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It wasn’t the pregnancy that was bothering Andre, but the added energy he was holding. He felt like a storage unit, or like some sort of incubator to keep Addie’s wolf comfortable until she was ready to house it again. Having two life forms in one body wasn’t easy, but what would Addie know?

Sleep was the only complete peace the wolf got. When he finally did get to rest he fell into it hard, and was more of a hibernating bear than usual. When she shoved him he hardly stirred, but grunted and turned away from her at the sound of her voice. “No.” He groaned slowly, not bothering to open his eyes. For a few seconds he stayed facing away from her before the big wolf rolled over and put his arm over her belly. “It’s time to sleep.” He cooed in a very deep and groggy voice as he nestled his nose in her hair. Instead of reading her belly a bed time story he rubbed it, his large hang moving back and forth slowly but gradually going slower as he drifted back to sleep.

Andre had done his best to pamper Addie. He had made her extraordinary meals, rubbed her feet and back, bought her an entirely new nine month wardrobe, and not to mention the presents he brought home. He had done enough to pamper her. Night time was the time where he got to sleep.

Just as he was slipping back into his coma he heard rustling outside and sat up in bed. His eyes were alert and he had already tossed aside the blanket. “Stay here.” He said in a low, hushed tone and headed downstairs. Most men would have grabbed a shot gun, but Andre knew he could defend his home without it. There was an energy within the man that few would have messed with.

He sniffed and inhaled slowly, then listened for any voices before slowly cracking the door open. The strange white couple outside made the wolf tilt his head and he straightened himself out; his bare chest lifting slightly. “Who are you?” He questioned in a low voice, stepping forward in an unwelcoming gesture to make them back up from his door frame. As he stepped out further he noticed a taxi running near his truck and took in a deeper breath. They smelled so familiar… they smelled like… Addie.

What the hell? People didn’t look like these two did down in the bayou. They were so white and pristine, and had such a strange smell. Where had they come from? Immediately Andre didn’t like the look that the man gave him, and returned it with a snide expression of his own before Addie busted passed him to get to the woman. Mama? The large wolf cocked his head and staggered aside as his pregnant wife bombarded passed him.

“Yeah,” He started with a laugh before switching to French. “Addie’s here. I’m Andre Louvel. Sorry I greeted you with such an attitude, we typically don’t have visitor’s this late.” The wolf was too tired to remember much of his manners, but didn’t let all of them slide. He glanced to the taxi waiting in the driveway before he went inside and grabbed his wallet; then he went and paid the taxi his rate and took any luggage the fae family may have brought with. After a few minutes he ushered them inside the air conditioned home and tried to paste a smile on his tired face.

“Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee? A bed?” Thank God they were visiting in Louisiana, the house was so much bigger than their other home.

All of the hustle and bustle floated around Andre’s head and went right passed him. It was a good thing he missed her father’s expression when he learned it was a girl, because Andre wasn’t in the mood to put up with much. Hell, he could hardly handle the arguments between he and Addie let alone put up with remarks from others. Once they were inside he touched her belly lovingly, then cleared his throat. The wolf raised a brow and exuded an expression on his face as if to say ‘are you fucking kidding me?’ when the fae added his king title. He paused, glancing at Addie and then back to her parents.

“It's nice to meet you, but Addie's right. Title's are outdated here in Louisiana, we mostly go by sir or ma'am.” There was not a chance in hell Andre would refer to someone with their title, not even Queen Elizabeth. The wolf smiled a bit. "But only ma'am if you want to get slapped. Most prefer to be called a miss." Andre's cajun drawl was thicker when he was tired, and he had a tendancy to shut up or ramble on about southern hospitality. It was time to get to sleep. He smiled warmly at Indris before running his hand over his hair. “What brought you into town? Planning a long vacation?” If it was long then he could high tail it back to bed and sleep, then ‘enjoy’ their company in the morning.

Andre Louvel didn’t know how to handle people with such a large stick up their ass. He knew he could be a handful and a prick, but to see it in someone else was a strange dose of his own medicine. To think of all the people he’d been like that to. Maybe he should lighten up a bit… nah.

