by Juniper Hart
“No need to be,” he assured her. “It’s all standard stuff. The only difference is that the doctor is a Lycan. She’ll know what to look for in terms of complications.”
It was the wrong thing to say. Danica’s face paled.
“What kind of complications?” she asked.
“I’m not going to lie to you,” he told her softly. “I have no idea what the doctor might say.”
It wasn’t something they had discussed before. Wes couldn’t say what problems might arise. A mortal turned Lycan carrying a Lycan child could have countless ramifications, ones that Wes hadn’t ever considered before.
“We can’t assume anything,” Wes continued, noting the stricken look on Danica’s face. “That’s why we’re going to see Dr. Burnes.”
“I’m not sure how much faith I have in an OBGYN named ‘Burnes,’” Danica mumbled. Wes knew she was trying to make a joke, but there was little mirth in her tone.
“Catalina is one of the smartest Lycans I’ve ever met,” he said lightly. “She should be the Alpha of her pack. Her own leader is an idiot in comparison.”
“Should I be jealous?” Danica asked jokingly.
“What do you think?” he teased, pausing to stare deeply into her eyes. She looked over her shoulder again, and Wes felt a jolt of apprehension shoot through him. “Why do you keep looking over your shoulder?”
Guilt flooded her expression.
“No reason,” she clearly lied, making him scowl.
“I thought we were at a place where we were trusting one another.”
“I do! We are!” she protested, coloring tinging her cheeks. “I-it’s nothing, really.” She inhaled and looked up at him with slightly haunted eyes. “I think Aiden has been lurking around campus these past couple days. If he sees us together…”
Anger fused through Wes’ spine.
“So what if he does?” he growled. “What’s he going to do?”
“He’s going to tell Gabriel, that’s what.” He could tell Danica had spoken without thinking about the words fully.
“And?” he spat back. She gnawed on her lower lip and shook her head.
“I’m not worried that he knows about us being together,” she insisted. “I’m worried about what he’ll do when he finds out.”
“If he’s smart, he’ll walk away like he did with the others when their mates claimed them,” Wes snapped. “Danica, this hold he has over you—it isn’t healthy. You can’t keep looking over your shoulder.”
“It’s hard when I’m carrying his child!” she countered in a much louder voice than he was sure she intended. His face flushed with humiliation.
“You’re carrying our child,” he reminded her curtly.
“He won’t buy that for a second.”
“Gabriel is not your concern any longer. Why are you having such a hard time having faith in me? Do you want to be with him?”
Confusion and ire twined together in his gut. He loathed the way he was constantly putting her feelings into question, but sometimes, he wasn’t sure he knew what she wanted.
“Of course I don’t want to be with him, but you can’t blame me for feeling weird about this entire ordeal.”
Wes sighed and steeled his temper. “If Aiden is here, I’ll have my pack find him.”
“If Aiden is here, the pack isn’t far behind,” Danica mumbled. Wes stared at her, knowing that she had spoken the words with great reluctance.
She’s coming around now. She wants the threat of Gabriel’s pack eliminated.
“I’ll put the word out when we get to the doctor’s,” he promised, pulling her body closer to his. Danica pressed herself to his side, and he could tell she was trying to summon strength from his nearness.
“Have you been in touch with Landon Burke over the last few days?” she asked rather unexpectedly. Wes shook his head.
“No. Why?”
“I was just wondering if he’d had any sightings of Gabriel.”
“Landon isn’t apt to tell me if he had,” Wes reminded her.
“I guess not.” The stress in her voice was almost palpable, and Wes smothered a groan of worry. No matter how much they tried to pretend that nothing was wrong, Gabriel was going to linger over their heads. “I’m wondering if anyone told him about the baby,” Danica said, her words again surprising him.
“Who? Landon?”
She nodded but didn’t slow her gait as they neared the parking lot where the silver Lexus was parked under a huge palm tree.
“If anyone did, I haven’t heard about it,” Wes told her. “Trust me when I say that Landon isn’t exactly up to date with birth announcements.”
“What if he figures out that Gabriel is the father?” Wes stopped walking abruptly and glared at her ferociously.
“If you keep saying that, he will definitely find out,” he hissed. “Why can’t you just forget about Gabriel? I am the baby’s father. Me.”
“Of course you are,” she retorted sharply. “But we both know that’s not true. If Mason could sense that I was pregnant—”
“Look at me,” Wes interjected, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with Danica’s constant worries. “Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it then. It’s not good for you or the baby to keep replaying the worst-case scenarios in your head over and over.”
“I can’t help it,” Danica sighed, a look of contrition falling over her face. “No matter what you say, I won’t stop being paranoid.”
At least that’s honest, Wes mused, pulling her into his arms.
“Never mind,” he muttered. “I’m not mad at you. I just wish you’d relax a little bit.”
“Relax like you?” she jibed back. “You think I can’t read the tension on your face? If you could age, this entire situation would have added ten years to you.”
Am I that transparent? Wes was mildly amused that she had gotten to know him so well in such a short time. It was just more confirmation of what he had already known—that she was his mate.
