by Ryan Gray
“That excited for food huh?” He asked, and I nodded in response, letting him think it was the food I was thinking about.
“What do you want to eat? I’ve got a couple steaks in the fridge, or some pasta. I might have some vegetables if you want to do something a little lighter.”
“You cook?” I asked, eyes wide as I watched him look through his fridge and prepare menus in his mind.
“Of course, I eat way too much to afford going out all the time,” He said like it was the most common thing in the world.
“If it takes more than boiling water or preheating the oven I’m at a complete loss,” I admitted.
“Well now you have me to cook for you,” Rex said, his chest puffed up with pride.
“Yeah, if you’re not careful I may just never leave,” I said without thinking.
“Then don’t.” Rex closed the fridge, steaks in hand and looked me in the eyes. “You should move in.”
“Are you serious?” I almost stammered. I was just trying to be playful, but I had to admit, I didn’t hate the idea.
“Of course I’m serious.” Rex abandoned his task and rejoined me in the living room in two bounding strides. “We can save money until the baby gets here. Plus you’re injured, and Zeke said you should be resting. This way I can take care of you.”
“I’ll think about it, why don’t we just start with dinner,” I said trying to be reasonable.
“Okay,” Rex said backing away. I could hear the disappointment in his voice, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to move so quickly. Yesterday I thought I had been abandoned, and now I was pregnant and being asked to move in. It was a lot to take in.
He went back to work, silently prepping the steak and sautéing some vegetables. The aroma of the dishes filled the air, and I was practically salivating by the time food was ready. Serious thoughts would have to wait, the smell of steak was filling my brain.
Rex brought me a plate in the living room, and a pint glass filled with water. I wondered briefly if he owned any normal glasses, but I pushed back the thought. I shouldn’t be nit picking when I was getting pampered.
Rex sat beside me, his own glass filled with a lightly carbonated amber liquid. Yeah a beer would be prefect with this, but for at least a few months I would be abstaining.
“Even if you don’t want to move in, we should do this more often” Rex grinned as he bit a piece of steak off his fork.
“As long as you’re the one cooking,” I agreed.
The food was delicious, and thankfully my sensitive stomach didn’t rear its ugly head. Maybe the baby already had a taste for steak. I could almost picture it in my mind, our little pup nibbling on a giant steak with his baby teeth.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better. I was worried,” Rex said softly between bites.
I could feel my cheeks flushing, but I didn’t know what to say in response. I simply smiled at this enigma of a man who was capable of everything from bar fights to cooking dinner for his pregnant boyfriend.
“I’m going to tell the rest of my pack about us. They deserve to know, and I want you to get to know them too.” Rex said, never taking his eyes from my face. I could tell he was gauging my expression, but I wasn’t sure what to say.
“I think you should,” I agreed with some hesitation. “But what if it doesn’t go how you hope?”
“They don’t have a choice. They’ll accept you and our child, or they won’t be part of my pack,” Rex said darkly.
I didn’t know how far he would go, but I sincerely hoped that there wouldn’t be a need to find out.
9. Rex
I paced nervously as I waited for my pack to gather. It had been a long time since we had a formal meeting, and this was the first one with so much on the line. I could count on Zeke for support, and probably Alexa, she was always gushing about love. The rest of them were a mixed bag, and Clark was likely to outright oppose me.
The darkness of the forest felt more ominous than usual. Even the birds and bugs had gone silent, as though the whole ecosystem knew what I had a stake. I tried to calm myself with a deep breath, but it was no use. Everything had already changed, but if this didn’t go well I could be an outcast on top of everything else.
“You okay Rex?” Zeke asked, clasping my shoulder.
“We’ll see,” I shrugged off his touch as I saw others approaching. I appreciated the gesture, but this was something I needed to do alone. There were no guarantees how this would shake out, and I didn’t need to take him down with me if it went badly.
I could hear my pack whispering and laughing between themselves. Normally I would enjoyed their excitement, but today it only played up my nerves. I stood before them and the crowd fell silent. Now was the time.
“I have an announcement to make. Some of you won’t like it, but I am your alpha and expect you to respect the choices I make for this pack,” I began. Shoulders back, breathing steady, I needed to show them that I was confident in this. My nerves melted as I fell into my rhythm. This was my role; I was meant to take charge.
“I have found my mate.” I let the declaration hang in the air. The expressions were as varied as I could have expected. Alexa was silently grinning from ear to ear, and many others were nodding along. I could barely make out Clark, standing far back in the shade of the trees, but I was sure he wasn’t happy.
“Why wouldn’t we like that?” one of the younger betas asked from the front.
“Don’t interrupt,” I shot him down with a glare before continuing. “My mate has no pack, and will offer no strategic alliance. I still expect you to welcome him, and treat him as you would treat me.”
This set the crowd on edge. A loud murmur rose up as they began talking amongst themselves once more. I let them talk. It would do me no good to silence them just to get stabbed in the back later. Better to hash it out now.
“So you’re just gonna let us die out then?” Clark boomed from the back, silencing the rest of the crowd.
“No.” I spoke firmly, but made no other move. “We have always been small, and we’re stronger for it. We don’t need numbers for strength.”
