pregnant you would think I had become incapable.

"Thena" he growled his disapproval and I shivered at his tone. It had been a while since he had been growly. Since we had settled into living as one family and had been spending so much time together, there had been less need for Owen to growl as we were all there to support each other.
"Owen" I teased back.
He groaned dropping his head to rest against my neck. "I want to put you over my knee and spank you, but I can't... the baby, I just can't"

"Then do it, you can. Please my God, do it" I whispered back and hiss as he stops his ministrations.
"Owen!" I squeak needily.
"Thena" he replies easily, knowing he has the upper hand. "Come on, I haven't eaten either, let go and find something together"

He leads me back into the apartment and I see Miles grin up at us as we pass from his seat on the sofa, he had offered food earlier and I had said no, he knew Owen wouldn't have let it slide.

Kal and Jace are waiting for us in the kitchen, each coming round the island to place a hand on my stomach and a kiss on my head. "Lunch?" Kal laughed, sliding a covered plate forward, grinning as I eyed it with caution. Their ideas about healthy eating were hundreds of years out of date and from whatever crackpot book they were reading. Jace was a trained medic he should know better, but he was as bad as the others.
"What is it?" Owen asked, looking between me and the plate.

"Baby, I promise you will like it" Jace grinned and I scowled at him.
"You said that before and it was gross" I reminded him, my hand reaching out to cautiously lift the cover, the scent of fresh herbs and buttery warm dough filling the room. My Gods forgotten as my body craved whatever was on that plate.
"Warm Focaccia with toasted walnuts and Avocado and crispy bacon" Kal listed taking the cover away fully and laughing at my sudden eagerness to eat.

"Where's mine" Owen asked, reaching for a piece of my bacon, but I slapped his hand away.
"Mine!" I growled at him, ignoring the raised brows and digging into my feast.

"Sorry Brother, I wasn't expecting you, hang on I'll get you a plate" Jace slapped Owen on the back and moved to fix a plate for him.
Owen grinned back at him "Thanks" he called pulling out a chair for me and pushing me into it, before pulling out one for himself.

Kal leant back and watched us, as Jace bustled around "What did Terra want this time?" he asked Owen.
"The coven wants to purchase some of our land to build a house on the outskirts of the village, she's been talking to Angeliki about training some of the younger girls.  I said no"
"Why not?" I question before Kal gets a chance to.
"She wants Thena's help in choosing the girls, but not now, maybe after" he mumbles out, his sheepish expression telling me he knows I will be cross with him for not talking to me about it, but I know he is right. 

Since we had realised I was pregnant, we had been monitoring me carefully, none of us knew what to expect, we had not even talked about babies and with the God Human bonds we had we were not sure what would happen, both to the baby and to me. 

Only my Human father, Emma, Arachne and Zeus were aware I was pregnant outside our bond.

"You're right, now is not good for me" I agree and laugh at their shocked faces. "But I do think it's a good idea, it just needs one of you to work with Terra on it instead of me"

"Thena" Owen whispers looking at me and I can feel his emotion swirling around me. "You forgive me for not discussing it with you"
"Yes but don't make a habit of it" I teased, digging back into my lunch as the others stared around me.

"Who do you suggest?" Kal asks.
"Jace and Miles" I reply quickly "The two of you together will be able to read the children's auras and help them understand if the opportunity is right for them"
"Why not me and Kal?" Owen grumps at not being chosen and I grin at them.

"You and Kal are impressive on a good day and downright scary on a bad, plus you have a whole lot of work to do together with delegating some of your office work" I wait for my words to sink in, three, two, one...
"Delegate what!" Owen splutters and even a Kal looks shocked.

I took a deep breath, I had been over thinking about the pregnancy and how everything had changed for me, the human Athena was feeling the stress and the goddess wasn't helping her. 

They had been by my side constantly since our first meeting in Greece and whilst they had protected and supported me as we changed, they had more human life experience than I did and something's that played on my mind.

"I am going to need you all at my side, through this pregnancy and when our child is here, you can't do that if you are stuck in the office all day" I tell him gently, softening my words with a smile. He, no all if them need to realise just how much I need them beside me.

Jace laughed "She's got you there, brother" but I could feel the understand from my bossy god, he knew and understood my fear and would move worlds to ease my worries.
"I Agree" he murmurs, bringing my hand to his lips, the delicate touch sending shivers down my spine.

"What are you agreeing to?" Miles asks from the doorway and they all laugh. Getting ready to shock him too.
"Grab a seat brother, we have work to do" Jace instructs with a smile.
"What work?" He asks suspiciously
"We will be working with Terra on a place in the village for juvenile witches to train instead of Thena and Kal is going to be taking on some of Owens work"

Miles raised a brow at Owen who nodded with a smile at the shocked expression.  "I'm not against it but why, for years you have led, not wanting us to get too involved" he questions.

"Thena wants us all here for the baby, I can only do that by delegating, and Terra wants Athena back in Greece but I have been saying no, it's too much, but without us revealing she's pregnant, she keeps pushing.  Thena thinks you and Jace would be best to help in her place"

"Then I am happy to help" He replied, pulling out a chair at the table as Jace passed him a coffee.  "We will give her a call later and get things going" 

"Thank you" I said aloud and felt the love surge through our bonds.  The feelings had been getting stronger as we spent more time together and worked on our abilities.

"You're welcome baby" Kal said, moving closer and his hand coming across my stomach with a gentle caress.  I felt a whisper of knowledge run through me and my hand came up to cover his. my mind pushing the information his way... this was his son.

"Mine, he's mine?" he whispered in awe and I nodded, emotion filling all our bonds as the others watched.

"Congratulations brother" Jace raised his cup to toast the news.

"And to many more additions to our growing family" Owen added with a grin as I straightened shocked at his words.

"Just how many more were you thinking?" I asked him cautiously.

"At least one each, maybe two for me, I'm greedy" he laughed at my shocked face. "But in your own time, my love, and only if you want to" he finished.

I looked between them all and knew I would give them everything I could, just as they did for me.