“It’s all gotten so much more real this past week,” Danica mumbled. “Almost like I was living in a haze ever since it happened. There’s a clarity in me now, and with that clarity is a fear I never knew.”
“His hold on you is faltering,” Wes explained. “The longer you spend away from him, the better you will feel.”
“Or maybe your hold on me is just expanding,” she offered, her dark eyes glimmering. “Even with the uncertainty, I much prefer the way you make me feel.”
Their eyes locked.
“Did you ever love him?” he asked against his better judgement.
“Maybe,” she replied evasively. “I thought I did, but the way I feel about you is a thousand times more potent than the best times with Gabriel. I think I felt like I owed him, more than anything.”
Wes’ jaw locked, the rage he felt toward Gabriel only mounting as he thought again about how much the rogue wolf had taken advantage of his mate. You should have put a stop to it as soon as you figured out what was going on. This has gone way too far.
“What are you thinking?” Danica asked nervously. Wes kissed her forehead sweetly.
“I’m thinking that we’re going to be late,” he urged her, begrudgingly parting from their embrace. “Catalina is smart, but she’s also extremely impatient.”
“Great. An OBGYN with no bedside manner.”
Wes snorted good-naturedly. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but wolf females are hardly known for the cookie baking and bosom-nuzzling. They tend to follow a sterner, hands-off approach.”
“I’ll be one of those mothers who bakes cookies and wipes away tears,” Danica insisted. “I’ve always wanted to be exactly that kind of mother.”
Of course you have. You never had anything remotely resembling a decent mother of any kind in your life. Wes smiled at her and opened the passenger side for her to slip in before closing the door and retreating to the opposite end of the car.
“You’re going to be a wonderful mother,” he promised when
he took over the driver’s side. “And you can helicopter parent all you want if that’s what feels right. I happen to like cookies, also, so that’s a bonus for me.”
“Have you given any thought to what kind of father you’re going to be?” The question was loaded, and Wes knew exactly what she was asking. She wanted to know if he could honestly raise Gabriel’s baby without resenting him.
“I’m a strong believer in the fact that the baby trains you. I have seen far too many parents fall under the delusion that if they read enough books, they’ll have this parenting thing down to a science.”
“You know what I mean, Wes. Are you going to be able to do this?” The query was pointed this time, but Wes had no hesitation when he nodded his head.
“Of course I can.” He stared at Danica melancholically, but before she could read too much into his expression, he started the car with the keyless remote.
“How far away is the clinic?” she asked, buckling up her seatbelt. He pulled forward through the lot, reaching for her hand again.
“About twenty minutes—assuming traffic isn’t going to detain us. I hope it doesn’t. Catalina will not be impressed.”
“The way you’re talking about her isn’t inspiring a lot of confidence in me. Does she know the story about me?”
Wes sighed. “For the last time, Dani, there is no story with you. You are my mate. You are pregnant. The end. I wish you’d—”
He stopped speaking abruptly as he noticed smoke billowing out from under the hood of the car.
“What the hell?”
“What is that?” Danica demanded, her voice rising an octave. “What happened?”
“I don’t know.” Wes steered the car toward the side of the road as thick, black fumes began to waft through the vents.
“GET OUT OF THE CAR!” he screamed, suddenly realizing what was happening. “Danica, get—”
But he never had a chance to finish his plea as the vehicle exploded and the world went black.
10
Ringing.
Sirens.
Someone screaming her name.
Those were the first things that slowly seeped into Danica’s mind as her eyes fluttered open. The smell of burning filled her nostrils, and she blinked her charred eyelashes in confusion. It took her several seconds to understand where she was, laying back-up in a grassy area.
What happened? Where am I? She tried to sit up, but when she did, she realized she had fully shifted, her paws twitching in pain as sounds reverberated through her head. My baby!
Instantly, she fought to morph back into her human form, but the effort was too great. In her agony and panic, she had resorted to her most primal state.
Danica turned her head, looking for signs of life around her. She saw no one.
WES! Discombobulated, she managed to amble to her feet, her body aching in places she didn’t know existed.
“DANICA!”
She heard Wes calling for her, but when her mouth parted to respond, nothing came out.
There are mortals around. I can’t let them see me like this. Dizzyingly, she swayed around the grass, trying to orient herself. A thick of trees caught her eye, and she limped toward them, a low whimper emanating from her throat as she moved.
“DANICA!” Wes’ voice was growing farther away, but that didn’t make her turn. Instinct had kicked in, and she knew she had to hide until she figured out a way to shift back.
As she moved, memories of what had happened began to flood her in a torrent.
The car. The smoke. The explosion.
How did it happen? Was it an accident? It seemed like a hell of a coincidence, but accident reconstruction was the last thing on Danica’s mind now. She paused, her sleek, white head raised to sniff the air around her. Keep moving.
Her heart was hammering as she made her way deeper into the interior, her breaths uneven. For several minutes, she sauntered around, her sense of direction skewed, and when she stopped again, she was feeling slightly stronger.
