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  Removing his fingers from her body, he quickly kissed her on the lips. “Why don’t you roll over,” he murmured.

  Kiera felt limp, but did as he suggested. When she sat up on her knees and turned around, Gabriel put an arm around her waist and drew her back against him. She felt the long, hard length of him brushing against her, begging for entry.

  “Spread your legs, sweetheart,” he whispered in her ear.

  Kiera spread her legs a little further and felt the head of his shaft slip inside of her. She groaned and tried to press back into him, trying to draw him further inside.

  Gabriel, holding her firm with one arm, reached around with his other hand, sliding his fingers down into her curls, finding her clit once more. As he gently rubbed her, Kiera thrust her hips back, trying to take more of him side of her. He allowed her take a little of him into her, but not all of him. As he played with her, he felt her getting hotter and wetter. Knowing she was near her climax, he thrust into her hard and fast.

  Kiera cried out as her orgasm broke over her. Gabriel held her tight and continued to thrust in and out of her, going deeper and harder with each thrust. As she felt his warm seed spread through her, she climaxed again.

  Gabriel kissed her shoulder and her neck. Pulling from her body, he turned her to face him.

  Staring at his beautiful glowing wife, he wondered what he would ever do without her. No matter the cost, he had to make sure she was protected, that the vampire wouldn’t get to her.

  “What is it?” she asked, noticing his intent stare.

  He shook his head. “Nothing, I was just admiring my beautiful wife.”

  Kiera smiled and lay back on the bed, pulling Gabriel down with her. “Well then… after you rest, why don’t you show me just how beautiful you think I am?”

  He chuckled. “Again?”

  “Mmm-hmm. And again, and again, and again…”

  “I think I get the picture,” he murmured, kissing her.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Two weeks later, Kiera paced back and forth in the bathroom, staring down at the counter. She had missed her period earlier in the week and had bought a pregnancy test. The proof was now staring her in the face in the form of two little blue lines – she was pregnant.

  She had called Gabriel at the garage and asked him to come home. That had been ten minutes ago. Where was he?

  Would he be happy about the news? Kiera chewed on her lip. The thought of having Gabriel’s baby filled her with a happiness she hadn’t known existed, but she wasn’t sure if he would feel the same. They hadn’t really discussed children during their short marriage, just the one time.

  Running her hands through her hair, she glanced at the test stick again before looking at her watch. According to the kit, the results would disappear within an hour. She wasn’t sure if Gabriel would believe her if he didn’t see the results for himself.

  Footsteps thudded up the stairs and Kiera stilled, knowing that Gabriel was finally answering her call. She watched the door in anticipation.

  Gabriel opened the bedroom door. Not seeing Kiera, he headed for the bathroom. Her face held a million emotions.

  “What is it, Kiera?” he asked.

  She swallowed and glanced nervously at the counter. Looking back at Gabriel, she took a breath to steady her nerves.

  “I know we haven’t been married long, but I have something I need to tell you,” she said.

  Gabriel stilled and his heart froze in his chest. Had Kiera decided she didn’t want to be with him? What was going on?

  “You can tell me anything, Kiera,” he assured her.

  She hesitantly walked over to him. Looking up in his eyes, she said, “I’m pregnant.”

  Gabriel thought he’d misheard her. “You’re what?”

  “Pregnant,” Kiera said, her heart pumping over-time. She couldn’t tell if he was happy, unhappy, or just indifferent. The suspense was killing her.

  Gabriel swallowed and digested that tidbit of information for a moment. “I… I, um… Wow, I’m not really sure what to say.”

  Kiera reached out to him with a shaky hand. “You aren’t upset, are you?”

  “Upset? Why would I be upset?” he asked.

  “Because the baby could be a werefox or just be normal; because there’s a chance you won’t have a little boy who takes after his daddy and can take over as pack alpha some day.”

  He gave her a gentle smile and pulled her into his arms. “Is that what was bothering you?”

  She nodded.