“Has there ever been an Alpha more selfish than this? You’re more interested in satisfying your cock than taking care of the pack.” Clark was standing mere inches from me now, raising his arms out wide to showboat for the crowd. I could feel his hot breath against my face, and practically hear his heart racing. He threw his shoulders back, and widened his stance. He wanted a fight, and I was pretty sure I was going to give him one.
“You’re out of line Clark. Step down.” One final warning. I hoped he didn’t take it.
“Or what? You going to sick that pretty little omega of yours on me? You wouldn’t really fight me over some piece of ass right?” He snarled in my face.
Bingo.
I swung hard for Clarks jaw, letting the built up tension and anger explode out of my body. He stumbled backwards and tumbled to the ground. I wasn’t playing around. He could either get in line or leave for good.
“That’s fucked up Rex.” Clark wiped the blood from his split lip and pulled himself to his feet. If he knew better he would have stayed down.
He crouched forward and charged at me like it was college football Saturday and we were inches and goal. He wrapped his bear like arms around me and flung me to the ground. I wheezed as the wind was knocked from my lungs. No wonder he had a full ride scholarship, that shit hurt.
I rolled to the side before he could pin me and felt the blood rush to my head. I was disoriented, but I couldn’t afford to let Clark keep the upper hand. I reached out and grabbed him by the collar, and with all the force I could muster I threw the 200 pound athlete to the floor beside me. I pulled myself to my knees and straddled the man I had once called my closest friend. Each time my balled up fist made contact with his body a sting of pain shot through my fingers. It would be a miracle if I didn’t break anything.
Clark cried out in pain beneath me, but I couldn’t stop. We had bee
n together for years, and now he was tearing our pack apart over something like this. Why couldn’t he see it was him, not me, that was ruining us? I couldn’t forgive him. My knuckles were bloody by the time Zeke pulled me from Clark. I lashed out, smacking Zeke in the face and getting one sharp kick into Clark’s ribs.
I shook off Zeke and stood, out of breath and looming over my former friend.
“You’re done Clark. I don’t want to see your face again,” I spat at him. “Next time I won’t stop.”
I didn’t wait for him to get another word in and walked away from the gathering. I had to have faith that the rest of my pack wouldn’t abandon me. Even if they did, I would still have Lucas.
10. Lucas
Spending the nights alone in my apartment for a few weeks was all it took for me to agree to move in with Rex. He insisted I didn’t lift a finger and did all the packing and moving himself. Luckily I rented my place furnished, so there wasn’t a whole lot to pack up. Still it was a sweet gesture, and I enjoyed letting him take care of me for a while longer.
When we brought in the last of the boxes and shut the door behind us it really sunk in. This was my home now.
“I got you a little surprise,” Rex said with a wide grin plastered over his face.
He took me by the hand and led me to his bedroom, no our bedroom now. In the corner there was a small crib made of rich wood, with a tiny stuffed wolf atop spring green blankets. It was our own little woodland crib. My throat burned hot and tears stung at my eyes.
“He can’t have a stuffed animal yet. It’s a choking hazard,” I got out despite the tears running down my face.
“Oh shit, I’m sorry, we can return it if you hate it,” Rex panicked, clearly misinterpreting my tears.
“I love it,” I corrected him.
He snaked his arms around me, gently rubbing my protruding belly with his bandaged hands, and I leaned back against his hard chest. I let out a contented sigh, enjoying his strong arms engulfing my body. It seemed like a dream, to have my life change so much over the course of a couple months. At first I worried it might turn into a nightmare, but everything was finally on our side.
“Let me take you out tonight,” Rex whispered in my ear, the gentle pulse of air tickling my skin. “You’re finally healed, and I feel like we haven’t even had a first date yet.”
“I guess we haven’t really.” I had to laugh at our situation. We were expecting a baby but we hadn’t even had a proper date.
“I’ll pick you up at seven,” Rex said planting a playful kiss on the side of my forehead before leaving me to unpack my clothes.
By the time 6:30 rolled around I had butterflies in my stomach. At least I hoped they were butterflies and not a sudden resurgence of morning sickness. I don’t think I could handle another couple weeks like the beginning of my pregnancy. The daily need to throw up while trying to nurse bruised ribs was not a winning combination.
I glanced through my entire closet with growing displeasure. I wanted to look hot, but even decent would suffice. There wasn’t much selection in maternity for men, and I had been relying on large sweaters to cover my bump and keep the stares at bay. Although now that summer was around the corner I was getting stares for an entirely different reason. What was the point in even looking, I knew none of my usual stuff would fit. I pulled one of my standard sweaters over my head and slumped down on the bed.
“Almost ready?” Rex called to me from the living room.
“Yeah,” I said, trudging from the bedroom to the living room.
“You look great,” Rex smiled at me but it was hard to take the compliment. There he was in a tight tank that showed every inch of his perfectly muscled arms and I felt like a balloon in comparison.
“Thanks,” I muttered, not wanting to ruin our night with my insecurities.
I shifted uncomfortably in the seat of Rex’s sports car. Did he really need to drive so fast? I would have found it thrilling before, but now I just placed a hand protectively over my belly as I tried not to worry too much. The wind whipped in through our open windows, and blew my hair against my face.