I’m healing, she thought gratefully. She’d never had any real occasion to utilize the powers of wellness that came with her immortality, but she had seen them work on the rest of the pack countless times when heists had gone wrong.
Slumping against tree, she paused to collect her breath, her ears honed for her lover calling out to her. It seemed she had wandered too far, and Wes had apparently lost her.
Come on, she muttered to herself, trying to shift once more. The effort was not yet rewarded, and a slight panic overcame her. She knew it could sometimes take days for a Lycan body to repair itself, depending on the extent of the injury. She didn’t have days to sit around in the forest without supplies or food. She tried to assure herself that Wes would find her, but the notion only gave her a modicum of comfort. She had no doubt that he was looking for her, though he wouldn’t be the only one. If a mortal found her first…
“Any mortal who sees an Enchanted creature must die. The same goes for the Enchanted,” Gabriel had once explained to her. “There are few exceptions to the rule. That is why you must never, ever show your true form to a mortal.”
Danica gulped at the thought that she might, once more, be calling the attention of the Council.
The universe is mocking me. It’s telling me that I can’t escape the fate that’s coming for me, she thought mournfully, closing her eyes. Maybe it’s time we just stop fighting it.
But it wasn’t just a matter of turning herself in. It would mean turning in her mate, her protector, the being who had gone out of his way to keep her safe, even before she’d been aware of his role in her life. And it was also about her baby.
She whimpered again, but the pain wasn’t physical. It was a deep stabbing in her heart—and in her belly.
Something’s wrong with the baby!
Her lids parted, and she looked about desperately, her mouth parting to release a howl she hoped would signal Wes.
Yet again, she struggled to shift, and this time, she managed to alter her form slightly until she was standing fully erect against the tree, doubled over. She could feel the bubble of trouble in her womb, indicating that something was terribly wrong.
Nothing is wrong, a voice in her mind insisted. He will heal just as you have. He is a Lycan, too. But she had nothing to base her hope upon.
Danica could still feel the throb of her incisors poking at her gums, and she knew her face had not shifted back, her wet snout leaking over the curl of her lips. She released another loud howl, suddenly uncaring of who else might hear her. People would not come running to the sound of a wolf’s howl, but her mate certainly would.
She sank to her knees, terror overwhelming her.
Please, not my baby, she thought miserably. I will turn myself in, but please, gods, don’t take my child. She closed her eyes and began to sob, her arms wrapped protectively around her paining stomach.
There was nothing left to do except hope that Wes found her before anyone else did.
Danica didn’t know how long she sat crumbled in the leaves, nothing but the sound of nature surrounding her. Although her sobs had subsided, the agony seizing her womb had not. There was no longer any doubt in her mind that something was wrong with her baby, and somehow, the fear kept her from shifting entirely back into her mortal form.
Suddenly, a movement caught her attention, and she straightened her body to call out, “Who’s there? Wes?”
Her pulse racing, she darted her gaze through the trees until a massive figure ambled forward, his blue eyes glimmering.
“There you are,” he sighed. Danica’s mouth parted in stunned amazement.
“Gabriel!”
Gabriel stalked toward her, concern etched on his face.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” he growled, studying her face with mild contempt. “I heard you’ve been shacking up with one of your professors now.”
Denial sprang to Danica’s lips, but before she could say a word, Gabriel shook his head.
�
�It doesn’t matter now,” he grumbled. “We have to get you out of here. You need to shift.”
“I can’t!” she cried mournfully, fear overwhelming her. “How did you know I was out here?” And what else did he know?
A wry smirk formed on the rogue leader’s lips.
“How do you think?” he demanded. “I’m the one who planted the bomb in the car.”
Shock and fury surged through Danica.
“You what?” she hissed. “How could you?”
“You’re fine,” he retorted. “You’re a Lycan, remember?” When he reached for her, she wrenched her arm away, aghast.
“Why would you do that?” she whispered, tears filling her eyes. “Why would you ever put me in danger like that?”
“What danger? You’re fine!” Gabriel snapped again. “What’s with all the drama?”
Her arms were still pressed against her stomach as she gaped at him. “You could have killed someone.”
“Not you,” Gabriel said. “And apparently not your boyfriend, either. He’s crawling around looking for you as we speak. We need to get going, Dani. You’ve already been out here too long.”
“I need a hospital,” she moaned.
“What for?” The look of perplexity was genuine, and Danica knew for certain that he had no clue about the baby. “Whatever pain you’re in now will dissipate. I’m sorry you took it so roughly.”
“I’m not going with you,” she breathed. “Leave me alone. I’m with Wes now.”
Gabriel’s face twisted into a sneer of disgust.
“Not you too,” he whined. “I expected as much from the others, but you, Dani?”
“Your days are numbered, Gabriel,” she heard herself say. “You would do well to run far and fast before you’re hunted down like the animal you are.”
He blinked, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Well, don’t you just sound brainwashed by the masses,” he growled. “I suppose Wes has told you that you’re his mate? Is that it?”
“Just go,” she muttered miserably, tears lolling down her face as she looked away. “We’re done here.”