Chapter Thirty-Six
Everyone froze. Rick recovered first. “How is that even possible?”
“I won’t tell you beforehand, but I promise I will use it to whisk all of you away at the same time, and no one will know where you disappeared to.
I can promise once everything is out in the open, and war is on the horizon, you will have a house, jobs, and a place in a pack that celebrates people.
No matter their rank.” I looked at Rick.
“You’ll move us to your father’s pack?”
I nodded. “I will.”
“But Vince won’t release us.” Ternen shook his head. “Vince won’t ever let us go.”
I grinned. “It won’t matter. By the time he notices you are all gone, it will be too late.” I could see Alannah perk up.
“Are you being serious, Amy?” She turned to me with hope in her eyes. “If you’re not, I need you to tell me now.”
I wrapped my arm around her. “Of course I’m being serious. Why are you so-” My hand rested against her side, and I felt it. A tiny flutter under the skin. I gasped as she turned to me. “You’re pregnant.”
Alannah’s eyes grew wide. “How did you know?”
Ternen jolted next to us. “Wait, what?”
I grimaced and faced Alannah. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin the surprise.”
“Not a surprise, more full-blown terror.” She whispered as she trembled next to me.
Ternen cuddled her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She looked at him but it was Rick that answered. “You know why. She’s not allowed to be pregnant.”
I pushed back and stared at him. “What are you talking about?” Rick pulled his phone out and pulled up a screen shot. He turned his phone to me and I gasped. “You have got to be fucking kidding me.” I looked from the phone to him. “Is this actually real?”
Alannah glanced at the phone and started to cry. “Yes.”
Ternen looked as confused as I felt, but he grabbed the phone from Rick and read the page. The phone clattered to the table, and I could see his need to protect his mate, warring with his Omega nature. “We just won’t ever have pups.”
“It’s not that simple.” Alannah shook herself. “I’m already pregnant, Tern. And I haven’t been able to see the pack doctor because as soon as Vince finds out, the punishment starts.”
“Punishment?” I looked at Rick, and the man turned green.
He grabbed the phone and pulled it back, flicking to another photo, and handed it back to me.
The growl that left my throat was vicious.
Nix and Megan went from lounging around to ready for Vince’s blood instantly. “Please tell me this isn’t real.”
“Alrighty guys.” The server snuck up on us. “Is there anything else I can get you?”
I took a deep breath and then turned to her with a smile. “Actually yes. It’s our friend’s birthday and we would really like to celebrate with a piece of cake for everyone. Which one do you recommend?”
“We have a fantastic coconut white cake.” I turned to look at Alannah, but she was sinking. I cut a look at Ternen.
“She is allergic to coconut, but if you have carrot cake, it’s her favourite.”
The server brightened. “Our carrot cake is amazing. I just rarely offer it because some people don’t really see it as a cake because there are vegetables in it.” She laughed, and I forced myself to laugh with her. “Perfect four slices coming up. Did you want coffee?”
“No thanks, just the cake and the bill. That would be amazing. Thank you.” I smiled as she turned away, and then I felt my face fall as I turned back to Rick. “I need you to tell me this is fake.” I waved the phone around and I gripped the edge of the table so hard it creaked.
Rick looked away from me, and Alannah sniffled beside me. Ternen tried to grab the phone again, but Alannah grabbed him. “Please don’t look.”
He looked at her before his panicked eyes turned to me. “I need to see what is on that phone.” His words were soft, but I could hear the finality in them. He needed to see for his sanity.
“Please Tern. Please don’t.” Alannah begged, but he turned to her and cupped her face.
“I need to see. I need to know.”
“Why?”
“Because if you randomly go missing, and I have no idea why, it will kill me. If something happens to you and I don’t know, how will I know to go get someone?
” He swallowed. “I know I’m never going to be the mate that will be able to charge in and save you with my own hands.
But I will do my best to figure out a way to protect you.
” He leaned his head against hers. “Even if I have to give up my life for yours, I will save you.”
Alannah shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “No Ternen.”
