7. What now

Giovanna

I watched him quietly stare at the picture of our child. I kept quiet allowing him the time he needed to process the information. As shocking as finding out I was pregnant and all that ensued after the news I imagined receiving a picture of the final product that now walked and talked and had an opinion was even more shocking.

The news "Suprise you have a three and a half year old son was not exactly an everyday event."

I was aware though the longer he stayed here in the office the more likely my father would find out. I wanted to call him gently from his thoughts when I realised I didn't even know his name. I had slept with this man, had a kid with him, found out I was his mate or soul mates or whatever you wanted to call it and I still had no idea what to call him. The idea of that was suddenly ludicrous to me and this was a ridiculous situation everything in my life was ridiculous. The giggles escaped before I could stop them. They bubbled up from my nervous centre like inappropriate vomit I had no control of. My giggles echoed around the silent, tense, heavey athmopsphere of the office breaking into laughter.

The man whose name I still didn't know looked up at me with almost worry that I had snapped and lost my mind.

"I'm sorry." I gasped through the laughter as I reached out and grabbed his shoulder in tactile reassurance.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently as I held up a finger asking him in silent gesture to wait whilst I composed myself. "What's so funny?" he asked as my laughter subsided and I gently wiped the tears of laughter from my eyes.

"It's silly." I admitted "but it suddenly hit me that after our night together, our shared son and this whole discussion here about mates and all this. I still dont know your name." I added. "The thing that could of helped me most was if I knew your name and here we are talking about all this and you could walk out of here again and I still don't know your name."

"Yes I guess we have done this completely ass ways." he said with a small smile. "I'm James Harris Shine, future Beta to the Royal pack." he added gently extending a hand towards me.

I smiled warmly as I took his huge hand it completely encompassed mine. I had expected his palm to be rough but instead it was soft and warm. Tingles shot up my arm and to my core from our touch.

"Those are mate sparks." he smiled knowingly "I feel them too." he added answering my puzzled look.

"I am Giovanna Angelito but people close to me call me Gigi." I responded as he beamed.

"Nice to meet you Gigi."

"Nice to meet you too James." I added testing the sound on his name on my tongue. It had a comforting ring to it and felt right.

I let out the last of the tension I was harbouring as I took in the man before me. His brown hair and chocolate coloured eyes shone warmly in the afternoon sun from my office window. He had a strong jaw that was covered in what the magazines called "designer" stubble. His shoulders were wide and broad and his muscles strained beneath the leather jacket he was wearing. It was clear he was a big man who trained alot. He was tall that was easy to tell despite his seated position but most wolf shifters were tall according to my minimal research. He had said he was a Beta which again from the little information the werewolf doctor in my sons special medical clinic had provided me meant he was indeed of high rank. I recalled the line graph that showed an Alpha at the top followed by a Beta. He had also said he was part of the royal pack, the royal pack was the only pack I knew of personally having attended a ball there but I knew there were other packs out there. A bird soaring past my window casting a shadow across the office broke my trace and I was reminded where we are.

"You can't stay here much longer my father will get suspicious. They watch me closely." I said to him as he numbly nodded before holding out the picture of Luca to me.

"Keep it." I smiled. "Until we can work out how to introduce you to him without any fall out damage." I added.

"What damage your my mate and he is my son. I am walking out of here with you both and I would like to see your father stop me." he responded.

"If you do anything here now with me. They will have Luca whipped away and gone before we get out the door of this office." I replied fear now gripping me. " I cannot sneeze incorrectly or my Luca will be gone please." I begged with an urgency he didn't understand. "Please James." I begged again. "With my father and the Angelito Mafia its not that simple."

He looked at me with what seemed like a stubborn resolve but when I silently squeezed his arm in a silent plea I saw it all disolve.

"You're my mate Gigi I cant just walk out of here without you. It doesn't work like that. My wolf will not allow me just turn away." he added.

"I'm asking you James to be a father and help me save our son. Your first act as his father. You have to promise me James if it comes to it you will pick Luca." I asked as I grabbed his hand.

"I couldn't....." he began but I cut him off quickly knowing our chances of being caught were growing by the second.

"You could James. For me you must promise me you will always put Luca first." I urged. "Because James I will always pick Luca." I added speaking the cold truth aloud.

"As a mother should, but your my mate Gigi. You die I die." he replied sadly.

"Only if I allow you mark me." I responded reciting what I did know about mates.

He looked at me surprised and I took his surprise as the chance to ram the picture of Luca he held under his jacket and bundled him toward the door.

"Gigi." he began.

"The house compond is heavy on motion sensors and cameras. They watch everything its why you were put in the security staff house, it wasn't out of respect for your rank or my father considers you a guest or any other line he used. It was so he had full eyes on you at all times. Dont approach me at home. I will get messages to you." I said quickly praying he was taking in what I was saying.

I opened my office door a crack and peeped out, no one had moved and my fathers door was still shut. I pushed the man mountain out the door quickly with strenght I found from fear of what I knew would happen if we were seen. I snapped the door shut quickly behind him before I slid down the door as a wave of earth shattering emotions hit me. I had an odd feeling of loss and anxiety that was draining me emotionally. Is this what James had meant about the mate bond. I put my hand to my chest and urged my emotions to calm back down.

I couldn't let this cloud my mind. I wouldn't let myself dream of any life with James because I would not lose sight of the idea of getting Luca out of the mafia first.