I was relieved when Rex pulled up to the restaurant and parked. He insisted on opening the car door for me, and with all the grace of a drunken giraffe I lumbered out of the low car. Someday I would tell our kid about this and he would laugh at what a sight we must have been.
We walked in to the restaurant and I was once again impressed with Rex’s taste. The décor was verging on gaudy, but the scent of food filling the air was absolutely divine. My mouth watered as I caught a whiff of a perfect rare steak.
“How did you get us a table here last minute? Even in a college town places like this are always booked up in advance,” I asked leaning in close to my date.
“Well, I made the reservation last week,” Rex said with a wide grin, “but I thought it would be more fun to surprise you.”
Rex spoke with the hostess and we followed her to our table. Outside the window the last lights of day were streaking across the sky, and soon we would be treated to a starry night view. They should have stripped away the décor and focused on the view. It was magnificent.
A quick once over of the menu and we placed our order. It was nice to have a chance to just relax together and talk. We wouldn’t be getting much peace and quiet once the little one joined us, so I vowed to enjoy tonight to the fullest. The service was quick and it didn’t take long before we were inhaling the delicious dishes set before us.
“This place is great, I don’t know why I’ve never heard of it before,” I said, trying to pace myself a little. It was nice to enjoy food again now that my morning sickness had passed.
“So it’s a good surprise then?” Rex asked.
“It is. I like surprises,” I said with a pat of my protruding stomach and a chuckle.
“Speaking of our little surprise, Alexa had been begging me to let her plan a shower. I wanted to make sure that you were ok with it first, most of my pack would come.” Rex said between bites.
He wanted to be nonchalant, but I could tell he was eager to see my reaction in the way he kept glancing up at me. It only made sense he wanted the two parts of his life to fit together. My eyes glanced around the room nervously. Usually college guys weren’t having baby showers thrown for them. It would be a quick way to be outed, and then we would have a whole host of new problems.
“Relax, everyone is so absorbed in their own world they have no attention left for us.” Rex said, waving at the crowd with his fork, still topped with a bite of meat.
“Do you think they’re still mad?” I asked, returning to the subject.
“No. Clark is gone now and he was the one spearheading the betrayal. Of course I’m still keeping my eye on the others, but I wouldn’t even bring up the idea if I didn’t know you would be safe,” He said as he reached out and took my unoccupied hand in his, gently pressing his fingers against the back of my hand.
“It sounds like a good idea. I’d like to get to know them before the baby comes,” I said, trying not to focus on the fact a literal brawl had broken out when he told his pack about me. We were part of each other’s lives now, and I wanted to know the people he cared about. I just hoped they could accept me.
Rex insisted on footing the bill, and on the way home even managed to drive a reasonable speed. I guess he noticed how tense I was on the way there. As nice as it was to go out for a change, I was much more comfortable once we were home and cuddling on the couch. I ran my fingers across his bruised knuckles, and felt him tense in pain.
“What happened exactly?” I asked.
“I told you. There was a fight. I won.” Rex said curtly.
“I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to lose people just because of me,” I apologized.
“Don’t be sorry.” Rex whispered, trailing his fingertips across my cheek. His touches, no matter how firm or soft, were always electric. “Clark made his choice. None of it was your fault.”
I nuzzled his neck and pres
sed my ear against his chest. I could hear his heartbeat. Slow and steady like a beating drum. I drifted away, letting that gentle beat wash away all my worries. I could worry about the acceptance of the pack in the morning. For now I just wanted to be enveloped in Rex’s warmth.
11. Rex
Once I gave her the green light Alexa wasted no time in planning the baby shower. Before I knew it our apartment was covered in baby blue and pink streamers, with balloons to match. A sweet aroma wafted in the air, and I felt entirely out of my element.
“No need to look so nervous,” Alexa said by my side, but I didn’t know how she even knew. Her eyes were scanning the room, looking for anything out of place. I had forgotten how seriously she took parties. It had been way too long since we got together for something more than a night at the bar.
“Can’t be too careful after what happened with Clark the other night.” I flexed my fingers and then balled them up into a loose fist. A dull pain still accompanied every movement but I was at least able to unwrap them. It would probably take weeks to fully heal.
Alexa turned to face me, giving me her full attention for the first time since decorating began. “You don’t really think that any of us want to turn on you do you? Rex we respect the hell out of you. No one but Clark was even upset about Lucas. We’re happy for you Rex. You’ve done a lot for this pack, you deserve to be happy.”
Could it really be so simple? Everything I had worried and stressed over was the result of one bad apple poisoning my mind. “It was really just him?” I asked, unable to believe her simple words.
“Of course. Plus, how can he say you’re trying to make us smaller when you literally are increasing the size of the pack with a mate and a baby?” Alexa said with a shrug and a smile. “So relax, and maybe go sit with Lucas over there he looks like he’s about to cry.” She pointed her finger in his direction, and took off with a smile.
Taking Alexa’s advice I sat beside Lucas on the couch. She was right. His posture was tense and he had the most awkward smile plastered on his face.