Page 43 of Denied By the Alphas

An hour later,I was sitting with Logan, Talon, and Griffin in the dining room, eating pizza for lunch. Glancing out the window, I noticed the snow falling heavily, blanketing the trees in a thick layer of cold, white fluff.

“So what’s going to happen now?” I asked. “Obviously, we can’t go back to the Alpha Compound, and I don’t want to live here in the snow forever, even though it’s magical.”

I gazed longingly outside, wishing I could escape to a place where the sun shone brightly, warming my skin and melting away the chill in my bones.

“Maybe we should think about moving somewhere warmer,” Logan suggested, taking a hefty bite of his pizza slice. “Florida, perhaps?”

“Really?” My heart leaped at the idea.

“Anywhere you want to go, sweetheart,” Talon said, winking at me.

“Yes, I love the idea,” I said, imagining myself basking in the sun on a beach far away from this dreary place.

“Done,” Griffin said, looking up from his phone. “I’ve booked flights for tomorrow morning.”

“What?!” I shouted, but inside I was freaking out. We were really flying out of here tomorrow.

“Is that okay, Carmen, love?” Logan asked, smiling as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“I’m freaking excited,” I said, unsure how they would manage to get us a place to live and handle all the logistics. But I knew Logan came from wealth, and he didn’t look worried, so I shouldn’t be either.

“We’ll find a new home there. One where we can all be happy,” Talon assured me.

“Oh wow,” I whispered, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. “You have no idea how much this means to me since I pretty much lost everything because of Henry.”

“Anything for you, Carmen,” Logan said, his voice low as he gazed at me. “We just want you to be happy.”

My heart swelled with excitement as the reality of moving to Florida sank in. I couldn’t help but imagine the life we would have there—the warm sun on my skin and the salty ocean breeze. Even though I had lived in the AlphaCompound my entire life, we had books that helped me envision life outside of it.

“Where are we going to live?” I asked, already picturing us settling down in a cozy beach house while gathering around a bonfire to make s'mores.

“Somewhere near the coast,” Logan replied, his eyes twinkling at my excitement. “I’m delighted that you chose to give me and my pack a chance. Seeing you happy makes it all worthwhile.”

We finished our meal, chatting excitedly about the upcoming move and making plans for our new life together in a different state. But as I stood up to clear the dishes, a wave of nausea washed over me, and I gripped the edge of the counter for support.

“Excuse me,” I mumbled, hurrying to the bathroom and barely making it before I bent over the toilet, retching violently.

As I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, worry gnawed at the pit of my stomach. This wasn’t the first time I had felt nauseous recently, but I had brushed it off, blaming it on the heat. Now, though, I couldn’t ignore the unease that had settled in my gut.

Could I be pregnant?The thought made me giddy. I knew there was always a possibility, given my heat phase, which I shared with the alphas, but the idea of becoming a mother scared me a little, even though I thought I was prepared.

I took a deep breath to steady myself before stepping back into the kitchen. The alphas looked at me with concern, but I forced a smile because I wasn’t sure yet.

“Everything okay?” Talon asked gently; his brow furrowed in worry.

“I’m fine,” I assured the pack, trying to stay calm. “It’s probably just the pizza. I’m going to start packing now.”

“Alright, I’ll take care of the dishes and join you,” saidTalon, with the alphas agreeing as they ate more slices of the jumbo pizza.

Later that night,the nauseating sensation intensified, and before I knew it, I was hunched over the toilet, vomiting. A wave of embarrassment washed over me as I realized the alphas must have heard my retching.

“Carmen, you alright there?” Logan’s concerned voice called through the bathroom door.

“Yes,” I weakly muttered, but he wasn’t convinced. Logan slipped into the bathroom and knelt beside me, sweeping my hair back from my face with a gentle hand as I tried to catch my breath.

“I’m here,” he said, his sandalwood scent comforting me even as I continued to empty the contents of my stomach. His presence was grounding, a solid anchor during my physical discomfort.

Finally, the nausea subsided, but I was trembling afterward. Logan helped me stand, guiding me to the sink, where I rinsed my mouth out and quickly brushed.

---