“You know, eavesdropping isn’t right.” He sits down in one of the bar stools.
“I wasn’t eavesdropping. I was just…shut up,” I say trying to find the right words as I glare at him.
He chuckles and pulls me into his chest. He peppers kisses all over my face, making me erupt into a fit of giggles.
“Eww, Mommy and Daddy!” William says as he walks into the kitchen. I laugh and push away Nick’s face.
“William, did you eat breakfast?”
He shakes his head no as reaches up to get the cereal box, trying. A loud noise causes the cereal to fall on the ground.
Our eyes snap to backyard, seeing the dead man himself standing there.
Jason.
Nick is up in seconds and outside, along with most of the men in the pack. I give Will to my mom, telling them to go with the other wives and kids.
I see that Jason isn’t by himself now. Standing next to him is Amber and about twenty other wolves behind them. All of their eyes are red, confirming that they are rogues.
“How dare you step into my land,” Nick sneers, disgust and anger clear in his voice.
Jason smirks, but the smell of fear on him and his ‘pack’ fouls the air.
Nick’s hands curl in a fist, and the anger radiating off of him makes everybody take a few steps back. I cautiously approach him, my touch physically relaxing him.
“Go back inside, Rose.”
Even though my wolf wants to follow her mate and alpha’s order, I remain where I am.
“This is my fight too, Nick. Let me stay…please.”
He stays quiet as he keeps his eyes on a dirty-looking Jason.
“I suggest you leave now, Jason, because that’s the only way you will leave alive.”
“I can’t do that, Nick. I came here for one thing, and that’s to hurt you. Now you could hand me Rose or I could take her away from you. Wyatt did say she always felt nice.”
Nicks eyes turn pitch black as a ferocious growl leaves his mouth. He wastes no time and charges at Jason. The other wolves follow their alpha’s lead and charge at the rogues. I see Amber run towards me, already in her wolf form. I don’t have time to shift as she tackles me to the ground. I try my best to block her mouth from reaching my face. I’m able to push her off of me, but it doesn’t last long.
She charges me again but is stopped when we hear Jason cry out. All heads snap to see his body fall to the ground, life leaving his eyes.
Me and Nick make eye contact, and I feel relief fill my body. I don’t get to enjoy the moment as Amber growls at me, attacking me to the ground. Her teeth clamp down on my shoulder, and a whimper leaving my mouth.
Growing tired of the situation, I dodge her mouth and grab her neck. I can only feel hate as I look at her. I twist her neck until I hear a pop! Her body goes heavy and falls on top of mine.
I lay my head down, the pain in my shoulder growing. Amber’s weight is lifted off of me. Nick is staring down at me.
“Baby, are you okay?” he asks frantically. I nod, not even trying to talk. Nick picks me up in his arms, bridal style. I snuggle into his arms, rubbing my dirt covered-face on his bare chest.
“Are you naked?” I ask, giggling.
He stares down at me worriedly, giving me a weird look.
“Doc, she was bit in the shoulder,” Nick says, ignoring my question.
“What happened?” My dad asks, coming into the room with everybody else. I swear they travel in groups.
“Are you guys a cult? Like a werewolf cult? That would be so cool!” I say, laughing at the thought.
“Nick, what happened out there? And why is she eating her hair?”
I stop chewing on my hair once I notice what I’m doing. It tastes good though, kind of like a cookie dough.
“Amber bit her. I don’t know why she’s acting weird though.”
“Alpha, we have to put her out to repair the bite.”
My eyes go wide, but as I try to sit up, I see Nick nod. Moments later, all I see is darkness.
***
Two Hours Later
I wake up with a massive headache. I groan as I feel a slight pain in my shoulder.
“Baby…” I look over to see Nick staring at me, our hands intertwined together. I lay my head back down, trying to control this headache. A couple of minutes passed, along with the headache.
“What happened?” I ask looking into his beautiful green eyes.
“You were bit, my love. You don’t remember?”
