Page 176 of Bred
"See you around, Rowan." Luca clicked his tongue, walking off.
I kept my eyes on him, not turning away until he disappeared behind the sewing cottage.
"Where's Lily?" I spun, scanning the crowd.
"There." Nix gave a jerk of his head. "I've kept her in my periphery. She's dancing with Summer and Mina."
I followed his gaze, finding my gorgeous mate, twirling and laughing. Her silky black hair swung around her shoulders, falling into her eyes. She looked so carefree and beautiful. And I'd fucking kill anyone that tried to take her joy away from her.
THE TOWN SQUARE
LILY
"You'regonnagetsobig!" Mina teased, poking my side. I sighed at the thought, smiling so wide my cheeks hurt.
"Will you still work at the bakery?" Summer threaded her fingers through the tangles in my hair. It felt good, exposing the back of my sweaty neck to the warm summer air.
"I don't think so." I leaned into Summer's touch. "I like being home."
"You like waiting for your stud to get home," Mina snorted, fanning herself with a small stack of napkins.
My mother caught my attention out of the corner of my eye, holding up a glass of water. She lifted it, indicating I needed to drink. I smiled at her, picking up my cup and taking a quick sip. She nodded in approval and then went back to chatting with her friends. Both my parents were smiling just as much as me. Even my father was a little more relaxed, saying he was officially old and ready to retire.
It was all so perfect.
But the nagging feeling that it could all end crawled out of the darkest parts of my mind. I scanned the area looking for Rowan. He was very irritated earlier, and I needed to see his face to make sure he was okay.
Sensing me, Rowan sent a warm pulse of happiness through our mating bond. My sexy alpha stood on the other side of the dance floor, his heated gaze directly on me. He tapped between his brows, and I relaxed my expression, smiling.
Feeling a little flirty, I rushed to him, flinging myself into his arms. He laughed deep, holding me to his sexy, bare chest.
"Are you having fun?" he asked, his deep voice tingling my spine.
"Very much. Dance with me?"
He gave me a sheepish smile, nodding. He was a horrible dancer and it made me love him even more.
Well after midnight, after all the pups had been dragged home by tired parents and all the whiskey ran dry, Rowan finally declared it bedtime. I kissed my friends, and all our parents on their cheeks then took my mate's hand.
I was exhausted. It might have been my imagination, but my stomach felt a little heavier like I needed extra rest for the little bun growing inside me.
Without waiting for Rowan to offer, I raised my arms, silently asking him to pick me up. The desire to have him as close as possible was intense. His forearm hitched under my bottom, pulling me up, so my legs dangled on either side of his hips. I pushed my nose into the warm column of his throat, humming as his rich, warm scent enveloped me completely.
Rowan cupped my bottom, smoothing his palm from one side to the other, then up my back. And before I knew it, I was asleep.
I rolled over, and the sun cut a fierce beam across my face, burning through the back of my eyelids. Groaning, I moved back onto my side. The bed was cool to the touch on Rowan's side, and the house was very quiet. Sitting up, I was a little disappointed that he hadn't woken me before going to work. I missed him already. He had stayed home for the last week, helping me clean and nest. I wasn't very far along, but the desire to have every inch of the house smell like me and my mate was intense.
Grabbing my robe, I headed toward the kitchen, happy to find a plate of fruit and fresh bread on the table. It made me smile. My sweet mate, taking care of us.
I placed my hand on my belly, imagining the teeny life blossoming inside me. Was it a boy? A girl? Alpha? Omega? Or maybe even a beta?
There were so many unknowns, and I couldn't wait to meet the little pup.
After washing the dishes and wiping down the counter, I moved to the bedroom, ready to strip the bed. The sheets were overdue for a cleaning and needed to be re-scented. I had an arm full of pillows when the front door creaked open. I suppressed a squeal and hurried down the hall, excited to have Rowan home early.
I stepped into the living room, and shock ripped through me.
Luca stood in the doorway, scanning the sitting area, then the kitchen, before seeing me. His eyes met mine, and his fists curled tight. I jerked to run, racing back toward the bedroom. Luca's heavy feet were right behind me, his angry snarls echoing in my ears. I grabbed the edge of the bedroom door, but before I could slam it shut, Luca's big hand slapped against the soft wood, forcing it back open with a thwack.
