Chapter 46 Sneaking Up on Me #2
“Exactly,” he snarls. “You owe me, Luke. I never wanted any of this shit and I’ve spent years doing it for your father and then for you. It’s about time you paid up. Or at least tried.”
Cole shifts his weight and our eyes flick to him, both of us annoyed he’s had the audacity to disturb our confrontation.
“My youngest is causing problems and they need to learn some manners. Riley’s spent too long living in the shadow of the older boys and it’s getting out of hand.
Your Beta needs some help, he’s got far too much work on his plate and Riley needs some responsibility and a fuck load of space away from my pack. ”
I roll my eyes and Cole shakes his head violently.
“We don’t need a Gamma,” my best friend seethes. “I don’t need some asshole stepping on my goddamn toes. Find someone else to house him, Paul.”
“She is coming here, Cole, and that’s all there is to it.”
I groan and listen to Elias protest about the sheer damn inconvenience and insult it is to have a she-wolf thrust upon him.
“We could ask your Luna?”
“No,” Cole and I yell in unison, catching Nia’s attention.
The Deacon knows exactly what he’s playing at and I catch my mate’s attention in our bond, assuring her that everything is under control.
It’s a lie, but she doesn’t need to know it, just as she doesn’t need to know we’ll be dealing with another clusterfuck just as soon as a new she-wolf arrives.
Cole storms off, heading back to the party with his tail between his legs.
His annoyance ripples through his broad shoulders and his wolf is far from happy, snapping at Lawson as he barks his dissent.
I leave them to it, turning back to face the man who’s decided to disrupt the little peace I’d fostered here.
My head tips back and I sigh, far too loudly.
“They’re mates?” I ask.
Paul shrugs. “I’m not completely certain, but you start getting feelings about things by the time you get to my age, Luke. I’d be surprised if I’m wrong about it. Cole needs to settle down, and Riley needs someone to hold her accountable in a place where she can run wild.”
This is going to be yet another shitshow.
My best friend wants a mate about as much as I wanted Nia when I first found out and there’s no way my girl’s going to let him run away from it.
Nia and Lyall will make my life a living hell until Cole and Riley accept each other, and I stare at the ashen-haired girl, wondering what I did to deserve her.
She’s spectacular.
Her hair looks silver as it catches the sunlight, streaming behind her as the children chase after her.
She’s playing tag with them and they’re winning more often than not, shrieking with delight that they’re catching their Luna.
Nia was born to do this, and the grey of her eyes sparks with the stardust that surrounds the moonbeams, and I stare, completely besotted. Utterly in love. Entirely devoted.
“She’s quite something, that girl,” Paul says, his eyes flicking to Nia. “You’ll have your hands full with her.”
I smile and nod. “She’s perfect, Paul.”
“Good,” he says, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with me. “You deserve her, Luke. She’s happy, and that’s on you. Your father would approve.” He grabs my shoulder and squeezes. “Your mother too.”
I nod and go back to watching my perfect little mate playing with my pack.
The youngsters have ganged up on her and they’re wrestling her to the ground, trying to clamber over her and claim victory over their Luna.
The children shriek and scream, excited and thrilled that they’re strong enough to take her down, unaware she’s giving them exactly what they want.
And then her hand moves and her body curls.
Fuck, it’s fast.
It’s a moment that’s so damn quick I almost didn’t see it. Maybe I didn’t see it, maybe I’m just imagining I saw her arm cover her stomach in a way that tends to mean only one thing. I shake my head and my eyes shoot open, watching for any sign I’m right.
Nia doesn’t smell pregnant. She doesn’t look pregnant.
She hasn’t told me that she’s pregnant, but fuck me, my heart’s racing and I’m desperate for her to be lying to me.
I’ve never wanted her to keep something from me more, and my wolf and I focus on the girl who’s the moon that lights our night, praying she’s tried to deceive us.
“I’ll leave you to it, Alpha,” Paul laughs, slinking away as I ignore him.
Nia rolls and the children climb on her back, apparently forcing her to surrender.
They jump off her, bouncing around as they celebrate their win and race back to their parents, who look on with warm smiles and easy dispositions.
The pack is settled and content, oblivious to my excitement, unaware I’m on the verge of losing control.
“Nia?”
“Luke?”
“Did I just see what I thought I saw?”
She laughs as she stands, brushing her clothes down as her gaze meets mine. Her skin is glowing but that’s from the running around, and the satisfaction in her smile could come from any one of a thousand places.
I close my eyes, wishing I’m one of them.
“That depends on what you think you saw, Luke.”
Lawson runs wild, clawing at anything and everything, as desperate to know the answer to the question that Nia’s currently evading. She’s playing with me and Lyall’s refusing to answer Lawson, strolling around like a goddamn prima donna, enjoying all of the attention.
“Are you pregnant?”
Nia smirks and my heart leaps, hoping she’ll give me the thing I’ve craved since I found out about her. I’m on the verge of losing all of my control and my wolf’s going feral, almost taking over in his eagerness to rip through any obstacle between us.
“That would mean I’d recovered from everything that’s happened.”
“It would, pretty girl.”
Nia smiles and claps her hands, chasing after some small children who dared to interrupt our conversation.
Their giggles ring out, echoing through the garden as she scoops one of them up, twirling them through the air and it’s the most natural thing I’ve ever seen.
It’s undeniably right. Absolutely perfect.
My hands clench into fists as I strain and watch the girl who fought me every inch of the way but refused to break as I realize I’m the one who broke.
I’ve changed as much as she has and my thoughts spiral as fast as the pirouettes of the girl I’m in love with, hoping she’ll put me out of my misery.
“Soon, pretty boy, soon,” Lyall laughs.
I smile back, content to let her win this round.
Nia can enjoy her afternoon, basking in all that I have to offer her.
I’ll let my girl take whatever pleasure she wants, even letting her gloat and think she’s got one over me, and as soon as this party is over, I’ll remind her exactly who she’s dealing with.
Nia needs a lesson in how far I’m willing to go to make her mine and I make myself a dark and silent promise that I’ll do whatever it takes to have the girl I want.
I’ll keep my mate safe, shield her from any threat, even if it’s the shadows she doesn’t think she’s strong enough to face on her own.
She might not need my protection, but she’s damn well going to get it, whether she likes it or not.
Nia belongs to me—as I belong to her—and there’s not a chance I’m letting her get away with pulling this kind of shit on me. She might be a High Lord but I’m her Alpha—and my grin widens, certain she’s earned herself one hell of a spanking.