Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
ZANDER
I’d sunk to an all-new low.
Not content with taking my parents’ word for it that Reid was safe and being well cared for, I’d snuck into their house hours after the last light had been switched off and I’d fallen asleep in the bedroom beside the one Reid was sleeping in.
I really had tried to sleep earlier, but the world of dreams had eluded me as I lay there, recalling Reid’s expression when he’d believed that I’d come to claim him, willing or not.
My poor little warlock was so scarred. So traumatized.
Dr. Black had warned me that he was bitter too, but considering what he’d been through, who could blame him?
I climbed into the spare bed, shut my eyes, and focused all of my senses on him. His scent was like ozone and concrete during summer rain. Somehow refreshing and nostalgic all at once.
I breathed in the traces of his scent that lingered in the air and allowed the rhythmic thud of his heart to lull me to sleep.
When I awoke, I lay in the dark, wondering what my mate needed from me—and what I could actually offer him that he wouldn’t be too terrified to accept. Gradually, I noticed that there was a hint of another scent coming from him that I’d missed earlier. The faintest trace of honeysuckle.
At first I thought I was mistaken, but I crept to his bedroom door, my feet silent on the carpeted floor, and inhaled deeply through the crack beneath the door. The honeysuckle was definitely coming from him, but it was foreign too.
My stomach knotted. This could only mean one thing.
Reid was pregnant.
I pulled in a breath and slowly released it as a heaviness settled over my body.
My omega was pregnant with another alpha’s baby. An alpha who’d terrorized him, taken him against his will, manipulated him, and twisted what should have been a pure and joyful bond so that he could force Reid to follow his orders.
Claws burst through the ends of my fingers and dug into the floor. I gritted my teeth because if I didn’t, I might scream.
My poor, poor mate.
Alone and pregnant, in an unfamiliar place with people he didn’t trust. He must be so scared.
I was tempted to smash through the door, rush inside, and curl around him. To hold him close and whisper reassurances and promise that everything would be all right.
But I didn’t, for one very important reason. Doing that might make me feel better, but it was the last thing Reid needed. He hadn’t been in control of his life for months. Even now, he had to know that he wasn’t being treated the same as the other omegas we’d rescued.
Because of his mate bond with Trent, we couldn’t afford to overlook the risk he posed. We had to treat him as being potentially hostile. But in doing so, we were victimizing him further. He deserved softness and pampering, not mistrust and wariness.
As hard as I tried, I couldn’t see a better way forward.
All I could do was make it clear that whoever his pup’s biological father was, I’d be their parent in the ways that mattered.
I’d wanted children for years and that pup was innocent of their father’s crimes.
They deserved as much love and affection as any other baby.
“Zander?”
I turned, surprised to find Momma in the hall behind me. I must have been too distracted to hear her approach. I gestured for her to go the other direction and I followed her out and into the kitchen.
“What is it?” she asked, her face creased with concern.
I hesitated. This should be Reid’s news to share, but if he hadn’t done so already then there was a good chance he wouldn’t.
At least, not before someone else needed to know.
We had to make sure he was getting enough nutrients and that the doctor was keeping an eye on him.
Losing a mate while pregnant could endanger the baby.
“He’s pregnant,” I whispered, closing the door behind us. If Momma was awake, I had no doubt that Dad was too, but he must have decided that she was fully equipped to handle the situation.
“Who?” Her eyes widened. “Reid?”
I nodded.
“No.” Her face fell. “He’s pregnant from that… that…”
“Rapist,” I growled. “Murderer. Fucking scum of the earth.”
She eyed me. “Language, Z. Although I agree completely. Are you sure?”
“I smelled it. He obviously isn’t ready to tell us, but we have to make sure he’s healthy and has everything he needs.”
“You’re his mate,” Momma said. “Of course we will.”
“I’ll be the pup’s father,” I promised her. “He or she doesn’t deserve to pay for their father’s sins. They’ll be mine in every way that matters.”
At least, as soon as I convinced Reid to give me a chance. I had a feeling that might take a while.
A sleepy Reid appeared in the doorway, rubbing his eyes. He stopped abruptly at the sight of us and his heart raced, but then he squared his shoulders and met my gaze.
“I know you were in the room beside me,” he said, his voice wobbling. “What do you want from me?”