But I rubbed her side and slid the phone over to him. “He’s right Alannah. He would be the first person to notice if you disappeared. You are tied and your wolves would feel it. He needs to know so that he can come find me, or Rick.”
She shook her head again as he grabbed the phone. Her hand shot out, and she begged. “Please don’t think less of me.”
I growled softly. “Never say that again.”
She turned to me with confusion in her eyes. “What?”
“Never, ever act like something done to you lessens you.” I nodded to the phone.
“What’s there is vile. So vile that it made me want to vomit.
” Another tear fell, and I wiped it off and a growl slipped from Tern.
“If, and Goddess forbid, it actually happened to you, but if it happened. It would not lessen you. You would be a victim and that disgusting act would have no bearing on your worth as a woman, as a mate, as a mother.”
Rick nodded. “We would help you heal, protect you, and make sure it never happens again.”
Ternen looked up from the phone, and with a soft whisper, he looked up at me. “Is this serious?”
I turned to Rick and lifted a brow. My stomach dropped when he nodded.
“If a female Omega becomes pregnant without the permission of the Alpha. Then the Alpha, Beta, and any ranked member that wants to be involved will enact the punishment.” He had to cough into his hand as if he was stopping vomit from coming up. “The punishment is as listed.”
Ternen covered his head with his hands. “Vince and his cronies will force themselves on Alannah until she loses the baby.” His words were dead, as were his eyes. Alannah let a sob escape, but it was Rick’s sad nod that broke him.
Ternen grabbed Alannah and started crying with her.
Tears slowly fell from their eyes silently as they huddled together.
“It’s okay. Nothing, and I mean nothing, will ever change the way I feel about you.
” She pulled back, and he wiped her tears and she wiped his.
“I love you, now and forever. No one would ever come close to loving you as completely and as pure as I love you. My love doesn’t hinge on anything other than my utter devotion to you. ” He kissed her.
I opened my mouth and then bells jingling started around us.
“Happy, happy birthday!” The staff sang, and for some reason that broke through the morose feeling at the table.
Once they finished, they slid the cakes in front of us and then left the check on the corner of the table, once again leaving us to our bubble.
I lifted my fork and took a bite of cake, groaning at the cream cheese frosting. “It won’t happen.” I waved my fork.
They all turned to me with hopeful eyes. “Really?”
“How far along are you?” I took another bite.
“I don’t actually know.” Alannah took a bit of her own cake, and for the first time since I blurted out about the baby, she smiled. “My last heat was about a month and a half ago. Why?”
I nodded as I polished off my cake. “Because it gives me a timeline.” I calculated the time in my head. “Vince isn’t a strong Alpha. And his sense of smell is trash. Do you have a perfume you like to wear?”
She nodded. “I enjoy vanilla enough that I can wear it, but Ternen prefers my natural scent, so I stopped.”
I turned to him. “You are going to have to suffer for a bit.” He nodded.
“I don’t care. I will do whatever I have to do to protect her and our pup.”
“Good.” I held up my fingers. “I have my ‘mating’ ceremony scheduled in four weeks. Even Vince would scent a pup by then. But by personal experience, it will be close. If we can extend the time by covering your scent with vanilla, have you wear baggier clothes and have Rick or I pick you up and drop you off at home, we can do this.” I did the math again and nodded.
“We can make it to the mating ceremony.”
“Why the mating ceremony? Are you seriously going to mate him?”
I scoffed. “Absolutely not. But Brandon needed to think he had me hook, line and sinker. So I agreed to the mating ceremony, and because I find it poetic to leave him at the altar like the humans do in the movies.” I snorted.
“Are you going to kill him, then?” Rick leaned in.
“I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe I’ll let them suffer a bit.
But my plan is to uncover everything and then disappear.
” I grabbed Rick’s arm and Alannah’s. “Now, I’m just taking a few more people.
” I smiled as the server came over the last time.
I paid and then turned back to everyone.
“So, how does everyone feel about camping?”
