Chapter 8 You're Pregnant?

Valerie's POV

"Ah!"

A startled cry escaped my lips as I stumbled, panic flaring when I realized I was about to fall.

Instinctively, I clutched my stomach, too frightened to think of anything else.

In the blink of an eye, Aaron moved. One moment, he was standing by the window; the next, he was in front of me, his strong arms catching me just before I hit the ground. He pulled me tightly against his chest, steadying me with effortless strength.

My heart pounded violently as I looked up at him, breath ragged.

Thank the Moon Goddess, he caught me in time.

If I had fallen… I didn't dare imagine what might have happened to me—or to the pup inside me.

The thought made my blood run cold. My trembling fingers gripped the fabric of his shirt, holding on without thinking.

That was when I caught a faint, heady scent.

Even though my sense of smell had dulled since becoming an Omega, I could still recognize the unique pheromone of my Alpha mate. And tonight, Aaron's scent was far stronger than usual—thick, intoxicating, and impossible to ignore.

Unbidden, memories of our nights together flooded my mind—his heat, his strength, the way he could make me feel both cherished and conquered all at once.

As the most dominant Alpha in the pack, Aaron had impeccable self-control. Yet in our years together, I had felt again and again the fierce edge of his possessive desire—so consuming it nearly broke me.

My body had long since learned to respond to him on instinct alone. And now, with his scent surrounding me, that instinct reawakened.

My knees softened. My pulse quickened. A yearning I thought I'd buried deep began to surface.

I bit down on my lip, trying to suppress the shiver that ran through me—until another scent reached me.

Alcohol.

Aaron had been drinking?

That couldn't be right. He never allowed himself to indulge—not when he needed to stay sharp against any possible threat. But today… he reeked of it.

Why? Shouldn't he have been with Lily? From how eagerly she clung to him earlier, I couldn't imagine she'd let him leave her side, let alone drink himself into this state.

Before I could piece it together, I felt him press closer, his body heat seeping through the thin fabric of my nightdress. My freshly bathed skin burned under the contact, every nerve tightening.

"Aaron," I whispered, breath unsteady. "Let go of me."

He didn't answer.

The only response was the sound of his quick, uneven breathing.

When I met his gaze, the look in his dark eyes made my heart skip. There was heat there—raw, untamed heat.

I knew that look too well.

It was the look he had whenever desire overtook him.

My pulse stumbled. And before I could react, he lowered his head and kissed me.

The moment his lips met mine, a tremor ran through my entire body.

He drew back just slightly, and I heard a low chuckle escape his throat—rough, hoarse, dangerously intimate.

Then his mouth claimed mine again, harder this time, prying my lips apart and tangling his tongue with mine in a kiss so deep I could hardly breathe.

Warm, sticky wetness slid from the corner of my mouth, only to be caught by his tongue and drawn back between us. The lewd sound of it filled the air, making my face burn as my body betrayed me, sinking helplessly into his embrace.

Little by little, my nightdress slipped from my shoulders, pooling soundlessly on the floor.

His hot, damp kisses trailed down my throat, my collarbone… Everywhere his lips touched, my skin shivered in response.

Before long, I could barely think.

And he felt it too. He always did.

He lifted his head, meeting my hazy eyes as he unbuttoned his shirt, one at a time—

Until my gaze caught on something at his neck.

A faint red mark, just below his Adam's apple.

My heart stopped.

That color was exactly the same shade as Lily's lipstick earlier today.

The realization hit me like a slap.

In an instant, the image of them together this morning inside his office flashed through my mind.

A surge of icy disgust rose inside me. With a burst of strength I didn't know I had, I shoved him off me, pushing him away with all my might.

Bastard!

He had been with Lily just hours ago. Her scent was still on his skin, and now he dared to touch me?

Who did he think I was?

Yesterday, he'd wanted to sever our mate bond. Today, he was kissing me as if nothing had changed.

Was that all I was to him? A convenient body to satisfy his whims?

Humiliation burned through me. My stomach turned violently.

"Valerie, you—"

Aaron frowned, but I didn't wait for him to finish. I bolted from the bed, stumbling into the bathroom and gripping the sink as I retched.

But there was nothing in my stomach to throw up, just acid and bitterness that left my throat raw and aching.

I rinsed my mouth, splashing cold water over my face, desperate to wash away the nausea—the taste—the shame.

When I finally looked up, Aaron was standing in the doorway, his expression dark and unreadable, eyes fixed on me.

"Why are you throwing up?" he asked. "Don't tell me… you're pregnant?"