“That could have been me.”
He looked at her in surprise. “How?”
“What if you’d decided to mate with Luna instead of me? What would you have done then?”
“Anything I could to make sure you were taken care of.”
“And you aren’t going to do the same for Luna?”
“I told you, the baby isn’t mine. I’m still not convinced she’s pregnant. I wouldn’t put it past her to fake a pregnancy just to trap me.”
Harper looked startled. “You really think she’d do something like that?”
“Possibly.”
“I feel sorry for her. She seems so lonely.”
“Harper, she only has herself to blame. She could easily have made friends in the pack other than Kiera, and she could have had her pick of any wolf, but she’s chosen her path. There’s nothing we can do about it.”’
“Do you think she’s going to cause problems for us?”
“I think she’s going to try.”
“Well… we just won’t let her.” She glanced his way. “Right?”
He grinned and grasped her hand. “Right.”
Chapter Thirteen
When they got home, Harper immediately went upstairs to check out the spare bedrooms. Ramsey followed her, just as anxious to pick out a room for the baby. He’d been surprised by her news, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t happy about it.
They walked into the room at the top of the stairs and Harper studied it from every angle. She peeked in the other two rooms, but quickly came back to the first one.
“I think I like this one best. What do you think?” she asked.
“It’s the largest of the three.”
“I’m just a little nervous about the baby being so far away from us. I don’t know that I like the idea of a nursery on the second floor while we’re on the first floor. It doesn’t seem very safe.”
Ramsey ran a hand along his jaw. “Well. What if we added a nursery on to the house downstairs? I could talk to Connor and see if there’s a way to add on to the bedroom.”
Her eyes lit up. “You’d do that?”
“Of course.” He smiled. “Don’t you know that I’d do anything for you?”
She hugged him tight. “When do you think he could come over? Do you think the job could be finished before the baby gets here?”
“I’ll give him a call and see. I’m sure he could have it finished in time. It just depends on how busy he is. If he can’t do it, then I’m sure he’ll recommend someone for the job.”
“I…”
“You what?”
“Nothing.” She smiled. “It’s nothing.”
“So if we’re going to have a nursery downstairs, what if we turned this into a room for a toddler? We could move the baby up here when he’s two or three.”
“He?”
He grinned. “Or she.”
“That sounds perfect.”
“I’ll go call Connor now. If we’re lucky, maybe he’ll stop by today on his way home from work. I know he’s already been here once today, but he might be in a generous mood. If not, I’m sure he’ll make it by sometime this week.”
“I’m just anxious to buy stuff for the baby.”
“There’s no reason you can’t do that before we know about the nursery. Either way, we’re going to have one.”
She smiled and kissed him. “After your phone call, can we go?”
“If that’s what you want.”
She nodded and followed him downstairs.
The next day Ramsey swapped days off with Hunter so he could spend time with his mate.They hit the mall, stopping in both baby stores. They stocked up on cute little sleepers and onesies, baby blankets and crib sheets, towels and washcloths, and even bought a package of diapers so they would be prepared. Harper was glowing by the time they were finished. Ramsey couldn’t remember seeing her so happy, not even when they’d brought Shakespeare home. Her smile had grown bigger and bigger as they’d shopped and now she was glowing with happiness.
On the way home, Ramsey decided to ask her the question that had been burning inside him all day.
“If you could have done things differently, would you have preferred an actual wedding?”
“What makes you ask that?”
He shrugged. “Just wondered. Everyone else in the pack has had an actual wedding. We’re the first to use the werewolf ceremony and I wondered if you regretted it.”
She laced her fingers with his. “I could never regret anything that joined us together.”
“But would you have preferred a wedding?”
“I don’t know. Now that it’s done, I don’t mind that we didn’t have one. But growing up I’d always fantasized about what my wedding would be like. Of course, I’d also pictured the groom as someone other than a werewolf.”
He winced. “You could have had that you know. The wedding, a normal spouse… why did you give up your dream?”
“Because it was the dream of a girl and not a woman. I’m happy to be part of your life, to be your mate. And I’m happy that we’re going to have a baby together. It doesn’t matter how we got here, what matters is that we’re together.”
He grinned. “You really feel that way?”