  “Honey, I don’t care if we have a girl, a boy, a fox, a wolf, a fairy, or just a plain ol’ everyday human child. As long as the baby is happy and healthy, that’s all I could ask for,” he assured her.

  Kiera smiled and hugged him. “I’m glad to hear that. I was so scared when I saw the two little blue lines this morning.”

  Gabriel rubbed her back. “I’m sorry you were scared and worried. We probably should have talked about kids a bit more than one brief moment, but there just hasn’t been time.”

  “I know. I don’t blame you for my feelings. I’m just happy that you’re okay with me being pregnant,” she said, snuggling into him.

  “As much as I hate to ruin this happy moment, I need to get back to work,” he told her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

  “Okay. I’ll see you at lunch.”

  ***

  Later that afternoon, Kiera was still daydreaming about the baby growing inside of her. She’d let the time slip past her and suddenly realized that the guys would be getting hungry. Picking up the phone, she ordered eight large pizzas for delivery. Hopefully the guys wouldn’t mind.

  Pacing through the downstairs, she waited for their food to be delivered. Her eyes roamed over the old-fashioned wallpaper in the entry and she remembered her task of renovating the upstairs rooms. She would have to switch gears and begin work in the baby’s room before she finished the others.

  Rubbing her belly, she wondered if they were going to have a boy or a girl. She’d have to pick neutral colors for the room if she started on it this early.

  Hearing a car in the driveway, Kiera opened the front door and peered outside. The pizza guy was heading her way when three large werewolves suddenly blocked his path. The poor guy looked scared to death.

  “Guys, let him through if you want to eat,” Kiera called out.

  Ramsey looked over his should at Kiera. Nodded his head and motioned for the others to back away.

  The delivery guy practically ran to the front door. “Man, who lives here? The president or something?” he asked nervously.

  “I’m afraid my husband is just a little over-protective,” she answered.

  “No kidding!”

  Kiera smiled and handed the money to him, making sure to include a nice tip for his trouble. “Thanks for getting here so quickly!”

  He nodded. “No problem. Next time you might want to tell the person taking your order that your house is guarded.”

  “I will. Sorry again,” she said.

  Ramsey stepped forward and took the pizzas from Kiera, who couldn’t even see over the top of the boxes. She followed him into the kitchen, where he sat the boxes down on the counter.

  “Ramsey, would you please let the others know it’s time for lunch? And maybe send someone over to the garage?” she asked.

  Ramsey nodded and left to do as she asked.

  Kiera got out enough plates, napkins and cups for all of the werewolves. She lined the pizza boxes up around the kitchen and opened one of each kind. She had everything from cheese to supreme.

  Fixing a plate for Gabriel, one for Michael and one for herself, she placed them on the kitchen table. As she was getting their drinks, the werewolves started gathering in the kitchen.

  Placing the cups on the table, Kiera pulled out a chair and sat down just as Ramsey came into the kitchen with Gabriel and Michael trailing behind him.

  Gabriel stopped by Kiera’s chair long enough to lean down kiss her cheek.
“I’m going to wash up and then I’ll join you.”

  “Okay, I already fixed your plate,” she said, nodding to the place beside her.

  “So is this one for me little sis?” Michael asked, pointing at the other place setting.

  “Of course; you didn’t think I’d fix a plate for your brother and not make one for you, did you?”

  Michael grinned and followed Gabriel out of the kitchen to wash up.

  When they returned a few minutes later, Kiera couldn’t help sneaking glances at Gabriel. Michael noticed and wondered what was up between the two. He knew that Gabriel had come over to the house a few hours earlier, but he didn’t know why. Usually Gabriel shared things with him, so he figured it was a domestic issue and none of his concern.

  Gabriel smiled at Kiera, bursting to tell everyone their good news. “Should we tell them?” he asked.

  Kiera blushed. “I guess so. Michael needs to know for sure, but shouldn’t Cole and Marin be here too?”

