In an instant, he was hovering over me again. “What is it? Are you feeling all right?”
I blinked back tears. “I don’t feel like myself anymore, dammit. I’m a fox, which means Gran might have lied to me. Even if it was to protect me, she still lied. My body feels like it’s fucking falling apart, and now I’m apparently pregnant with your baby. Oh, and I obviously have no control over my emotions anymore, because this so isn’t me. I don’t cry at stupid shit. Not ever.”
A tear slid down my cheek as I sniffled, and I grew dangerously close to losing my shit—very wet and loudly—right in front of the alpha.
“And I still have to tell Cass that his bounty hunter partner is about to blow up into a balloon. How am I going to chase down Calista while I’m waddling around like a big fat whale? Or any of my other bounties?”
Brock just studied me for a few beats, during which I was sure he was wishing he’d gotten anyone but me pregnant. I tilted my head down so I could hide my face behind the sheet of black hair that slid forward.
I needed to get my gimpy ass over to Gran’s cabin, stat, where I could have the obvious breakdown I was having privately.
But then Brock gently tucked my hair behind my ear, tilting my chin so my eyes met his.
“I get that this is hard for you,” he offered. “But you’re not alone. Not anymore.”
I swallowed and choked on my spit. As I coughed and Brock reached for the glass of water, I internally rolled my eyes.Good one, Evie.
Once I calmed, he sent a weary glance at my belly, as if mere coughing posed a danger to the baby I was incubating. “I’ll help you figure things out,” he continued. “We’ll find out what the deal was with your parents. We’ll figure out what needs to happen to get you healthy and strong through the pregnancy, and beyond. I don’t care if I need to give you my blood every damn day, we’ll figure it out.”
I nodded, unable to say anything over the lump in my throat. Brock’s true colors were peeking through the tough alpha persona, and they were pretty great.
“Sabine is the best there is at what she does, and she already has a head start on all this pregnancy stuff.”
“And what about my job? I have to work. You can’t make me un-balloon. Once this baby grows, I’ll get huge.”
“You don’t need to work anymore. You can stay here with me. I’ll take care of everything.”
Uh...“That’s super sweet and all, but I can’t just be some kept woman. That’s not me. I’m a supernatural bounty hunter. I hunt things. It’s what I do. It’s who I am.”
I once clubbed a seven-foot tall troll over the head, and then let Cass take a selfie with him while he was unconscious. My life was dangerous and weird, and I liked it that way. I didn’t do boring. I wasn’t going to be some stay-at-home mom who cooked brownies every day. Not unless those brownies had some pot in them.
“Well, now you’re a mother too,” Brock said. “So…” He held his hands up in the air like that settled things.
So?That wasn’t an argument, though he obviously thought he had one. “So you just want me to climb into your bed like a good girl, and grow your baby?”
He growled and the sound sent shivers rippling through me. “You’re already in my bed.”
I was? But of course I was. A part of me realized it the moment I woke up—and liked it.
I moved to get out of his bed. “Then I should make my way to mine.” Only I wasn’t sure if I meant my bed in Gran’s cabin, or my bed in his house. I needed to assert my independence before this got even more out of control. When I tried to get up but swayed, his face softened.
He brought a gentle hand to my shoulders, holding me there. “Not now, Evie. Please.”
I searched his eyes and knew he didn’t say please like this often. His eyelid twitched as if it hurt him to say it.
“You need to take care of yourself.” He gently guided me back down onto the bed. “You need rest.”
I was super tired, even if I’d just woken up. “Why did you put me in your bed?” I knew the answer already, but I wanted to hear him say it.
He stared at me so hard right then that a wave of heat rushed through my body. My face flushed.
“Because you’remine.”
I knew it!I’d freaking gotten knocked up by an alpha werewolf. I might as well let him handcuff me to him. Alphas and their possessive need to smother what they thought was theirs. Textbook. “I see,” I replied. “And that means you want me in your bed?” I was going to make him squirm.
He growled again, only this time it was a possessive growl, not an angry one, and I wondered what the hell I’d gotten myself into.
“That’s exactly what that means.” His gaze blazed, and it was clear that this alpha had me right where he wanted me.
