by Celia Kyle
Lissa snorted. “You act as if you’ll be in my presence long enough for me to continue acting this way when that is just not going to happen. You’re leaving without me. That’s all there is to it. Because I refuse to allow my baby to be pulled into your violent, hate filled world. A child needs love and safety and he wouldn’t find either with the Liakos pack. With you.”
A new emotion flickered across his features so quickly that she wasn’t sure what she’d seen. It was there and gone from one heartbeat to the next. “Regardless of your feelings, that doesn’t change the fact you carry my heir and you will return to Greece with me. Immediately.”
A bone deep lethargy overwhelmed her, sinking into her body and dragging her down. She’d been working so hard these past months, spending hour upon hour on her feet so she could save money to support herself after the baby’s birth. Now, being so close to Galen, and fighting with him, sapped her of what little strength she still held. She just had to hold on a little longer, remain on her feet a few more minutes. Once she got him out of her apartment, she could fall to pieces. But not a moment sooner.
“And regardless of your feelings, I am not returning to Greece. I’m staying right here and having my baby at the hospital down the street. Nothing you say or do will make me change my mind. Are you so heartless that you make me return to a place I hate?”
His expression remained firm and unshakable. “Yes.”
“Galen,” she leaned against the wall, catching her weight with first her hand, and then she leaned against the firm surface. The tiredness continued to pull it her, as darkness crept into her vision.
No, not now.
“Galen,” she squeezed her eyes shut tight and battled to push the urge to faint back. “I am-”
“Melissa?”
“I am not—” She was losing the fight as the darkness wrapped around her in a cloying blanket.
“Melissa?” Galen’s voice was hoarse and thin.
She didn’t want him near her, didn’t want to depend on him once again, but she hoped he was still human enough to care for their child. “Don’t take him from me, please. Please don’t take him. He’s all I have left. Please…”
The last thing she saw before unconsciousness took her was a brief flash of worry.
Galen, worried? Never. Then again, she was carrying his heir. She mustn’t forget the heir. After all, the Alpha bitch wasn’t going to.
Chapter Two
Lissa wasn’t sure what to expect when she woke, but it sure as hell wasn’t to find herself flying across the ocean in Galen’s private jet. The interior was well known to her, with its slick surfaces and plush leather seating. The soft carpet always gave way beneath her bare feet, and she had more than one good memory of flying the skies with Galen at her side. He’d introduced her to so much in so little a time, and it’d only taken a few choice—and deadly—words to end the fairytale. Well, it was gone but he seemed intent on dragging her back into his world.
She carefully glanced around the room, closing her eyes when dizziness overtook her. She didn’t need to see in order to know Galen was nearby. His scent permeated everything around her, and it was clear he’d been at her side very recently. Gathering what little strength she had, she forced her lids to part once again and she blinked against the brightness that invaded her eyes.
The low murmur of voices reached her and she grimaced, recognizing not just Galen’s, but Stavros, Leo, and Dr. Martin—one of the pack doctors—as well. It was not long before the voices rose while snarls and growls were interjected between words. That was the way Galen communicated. He had no idea how to simply speak with someone. His wolf always got the better of him. She was glad to know he wasn’t just saving his bad temper for her.
“… must remain calm.” The doctor’s words were probably meant to be soothing, but fell short of the mark.
“You dare lecture me on calm? I am calm!”
Yeah, he was totally calm.
“You must think of the child, Alpha.” Again the tone was comforting.
Lissa didn’t need to see the change in Galen’s appearance. She felt it in the air. It vibrated through the entire plane, sliding into her flesh and sinking into her bones. His wolf was out in full force, and had been looking for a target. He couldn’t come after her, so it seemed the doctor would receive the brunt of his anger.
A single gasp told her she was right. The doctor knew better than to push his Alpha when the man was so on edge. Or rather, he did not.
