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.
Ramse
y 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.
“If it makes you feel better, she wasn’t my mate,” Hunter stated.
Kiera smiled. “That does make me feel a little better. It still sucks for your girlfriend though.”
Hunter shrugged. “Now she’s free to find her mate. What sucks about that?”
“Nothing I guess. I hadn’t really thought of it like that,” she responded.
They reached the mall entrance and Ramsey opened the door for her. When they stepped inside, Kiera went straight to the large map to locate the store she wanted.
After a moment of looking through the directory, she chose two different baby stores and a maternity store. It was way too early for her to start showing, but she figured it wouldn’t hurt to have one or two things on hand for the day she realized her clothes no longer fit.
When she entered the first baby store, she felt a little overwhelmed. Ramsey was kind enough to grab a hand basket for her as she tried to figure out which direction to go in first.
Kiera headed for the aisle marked “blankets.” She had never realized there were so many sizes, textures and colors of baby blankets. Some were solid colors, some had prints. Some were soft and fuzzy while others were thin and slightly rough.
One in particular caught her eye. It was sage green with satin trim. The rest of the blanket was a soft chenille type material with a wolf pup embroidered in the middle. It was perfect! Grabbing it off the shelf, Kiera placed it in the basket.
“I think the alpha will be pleased with your choice,” Hunter told her.
She smiled and moved on to the toy aisle. Kiera looked at plush toys, rattles, toys that crinkled; toys that lit up, toys that moved… She finally selected a plush bear that jingled and a green and yellow caterpillar that rattled. Adding them to the basket, she looked around the store, unsure of where to go next.
“Do you want to see what the other baby store has before you buy anything else?” Ramsey asked.
“That sounds like a good idea. Thanks, Ramsey,” she said with a smile.
The trio headed for the check out area and Kiera paid for her purchases. Ramsey offered to carry the bag for her and they walked down to the next baby store.
The second shop was smaller, but carried adorable clothes. She ended up selecting a cute sleeper that was white with yellow ducks all over it and a yellow sleeper with paw prints on the bottom of the feet.
Before going to the maternity store, she decided to stop and grab a bite to eat.
“I’m sure the guys at home are just going to love me when they realize no one’s home to make their lunch,” she mumbled.
“Kiera, we’ve all been fending for ourselves for quite a while. It’s nice that you make lunch for us all the time, but it isn’t necessary,” Ramsey said.
“I should have at least let someone know I might be gone for lunch today,” she responded.
“I’m sure they’ll manage. Now, what do you want to eat?” he asked.
Kiera looked around the food court. There was a pizza place, a place that served Chinese, a sub shop, and two fast food chains. “What about a sandwich?”
Ramsey headed in the direction of the sub place with Kiera and Hunter trailing behind. The line was relatively short and they didn’t have to wait long to place their order.
Once they were seated, Kiera pulled out her cell phone and called Gabriel. She was a little surprised he hadn’t called to check on her already. He’d seemed tense when they had left. Granted, he had a good reason to feel that way. The vampire seemed to get braver and braver. Kiera had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before their game to came an end. She just hoped her life didn’t end as well.
***
A few hours later, Ramsey pulled to a stop outside of the Victorian. Hunter climbed out of the back and opened Kiera’s door while Ramsey grabbed her packages.
Once they were in the house, Ramsey lifted the bags, “What do you want me to do with these?”
Kiera motioned to the stairs. “I was going to put them in my room for now. The baby’s room hasn’t been decorated yet so I don’t really have a place for anything right now.”
“I don’t feel right going into the alpha’s room. What if I just leave them on the landing on the third floor?” he asked.
Kiera nodded. “That would be fine. Thank y
ou, Ramsey.”
He headed upstairs, taking the stairs two at a time, leaving Hunter and Kiera downstairs.
As stepped onto the third floor landing, he started to put the bags down, but something caught his attention. The door to the alpha’s room was slightly ajar and a shadow crossed the room.
Ramsey’s gaze sharpened, waiting to see if it happened again. An elongated shadow in the shape of a man crossed the open door again. Stealthily, Ramsey approached the door, careful to not make a sound. Sniffing the air, he couldn’t smell anything out of the ordinary.
Slowly opening the door, he took in every nook and cranny, looking for a possibly intruder. Taking a step into the room, he peered into the bathroom, but didn’t see anyone reflected in the mirror. Of course, if the intruder was the vampire, there wouldn’t necessarily be a reflection.
Cautiously approaching the open bathroom door, he looked inside. Empty. Just as he was about to turn, a cold hand gripped him and slammed him against the wall, face first.
“So delightful that someone finally came to play,” the vampire said. “I was starting to despair of anyone ever coming up here.”
“What do you want?” Ramsey asked.
“The alpha’s wife. Call her to you,” the vampire ordered.
“Never; I’ll die before I let you have her,” he said.
The vampire turned him around so he could look into the werewolf’s eyes. “That can be arranged,” he said with a cold smile.
Looking into the bloodsuckers black, dead eyes, Ramsey had no doubt he meant what he said. Regardless, his job was to protect Kiera, and he would fight to the death to make sure she was safe.
Shifting his weight, Ramsey threw his shoulder into the vampire’s ribs, knocking him off balance for a moment. It was just long enough for Ramsey to shift into his wolf form.
With a blur of reddish brown fur, Ramsey launched himself at the vampire, aiming for his throat. The vampire threw up his arm, blocking the werewolf and knocking him to the floor.
With a hiss, the vampire leapt onto the wolf. Ramsey bucked and arched, trying to break free. Slamming the vampire into the doorframe, he managed to get free long enough to let loose a short howl.
Moments later, the clatter of nails sounded on the stairs as two more werewolves came bounding up the stairs.
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