“Yes, I do. What about you? Any regrets?”
“No, none. Well, possibly one. Luna. If I had to do it all over again, I would tell Gabriel no when he sent me to Mississippi. If I had known how much trouble she would cause, I never would have gone.”
“But then we might not have met. Where would you have gone if not to Mississippi?”
“I don’t know. I had thought about travelling a little when I got my orders from Gabriel. I’d like to think that I would have come back in time to meet you, that we still would have ended up together.”
“That we’re destined to be together?” she asked.
“Something like that. I always believed there was one mate for every wolf.” He looked at her. “And I believe you’re mine.”
“What about Chloe?” she asked softly.
“I could have been happy with her, but she belongs with Michael. I can see that now. At the time, I was in love with her and was blind to everything else. I couldn’t even see that she loved the both of us, and that she loved him more. I only saw what I wanted to see.”
“You don’t just fall out of love with someone, which means you still love her.”
“I guess a part of me does. It’s not the same kind of love I once felt for her though. Because of our past, I think being friends would be awkward, but I’ll always care about her on some level.”
Harper nodded and looked out the window. Ramsey had a feeling he’d upset her, but he’d been honest. He didn’t want lies and half-truths between them. She deserved better than that. Chloe was a part of his past and he couldn’t change that. It was something Harper would just have to learn to deal with. Maybe in time she would realize that Chloe didn’t mean as much to him as she once had, that she didn’t have anything to do with their relationship. He just wished he knew what to say to make things better.
When they pulled in the driveway at home, she got out of the car and went into the house without a word. He gathered the baby items and followed her, worried about her silence. Taking everything up to the room they had designated as the temporary nursery, he set down the bags and went back downstairs to find Harper. She was in the living room on the sofa with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. A lone tear trickled down her cheek.
“Harper, what’s wrong?”
She quickly wiped away the tear and looked away. “Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me. Something is bothering you.”
“I just have a lot on my mind and a lot to deal with emotionally. Blame it on pregnancy hormones or something.”
He sat beside her and brushed her hair back from her face. “Want to talk about it?”
“Not particularly. Not with you, anyway.”
He stiffened. “And why no
t?”
“I’d just rather talk to a woman. Maybe Marin.”
“Honey, please talk to me. I don’t like seeing you upset like this.”
She glanced at him. “You want the condensed version? I’m worried that Luna’s baby will turn out to be yours; that something will happen to you in the upcoming war; and most of all, I’m terrified that you’ll never come to love me the way you did Chloe.”
He sighed and pulled her into his arms. “It won’t be long before we know about Luna’s baby. I wish I could change the past, but I can’t. And I really, truly believe the baby isn’t mine. I already told you that. Please stop worrying about it.
“I can’t make any promises when it comes to the war. Demons are ruthless and every wolf will be called on to fight, including me. I’ll have to do as the alphas command. But I will guarantee your safety and that of our child, no matter what I have to do, even if it means taking you out of the city. I want to keep you close, but only if I can watch over you.”
He kissed her cheek. “As for Chloe, that’s a closed chapter in my life. The moment I met you, I began to forget about her. My feelings for her diminished because all I could see was you. I don’t know what I feel for you right now because everything is still so new, but I do know that I care about you a lot. And I think it can easily grow into something more.”
“So you’re telling me I have nothing to worry about?” she asked softly.
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”
She snuggled into him. “I can’t help worrying. There’s something I should tell you, but I’m afraid to.”
“Harper, you never have to be afraid to tell me anything.”
“Ramsey, I… I love you,” she said softly.
He looked down at her, stunned. Out of all of the things she could have told him, he hadn’t expected to hear those three little words. He wished he could say them back to her, but he didn’t want to lie to her. How could he confess to something he wasn’t sure he felt?
“I don’t know what to say.”
She cupped his cheek and kissed him. “You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to know how I felt. I almost told you several times, but I chickened out each time.”
“I’m glad you told me.”
“Me, too,” she said with a smile.
A few days later, Ramsey received a call from Gabriel. Luna had refused to comply with a paternity test. Gabriel and Connor had confronted her and forced her to tell the truth. She’d admitted that Ramsey wasn’t the father and that she’d lied so she could be his mate. The wolf that’d gotten her pregnant had been in on the plan.
