Pregnant

Tori's POV

The hotel was far from our house — or rather, Alex’s and Carmen’s house. I had made sure of that. I cried for almost an hour after checking in. The realization of what had really happened hit me hard, and I didn’t know if I would ever recover.

The hotel was nice and distracting enough: large rooms, a king-sized bed, a pool on the other side of the room to relax in, and a wide view of the city. Sometimes I looked at the pool longingly, wishing it would just drown me.

I had to remind myself it wasn’t worth it. Alex wasn’t worth my life. I had to move on, had to find other sweet aspects of life and make sure Alex’s betrayal didn’t mess with my head. I stared at myself in the mirror as the water ran down my body in the shower. Blonde hair and all. I didn’t look bad. When I checked into the hotel, all eyes had been on me — from the lobby to the elevator. Someone had even whistled appreciatively. So why was Alex so hateful? What did I do to deserve the loathing I saw in his eyes today?

And then there was Carmen. I had thought she was my best friend. I had told her my darkest secrets. We had laughed together and cried together. Now she was sharing my bed with my husband.

"Ex-husband," Lily, my wolf, interrupted.

I sighed. Right. Ex-husband.

A knock broke into my thoughts. I pulled on a robe and opened the door to see a young, handsome attendant.

“Ma’am, your order,” he said, and I remembered I had ordered food. I’d forgotten, lost in my grief. Now that he mentioned it, I suddenly felt ravenous.

I smiled at the young man.

“Thank you,” I said. He smiled uncertainly. He looked flustered — blushing, even. For a moment, I was too amused to take the cart. After all the hate from Alex, it was surprising to see someone look at me with nervous admiration.

“Thank you,” I said again, placing a hand on his shoulder to ease him. He nodded, still nervous. I wheeled the food inside as he managed a small smile and walked away. I closed the door behind him.

I wolfed down the food within minutes of uncovering it. I had been hungrier than I realized — crying over spilled milk had distracted me from the gnawing emptiness in my stomach.

When I was done, I felt better, more myself. I even smiled at the thought of the young attendant. If only he knew what awaited him when it came to relationships.

“Easy on him, Riri. He’s just eighteen,” Lily teased, and I smiled.

“Yeah. Makes me feel old, and I don’t like it,” I replied.

“But you are old.”

I burst out laughing and stumbled onto the balcony to watch the city under dusk. Lily was my only comforter in bad times. She was part of me, with a mind of her own, and I was part of her too. I extended my claws, watching the way they gleamed wickedly under the setting sun. Sometimes I wondered if Lily could feel the pain I was—

“My shoulder aches,” she said, and I smiled. My shoulder ached too, and I was glad she was showing me how connected we were.

“Do you think Alex feels any remorse for his actions?” I asked.

“He never loved you, Riri. He was just obsessed for a while. He’s a jerk,” she said, and I smiled faintly.

“I don’t ever want to fall in love again. I probably never will,” I said. I heard her chuckle — a deep, growly, feminine chuckle.

“No one can predict love, girl. It comes like the breeze — either it passes by or it settles,” she replied.

I sighed. Trust Lily to give the best advice. Still, the truth was I didn’t ever want to fall in love again. It was better to focus on my job, live my life. I wasn’t going to fall in love or run after men.

“Not all men are the same, you know. Take our young attendant, for example. He’s naïve, young, and handsome. Perhaps you could try an age-gap relationship,” Lily said, amused.

“Shut up, Lily,” I growled, and she chuckled.

“Just saying what I feel,” she said. I could hear the humor in her voice, and I grinned. What would I do without Lily? She was the only one I could talk to when I needed someone. It was funny how I had so little time for her when I was busy chasing Alex.

“I’m sorry,” I said inwardly.

“Don’t be, Riri. He was your man.”

“I was foolish to fall for him,” I insisted.

“That’s okay, Riri,” she cooed.

“I am so stupid,” I added.

“Shut up, Riri,” she said, imitating my voice. I laughed. Lily loved joking, calming me down. She knew how to laugh, how to comfort, how to scold, even how to advise. Sometimes I felt lucky to be born a werewolf.

“Thank you, Li—” My stomach churned suddenly. I doubled over, nauseous. I could feel the contents of my meal rushing upward.

I ran to the bathroom and vomited everything into the toilet. When I was done, I stood, frowning. What did they put in the food? Why was I—

“Uh oh,” Lily muttered.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked aloud.

“I don’t know if this is good news or bad news,” she deadpanned.

“Lily, what the fuck is wrong?” I snapped. She sighed.

“You’re pregnant,” she said. My phone slipped from my hands.

“With Alpha Alex’s pup,” she added.