A soft whimper slid past the doorway and she realized that not just Dr. Martin was being forced to submit, but it seemed the other two males as well. And because of her. Swallowing her fear, she swung her feet over the edge of the bed and pushed herself up until she sat on the edge. Another look at her surroundings revealed she was in the bedroom she’d once shared with Galen. They’d made love more than once on this small surface. Was it intentional that he laid her to rest there? Or was a simple coincidence?
No, he’d done it on purpose. The man didn’t do anything without careful planning.
She pushed to her feet and shuffled toward the door, grasping the knob with one hand while clutching the frame with the other as she swung the panel wide. And she found exactly what she anticipated. Dr. Martin, Stavros, and Leo, as well as the flight attendant whose name she could not remember kneeling on the plush floor of the plane. Each one had their head tilted to the side, baring their neck for their Alpha. She leaned against the frame, hard-won strength already leeching away due to those small movements.
“Galen,” she whispered his name with a small breath.
It took that barely there sound to get his attention, and he swung his yellow-eyed gaze to her. The orbs bore into her, as if sinking into her soul. He weighed her and she couldn’t figure out if he found her worthy or lacking. His expression did not change, his bearing remaining rigid and firm. Did she see a small flicker in his expression? A hint at the compassion and caring they once shared?
No. Never from him. It had never been there to begin with, had it?
“Save your anger for me. Don’t take our problems out on them.”
He narrowed his eyes, glaring at her, weighing her once again. “You would defend my own wolves to me? Do they seem like children to you to need a woman to hide behind?”
Lissa swallowed the first words that sprung to her lips, and instead said, “No, I merely point out that they are not the reason for your bad humor. They’ve done nothing but support you and stand beside you. I’m simply trying to make you see their worth as more than verbal punching bags.”
Galen tightened his lips slightly, and yet another emotion slid through his eyes for the barest moment before his face was shuttered once again. “So, I should use you instead?”
She could no longer hold his gaze and instead tore her eyes from him to stare out one of the windows. There was nothing but a sea of blue with soft splashes of white clouds that occasionally sped by.
“Yes,” she snapped.
“I would dare not turn this rage onto a female.” His words were harsh but filled with truth.
No, you would simply give the task to the Alpha bitch.
“That doesn’t change the fact they don’t deserve this treatment.” She still wouldn’t look at him.
“Stavros and Leo allowed you to escape, doesn’t that deserve a certain amount of punishment?”
Lissa cut him a glance. “I’m sure you’ve done enough at this point, but it wasn’t Stavros and Leo who allowed me to get away from you. That person is beyond even your reach.”
And she’d never reveal the name of the kind old man who’d met her in the dead of night and driven her to the docks. He was human and sympathetic since he knew of a wolf’s violent nature.
“You’re so sure he’s beyond me?”
Of course she was. She wouldn’t have involved anyone who would suffer for involving themselves in her life. It was why she hadn’t depended on anyone. Not truly.
“Yes.”
All four slowly rose to their feet, the flight attendant the first to scamper away and retreat to the front of the plane. Stavros and Leo carefully made their way back to the seating area they typically claimed. It was only the doctor who seemed brave enough to remain in place.
“Alpha?” The male’s voice wasn’t hesitant in the least.
“What?” A snarl was on Galen’s lips.
“The bearing one?”
The bearing one. Couldn’t the physician even say her name? She was basically being referred to as the incubator. Nice.
Galen returned his attention to her. “Have you been seen by a physician?”
“Of course.” As if she’d endanger her child.
“One that specializes in werewolves?”
Lissa snapped her jaw shut, refusing to answer the question.
“I thought not.” Galen gestured toward Dr. Martin. “He will attend you since your examinations have been lacking.”
She had no response to that autocratic statement and instead met the doctor’s gaze. “I’m ready whenever you are.”
Despite the circumstances, she was looking forward to being examined by a werewolf physician. She knew mixed pregnancies were different than traditional humans, but she hadn’t had a werewolf doctor at her disposal. If she’d approached a pack, they would’ve demanded the name of the sire, and that was something she refused to reveal.