When we got back to the office, Ternen turned with a smile, taking the gift bags from around Alannah’s desk. “I’ll be back at the end of the day.” He kissed her and then left us to finish our day.
I settled into my office and started working on another firewall when Rick came in. “Hey are you ready for your next challenge?”
I smiled. “What did you have in mind?”
“I want to see how well you know our systems.” I leaned in, excitement on my face. “I’m going to hide again, but this time, it’s going to be deeper.”
“Okay.” I turned my chair to face him. “What’s the catch?”
He smiled. “This is a training exercise for you to recognize the flaws in your own designs.”
I twirled my hands around each other. “What does that even mean?”
He cackled. “It means you can’t trip the firewall. If you do, you have to start over.”
“Are you insane?” I stood hunched over my computer. “How is that even possible?” I pretended to be upset, but inside I was dancing. He was teaching me how to get around the systems.
He shrugged. “It’s how my teacher taught me.”
“Your teacher…from school? We didn’t learn this in school.” I slammed back into my seat.
Rick shook his head. “Not at school. In my old pack. It’s how I got so good with computers.” He laughed and tossed me a paper. “I’ll give you a head start.” He pointed at the paper. “Read that and start. But.” He held up his finger.
“What?”
“During the mornings, I still expect you to pump out the coding I need. You work until the day’s coding is done, and then you practise this.”
I groaned. “How am I supposed to do that?” I rolled my neck. “I’ll never have time.” Rick just shrugged.
“Then I guess you’ll never become good at this job and you might as well quit now.” I growled, and he smiled. “Good luck.” He turned and left.
“Wait!” I stood and called after him. He came back and lifted a brow.
“What?”
“Can I work on this at home?”
He shook his head. “Nope.” I groaned. “I’m honestly not being spiteful. There is just no way to remote into our system. I created it that way. But if you want, you can bring your laptop in tomorrow and when I have time, I can make a dummy server on it, so you can practice at home.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “I’m not trying to stunt your growth, only push you to be better.” He winked at me and turned to leave again.
“Thank you.” I called after him.
“You’re welcome.” He called back. Then a door opened. “Alpha Vince.” Rick said it loud enough, like he was surprised, but I know it was to alert me he was here.
“Rick, are you busy?” I could hear his tone and I knew he wasn’t asking.
“For you? Of course not. Let me just-” He leaned into my office door. “I’m going to have to put a pause on our training. If my meeting with Alpha Vice goes past the end of the day, just head on home and we can try again tomorrow.”
I gave a thumbs up. “Sounds good.” Then I turned back to my computer and started back coding a firewall.
It must have been longer than I thought when I finished the code, as I finally pulled my eyes away from the computer when my phone rang, scaring me. I grabbed it from the desk and answered. “Hello?”
“Hey baby.” My mom’s voice rang out. “How’s your day?”
“It’s been pretty great. Is there anything wrong?” I flicked my eyes to my screen as I opened the next coding program he wanted me to work at.
“No.” She chuckled. “You must be distracted.”
“Yeah, I just finished up with a project when you called. Why?” I clicked open the next file and my mom laughed harder.
“Look at the time, baby.”
“Huh?” I glanced at my phone screen and then down the clock in the corner of my computer. “Holy crap.”
She snorted. “Yeah. You’re late for dinner. Hurry home.” Then she hung up.
I got up and walked out of my office. Alannah was still at her desk, but Ternen was here. “Hey.” I looked at them with a confused look, but Alannah’s eyes cut to Rick’s door. “Everyone is working late tonight.” I chuckled and went to my desk to turn things off.
Nix tell mom to call me again and tell me to invite my work friends to dinner. Be quick. She left without looking back. Within a minute, my phone rang again as I shut off my computer. I answered on speaker again with a laugh. “Hey mom. I’m shutting down right now.”
“No, I know.” She laughed. “Morgan and Shannon said they were busy with Alpha Vince and Brandon tonight, and I made too much food. Invite your friends from work for dinner.”
“Mom.” I sighed.
But she cut me off. “I want to meet them. Ask.” Then she hung up.