  Michael shifted in his seat, his attention focused on Kiera. “Tell me what?”

  Kiera looked at Gabriel and nodded her consent.

  The proud papa, beaming, announced, “Kiera and I are going to have a baby.”

  Michael was stunned, but elated for his older brother. “Congratulations! That’s excellent news!”

  Gabriel hugged Kiera to his side and gave her a kiss. “We’ll have to tell the others soon.”

  Kiera wasn’t sure she was up to making a huge meal, but what if the whole pack, and guests, went out to dinner? She’d have to mention it to Gabriel before he went back to work.

  Ramsey stepped over and hunkered down beside her chair. “I couldn’t help but overhear and I wanted to congratulate you both.”

  Kiera smiled at him. “Thank you, Ramsey. That’s very kind of you.”

  Ramsey nodded and stood. “I’m returning to my post now. Let me know if you need anything.”

  Kiera nodded and watched him walk out the door. He was a very quiet man, but also very kind. He’d been diligent in his task of watching over her.

  Michael watched the whole thing with a thoughtful look. “You know, I have a feeling that Ramsey may decide to stick around.”

  Gabriel raised a brow. “So now you’re a psychic?”

  Michael shook his head. “It’s just a feeling I have. The others keep their distance for the most part, but Ramsey seems to be more in tune with our pack.”

  “You may be right. If he decides to stick around, I wouldn’t mind having him join us,” Gabriel answered.

  Once everyone was finished with their pizza, Kiera began picking up the trash. With the kitchen back to some sort of order, she headed upstairs for a quick nap. She would have loved to shift into her fox form, but didn’t dare now that she knew she was pregnant. She wasn’t going to take any chances with the baby being injured in any way.

  As she stepped into the room, her eyes caught sight of something on the bed. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a folded note with a blood red rose.

  Opening the note, she read;

  So my dear fairy, you are carrying the wolf’s pup. A minor set-back at best. You will still be mine before it’s all said and done. Can you still feel my lips against your neck? Feel my teeth grazing your skin?

  I will see you soon…

  Kiera dropped the note as if it had scalded her skin. She backed away from the bed and scanned the room, looking for any sign of the creature that had left it.

  Her nap now forgotten, she grabbed her purse and scurried down the stairs. Bursting through the front door, she ran into Ramsey.

  “Easy now; where are you running off to in such a hurry?” he asked.

  “I… I don’t know. I just need to get out of the house,” she said in a rush.

  “You’re not going anywhere alone, Kiera. You know that Gabriel would have my head,” he replied.

  She sighed. “I know, I guess I wasn’t thinking.”

  “Now, why don’t you tell me what happened.”

  “What happened?” she asked.

  “Don’t play innocent. You were flying out of the house as if the hounds of hell were hot on your heels. Now, what happened?” he asked again.

  “I found a note, on my bed,” she replied.

  “A note?”

  “Yes, from the vampire. I threw it away, along with the rose he left with it. I found them on my bed when I went upstairs,” she answered.

  “You mean right after lunch? After you had a house full of werewolves?” he asked, trying to get the facts straight.

  She nodded.

  “He’s braver than I thought,” Ramsey muttered. “Well, you certainly aren’t going anywhere by yourself.”

  “I take it this means you’re going with me?” Kiera asked.

  Ramsey nodded. “I’m going to grab Hunter as well.”

  “Do you really think I need two guards to leave the house?”

  He gave her a small smile. “I’m not taking any chances with the wife and baby of the pack’s alpha.”

  Her shoulders slumped. “Go get Hunter. I’ll wait in the car.”

  Ramsey chuckled. “I thought we’d take my car.”

  Kiera glanced up at him in surprise. “Your car?”

  He nodded his head toward the street. “It’s the black Hummer.”

  Kiera looked in the direction he had indicated and saw a large black SUV that she assumed must be the Hummer. It was massive and reminded her of a tank. “Do you really think something that heavy duty will be required for an afternoon on the town?”

