He scrubbed a hand down his face and then grabbed at his shirt before yanking it on. Yes, the sex was mind blowing, but now that he’d had his fill, he could put it all behind him and forget about her. He couldn’t afford to get attached, not after everything he’d gone through to get here. Not after all the destruction he’d left in his wake of bad decisions.
Chapter 1
One month later
Don’t show two lines … don’t show two lines …
Olivia clasped her hands together as she silently repeated those words like a prayer in front of the plastic stick perched at the edge of her bathroom sink. This was not how she envisioned her day would go, but when her smart watch alerted her that her period should have started today, well …
It wasn’t possible, she told herself. Lycans had a low fertility rate. Nobody knew why exactly, perhaps it was Mother Nature’s way of controlling their species. Most Lycans, even those with human mates, rarely conceived. Unless …
Her head snapped up and she met her reflection’s eyes. Before the next thought could form in her head, her phone’s alarm rang out, signaling that three minutes had passed. Slowly, she bent her head to look at the stick.
Two lines.
Pregnant.
She had expected that dreaded sensation to creep into her, of her stomach dropping or even freezing terror. However,she couldn’t name the emotion running through her now, but whatever it was, it was the opposite of how she thought she would feel if the pregnancy test did turn out positive.
I’m pregnant.
Now that she was sure, the next thought in her head pivoted to a different question: what about her baby’s father?
It wasthatthought that brought that dread deep into the pit of her stomach. And if her suspicions were correct, he was not just her baby’s father, but also her True Mate. While it was true that Lycans rarely conceived there was one exception. When True Mates had sex without physical barriers for the first time, they always conceived.
She could still be wrong, but there was one way to confirm that, and it involved a different kind of test. Opening the medicine cabinet door, she reached for the eyebrow razor on the top shelf and flicked the cap off.
Here goes nothing.
A drop of blood appeared where the tip of the blade pierced her skin. Gritting her teeth through the pain, she dragged the razor down. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched her flesh knit back together, then met her reflection in the mirror once more.
Well, that confirmed it.
Not just pregnant, but pregnant with her True Mate’s baby. The instant healing was another way to confirm. Lycan fetuses protected their mothers with a special kind of magical barrier that made them invulnerable.
Her wolf, which had been very silent up to this point, finally let out a soft mewl.
You knew all this time.
The she-wolf crouched down and huffed.
Olivia buried her face in her hand.
What am I going to do?
The message alert on her phone jolted her out of her thoughts. Glancing at the screen, she saw her cousin Charley’s name pop up in the notifications.
See you at Lone Wolf? You’re coming right?
Biting her lip, she tapped out a reply.
Of course. Wouldn’t miss it.
Great! See you later!
Olivia put the phone down, then massaged her temple with her thumb and middle finger. When she woke up this morning and realized her period was late, she rushed to the bodega around the corner to grab a pregnancy test. The anxiety had made her forget about what today was.
Her other cousin, Jacob, was waiting to hear back on the Lycan High Council’s verdict on his case. Jacob was guilty, technically, but his actions were warranted. The council had put him and his True Mate, Sloane, under house arrest because they had entered the Boston clan’s territory without permission from their Alpha. However, they had good reason to. The Alpha, Ronan Forte, had been a cruel leader, forcing the Lycans under his protection into committing crimes to enrich himself. And when they disagreed or tried to leave, he punished them or simply got rid of them, including Sloane’s parents. She and Jacob had gone to Boston to find evidence of Ronan’s crimes.