I shake my head, honestly confused as to what he’s talking about.
“It’s not important anyways. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
I nod, feeling his warm lips on my forehead.
“Are you hungry? Thirsty?” Nick asks and stands up, ready to get me anything. I ask for water and wait patiently as he gets back.
“I swear, Rose, if I have to come visit you in this room one more time!” Marcus scolds as he comes into the room with Jake right behind him.
“Trust me, I know. I’m starting to get sick of the color white.”
His face cracks into a grin. I smile as he makes himself comfortable on Jake’s lap.
“So, everything is okay between you two?”
Marcus shyly nods, snuggling his face into his mate’s neck as Jake grins widely.
“Good, cause I need nieces and nephews soon.”
“We didn’t have ice, but I stuck it into the freezer for a minute…oh, hey, Marcus, Jake.”
I thank Nick and take the glass away from him. The liquid travels down my throat, soothing the burning dryness.
Nick catches me up on what happened and shocking me. I can’t believe I killed Amber. I mean, I never liked her, but I shouldn’t have done that to her.
“What about her mate?”
“I talked to him. He said he’s okay. It hurts him a little, but he’s okay. He wanted me to tell you not to be sorry. She hurt you, and as his luna, he shouldn’t have done that. I think when Amber left the pack, he thought she was dead, so the only difference now is the physical pain,” Nick explains to me.
A knock on the door catches our attention, and the doctor walks in. He smiles warmly at me, greeting me and everybody else in the room. He grabs my chart and looks through it.
“If you weren’t mated to Alpha Nick, I would think you had a crush on me since you’ve come to see me so many times already.”
I smile at the same humor Doctor Barry have used since I was little.
“I don’t know, Doc. I was just starting to find these beds cozy.”
“Please don’t do that to me, Rosealine. Dealing with the pressure to save you is enough to kill me. I don’t like to deal with a worried alpha.” He laughs, winking at me as he grabs one of those mouth compressor things.
After finishing his check up, he takes a blood sample from me, saying he’ll be back when the results are available.
“Rose you should have heard yourself when Nick brought you in here.”
I give Jake a weird look, not knowing what he’s talking about.
“Oh, yeah. You thought you and Nick’s family were in a werewolf cult!” Marcus says, making all of them bust out laughing.
I groan and place my head in my hands. Why do I have to blabber when I get tired?
“You also thought I was naked the whole time and that your hair tasted good,” Nick adds, smirking at me.
“I was eating my hair?” I slap my forehead, my cheeks becoming flustered.
“It’s okay, baby. It was cute seeing you all hysterical!” He chuckles, wrapping me in his arms.
The next hour goes by fast as we all just sit down and chat. I missed this: laughing, smiling, bonding with my mate, best friend, and brother. Life’s good, I’m at peace with everything.
Barry comes back a wide grin on his face.
“Beta Jake, Marcus, do you guys mind leaving for just a minute?” They both nod and tell us goodbye. Jake picks up a squealing Marcus. I cringe, knowing what they’re going to go d
o.
“Did the results come back?” I ask.
He nods, but stays silent, sending us an almost creepy smile.
“Well…?” Nick asks, motioning for him to continue.
“Congratulations, Alpha and Luna. You’ll be expecting child number two in three months!”
Wait, WHAT?
CHAPTER 22
Rose
“B-But I thought I…” The shock becomes too much. I don’t get to finish my sentence. Aurora jumps around in my head, howling in joy.
“I’ll leave you too alone. Congrats!” Barry says, he smiles as he leaves the room.
“Baby…” Nick starts, but I cut him off, kissing him.
I wrap my arms around his neck as he pulls my body close. I feel my tears roll down my face, tasting the saltiness in my mouth.
“I’m pregnant!” I whisper against his lips.
He smiles against my lips, pecking them multiple times.
“When should we tell everybody?” I ask feeling the excitement running through my body.
“Whenever you want, baby.”
“Let’s tell them today.”