“We are ready.” Galen was as demanding and arrogant as ever.
She kept her mouth shut, refusing to rise to the bait, and merely followed Dr. Martin as he moved toward one of the other rooms on the plane. It was a guestroom, one that looked like the other two the plane housed. Or was it?
Small changes were made, the bed had been swapped out, and new cabinets lined one wall. Even the flooring had been torn up and replaced. She catalogued all these modifications, wondering why Galen had gone to the expense to make this room so much different. It wasn’t less luxurious, but there was something…
“I had the alterations ordered the moment we discovered your pregnancy. I also contracted the doctor to travel with us during this time. Your care will be shared between Dr. Martin and my brother.” His gaze bore into her, the yellow and brown warring, and it wasn’t just anger that filled his features now; there was affection with a heavy dose of desire. “I wanted the plane to be prepared should anything happen to you during our travels. You see, I didn’t want to be away from you for even a moment, but I also couldn’t stand the thought of putting you or our child at risk. The technology contained within this room rivals that of the best hospital in the world.” His expression darkened, those hints of desire she glimpsed banished by a renewed rage. “Which you would have known had you stayed. You would have known how much I cared for you and our child. You would have known how much you were cherished.”
Lissa looked around the room, seeing it with new eyes and noticed what the luxury kept hidden. She replayed his words in her mind, searching for any hidden meaning behind each syllable, and only had one thought. “Were?”
“Were.” Past tense. No longer cherished. The word was flat, and no emotion lived in the tone.
Quiet reigned, and she wondered what was expected of her now. The soft rustle of cloth, the quiet shift of the doctor’s weight from one foot to the other, reminded them both they were not alone. Galen’s attention snapped from her to the doctor. “What tests need to be done?”
Dr. Martin bustled into action, pulling open cabinets and repositioning the bed. In moments familiar equipment was in place and she recognized the sonogram machine. The bed was tilted and angled and moved into position before he finally turned his attention to her. “If the bearing one would please take a seat here.”
She went into action, used to these types of visits by now. Her human doctor knew her child was of mixed race so Lissa got quite a few more ultrasounds than the average pregnant mother. Within seconds of reclining on the seat, she lifted her maternity shirt and then carefully lowered her pants, baring the large mound of her stomach. When the doctor’s gaze landed on her bared body, Galen released a low, rumbling growl. One cut off barely a second after it began. She turned her shocked gaze to him, but was met with another one of his blank, unemotional expressions. But, the sound was not lost on the physician.
His hand shook as he squirted the cool gel on her bare skin and her quick intake of breath was then echoed by yet another growl from the man at her side. She didn’t bother turning her attention to Galen, she knew what she’d see and she wasn’t prepared to meet yet another blank stare. Where his smiles used to be plentiful and freely given, he now seemed to only frown when he looked upon her. Or worse, did nothing at all.
“This is a bit cool.” The doctor’s voice trembled, and she gave him a gentle smile.
“Yes, I’m used to this part.” She tried to put them at ease, but her words seem to only serve to cause him to shake harder, so she kept her mouth shut.
It took no time for him to begin his task of performing the ultrasound, the wand sliding over her hot flesh with ease as he examined her child. The rapid thump of her baby’s heartbeat filled the small area, and she smiled at the healthy, rapid pace. The baby squirmed and twisted inside her, seeming to shy away from the doctor’s movements. When it yet again twisted away, Lissa couldn’t suppress her chuckle.
“He always does that. He doesn’t like ultrasounds all that much.”
The doctor froze in place, as if sensing danger, and it was Galen who broke the stillness.
“He? We are having a son?”
Lissa jolted and shot a look at the man at her side. “I don’t know for sure. He was never in the right position, but I couldn’t call my child an ‘it,’ could I?”
