“What do we think?” Foster steps into the living room and gives us a spin. He’s thrown on ripped black skinny jeans that hug his ass too nicely for my liking. A white t-shirt sits beneath an undone black button-up. Matching Doc Martens completes the look.
“Wow, Foster, you look like you stepped out of a romance novel!” Hannah’s scent swells, floating through the air as he prowls toward her.
“You like it?” One of his hands braces against the back of the couch by her head; the other twirls a strand of her light brown hair around his finger. She hums her approval, a little breathless. “Good.” His lips swipe against hers, so quick it barely counts as a kiss, but when she presses her fingers against them, I know she considers it one.
He flutters around the apartment, a tiny smirk on his face. What a little shit, trying to stir her up when he knows he’s leaving for the night.
After he’s finished getting ready and has everything he’ll need for the evening, he returns to the living room. Our kiss is much filthier, all tongue and teeth. One hand grips the back of his neck, holding him in place until I’ve had enough. He’s breathing hard when I let him pull away. “Stay safe. Call me if anything seems amiss. No reckless behavior, got it?”
“Yes, Alpha. We’ll be careful. I’ll call you when we’re on our way back.” He stops to kiss both Hannah and Kaitlin’s heads, and then he’s out the door.
“Mommy, I is hungry.” Kaitlin leaves her dolls lying on top of her new dollhouse and joins us on the couch. “Can we makes food?”
Sweeping her into my arms, I tickle her sides, thriving on the peals of laughter she releases. “Hungry little monster, how about we order dinner in? No cooking for us tonight!”
Lying limp across my thighs, she lets her head hang toward the floor and giggles. “Okays. Pizza?”
I glance at Hannah, who shrugs. “Pizza it is!”
While we wait, Kaitlin goes back to her toys. She loves playing by herself, but prefers one of us to be in the room to watch her. It’s adorable, but the character’s conversations are telling of the childhood she has experienced.
Hannah winces, shifting to stretch her legs out. “You good, Wildfire?”
“Sore.”
Offering her my hand, I gently shift her until she’s sitting sideways on the couch with her ass planted between my legs. My hands trail down her back until I reach the tense muscles at the bottom. Her groans are music to my ears as I work the tension out. “That feels amazing.”
“You could soak in the tub for a bit,” I offer, fingers lingering on her body. Part of me wants her to say no, so that I can keep her pressed against me a little while longer. When she declines, I have to bite back my smile. “How about we turn on a movie? I have an idea that might help.”
“Sure. You can pick since I might fall asleep.”
I turn on the TV and get us settled with extra pillows. As the movie starts to play, I shift us so that Hannah is pressed fully against my chest. My arms sneak down to her waist, wrapping beneath her baby bump. Ever-so-gently, I lift the weight with my hands.
“Oh! That’s-” She cuts off with a groan, her body melting against me. “How did you know that would help?”
“I’ve been around pregnant women before. Watched the ways their mates helped them.”
She’s quiet for a long time, drifting in and out of sleep while I hold her. If this helps her sleep comfortably, we can cuddle like this every day. Feeling our son kick and move against her side is a bonus that brings a smile to my lips. Parenthood is a dream that Foster and I have whispered about in the darkness of his nest, but we never expected it to happen so suddenly. Not that either of us would change our situation for the world.
An hour after lying down, Hannah sits up with a grunt. My bladder is screaming at me, so I slip from behind her. “I’m going to use the bathroom real quick. Pizza should be here soon, so I’ll grab plates and drinks while I’m up. We can eat in here tonight.”
I’m at the sink washing my hands when someone knocks on the apartment door. With my phone still sitting on the coffee table, I assume it’s the front desk dropping the pizza off. Hannah calls back to me, and I hear her swing the door open. Seconds later, a panicked shriek fills the air. I bolt out of the bathroom, hands still wet, and storm down the hall.
What I find in the living room has my instincts hurtling into overdrive. Kaitlin cowers behind Hannah’s legs, shaking so much her teeth are chattering. My Beta holds our daughter behind her, but the same fear shines in her rich brown eyes. Colin stands in front of the partially closed door, one hand gripping her wrist tight enough to indent her skin.
Fury, like nothing I’ve ever felt, surges through my veins, tinting my vision red. My body moves on its own, carrying me across the room. One arm presses against Colin’s throat, pinning him to the wall. Breaking his hold on Hannah’s wrist is easy when the weak asshole is struggling to breathe. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
A brief flash of fear enters his eyes before they narrow on me. Arrogance flows in his dank, earthy scent. My lips tilt into a snarl when he dares to look at my mate again.She’s mine! Not his!He lost the right to lay eyes on her the moment she left their home.
“Shepherd,” Hannah pleads, hand curling around the biceps of the arm that isn’t pressed to this asshole’s neck. “You have to let him go. Please look at me.”
I don’t want to take my eyes off Colin, but the shake in her voice pulls my focus to her. Tears line her warm brown eyes, and her lip wobbles. “Let him go, Alpha. The police are already on their way. If you kill him…”
Shit!Turning back, I notice the ugly shade of purple his face is turning. I drop him, letting his body slam to the hardwood floor. He coughs and sputters, glaring up at me. Matching his glare, I reach out and pull Hannah against my side. Kaitlin follows her, quietly crying as she hides behind us.
“How disgusting.” Colin coughs harder as he pushes to his feet and dusts himself off. “You stole my son from me so you could spread your legs for anAlpha? The sins you’ve committed will be dealt with when we get home-”
A growl, low and menacing, fills the air, stalling his threats. “They. Aren’t. Going. With. You.”