He nods and kiss my temple. “Maybe you should change out of your bloody clothes first.”
***
Later That Night
“How’s your shoulder, Mommy?” William asks as he sits by me at the dinner table. It’s been about nine hours since the accident happened. The pain is almost all gone.
“It’s good, baby. Thanks for asking.”
He nods and kisses my cheek. Nick called a pack dinner tonight to let them all know of my pregnancy. We had to make sure Doctor Barry didn’t say anything before then.
I sit patiently, the nerves running through my body. We’re planning on telling our families before the dinner starts in thirty minutes. My hands are shaking, and the nerves in my body make me want to throw up.
Sensing my stress, Nick comes in the room and takes my hands in his much larger ones.
“Rose, you’re going to be okay. Calm down.”
I nod, closing my eyes as I take a deep breath.
As if on cue, our families walk in. They all sit down, looking around for everybody else since we told them a different time than the rest of the pack members.
“I thought you said to be here at seven?” Nathan asks
“We did. We just told everybody else a different time.”
They nod slowly, still confused. I let out a soft laugh, finding it amusing seeing them all confused.
“Well, we wanted to tell you all before the pack.”
“Tell us what?”
“I’m pregnant!” I say quietly.
The room falls silent, their faces all in shock.
“No way!” Marcus screeches, making us all cover our ears. Everybody else follows, coming out of their state of shock and congratulating us.
“I’m going to have a brother or a sister!” William says, jumping up and down.
“When do you find out the gender?” Noah asks as he takes a sip of his drink.
“I’m not sure. I found out what William was at one month, so hopefully, soon!”
We continue talking about the upcoming baby until seven thirty comes around. The nerves come back, but I’m thankful as everybody silently calms me down.
“Hey, William. How bout you tell the pack about the baby?” I whisper into his ear.
He nods his little head up and down fast. I giggle, pushing his brown locks out of his eyes.
“Okay, I’ll tell you when.”
Everybody sits down and quiets once Nick clears his throat.
“Thank you all for coming. I called for this supper to share some exciting news with you all.” I nudge William, nodding at him to do his thing.
He interrupts Nick as he stands on the table, careful not to knock over anything. He clears his throat and takes a deep breath before shouting.
“MOMMY’S PREGNANT!“
I stare at him, wide-eyed. I was not expecting that. I can’t help but burst out laughing, along with Nick and our family. The pack stares at us wide-eyed, their mouths hung open.
“Thank you, William. I’m sure the whole country knows now.” Nick sends a wink to Will and help him off the table.
Barry is the first to speak up, congratulating us once again. Pack members, one by one, congratulate us, telling us how happy they are for us.
I feel a fuzzy feeling in my stomach. All the love I’m receiving is a lot to handle. Maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones. Maybe not. Whatever it is, I’m grateful.
I’m talking to Sherry, one of the pregnant moms in the pack, when Nick stands up and gains everybody’s attention.
“I want to make a toast to my lovely mate. I could sit up here and tell you how much I’m in love with you, but we’d be up here for days. Words can’t describe how incredibly happy you make me. I know I’ve made dumb mistakes, but you forgave me. Just that means everything to me. You gave me the world’s best kid, and you’re about to give me another one. If it’s possible, I think I fell harder for you. I don’t want to ever live without you, Rosealine Washington. You’re my mate, my love, my world, and I want to make you my wife. Will you marry me?”
He gets on one knee and pulls out a ring.
“Yes!” I whisper, wiping the tears that are falling from my eyes.
He smiles, pulls me from my seat, and picks me up into his arms. The pack erupts into cheers as I wrap my legs around Nick’s waist and my arms around his neck.
“I love you,” Nick says into my ear, putting me back on to the ground. As he slips the ring on my finger, I say the words back to him.
“I love you too!” I stand on my tippy toes, bringing his face to mine.
Our lips connect, the familiar sparks going off between us. Whistles and snickers are heard in the room. I pull back, smiling at my fiancé.