The wolf stood mostly in a daze as they spoke. He quirked a brow when her father piped in, and he leaned into Addie to kiss the top of her head. “Good, then the baby can have a loving grandma.” He may have been half asleep and in a stupor, but he wasn’t about to miss a jab at his lovely wife. He smiled and squinted his eyes tiredly before adding on a bit more to Indris. “You can show Addie the ropes.” He knew what to do with babies, but it had been a long time.

“I’ll go make up the guest room. Why don’t you make them some tea, Addie Lou?” The wolf directed as he picked up her hand and kissed it gently. With that he turned and took their bags to the guest room, tossing a blanket over the already made lush bed and readjusting a few things to waste time and be away from the company (well, to be away from the king).

The king had already rubbed Andre the wrong way more than once, but he wasn’t going to let it bother him tonight. Instead he focused on making the guest room as nice as possibly in his half stupor. He paced around and fluffed the pillows, then moved their luggage near the dresser and made sure to leave the closet door open so they knew they could use that as well. He flipped the switch to the light of the guest bathroom and headed back out, scratching his broad back as he walked into the kitchen. The wolf yawned and stretched, then draped his arms over Addie’s shoulders from behind. “Can we go back to sleep? I’m sure your parents are tired as well.”

In his sleepy daze he forgot how reserved and meek Addie had been when she first arrived, and didn’t stop to think that her parents were probably the same way. He didn’t hold back from being himself and leaned in to nuzzle Addie’s neck gently then kissed her cheek. After he had already done this he remembered to mind his up tight manners and stood up a little straighter, running his hands down her upper arms. “In the morning I’ll make a big breakfast and show them around, then we can all catch up.” It was time for sleep!

The chirping women made Andre smile. He was glad Addie had someone to talk to in Louisiana, even if it was only temporary. He worried about her when he was off at work, and often tried getting her to talk to someone of the waitresses at the restaurants but they were usually busy, and Addie was reserved. Part of him had considered looking into near by schools, but he knew she would object and put her foot down. At the moment her foot was too heavy to argue with.

“I’ll show you where the guest room is.” There wasn’t a fat chance that Andre was going to stay up late and chit chat with the king. With no further objections he strode through the house and brought the king to the guest room. “Your bags are already in here. Feel free to use the closet or dresser, and let me know if you need anything else.” Even if he did need anything else they were fresh out. Water? Fresh out. There were cups in the bathroom and he could get it for himself.

After getting Celebron all settled in Andre drug his feet up the stairs and back to their bedroom. The tired wolf crawled heavily into bed and nestled himself under the blankets before breathing a heavy sigh and trying to get some sleep.

If Andre had been more awake, or had been paying more attention to Celebron he would have been annoyed. The wolf was still slightly annoyed, but was grateful that the king didn’t want to stop and chat before he went to bed. If he kept his mouth shut the entire trip Andre would have been skipping and singing.

It didn’t take the wolf long to doze off. He meant to wait for Addie, but in the back of his oh-so-tired mind he knew that she wouldn’t be coming to bed any time soon and he greeted the sandman with open arms. He managed to get a few hours of sleep until the sun starting to rise stirred him, and the sound of a grunt and something heavy moving woke him up further. Within a few seconds he was downstairs only to catch his pregnant wife trying to rearrange the living room. “What are ya’ doin’?!” Though he hushed his voice he was still agitated that she exhorting herself. “You gotta be crazy, Adella. You can’t be movin’ shit like this. Did you even get some sleep last night?” He went to her side and shooed her away from the furniture and tried to get her to sit down. “Go to bed.” He only hustled her more, herding her in the direction of the stairs to their bedroom. “I’m not askin’, I’m tellin’ you. You gonna end up droppin’ the baby early if you keep this up.”

The man hadn’t even been in his house twenty-four hours and already Andre was annoyed with him. He knew father-in-laws were obnoxious, but this one was beyond that. Did he have a decent side? Andre’s irritation was only spun a little more when Addie lied about getting sleep. He sighed a growly sound, then ran his hand over her hair. “The house isn’t a mess, cheri. Everythin’ is new, how can it be messy already?” The wolf wasn’t the pickiest man about cleanliness. He wasn’t a slob by any means, but he wasn’t a neat freak either.