“So who was it?” Ramsey asked.
“The new wolf – Trent.”
“Trent?” Ramsey asked incredulously. “The new wolf from California is Trent? Why am I just now hearing about this?”
Gabriel growled. “As alpha, I don’t have to tell you everything.”
“Trent is the reason Harper left Los Angeles. You can bet he was part of the plan because he wanted her as a consolation prize.”
Gabriel was quiet.
“Are you still there?” Ramsey asked.
“Yeah, just thinking.”
“If he comes near Harper, I won’t hold back. He made her life hell and I don’t know what he’d do to her, especially since she’s pregnant.”
“I understand.”
“Have you thought about forcing Trent and Luna to mate? Since she’s carrying his child it would make sense. Besides, they seem to be a lot alike.”
“I thought you didn’t like it when I did that.”
“I’ll make an exception.”
“And then what?” Gabriel asked. “Even if they’re mated to one another, I can’t promise they won’t cause trouble.”
“They won’t if they’re part of another pack.”
“Force them to leave?”
“You were going to make me leave,” Ramsey reminded him. “I think it’s time for them to grow up. If you need help placing them somewhere, I can get them in with the Denver pack.”
“You sound awfully sure about that.”
“Because I am. There’s a reason their alpha called me before. I held rank in the pack and was the alpha’s favorite.”
“Rank?”
Ramsey laughed. “Yeah, your number one rule breaker was a pack enforcer.”
Gabriel was silent again.
“I take it I’ve shocked you.”
“It actually explains a lot.” Gabriel sighed. “You’ve given me a lot to think about. I’ll call you, or Connor will, by the end of the day. I want this situation wrapped up before I go to bed tonight.”
“Sounds good. Let me know if I can be of help.”
“I will. Thanks, Ramsey.”
After the alpha hung up, Ramsey set his phone down on the kitchen counter. He needed to let Harper know about Trent. Until the wolf was out of Ashton Grove, Harper wouldn’t be going anywhere alone. Ramsey didn’t trust him not to cause trouble.
He found Harper in the living room watching TV with Shakespeare stretched out at her side. She smiled when she saw him and he gave her a brief kiss. Tucking her hair behind her ear, he caressed her cheek.
“I have some good news and some bad news,” he told her. “The good news is that I’m not the father of Luna’s baby. She confessed everything to the alphas this morning.”
“And the bad news?”
He filled her in on his discussion with Gabriel, including his proposed solution to the problem. Harper had paled a little when he’d said Trent’s name, but she’d listened intently. When he was finished, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight.
“It sounds like something Trent would do,” she said. “But why would Luna agree to it?”
“She was desperate I guess.”
She relaxed into him. “So you were an enforcer, huh? I can see that. What made you decide to be a mechanic here? I would have thought being a police officer or security guard would be more your style.”
“It allows me to be close to the pack. Plus, the alpha owns the garage so getting time off is easier. And if something major goes down with the pack, I don’t have a lot of explaining to do if I miss work.”
“I see your point.”
“Why? Would you prefer that I do something else?” he asked.
“I want you to do whatever makes you happy.”
“My job doesn’t really matter to me. What makes me happy is being with you.”
She pulled his head down and kissed him, her lips caressing his. “Make love to me.”
He grinned. “Now there’s an order I’ll always be happy to comply with.”
Lifting her into his arms, he carried her down the hall to the bedroom. He quickly shut the door before Shakespeare could dart into the room. He laid her on the bed and devoured her with his eyes, his gaze raking her from head to toe.
“I think we have on too many clothes,” she said softly.
“How do you propose we remedy that?”
With a grin, she stood and pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it on the floor. Next, she slid her pants down her legs. She quickly stripped out of her bra and panties and reached for him.
“You aren’t moving fast enough,” she told him as she undressed him.
When they both stood naked, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. No matter how long he lived, he would never get tired of having her in his arms, feeling her soft body against him, hearing her soft sighs of pleasure. He caressed her silky skin, trying to memorize the feel of her. Burying his nose in her hair, he inhaled her sweet scent, one that was uniquely hers.
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