Chapter 1

Erin’s POV

Months Ago

****

My hands shook as I picked it up from the bathroom sink. I'd taken it last night, thinking he would come home.

He hadn’t.

Carlos is the Alpha of our pack, though. This meant long hours away from home. I knew this, but over the past few days, maybe even weeks, he’d been different. No. Distant.

But he was home now.

Because we had dinner in less than an hour.

He was downstairs in his office. I closed my hand around the stick. I rushed out of the bathroom.

Carlos was finally home.

I hadn’t seen him in days, but this was about to change that.

I knew it would.

I hurried down the stairs, nearly slipping on the last one. Rushing towards his office door, I pushed it open. Carlos was standing near his desk, papers in hand.

He looked tired. His shirt was creased, dark circles sitting under his eyes.

“Carlos?” I walked into the room, stopping a few feet away from him, nervousness suddenly overtaking me. My hand became sweaty around the stick.

“Not now, Erin, I'm tired,” he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “And I won't be able to make it to dinner. Tell everyone I'm sorry.”

He was always tired.

“But all this paperwork. I'll have to leave again soon too.”

I opened my hand and held the test out between us.

Carlos stopped talking, looking down at it. He blinked twice like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

A smile grew on my face, butterflies swarming in my stomach. “I’m pregnant,” I said for the first time out loud.

His eyes snapped to mine.

“What?”

“I’m pregnant, Carlos.”

The papers he was holding fell to the floor.

Oh goddess.

I held my breath.

“You’re…” he paused, looking down at my stomach. “Pregnant?”

Biting down on my bottom lip, I nodded, a tear running down my cheek.

He took the test from my hand, his eyes wide as he looked down at it.

“You’re pregnant.”

He looked back up at me, a smile spreading across his face. He came towards me, wrapping his arms around me.

“Goddess, Erin.”

I buried my face against his chest, laughing through my tears as he held me tighter.

He was happy.

My body relaxed in his. I knew this would fix everything.

I had him back.

Carlos pulled away, his hands moving to my waist before he dropped down in front of me.

I laughed. “What are you doing?”

He ignored me, resting his forehead against my stomach.

“Our baby.”

My eyes blurred as I watched him, my heart filling with warmth. I ran my fingers through his hair as another tear slipped down my cheek.

“We have to tell your parents,” he said, looking up at me. “And Alan. Everyone at dinner!”

“At dinner?”

Dinner was now.

The nerves swamped back in, twisting in my stomach.

“Of course tonight.” He stood, pulling me into him again. “You really think I can keep this to myself?”

I laughed, wrapping my arms around his neck.

“No.”

The tight feeling in my chest that had been there since Carlos started acting distant disappeared.

Whatever had been keeping him away, whatever had been making him come home exhausted and distant, didn’t matter anymore.

We were having a baby.

Our baby.

And Carlos was happy.

Carlos stood up, clicking his fingers at a maid as she walked down one of the hallways. “You.”

“Yes, Alpha.” The maid rushed towards us. “What can I help you with?”

“Champagne. I want it in the dining room right now.” He waved his hand, the maid scurrying off.

He looked back at me. Slowly, he lowered his head, pressing his lips into mine. Gentle at first, his lips moved slowly against mine.

My fingers tightened behind his neck as I kissed him back, every bit of worry I had melting away. Carlos pulled me closer, one hand resting against my lower back while the other slid up into my hair.

I had missed this.

I missed him.

He pulled back, his forehead resting against mine. “I love you, Erin,” he whispered against my lips.

My eyes closed.

Everything was perfect.

“I love you too.”

Everything was going to be okay.

Carlos kissed me on the forehead before looking at his watch. “Come on.” He smiled, taking my hand. “Everyone will be waiting for us in the dining room.”

I let him lead me out of his office and down the hall.

‘He's happy,’ Blue said in my mind.

I smiled.

My mother's laugh drifted towards us as we stopped outside the dining room's doors.

In a few minutes, Mum would know she was going to be a grandmother. Dad would probably pretend he wasn’t emotional while getting emotional anyway, and Alan would probably find something annoying to say.

Carlos squeezed my hand. “You ready?”

I nodded, even though my heart was beating so hard I could feel it in my throat.

He pushed the doors open.

Everyone's eyes turned to us.

“Alpha Carlos.” My father stood up from his chair, everyone else in the room doing the same.

“We were starting to think youse weren’t coming,” my mother joked.

Carlos nearly wasn’t.

“Sorry,” Carlos said, his hand still wrapped around mine. “Erin had something she needed to tell me.”

He looked down at me.

My chest warmed.

Carlos hadn’t looked at me like this in private, let alone in front of anyone, for so long. Usually, at dinners like this, he was Alpha first and my husband second.

