“Kade’s not with you?” I asked before realizing how unwelcoming I sounded. “I’m sorry. I meant it’s nice to see you, of course.”
Jeremy laughed and patted my arm as he passed by. “It’s okay, I knew what you meant, and it is odd for him to let me out in the world on my own,” he said with a laugh. “Even though he dealt with the threats against me, he still worries.”
I nodded even though I really didn’t know the story. Jeremy had never offered the details of how they’d met, and I’d certainly never thought it was my place to ask. Instead, I gestured to the couch. “Do you want to sit down? I think we have beer and soda in the fridge. Maybe even some juice?”
“Yes to sitting,” Jeremy said, settling into the comfortable couch. “And I would love a glass of water.”
“Sure.” I walked over to pull two bottles of water from the refrigerator. Handing one to Jeremy, I kept the second and settled down on the chair facing the couch and tried to sus out the polite way to ask why he was there. Luckily, Jeremy started talking and saved me the effort.
“I hope you don’t mind me dropping by,” Jeremy said finally. “I need to talk to you and, honestly, this is not going to be an easy conversation to have.”
My stomach clenched. They must have found out about me and he was there to tell me that there would be consequences for having taken advantage of Omega Destiny, International’s generosity. I forced myself to relax. It was nothing I wasn’t prepared for and I’d already begun to form a plan to get them paid back. I glanced over at the small stack of papers, wondering if I should interrupt to tell him I was already working on it or if I should let him finish. The next words out of his mouth made me glad I’d waited.
“It’s about your relationship with Roger.”
I jerked my eyes back to Jeremy’s and swallowed reflexively against the pity I saw there. I tried to control my breathing, reminding myself that I was prepared for this, also. At least, assuming I was hired for the caretaker job, I was. And if I had to leave before I heard back, if he wanted me out immediately, I did have enough money left from the allowances Omega Destiny, International had given me to get a cheap motel room. At least, I thought I did.
“It’s okay,” I said quickly, trying to forestall him. It was one thing to know I needed to leave, it was entirely another to have to hear the words out loud. “I, uh, I know he doesn’t really want me here. I was looking for another place, but I can leave today.”
At least, I thought I could but there was no sense in adding that.
Jeremy’s brow furrowed. “That’s..well, that’s definitely not why I’m here,” he said slowly. “In fact, I spoke with Roger at length this morning and he never mentioned anything about you leaving.” He hesitated and then drew in a deep breath. “There’s really no way for me to ease into this,” he said gently, “but there is something you should have already been made aware of and, well, it seems you weren’t.”
“Okay.”
“You know that most of the beings that you encountered at Omega Destiny weren’t human, right?”
I nodded. It had definitely been a shock for me to realize that all of thehorrible monstersmy clan had railed against had actually been pretty normal in their humanoid forms and none had seemed to present a threat even in their, well, non-human forms.
“And you know that the security force there was made up of shifters, right?” Jeremy seemed intent on prodding me to a conclusion instead of just blurting out whatever he had to say.
“Yes,” I agreed, hesitating when a thought occurred to me. “Are you telling me that Roger is, well, a shifter?”
Jeremy nodded, his face decidedly nervous as he waited for my reaction to a revelation that I honestly hadn’t even considered. It had been one thing to learn that I wasn’t who I thought I was, a shock beyond all telling to find out I could become pregnant. Was that why finding out that Roger wasn’t what I had expected, that he was more, wasn’t as much of a shock as Jeremy thought it would be?
My mind suddenly flashed back to the moment after I’d first been captured when I’d stumbled and instead of falling, I’d been swept up by strong arms and stared into eyes that seemed so familiar, filled with concern and an emotion I recognized now as affection.
“Roger’s a werewolf,” I said slowly, watching Jeremy’s face for confirmation as I spoke. “He’s the one that was guarding me.”
Jeremy nodded, his posture still tense. “He’s adamant that it didn’t occur to him to tell you the night you, ahem, met at the bar because he didn’t scent Omega pheromones,” he seemed to be having a hard time forcing the words out. “Then, he says there was so much else going on after he found out about your..condition,” Jeremy faltered briefly over the words, “that he just forgot you didn’t know.”
I nodded. Honestly, I could see that.
Jeremy exhaled slowly, bracing himself. “That brings us to the topic of the pregnancy.” When I didn’t respond, he plodded on. “You should have been given that information before deciding whether or not to continue on with the pregnancy.”
What?
Oh! I suddenly understood what he was there to talk about and the thought turned my stomach.
“You think the baby might be a werewolf?” I asked hesitantly.
Jeremy winced. “Honestly, there is virtually no chance that it won’t,” he said softly. “If the father was a Beta, then it might not be, but Roger is an Alpha from a strong line, so it is almost impossible for the baby to be human.”
“Does it change anything about the progress of the pregnancy?” I asked, curious. “Does it make it dangerous in any way?”
Jeremy’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Not that I’ve ever heard, no.”
I exhaled slowly. “In that case, I appreciate the information, but it won’t change my mind about carrying Roger’s baby for him. Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?”