His brows raised and he leaned his head back when Addie snapped. Normally it was Andre who was the short tempered one, especially as of late, but in this instance he was the one to back down. “Alright, alright, honey." It was rare for Andre to call her just 'honey'. Normally it was honey pie, pumpkin pie, sugar, etc. "Just take it easy, okay?” Was it too early to have a glass of Whiskey? Andre stepped closer, but instead of being his usual affectionate self and kissing her he rubbed the small of her back and kept a small distance between them. “Do they eat anythin’ special for breakfast? Am I gonna offend his majesty?” With that the wolf smirked to himself and headed into the kitchen to start a breakfast, trying to remember what Addie used to eat before he turned her onto fried food.

They had only been there one night and already Andre was irritated. It didn’t take much now days to rub him the wrong way, but he was practicing his best meditation to keep himself at ease. It was nothing to get worked up over. So what if Addie snapped at him. So what if he didn’t know what the hell to feed these people.

The wolf began pulling things out of the fridge. There was organic bacon that he had bought in a spur of the moment, trying to make Addie eat healthy kick, and then basic eggs. Did they have chickens in the land of the fairies? They must have had some sort of bird.

The wolf pulled out some oatmeal and fruits, then began making his usual buffet of foods for breakfast when Addie walked in. He turned his head towards her and let out a sigh he didn’t know he wash holding. He turned to her and put his hands on her shoulders, then ran them down her arms. His motions affectionate but his face was still stern. “No one should scare you now.” Then a thought made his stomach twist and he swallowed hard. Did he still scare her? He stood still for a moment, looking her face over before leaning down and kissing her forehead then all the way down to her lips. “Do I scare you?” He asked against her mouth after their kiss, pressing his forehead to hers and closing his eyes to rein in any over dramatic emotions that were fueled by his excess energy.

She gazed up at him when he rested his hands on her shoulders, giving him sad little eyes to back up her apology. She frowned “But he does…he always will. I know I’ve never really spoken much about him but…he’s cruel, Andre. The things he did to me…I can never forget his treatment of me” He had hit her, locked her up, yelled at her and degraded her. Every time he looked at her it was as if she was this absolutely disgusting filth that he couldn’t seem to get rid of, and it had scarred her deeply her whole life. She had spoken volumes about her mother, but whenever Celebron came up she kept her mouth shut and said very little about it to her husband and always changed the subject. The only thing she had said about the man was how he used to lock her up in a dark shed on full moons…and that had been one of the nicer things he did to her.

She tilted her head slightly when he just stared at her, her brow furrowing curiously when he kissed her she leaned more into him, craving the affection she once had shied away from. His question surprised her and her eyes widened “What?” She asked in disbelief, shaking her head gently “Of course not…of course you don’t scare me” Why did he worry about such a thing? She placed her mouth back against his to return the kiss, bringing a hand up to run through his hair “I love you…I couldn’t be scared of you” She smiled lovingly “You’re a big fluffy bear. You’re not scary at all” She nuzzled his face and leaned against him.

Once again the old familiar feeling of anger roused in the wolf as Adella mentioned how cruel Celebron had been to her. He growled, a low sound deep within his chest and clenched his fists before he had put them on her. “Then why is he stayin’ here? Anyone who mistreats you isn’t allowed in our home. He can get the fuck out. If he even so much as looks at you—“ But all was soothed by her embrace and Andre was able to collect himself… for the moment.

Fluffy bear? Andre smiled and ran his hands down her sides, then around to her backside. It was surprising how easily his energy could be redirected. “A bear you say?” It was a relief to hear how she was no longer scared of him. The way she had looked at him on their wedding day was a far cry from the way she looked at him now. Did she understand how much he cared for her? He growled again but was playful this time and for the moment reveled in romance. He leaned down to kiss her neck and thought about lifting her up on the counter, but remembered their house guests who were asleep just down the hall. In fact, Andre had heard stirring from within the bedroom and decided to move his hands up to Adella’s back. “Honestly, Adella, one cruel word and I’m hangin’ him by his balls.”

