Page 38 of The Alpha's Forced Pregnant Mate

It was Faye, and I picked up reluctantly. I hadn’t spoken to anyone from the Silverfangs since I had taken the bite, and I was nervous. Not about what they’d say, but what my reaction would be. I’d been keeping my feelings and emotions under control, and I didn’t want anything to upset the delicate balance.

“Hey,” I said, tucking the phone between my cheek and shoulder as I leaned into the car. “I was just about to call you.”

“I’m surprised you’re not busy running around with your mate,” Faye’s voice was teasing, but it was more than I could handle right now.

“Can we please not talk about him?” I snapped, slamming the back hatch shut. I winced, feeling bad for snapping at her, and leaned against the car, looking up at the sky. It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in sight, and it was hard to imagine that just a week ago I was being attacked, forcing me into the mating ritual.

I exhaled slowly and tried again. “Sorry. It’s just…things have changed.”

“We heard,” a second voice, Naomi, said, surprising me. “Sorry, we didn’t want this to feel like an ambush but figured you’d rather speak to both of us at the same time and have it done and over with.”

“No, no, I appreciate it,” I said quickly. “It’s just…”

“A lot,” Naomi said softly. “Yeah. I know.”

I bit my lip, wondering what I could say. Everything I’d heard others say about Naomi had painted her as this weak, meek little lamb who had gotten kidnapped by Danny and then immediately fell in love with him. But none of that was true.

She was kind, loving, and fierce when she needed to be. She was strong, and she helped me realize that power came in many different forms.

“We just want you to know we’re here for you,” Faye said, breaking the silence. “We heard through the Reckless Stalker patrol that you’d take Julian’s bite. I can’t lie, I was shocked, but…I guess that’s fate.”

“That’s not what happened,” I said quickly. “I got attacked by demons the first night here and they targeted me. It all went to shit from there. His wolves took Laura and would only let her go when I agreed to the ritual. He’s just as much of an asshole as he ever was, if not more.”

I heard Naomi’s voice, softer than Faye’s, speak first after my explanation. “I understand. Danny kidnapped me, so I get it. If you need a shoulder to cry on, or just someone to talk to, we’re here. No matter how angry you are at Julian, it doesn’t mean you have to be alone.”

“I know. And thank you.” I hesitated. “I…can I still come home, Faye? When this is over? Even if I’ve mated with Julian?”

I could hear Faye’s sigh through the phone. “Of course, Whitney. I told you that before, and I meant it. The Silverfangs are your home, no matter what.”

Tears pricked at my eyes and I cleared my throat. “Thank you. I needed to hear that.”

“No problem. We love you.”

I smiled. “I love you guys too. I’ll call you later, okay? I have to get going.”

“Whitney,” Faye said before I could hang up. “The Silverfangs are your home, but it also isn’t wrong if you want to make a home with your mate. He might be our enemy now, but I know how conflicted you must be. We won’t blame you for anything, okay? Just take your time.”

I nodded, though they couldn’t see it, and said goodbye before hanging up. The last thing I wanted to think about right now was my relationship with Julian, but my conversation with Faye and Naomi had brought the issue to the forefront of my mind. I was stuck here for now, but once we figured out what the demons were planning, I could go home.

I would have to leave my mate behind.

But what if I didn’t want to?

That thought stopped me cold. I didn’t want to think about it, but my heart was racing just the same. What if Julian wasn’t the horrible, terrible man I’d always assumed he was? What if he was actually worth my time?

What if we could make a life together?

I shook my head hard to dispel the thought. So what if he’d been providing for me ever since we arrived, making sure Laura and I were well-fed and had our own space even when I was sure he wanted to be near me? So what if the sex was amazing, and he was hot as hell? I wasn’t going to fold just because of a six-pack and an orgasm.

And the playful stuff when we ran as wolves at night…the way he’d made an effort to apologize and speak to me calmly after the mating…it didn’t matter. It couldn’t matter.

We were nothing more than forced mates, and I was still planning to leave him behind the minute the demon threat was neutralized.

With a sigh, I went to find Julian and Laura. Maybe work would take my mind off of all of this.

***

The drive to the demon cave took some time, and I made sure to pop a nausea pill before we took off. The place was foul and it would have made my stomach turn on a good day, but now that I was pregnant, it was a million times worse.

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