“No, it’snotthat- “
He cut me off. “You said you mated with him during your heat. Are youpregnantyet?”
My heart began to beat faster. Did he know I was pregnant? Could he smell it on me? I guessed there was no reason not to tell the truth; it wouldn’t change theoveralllie.
“I am,”Isaid.
Gunner paused, then stared at me with his narrowed eyes. What was he thinking? My heart thumped in my chest. My nerves were starting to gettome.
“We will raise the baby in Scarlet Ridge,” Gunner finally stated. “Assuming it’s an alpha, it will joinmyarmy.”
My eyes widened, but suddenly I was too aware that Gunner was watching my reaction. I forced my expression to remain neutral as much as possible. I couldn’t let him know my horror at the idea. My baby wouldneverjoin his pack, much less his army - I would make sure of that. Gunner would die before that everhappened.
“Tell me about the location and time,” Gunner continued. “It would be a shame if your alpha fought back while you tried to kill him and you lost thebaby,no?”
The sickening thought made me feel ill. My lips curled into asnarl.
“I thought so,” Gunner said with the slightest smirk on his face. “Then I will be there to make sure the job is donemyself.”
I nodded stiffly. “There is an abandoned cabin on the edge of the territory. I’ll lure him there on the night of thefullmoon.”
Above us, the moon was waxing, nearing its fullcircle.
“How will you lure him there?” Gunnerasked.
“I… I’ll tell him I want to have loud sex. Our current place has thin walls, sir. We’ve been quiet so far to be polite to the neighbors,” I said quickly. It was embarrassing, but it was the only thing I could think of onthespot.
“I see,” he murmured. “It will be easier for us to move in secrecy, Isuppose.”
“Um… us, sir?” I sure hoped he wasn’t thinking about bringing hiscronies.
“Is there a problem?” he askedsharply.
I tried not to flinch. “Well, no, but the more Scarlet Ridge wolves that are on Indigo Mountain territory, the easier it will be to scent you. It might ruin ourambush.”
Gunner mulled this over in his mind. Finally he said, “Fine. My alphas will come, but they will stay behind the border just in case I need them. After all, I can’t count on a single weak omega to defend me in case something goeswrong.”
He stared directly into my eyes as he said that, as if challenging me to say something back. But I was smarter than that. I wouldn’t fall for his trap. I kept my mouth shut and stared back,unblinking.
“Tell me where this cabin is,” Gunnerfinallysaid.
I described the location for him, as Flint told meearlier.
He nodded. Then, he suddenly reached out and touched me on the top of the head. “You did well, omega. After your firstborn arrives, I may have a turn with youmyself.”
A violent shudder ripped through my body. The cold, calculating glint in Gunner’s eyes made me want to retch. It took all my effort not to rip myself out ofhisgrip.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he withdrew his hand. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d beenholding.
“I’ll see you on the night of the full moon, little omega,”Gunnersaid.
With a final glance in my direction, he turned and collected his alpha bodyguards before shifting to their wolf forms and disappearing back into thenight.
I stood there for a few minutes, breathing in and out and trying to collect myself. Finally, when I felt like I could walk again, I returned tomyhome.
When I finally arrived back at the apartment, I stripped my forest-scented clothes and crawled back into bed, where Ken was still out like a light. I sighed and closed my eyes. I would have a lot of explaining to do in themorning.