When he growled she pursed her lips, thinking maybe she shouldn’t have said anything at all about Celebron, but she had reached such a high level of comfort with Andre that she always felt the need to tell him everything…but maybe for his sake she needed to omit things. “Because” She started, her voice calm to keep him calm “They are visiting and my mother is with him and for now we just have to be polite and keep them happy” And she had to wait on Celebron’s hand and foot like a servant to keep him happy, but she wouldn’t mention that part or she was sure Andre would break something and it would probably be her step father. She was glad she was able to calm him, her mother was freaked out enough about Andre as it was, she didn’t need to see him angry.

She giggled and nodded, giving him another small kiss “Mmhmmm” She had felt like the world was ending when she first saw him, imagined a life full of an angry abusive wolf, but now she was in bliss. She giggled more when he growled and grinned, crinkling her nose playfully. Oh he was perfect…she hoped soon that her mother would realize that as well. She didn’t hear any stirrings, she was too wrapped up in her husband. She gave him a look, though it was playful “Your so crude” She muttered and kissed him, her lips lingering “Don’t work today” She whispered, slipping her arms around his neck “I need you”. The stirrings Andre had heard had been her mother, who happened to be as silent as Adella was when she wanted to be. She walked towards the voices by stopped and took a few steps back when she noticed Andre and Adella in the kitchen, watching the couple quietly and curious.

Andre didn’t want to understand why he had to be nice to Celebron. Sure he may have been his father-in-law, but already he couldn’t stand the man and wanted to make his visit unpleasant. He kept growling at the thought of the man, but didn’t acknowledge anymore of Addie’s suggestions. He’d be decent to him as long as he wasn’t a complete cock to Andre or Adella.

The wolf continued teasing Addie. His hands running over her butt, then up her back and up around to her shoulders. “I can move some meetin’s.” He struggled to think of the meetings he could push until tomorrow, or the things he could put off while his hands were on his wife. He kissed her neck again, ignoring the stirring even though he knew someone was coming into the kitchen. Andre loved his wife, and he was far from shy about showing that. His hands ran up the sides of her neck and he cupped her face as he kissed her. All of his other senses warned him that someone was watching them, but he managed to linger just long enough in the kiss.

“Good morning, Indris.” He said as he pulled his mouth away from Adella’s, looking over her to the silent woman in the corner. “Did you sleep well?” With that he stepped back from Addie and went back to cooking breakfast, the smell of food filling the house.

She squealed playfully when his hands went down to her butt, her hands stroking the back of his neck in return. She wondered at times what had gotten her so affectionate, if it was the fact her dormant wolf was more awakened being around Andre or if it was Andre himself or maybe even both, but affection had been foreign to her when she first married him, not even to her own mother did they touch often, if just wasn’t their way. “Good…move lots of meetings” She murmured, sighing contently as he kissed her neck. Being pregnant had done odd things to her…like make her horny, but they hadn’t made love since she had become pregnant and she was kind of drowning. She leaned into the kiss and closed her eyes, moaning softly against his mouth “Andre…” She began, sliding her hands down his back…

Her eyes flew open when he pulled away and said her mother’s name, whirling around to see her there “Oh! Mama!” She exclaimed in surprise, a bright blush touching her cheeks to know her mother had seen them being intimate. She glanced to Andre then to her mother with a smile. Her mother nodded, a subtle curious expression on her face “I slept well.” Her mother was intrigued to see such affection between them. Back in their village, sometimes arranged marriages did work out; the two people learned to care for one another and develop some sort of love, but not often, it was typically tense and lacked warmth. She was not used of seeing such affection between a arranged couple, especially such…burning affection.

When Andre stepped back to cooking her mother approached Adella and touched her belly with a happy expression, but tilted her head and gave Adella a strange look “She is so still” Last night when they had stayed up speaking the baby had kicked up a terrible storm the whole time, so much so that her mother had told her a remedy for pain since she could tell her daughter was terribly in pain. Adella just giggled and nodded, still blushing from being caught with Andre “She’s always still when Andre is near” She said with a slight shrug. Her mother looked even more curious and glanced at Andre with a bit of a knowing look before back to Adella and lowered her hand from her stomach. “He cooks the meals?” Indris asked quietly to Adella, obviously thrown to see a man cooking. Adella laughed some and nodded “Andre is a wonderful cook. He always fight me about cooking”