Page 56 of The Alpha's Forced Pregnant Mate

I fought to find some comforting words, a way to express how frustrated I was that she went out alone knowing she was pregnant, but apparently, the connections in my head were permanently shot.

So I yelled at her instead.

"Whitney, are you CRAZY? You're fucking pregnant and you thought trying to rescue Laura—who wasn't even kidnapped, by the way!—was a good idea?"

"Oh, that's rich coming from you, Mr. I do whatever the hell I want, when I want."

"I'm not the one who's knocked up!"

"Knocked up? Really?"

"Why do you always have to be so stubborn?" I snapped. "You should have told me you were pregnant!"

"And said what? 'Hey Julian, can you come help me fight a bunch of demons, oh and by the way, we're going to have a baby?'"

"Yes, exactly that," I growled.

"You promised NOT to hold me back from my job."

I could feel my eyebrow twitching. I'd never wanted to shake sense into someone and kiss them at the same time before, but Whitney was getting me there. "Pregnancy changes everything."

"That isn't your call to make!"

I tried to lower my volume. I really did. But I was incandescent with everything she was making me feel—joy, rage, endless frustration, and a confusing amount of lust—and control was beyond me. So when I yelled back my reply, it was loud enough that everyone on the battlefield could hear, and then some. "Dammit, Whitney, can't you see I want to protect you because I LOVE YOU!?"

Shock ripples through the crowd, hitting me just as hard as everyone else. Whitney is looking at me with her huge, flower-blue eyes, and I'm left reeling.

So much for my carefully made plan to make her fall for me first. I'm in love with Whitney Gray.

Chapter 21 - Whitney

"—because I LOVE YOU!?"

Julian's words rang out in the clearing, and I felt a flush creep up from my feet to my face. I'd never run from a battle, no matter how dangerous or how badly the odds were stacked in my favor, but I suddenly wanted nothing more than to turn on my heel and run for the hills. Julian's admission hit me harder than any blow I'd ever taken, and I had no idea how to process it. My wolf was howling with excitement inside me, but the human half of me was frozen.

There was a murmur of voices around us, and I suddenly became aware of the dozens of eyes on us. "I, uh," I started but stopped when I realized I had no idea what I was going to say.

Julian opened his mouth, probably to apologize for his outburst, but instead turned to glare at the group of wolves from the Red Canines. "Don't you all have something else to do?" he growled.

I took advantage of the distraction to duck out of Julian's arms and head toward the house. Of course, it was pointless because he grabbed me immediately and pulled me close so he could speak into my ear. His voice was low and desperate when he spoke. "Please don't run from me again."

His words hit me in the gut, and I knew that he wasn't just talking about physically. He was talking about our bond—about my stubborn refusal to admit what I felt for him, and the way I ran away every time things got too intimate between us. I'd tried to tell myself it was for my own good—that I was protecting myself by being tough and pretending that I didn't want him or need him, but it was all a lie.

"I'm not running," I said, turning to face him.

"Then prove it." His hazel eyes were blazing, and I could see the frustration in his handsome face. He reached out to touch me, and despite my reservations, I swayed into his touch. Carefully, as if he was afraid to break me, Julian slanted his lips over mine, kissing me sweetly.

My resolve melted away, and I gave in, wrapping my arm around his neck. As we kissed, tears came to my eyes, and I laughed through them, thinking about how crazy this whole situation was. The bad-boy wolf who'd mocked my ideals, who drove me insane, had confessed his love for me. And I loved him right back.

"I'm sorry," I whispered when we broke apart. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. That I hid the pregnancy."

"We'll talk about that later," he said, brushing a tear off my cheek with his thumb. "I know you had your reasons."

I nodded, unable to say anything else. Julian released me, and I stepped back. We stared at each other for a long moment, the silence stretching between us.

He reached out and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I love you, Whitney. I don't know how we're going to make this work, but we will. Together."

My heart thudded in my chest, and I nodded again, not trusting myself to speak. When I finally managed to find words again, they came out as more of a squeak than anything else. "I love you too."

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