“Huh.”
My anger didn’t bother him. I met his stare. “What? Go on, tell me.”
“I just…” He scratched his thumb. “You fucked a lot,” he said bluntly. “You do know what happens when men and women fuck and she’s in heat, right? Tell me someone in this pack told you about breeding.”
My eyes closed briefly at his coarseness. “Your words leave a lot to be desired.” I opened my eyes and glared at him. “I understand that the chances are high for a female to become pregnant during intimacy whilst in heat.”
“Intimacy?Whilst?” He was grinning again, poking fun at me. “This is why you don’t know that you’re pregnant. People in your pack talk in flowery language. You haven’t got a clue. You fucked like rabbits, the girl rabbit’s oven was ready to do some cooking, and the male rabbit filled that oven up nice and tight.”
I groaned. “You made that sound vile.” My headdropped into my hands. “I’ll never be able to eat rabbit again! Are you happy?”
His laughter was warm and pleasant. “I wondered why you weren’t telling your mate,” he said, leaning back on his hands. “It makes sense now. I feared you were trying not to distract him. But he needs to know.”
I grunted. “Yesterday, when Wolfe came back to the pack, the magic stirred in me, and I grabbed at his power.” I licked my lips. “I thought it was because all I ever wanted was to lead my pack…but…”
“Power-hungry magic stealer?” Diesel tilted his head. “Not you. You lack the ruthlessness to steal another’s power. It’s more likely your son, reaching for his father’s power, eager to show he’ll be ready.”
“I rejected it,” I whispered, fear numbing me. “What if I hurt him?”
Diesel leaned forward, a question in his eyes, as his hand reached for me. I hesitated but nodded once, granting permission. He placed his hand over my shirt. I felt my skin warm under his hand.
“He’s fine,” he told me, drawing back. “He’ll be strong.”
“So I’m not a druid.” I felt silly. Self-conscious. I’d been excited. Kind of.
“Who said that?” Diesel plucked a blade of grass and chewed it. “Nothing changed. You’ve been awakened. You can’t put the cork back in the bottle now.” He glanced at my stomach. “For either of them.”
My flat stare earned me another grin. “How do you know so much?” I watched him closely. “You aren’t a druid, or a shaman, or an alpha.” He quirked his eyebrow. “You’re more than a simple beta. What are you?”
“I’m a shifter.” He leaned back on the grass, hands behind his head, staring up at the canopy of the Heartwood above us. “I am Luna’s to command and my alpha’s to direct, his pack to protect.”
That sounded backwards. “You have magic in your blood.”
He stayed silent, the question hanging over him unanswered. “I guess I do.” He sat up swiftly, eyes on the trees and the path. The druid stalked into sight a moment later.
“Joy,” Diesel drawled. “My favorite charlatan.” Before the druid could even open their mouth, Diesel spoke. “You filled her head with nonsense about being an apprentice, but you forgot to mention she carries the pack’s future in her belly.” He gave them a dirty look. “Or did you miss it like she did?”
“Could younotannounce it to everyone before I tell my husband?” I hissed at him. He ignored me.
The druid marched forward, fury in their eyes. “I did not think it was my place to announce it,” they said, eyes locked on Diesel’s, but I think the words were for me. “I’ve told you before, you do not belong in this grove.” That was definitely directed at Diesel.
“And I told you to go fuck yourself.” Diesel tilted his head. “You do remember what that is, don’t you?”
Whoa boy. Here we go.
The druid looked dangerous as they glared at the male sitting in front of them, relaxed and insolent. “Leave.” Their jaw was clamped tight, their eyes glowing with power. “Before I do something the alpha would kill me for.”
Diesel leaned back on his hands and looked up. “You cannot kill me, druid,” he told them with a smile, fingerstrailing over the grass. “The Hollow welcomes me.” Diesel flinched and then laughed. “That actually tingled,” he told the druid, getting to his feet. “You’ve found an apprentice,” he said, as if the druid hadn’t done whatever the druid had just done.
“Rowen has been selected?—”
“Yes, yes.” Diesel offered a hand to me and pulled me to my feet. “I know. Heard it before.” He walked to the Heartwood. “This one likes to chatter,” he said, his palm running over the trunk.
I wasn’t sure if he was talking about me or the tree. By the look on the druid’s face, they didn’t either.
Diesel turned back to us both. “You hide behind gimmicks and rituals.” His stare was hard as he spoke to them. “She is worth more than that. You’ve been alone in your task too long,” he continued. “Wield the power you were born with by the Goddess’s grace, and teach her as you were taught. Therightway.”
“You dare insult me?—”
