EmmaAfter satisfying me for what feels like the billionth time, I’m close to tears. Reed has made me his little spoon, and my heart hurts. No one has ever held me like this. My own Mom hates me since I was the child she never wanted. Dad raped her, and now, she lives with him because she is afraid of what would happen if she left. She doesn’t have a job and had me when she was only sixteen. Still, that doesn’t give her a good reason to treat me like she does. Reed has shown me more kindness and affection in a single night than I ever knew from her in a lifetime.“I want to keep you safe,” he whispers into my ear, his hand resting protectively over my stomach. “I want to make sure nothing bad ever happens to you again.”His words are sweet, but the reality is harsh. Reed might be my mate, but I can’t give him an heir and become his Luna. It doesn’t matter that my heart wants him, especially not when our mating would put his life in danger. A few tears drip down on the bedsheets, an
EmmaWhen I come home at the crack of dawn, my Mom is smoking outside the trailer. The second she sees me, a cruel smile spreads over her lips. “As an Omega, I always thought you smelled like a slut, but now you’re dressing the part too.”I look down at the pink stripper clothes that I’m still wearing. I’m embarrassed, but not enough to stand out here and argue. I just survived being kidnapped—I don’t have the energy to stand here and endure my Mom’s insults. Instead, I brush past her and head inside our trailer.“Are you just going to walk away when I’m talking to you?” My Mom snarls, following me inside. She’s always been bitter and sharp-tongued, but she only dares to speak up when Dad isn’t at home. If he heard us arguing, he would beat us both. “I’m tired,” is all I say as I make a beeline for our tiny bathroom, shutting the door behind me. As soon as the door clicks shut, I finally allow myself to break down. I slide to the floor, hugging my knees as silent sobs wrack thro
Emma“No, I can’t work tonight. I refuse. I’m feeling ill and want to stay at home!” My Dad frowns at me. I haven’t dared to tell him or my Mom that I’m pregnant with an Alpha’s child, and neither do I plan on it. They would most likely force me to have an abortion since the only reason for my existence is to work off my Dad’s debt to Alpha Jackson at the diner. “You’ve been acting weird ever since you skipped your shift the other day,” my Dad mutters. “Is there something that you aren’t telling us?”I can see my Mom’s frightened eyes from the kitchen table. She is silently begging me to just go to work, but I can’t. I’ve been a mess ever since I came home from work yesterday with the knowledge of carrying Alpha Reed’s heir.I shake my head, a sickly smile curved on my face. “No, Dad. I’m just not feeling well. That time of the month…you know? I don’t want to make a mess at the diner,” I say, hoping he will believe me.My Dad grunts in response and rolls his eyes. “Just take your pi
EmmaI keep an eye out for Lily’s Mom’s catering car on Saturday night, waiting patiently until it pulls up outside our trailer. When it arrives, I hurry to the door while my Mom pauses by the window. “It’s unusual for Lily and her Mom to pick you up,” she points out in a suspicious tone. “They’re catering a big event tonight,” I explain, doing my best to appear casual. “Thought it would be nice to lend a hand.”“Are they paying you?”Unease churns in the pit of my stomach. My Dad would be enraged if he knew I was not working hard to pay off his debt tonight. But before I can come up with a convincing lie, the car honks outside. Startled, I glance at the clock above our stove. It’s later than I thought.“Got to go, Mom,” I tell her, grabbing my coat from a hook by the front door. “I will see you tomorrow morning.”“Don’t come back too late,” she warns me. “Or your Dad is going to throw a fit again.”“I will try to keep that in mind.”The cold night air stings my face as I sprint to
Reed“It should be impossible, but she is pregnant!” the pack doctor says as I stare at my mate through the window. She is still unconscious from passing out at the party, and concern slashes through me. My mate is pregnant. Surely, it must be with my pup since we formed a knot. Damn it. Will she recover from this?What even is her name?I know nothing about her!“Is her pregnancy the reason she passed out?” I ask without peeling my eyes off my mate’s form in the hospital bed. “She hasn’t been eating things a pregnant werewolf should. Since a werewolf is only pregnant for two months, or, to be exact, nine weeks, food, vitamins, and iron intake are even more crucial,” the pack doctor explains. “And she hasn’t had any of that?” my voice is tight as I focus on her pale form. The sight of my mate’s fragile body sends a surge of protectiveness coursing through my veins, and my wolf whines pitifully within me.I intend on spoiling the shit out of her as soon as she wakes up. My mate sh
EmmaWhen I wake up, I’m not in my family’s trailer. This room is too big and too white, and there’s a beeping sound coming from beside me. Is it a hospital?It takes a while for my eyes to adjust, but when I do, I realize I’m not alone. Alpha Reed is sitting on the chair beside my bed, looking up when he notices I’m awake.The mate bond immediately hits me, and I can feel his emotions as if they were my own: he is worried about me.“How are you feeling?” he asks.Since I’m at the hospital and he must have been the one who brought me here, I don’t bother to lie. He must know I’m pregnant by now.“Not good,” I admit. “Is the baby…?”“The baby is okay,” he says, not even showing a sign of surprise as he says it.I smile, but it’s a sad smile. “So then you know…”“That’s why you came to the event, wasn’t it? To tell me that you’re carrying my child?”“Yes,” my heart flutters. This isn’t how I thought this conversation would go, but Reed is extremely calm and gentle with me. It makes it e
EmmaEvery brain cell is fried within my head. I know nothing about being a Luna and leading a pack, but Reed is my mate, and I believe in the moon goddess!“Yes!” I squeak. “I will marry you!”His smile is breathtaking. It lights up his whole face and reaches right up to his blue eyes.“I’m glad you said yes,” he gently slips the ring onto my finger. It fits perfectly, which is scary. It’s almost as if he somehow knew my measurements. Before I can bring that up, he continues speaking. “I wouldn’t have taken no for an answer, but your yes makes things easier.” His eyes twinkle with mirth, a hint of that cocky self-assuredness that I find infuriating and endearing all at once.“But,” I stammer, looking at the ring on my finger and then back at him. “You haven’t got approval from the council and...”He places a finger over my lips, silencing me mid-sentence. “Let me worry about the council,” he says gently, brushing a stray lock of black hair from my forehead. “For now, all I want is
EmmaA day later, I'm finally strong enough to leave the hospital. Reed isn’t inside my room as I'm folding the clothes I got to borrow but speaking to the doctors while I’m dreading what will happen next. My parents aren’t going to be happy with me. I never came back home after telling my Mom I was going to help Lily, and now I’ve spent three days at the hospital—if I so enter our trailer, I will get beaten to death. And what about my job and Alpha Jackson? If I’m not working, I can’t repay my Dad’s debt. That must mean my Alpha is furious with me. And by not showing up at my job, I’ve probably put Lily in trouble. “Everything okay?”I look up to see Reed enter my room. “Y-yeah, just a bit nervous.” I force a smile, but I get the feeling Reed can see right through me. He knows I’m anxious, and even if he didn’t, the mate bond would tell him. Still, he doesn’t demand to tell me what’s wrong. He calmly walks over to me and smiles. “Your friend, Lily, has been here a couple of time