Chapter Eighteen
Trace
I still had to work, but it was two more days before I had to leave the villa. Now that the bad guys were taken care of by Azlan and removed from the property, I had nothing to worry about.
Except Azlan leaving.
I had to talk to him about it. It was worrying me sick.
A few nights later, I went to his villa after my shift. I was dead on my feet but seeing him would make me feel better and I could relax in his hot tub as well.
As soon as I knocked on the door, it opened and he grabbed me up and brought me inside. He pushed me against the closed door and his lips were on mine before a word was muttered.
“I missed you,” he muttered once we were both breathless.
“I missed you too. It was such a long day.”
He looked me up and down, and a low growl emerged from his chest. “That uniform does things to me.”
Snorting, I pushed off the door and shook my head. “Really? Because to me it smells like other people’s food, and you can’t see it because the shirt is black, but there’s a huge ranch dressing stain from earlier when another staffer ran into me with his tray.”
“Ranch? I love it when you talk dirty, omega.”
I laughed hard, pulled my shirt off, and flopped into the middle of the bed. “I need a shower and then maybe we can float in your hot tub. My feet are aching and I’m so tired lately. You’ve been wearing me out.”
He prowled over me, crawling on the bed and leaned in to kiss the side of my neck. “Go shower and then we can take all the time we…”
“We what?” I laughed, moving to look at him. His face had gone pale. “What’s wrong, alpha?” Your scent has changed. It’s subtle but…” He pressed his nose into the crook of my neck and inhaled deeper. Several times.
“Is something wrong with me? Am I getting sick?
Shifters didn’t really get sick, but anything was possible given the number of people we were around day to day. I could only imagine the germs we came in contact with on a regular basis.
Azlan got up on his knees and I did the same. He still hadn’t answered me. My heart was beating out of my chest, waiting for him to say something. Anything. He reached out and cupped my face. “Baby, omega mine, you are pregnant. You’re having our cub. Or pup.”
My heart slammed against my sternum. “What? How can you smell that? Don’t we need a test? Peeing on a stick and all that? I mean, it’s only been days.”
He smiled so wide. Gosh, was he that ecstatic that I might be pregnant. “A pregnancy test wouldn’t pick it up yet. Your hormones wouldn’t show up on a human test. But I don’t have to have one to know. My beast knows. I can smell it on you. It’s you but ten times sweeter.”
“I don’t know what to say. I guess that means what I wanted to talk to you about is that much more important.”
“What is it?”
“What happens now?” I asked. My hands went to my stomach, holding the cradle of our baby that I still didn’t fully believe was there. “You’re on vacation. Temporary. What happens to me and us when you leave?”
Azlan pulled me to him and kissed my head.
“Trace, baby. Do you think there’s any way in the world I could ever leave this place without you?
Where you are, I am. I have to figure out a job and something to make myself useful and support you but I’ll do that.
Or if you want to leave here and go somewhere else, we can do that but you are my home now.
I don’t care where we live or what I do as long as I have you. Did you really think I’d leave you?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t know.”
“Now you know. Trust me on this, please. We met on vacation, but you are my life now.”
“That was cheesy,” I responded with tears running down my face.
“But I meant it. And now we have a baby on the way. I’m always going to be here for my family.”
We sat for a while, letting the revelations hang between us. “So you’re happy about this? About having a baby?”
He nodded. “I am. But, are you? You are the one who has to grow this baby inside you.”
“I am. I never thought it was possible and not this fast but I’m happy. I want a little Azlan wolf running around, calling me Daddy.”
“I can’t wait for that. Now, let’s get you relaxed. How about I help you shower and then we share some dinner?”
“That sounds like heaven.”
I couldn’t believe my luck and my new life. In the span of one week, I had an alpha and a mate. And we were expecting a baby.
We would figure out the details together but the big picture was clear.
This was the beginning of our new life together.
We ate dinner and got into the hot tub. There would be a time when I couldn’t do the work I did anymore, but we had to take one day at a time. We slid into the water, and I could feel Azlan’s happiness through the bond.
“You’ve made me the happiest alpha,” he said and then he showed me exactly how happy he was.