  “With you, anything is possible. Now, wait here and I’ll go grab Hunter,” he told her.

  Ramsey headed around the side of the house. He came back a moment later with a large, bulky werewolf in tow. Hunter and Ramsey were two of the largest werewolves who had come to help them.

  Ramsey was about six-feet, six-inches tall with green eyes and dark brown hair. Hunter was just as tall and even broader with blond hair and blue eyes. The two would stop traffic for sure, especially of the female variety.

  As they approached Kiera, she gave them a smile. “Thanks for heading out with me. I know its short notice, but I just couldn’t stand to be in the house for another moment.”

  Hunter and Ramsey exchanged looks.

  “You filled him in on the note, didn’t you?” she asked.

  Ramsey nodded. “It’s important for him to know. We should tell Gabriel as well.”

  “No! Not yet,” Kiera said.

  “Kiera, this isn’t something we should keep from him. Do you know the repercussions for keeping something of this magnitude from the alpha?” Ramsey asked.

  “Ramsey, do you really think Gabriel would do anything to you?” Kiera asked patiently. Surely the man didn’t think Gabriel had it in him to harm someone over something so small.

  “While he’s milder than most alphas, I wouldn’t doubt anything when it came to his woman and child,” he responded.

  “Ramsey, please don’t tell him. He’ll only worry more than he does now,” she pleaded.

  Ramsey shook his head. “Sorry Kiera, but you aren’t going to win this one.”

  Ramsey marched across the street to inform the alpha of the latest news. Once he had done his part, he would take Kiera wherever she wanted to go. He had pondered sticking around and didn’t want to get on the alpha’s bad side.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Kiera sat in the passenger side of Ramsey’s large SUV. Hunter rode in the back, keeping watch out of both the passenger side and driver side windows.

  “You never did tell me where we’re going,” Ramsey said, keeping his eyes on the road.

  “How about the mall? Maybe I could do a little baby shopping,” she answered.

  Ramsey nodded. “The mall it is.”

  They rode in silence. Kiera wasn’t sure what to say to them. After Ramsey had told Gabriel about the note, her husband had rushed across the street, anxious over her well-being. Once she had assured him that she was fine, he
had allowed her to leave the house.

  When they arrived at the mall, it took Ramsey a while to locate a spot big enough for the Hummer. Most of the vacant spaces were next to someone who had parked over the line or right on top of it. Finally, they located a spot toward the back of the parking lot.

  Ramsey and Hunter flanked her as they walked to the mall entrance. More than once Kiera noticed envious looks from women going to their cars or heading into the mall. Little did they know that both men were up for grabs; or at least as far as Kiera knew they were. She realized that while Ramsey had been guarding her for the past few weeks, they hadn’t really talked.

  “So are both of you from California?” she asked.

  Ramsey glanced down at her, “I’m from the Denver pack, but I was originally born in South Carolina.”

  Hunter continued to scan the area, but answered her. “I’m from the Los Angeles pack, born and raised.”

  “Do either of you have girlfriends that you had to leave behind when you came to guard me?” Kiera asked.

  Ramsey grinned. “Nope, I’m free as a bird.”

  “Is that by choice or have you just not found your mate yet?” she asked.

  Ramsey shrugged. “A little of both I guess; I’ve dated over the years, but I haven’t found my mate.”

  “What about you Hunter?” Kiera asked, turning to look up at the blonde werewolf.

  “I had a girlfriend until I came here,” he answered.

  “Is she not waiting for you at home?” Kiera asked.

  Hunter shook his head. “I’m not sure I’m going back and she won’t leave California.”

  “I’m sorry. I feel somewhat responsible,” she said.

  Hunter stopped scanning the area long enough to look down at her, “Don’t. It isn’t your fault that you needed a guard; and no one forced me to come here. The pack is small enough that I feel I can be of better use here than back home, where our numbers are in the hundreds.”

  Kiera nodded. She could see the logic in that, but she still felt bad that he was losing his girlfriend in the bargain.