If he showed up at all.

But tonight was different, and this proved that he loved me.

A maid walked into the room carrying a tray of champagne.

Carlos let go of my hand long enough to take two glasses, passing one to me before he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close.

I stared down at the glass.

Obviously, I couldn’t drink it now.

I was pregnant.

Goddess, I still couldn’t believe it.

I curled my fingers around the stem as everyone in the room took a glass.

“Before we sit down,” Carlos said, lifting his own.

The room went quiet.

Mum looked between us. I could tell by the look in her eyes she was already suspicious. Dad’s eyebrows pulled together, while Alan leaned back against his chair, waiting.

But Carlos wasn’t looking at any of them.

His eyes stayed on me.

It felt like I was the only person in the room.

Carlos smiled down at me.

“My mate and Luna, your daughter and sister…” His thumb came up, brushing against my cheek. “Erin is pregnant with my heir.”

My mother gasped. “Goddess bless you.” Her eyes filled with tears, her hand flying up to her mouth as her hands shook.

Tears burned hotter in my eyes. She rushed towards me and wrapped her arms around me.

“My baby is having a baby,” she cried happily against my hair.

I laughed, hugging her back.

“Mum.”

Dad cleared his throat behind her, making her pull away from me. She cupped my face in both hands, staring at me like she was trying to make sure I was really standing there.

“I’m so happy for you,” Dad said.

I looked over just in time to see his glass tilt dangerously in his hand. “Dad!”

He caught it before it spilled, making Mum turn and glare at him.

“For goddess’ sake, Philip.”

“I’ve got it.”

Everyone was happy.

Carlos’s arm pulled me in closer. I leaned into him without thinking.

This was how it was supposed to feel.

Alan lifted his glass towards me.

“Well, Erin, I guess congratulations are in order.” His mouth pulled into a grin. “You’re lucky. Not every woman gets to be the Alpha’s mate and carry his heir.”

Of course.

Alan couldn't just keep his comments to himself.

“And hopefully it’s a boy,” he added. “Silver Moon needs a strong future Alpha.”

I stared at him.

The baby had barely existed for five minutes in this room, and somehow Alan was already trying to make it into a joke. Alan, was raised with an elite education and the weight of my family’s expectations on his shoulders. He had always been arrogant and chauvinistic, but that unpleasant trait only grew worse after he became Carlos’s Beta.

“Maybe you should worry less about my mate and my baby and start looking for one of your own,” I said. “Although with that attitude, good luck finding a woman willing to put up with you.”

Alan’s smile disappeared, his wolf flashing through his eyes.

My dad cleared his throat again.

Alan's eyes narrowed at me. “Very funny.”

“I thought so.”

Mum tried to hide her laugh behind her glass.

Carlos shook his head beside me. “Shall we start dinner before the two of you spend the whole night arguing?”

“Probably a good idea,” Dad said.

We all sat down, Carlos taking his place at the head of the table while I sat to his left.

“We need to go baby shopping tomorrow,” Mum said.

I laughed. “Mum, I only found out today.”

“And?”

“And I’m probably not going to need a crib tomorrow.”

“We can still look.”

She kept going, talking about clothes, blankets, and everything she wanted to buy for her first grandchild.

Carlos never took his eyes off me.

This was perfect.

“So Carlos, the p…” my dad said, but Carlos’s phone rang, cutting him off.

Carlos pulled it from his pocket and looked at the screen.

His smile vanished.

Before I could see who was calling, he turned the phone away from me.

“I’m sorry,” he said, already standing. “I have to take this.”

That feeling came back.

The tightness in my chest I thought had disappeared.

I watched Carlos leave.

‘It’s pack business,’ I told Blue in my head.

She was probably right, but I couldn’t stop watching him.

“Shit.”

I looked back at the table, seeing my dad covered in red wine, his glass rolling on the table.

“I’ll get a cloth.”

I pushed back from the table and hurried into the kitchen, something outside the window catching my eye as I reached the sink.

Carlos.

He stood in the garden with his phone pressed to his ear.

Why had he gone outside?

My hand came up to the window.

‘No,’ Blue warned me.

But it was too late. I pushed the window open, softly straining to hear whatever he was saying. Few people knew that my senses were far stronger than those of most werewolves. I had awakened a part of my ancestral bloodline, giving me abilities beyond ordinary wolves. And now, I could hear every word Carlos spoke on the phone with perfect clarity.

“My Luna is pregnant.”

He was telling them about our pup. But he didn’t look happy; he looked stressed.

“I’m sorry, but do not contact me anymore, Julia.”

I felt sick the second her name left his mouth.

Julia.

His first love.