Lily
The fog in my head clears up the moment I take off my shoes and feel the dewy grass underneath my feet. Maybe I was overreacting earlier when I got mad at Wesley? The only thing he did was show great concern for our baby, but that doesn’t necessarily have to mean he doesn’t like me.
...right?
I stare up at the sky but turn around when I hear the door opening. It’s Juanita. Her brown hair flows around her hair, and her freckles make her look younger than she actually is.
“I was wondering where you went,” she smiles. “Aren’t you going to come inside and enjoy dinner? Wesley told his chefs to cook for us. The girls are so excited.”
“Oh, they should be. Chef Bogan’s food is to die for. He will spoil everyone tonight.”
“I sure hope so,” she walks over to me, then looks up at the sky and back at my face. “For some reason, I don’t think the polluted sky is why you’re out here.”
I giggle. “No... that’s not the reason.”
“Did something happen?” she grins. “Except you having sex with Wesley.”
I gasp. “You heard us?!”
“Girl, I’m pretty sure the entire city heard you two. You weren’t very discreet. Tess was so red in the face Claudia had to give her a joint.”
“Really?”
“Yeap, she is as high as a kite and mistook the butler for her boyfriend. She kissed him.”
“I didn’t know Tess had a boyfriend.”
“She doesn’t...” Juanita shakes her head. “The butler is just a poor man caught in the crossfire.”
I laugh, feeling a little embarrassed for Tess’ sake. “I hope she doesn’t have any regrets in the morning. Though to be honest, this could be good for her. She is still a virgin.”
“I agree.”
Juanita and I smile at each other until I hear something rustling in the bushes.
“What was that?” Juanita asks.
“I’m not sure,” I reply before taking a step forward and peering into the darkness.
Suddenly, a horrific howl rings out through the night air, sending shivers down my spine. We both look around in terror and see a vicious rogue werewolf emerge from the shrubbery.
“What the hell is that?!” Juanita screams. “That rogue is huge!”
She isn’t wrong. The rogue is larger than a normal werewolf with red eyes that glow with hatred. It snarls again and lunges forward. We scream in fear as it approaches us, snarling and snapping with its teeth.
Juanita stumbles back, but I’m not as fast. The massive wolf grips my arm and sinks its teeth into my arm. I yowl in pain and try to shape-shift, freezing when I realize I can’t turn into a wolf when I’m pregnant. I think I heard that could hurt the baby, and I won’t take the risk.
My eyes snap up to Juanita. “I can’t shape-shift! Go and get help! Call for Wesley!” I shout, but I don’t get the chance to say anything else since the massive wolf is already dragging me into the forest.
“LILY!” Juanita shouts. “I WILL GET WESLEY! HANG IN THERE!”
As the rogue werewolf drags me deeper into the forest, my thoughts race with fear. What if the baby is hurt? So far, there are no bruises on my belly, but I’m horrified of what might happen if Wesley doesn’t come to help me. How am I supposed to fight an enormous when I’m pregnant?
My arm is already throbbing with pain, my adrenaline is pumping, and my heart is racing so fast I fear it might beat out of my chest. I try to fight back, but my attempts are feeble in comparison to the werewolf’s strength. It sinks its teeth into my leg, and I cry out in pain when it gives my leg the death shake, like a dog playing with a toy.
“Stop that!” I shout. “I’m pregnant!”
The wolf doesn’t seem to care. Its eyes glow brighter in the dark, and it shakes my leg again, making blood fly everywhere. You can see part of my bone, and I close my eyes while hot tears run down my face.
I’m afraid, but I’m also relieved. I rather have my leg hurt than my belly. As long as the baby is fine, I can handle a little pain and blood related to my leg.
I just have to hold on.
The werewolf growls and goes for my other leg. The scent of blood fills the air, and I whimper. I have no idea what sort of monster would go for a pregnant lady, and I’m just about to give up hope when I hear a deafening roar.
Was that...
I gasp.
Wesley?
