Page 63 of Sold Bullied Mate

His eyes shine. “Anything.”

“Why don’t you leave the cooking to me?”

I hardly realize what’s happening before he has me over his shoulder, and I’m staring at the floor.

“Whatare you doing?” I laugh, heat already flooding my core as he carries me toward the stairs.

He slaps my ass, his laugh vibrating through my body.

“You know,” he says, grinning at me as he lays me back on the bed, his eyes raking me up and down, pancakes completely forgotten in the kitchen. “Behavioral conditioning.”

Epilogue - Dorian

“How is she doing?”

“That’s a great question,” I say, practically running through the general store, heart thudding in my chest. Products zip past me in a blur of colors, and the other shoppers stare, move out of my way, all of them surely vaguely aware of what’s going on today. “I have to get back, but I’ll be sure to update you when I know.”

Brock, the general store owner, crosses his hairy arms in front of his chest, and his petite wife, Alecia, smiles at me from her place at his side.

“Here,” she says, pushing a small package over the counter to me. “I put these together for her. You can tell her it will help her to care for the perinea—”

“Thank you,” I say, loading my things into a bag. “I have to go. Add this to my account?”

“Already done,” Brock says, grinning. “Best not keep her waiting.”

I’m running out to my car when a woman appears on the other side, nearly giving me a heart attack.

“Is it time?” Ash practically shouts, bouncing on her heels. “Tell me it’s time! The look on your face is like the sky is falling!”

“It’s time,” I tell her, the certainty of that statement settling in my gut. I hold the bag up before I throw it in the backseat. “Midwives sent me out for this stuff. I have to get back, they need it—”

Ash lets out a sharp laugh as she falls into the passenger seat. She’s pulling her seatbelt on as I drop into the driver’s seat,starting it, yanking on my own belt, and throwing it into reverse all in the same motion.

“What?” I ask, annoyed at her laughter, when I feel a fizzy sense of panic building in my stomach. “What’s so funny?”

“Take your time, Dor,” she laughs, leaning back in the chair. “Those midwives don’t need this stuff—I’m sure they all came prepared. They probably just needed to get your annoying ass out of the house.”

I roll my eyes at her, jamming my foot against the gas pedal as we fly out of town, but realize she’s probably right. They probably didn’t actually need the stuff. That doesn’t stop me from feeling like I need to get back there as soon as possible.

Emin is the first to greet us as we walk into the house. He’s been spending a lot of time with Aidan lately, helping him to train. When he’s not doing that, we’re working together, trying to track down Jerrod Blacklock and Mhairi Argent. So far, both have been evading us, but we know we’ll have to take out the alpha leader of the Grayhides.

It can’t come soon enough for me, as I haven’t forgotten his obsession with my mate.

Kira wasn’t okay with the idea of her father being present, as he’s still facing punishment from the council for harboring the Amanzite, and generally being unaware of his wife’s dealings, but she told me to call Emin as soon as we realized today would be the day.

I’m glad to see that he came right away.

“Hey,” Ash says, eyes skipping from Emin and to the back room, where the midwives are set up with Kira. “How is she doing?”

“Uh, lots of screaming and cursing,” Emin says, leaning on the counter. “Told them I’d be here if they need anything. They haven’t.”

Ash nods. “Well, they are professionals. Boy, I bet she’s ready to be off bed rest.”

Of course, Kira’s pregnancy was a little more complicated than we thought. The midwife instructed her to go on bed rest for around six months, and she’s been trapped in that back room ever since.

“Yeah, thank the gods,” Emin says, rolling his eyes. “I don’t needanymore scarves.”

I stifle a laugh—the last thing I’m going to do is poke fun at my mate on the day she’s giving birth. But Emin has a point—getting out of bed will hopefully slow Kira down on the knitting. Between what she was able to sew before the bed rest and all the cute knitted onesies, our child won’t need any clothes for a year.

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