“You could have called our child many things had you merely stayed at my side. You could have been monitored every step of this pregnancy had you remained at my side. I could know how you’d react to an ultrasound if you had stayed at my side!” His voice rose with every statement until his shout echoed off the room’s walls.
While the doctor seemed to tremble at Galen’s rising volume, Lissa did anything but. Instead, she met him—murderous glare for murderous glare. “And how long would I have been at your side after I gave birth to your heir? Five minutes? Ten minutes? Would you have even let me hold him before you disposed of me?”
The yellow in his eyes seemed to glow even in the bright light of the room, and gray fur rapidly coated his face, sliding down his neck, and disappearing beneath his shirt. “As if I would ever harm the mother of my child. Better wolves would die for the insult you just gave me.”
“It’s a good thing I’m not one of your wolves then isn’t it? I assume if I was, you’d simply drag me into the middle of the woods, cut the pup for my stomach, and leave me for the natural wolves then.” Lissa didn’t try to suppress the sneer that leapt to her lips. She didn’t believe him for a second.
“It was not long ago that passion wasn’t fueled by anger, agapi mou.” He reached for her, and traced the line of her cheek with a single claw-tipped finger.
She hated him. She had every reason to run. Her actions had been justified. It was dangerous to remain at his side. And yet… When he looked at her in that way, when he touched her so gently despite his rampaging wolf, she wanted him. Her body was anxious to be taken by him, and immediately her nipples pebbled and hardened within her bra. She ached deep inside herself, her entire being anxious to be possessed by him once again. Oh, why had she not run when she had the chance? She knew it would take one kiss, one caress, and she would be back under his control again. She had no strength when it came to Galen. None at all. No self-respect, no conviction, and no power to resist him.
She tore away from him and jerked her attention to the ultrasound monitor. “Seven months, Galen seven months ago that was true.” She turned to him. “It is no longer.”
Lissa held his ga
ze, refusing to back down. He was an alpha through and through, but once upon a time, she thought she was strong enough to stand at his side and rule the pack with him. Well, she wasn’t prepared to run the Liakos pack, but she did want to prove that she wasn’t one of his weak wolves. The confrontation continued, silence stretching longer, but she didn’t give up. She would win this single confrontation. Just one.
The doctor settled the matter between them. “Alpha, please. This is not good for the child.”
With a grim frown, Galen’s attention returned to the ultrasound monitor. “Is the child okay?”
“Yes,” Dr. Martin repositioned the wand, pressed down, and typed a few keys. “You can see here that the pregnancy is progressing as normal for a mixed species birth. The measurements are as anticipated. He is a strong boy and will be big like his papa.”
Galen asked the same question as moments ago. “He?”
The doctor glanced at her and then gave Galen his full attention. “Yes, Alpha, you are having a boy.”
A boy. She was going to have a little boy. He would have his father’s olive skin and dark hair. He’d probably have his father’s autocratic attitude as well. A pang pierced her heart. She only wished that she’d be around to teach him gentleness and caring to offset the violence of the werewolf world. If only…
“My heir…” Galen whispered two words, and she turned her head toward him. “I will never forgive you for denying me this.”
Lissa didn’t doubt he meant the words. There was no denying the anger that radiated from his body. And she understood the source of his rage. Any other male, human or werewolf, would feel the same. And yet, she would have behaved exactly as she had if she had to do it all over again. No, she would’ve hidden better, she would’ve run farther, and she would’ve sought more help. Anything if it meant keeping her baby away from the Liakos pack, away from Galen.
“I understand.”
“Do you?” Breath rasped in and out of his lungs, the whispered sound battling against the rapid thrum of their child’s heartbeat. “You understand what it’s like to fall asleep with my mate in my arms, our child protected in her womb, only to awaken alone in a cold bed?” He stared at her, glared at her and she found she could not tear her gaze from his. “You understand what it’s like to think my only chance at happiness had been stolen and destroyed by my enemies? You understand what it’s like to grieve for what you had for so short a time and then suddenly lost?”