The rogue werewolf is flung off me. I look up in astonishment and see a large werewolf the color of freshly fallen snow staring at me. It’s freakishly huge, even bigger than the rogue, yet somehow, I’m not afraid. I know within my body and soul that the wolf is Wesley.
It lowers its head and presses a black nose to the side of my head before licking me. It tickles, and I laugh. “Hey, stop that! I’m fine...this is just a little flesh wound.”
Wesley doesn’t agree.
His eyes widen when he spots the blood on my legs, and I sob when he gently pokes my head in an affectionate manner. A whine leaves his mouth when he hears me cry, and for a hot minute, I contemplate asking him not to leave me. I just feel so relieved having him with me, but when the rogue snarls, Wesley’s face goes from calm to looking pissed off.
He bares his teeth at the rogue and then charges forward, pummeling the smaller wolf with all his might. Fur flies everywhere as Wesley bites and absolutely murders the other wolf, and I avert my eyes. I can’t watch the violence without feeling sick to the stomach. It seems it’s harder for me to handle the smell of blood now that I’m pregnant.
When it’s all over, Wesley stumbles back to me, his white fur stained with streaks of red blood. His eyes are fierce yet gentle as he looks into mine, and I watch him shape-shift back into a human. He stands tall and proud in the faint moonlight, gorgeous and completely naked. I admire his physique before I realize that he is looking extremely irritated.
“Why did you go outside?” he snaps.
I blink. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me! Why did you go outside without telling me? You’re pregnant and shouldn’t be walking outside on your own when it gets dark.”
“I was in the courtyard. It should be a safe place!” I argue and can’t hide the hurt in my voice. I’m confused about his anger. It wasn’t like I was trying to get attacked!
Wesley moves closer to me. “If you had told me you wanted some fresh air, I would have gone with you!”
He is standing so close to me that I can feel the heat from his big body. How did I never notice that Wesley is enormous? That he towers over me, all brawny muscle and steely eyes? Well, maybe I did notice, but I’m noticing it all over again now, and I don’t like it. Not when he is mad at me!
I sob. “Are you just going to continue yelling at me?”
He winces at my tone and actually looks shocked when he notices that I’m crying. I must look like a loser to him, not that I care. The pregnancy hormones are real, and I can’t stop the flood even with this idiot looking at me.
“What?” I quip. “Never seen human emotions before? Well, if that’s the case, let me explain what is happening: I’m hurt and bleeding, and my jerk of a boyfriend had the audacity to blame me for what happened.”
He isn’t my boyfriend, and I don’t know why I added that part, but at least it works. Those words finally push a reaction out of Wesley. He grumbles to himself and bends down to pick me up from the ground. I don’t even fight him. I know damn well that I can’t walk on my slashed legs and cling to his neck.
“I’m sorry for yelling at you,” he mutters. “It wasn’t your fault. I was just...scared.”
I wordlessly lean against his chest, too tired to respond. My friends are watching the spectacle in the background, but none of them approaches us as Wesley strides forward, probably out of respect since he is an Alpha.
“I forgive you,” I say. “Because had it not been for your help, I probably would have died.”
“You could have shape-shifted.”
I lift my face, staring at his chin. “But doesn’t that hurt the baby?”
“That’s an old myth,” Wesley replies while taking me inside the mansion. “Think about it, how do you think pregnant female werewolves fled from their enemies back in the day? You really think they ran through the forest in human forms?”
The visual in my head prompts a laugh out of my lips. “I didn’t think that far, but that makes sense... I’m sorry for not shape-shifting. I just didn’t want to hurt our baby if what I had heard about shape-shifting while pregnant was true.”
“It’s okay, I’m not blaming you,” he replies, and I tilt my head when I realize he isn’t walking toward my room. We are heading inside a more luxurious room, and I stare at him.
“Umm...where are you taking me?”
“I thought it was obvious,” the look he gives me is ruthless. “I’m taking you to my room to heal your wounds, and then I’m not letting you out of my sight. From now on, we are sleeping in the same room. Any complaints?”