Fiancé…it has a nice ring to it.
That night, we spend our time in each other’s arms, a calm feeling in the air. All our worries are gone. Everything’s perfect.
***
Three Months Later
“This sucks!” I groan, as another sharp pain hits my stomach.
“It’s okay, Rose. Nick will be here soon,” Marcus says, rubbing a wet wash cloth on my forehead.
I’m currently minutes away from delivering. And where’s Nick? Stuck in traffic. He’s been gone, along with Jake and Donny, the new third in command, for three days.
A baby was born two weeks ago to Alpha Max, and as friends, he went to visit. I wanted to go, but of course, I had to stay here since I’m already huge.
Why am I so huge? Well, let me tell you. We found out two months ago we are having twins. TWINS! I swear, I wanted to kill Nick right then and there. How could he do that to me? My small fragile body is carrying TWINS!
We decide to keep the genders a secret, to be surprised when the time comes. Which is now!
“Ahhh!” I scream as the sharpest pain hits me.
“Luna, we have to deliver them now,” Barry says, coming in to the room with a bunch of nurses.
“But he’s not…ahh. Goddess, okay!” I lay my head down and take deep breathes as they prepare to deliver my babies.
Where are you, Nick?
***
Nick
“Donny, come on. I know you can drive faster than that!” I can’t believe I’m about to miss my twin’s birth. Screw you traffic!
“I’m going as fast I can, Alpha. If we get pulled over, it will just take us longer.”
I nod, annoyed, but I know he’s right.
I get a text from Marcus saying that they have to deliver them now. I groan, knowing what I have to do. We’re parked in traffic for at least another ten minutes. Looking out the window, I see the woods a short distance away from us.
“I got to shift,” I say, not waiting for them to respond. I jump out of the car and run towards the woods. Once I’m in the safety of the trees, I strip from my clothes. I see Jake run up to me, doing the same.
&
nbsp; “What are you doing?”
“I’m not missing another one of my niece’s or nephew’s births. Now, come on.”
We shift and run towards the pack house. We cross the border, bypassing the pack warriors, and push our legs faster.
Once we get to the backyard, Marcus is outside, waiting for us with clothes. I guess Jake mind linked him. I quickly shift back, tugging the clothes on, and take off towards the infirmary. The pack parts for me as I run through, knowing if they didn’t, I would end up hitting them.
I finally make it, busting open the door to the waiting room. Our families are sitting there, waiting patiently.
“She’s in Room 5. Hurry up, Nick,” my mom directs. I don’t have to be told twice as I sprint towards Room 5.
Opening the door, I see my baby laying there, a look of pain on her face. I rush to her side and take her hand in mine.
“Nick…”
“I’m here, baby. Just breathe.” I instruct and kiss her lips.
“I see a head. Keep pushing, Luna.” She grips my hand tighter, paining it, but I hide the whimper that wants to leave my mouth.
“It’s a boy!” Barry says as my son starts to cry.
He hands me the scissors, asking if I want to cut the umbilical cord. I nod, wiping my tears and cutting it. He gets handed off to the nurses as Barry works on getting baby number two out.
“One more push, Luna!” Barry encourages.
With one more push, my baby girl is born. I cut her umbilical cord and then she is handed off to the doctors.
“Are they okay?” Rose asks, her voice hoarse.
I nod, wiping away both of our tears. I kiss her lips as she smiles.
“Alpha, Luna, would you like to meet your son and daughter,” Gabriela asks us and sets the twins in Rose’s arm.
Our son has Rose’s eyes and our daughter has mine.
“Do you guys have names?” Barry asks, making me look down at Rose. We already talked about names a month ago.
“Our girl is Carson, and our son is Carter.”
I smile as I look down at the two beautiful babies, happily asleep in their mother’s arms.
“They’re beautiful names. I’ll let the family in now, if it’s okay.”
The Alpha's Unknown Son: A Shifter Romance Page 18