Page 46 of Duke's Baby Deal
“They’re not my problem any more,” Abel said, his voice still thick with sleep.
“All right, Quin’s hair. But what if you offered places to different packs for young folk to come work here for a while. Offer training if they’ll work at something we need, maybe open up some more places for pups to go to school in the city. Introduce them to the omegas, see if we can make any matches. They can help build the new houses, get them done faster.”
There was a pause, then Abel said in a thoughtful voice. “That’s an idea. It’s not really my call.”
“I know that. But Quin’s your brother, and you used to be Alpha. And maybe, if we get some guys who already know what they’re doing to come too, you know—one new guy, one experienced one—they can train up some of our pups too while we’re building, so when they go, we’ll still have people who know how to do stuff.”
“It’ll cost.” But Abel didn’t sound as bothered by that as he was intrigued by the idea.
“Yeah, I know it’s not cheap. But we’re going to need help building, and I was just kind of sitting here thinking…”
“No, it’s an idea. I wasn’t too crazy about the idea of taking three years to fill that new section with housing, but we couldn’t do any better with the numbers we had. Let me talk to Quin and see what he has to say. Thanks, Duke.”
“Hey, no problem. Got nothing better to do out here, watching the humans shivering in their box.”
Abel laughed, then in the background Duke heard the low cries of a baby who had just woken up. “I better go. Once he starts, they all get up.”
He and Duke said their goodbyes, and Duke settled back in his chair, feeling entirely satisfied with himself. The only thing left was to figure out a way to get Justin here. And if he did, then Justin would find out firsthand what it felt like to be at someone else’s mercy.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
I woke at dawn, feeling itchy and cranky. Duke was still asleep, practically invisible beneath the covers. The room was cold—end of January, and we were trying to keep the heaters off, because our electricity was actually Abel’s and Bax’s and it was just awkward. Once the sun got over the wall, it would warm up—Abel had put solar panels for heat on the roof—but until then, we’d be chilly. I burrowed down back into the covers, selfishly stealing as much of Duke’s body heat as I could. He said he didn’t mind, and after all, I was keeping warm for three.
Speaking of the twins, they seemed to be taking off in terms of size. At least that’s how it felt in the morning, with a full bladder, and them putting all their weight on it. I stubbornly tried to ignore it, willing myself back to sleep for the hour I had left before I actually had to get up, but it was a lost cause. I was so focused on not wetting the bed that my body was a ball of knots—no sleeping in that condition. I snarled and threw myself out of bed, stomping off through the cold apartment to find that sweet, sweet bliss that comes with an empty bladder.
I came out of the bathroom to find Duke blinking sleepily from the doorway of the bedroom. “You all right?”
“Yeah. Just had to pee.” I slumped down on a chair at our kitchen table, then restlessly got up to make some tea. “I’m getting tired of this already, and I’m not even half way!”
He grinned and came over to give me a kiss. “We still have an hour before you have to get up. Come back and sleep a little more.”
I shook my head. “I’m cranky today. You don’t need cranky in your bed.”
“I’ve enjoyed cranky in my bed all month,” he told me solemnly, and pretend-winced when I punched his arm.
“I think I’m going to try to eat something,” I told him. “You may not want to be around for that.” My morning sickness had switched over to actually showing up in the morning, but the rest of the day I ate like the Beast of Gevauden. Still better than it had been for most of January.
“I have a raincoat around here somewhere.”
“Ha!” I gave him a dirty look, but my mouth betrayed me and the corners turned up in a smile. Andheliked to callmea brat—he was just as big a one, only he waited until there were no witnesses. “Seriously. You don’t need to stay up. You shouldn’t be getting up at all—I know what time you got off work last night.” Late. Very late. Like three and a half hours after a shift that was supposed to finish at ten. But something had happened right before he was off and he’d been four hours sorting out the mess before he could leave. “I’m just going to sit here and slowly trick my stomach into letting me eat a full meal.” I had to take my pills first, and drink my tea, and then I could try something solid. “Do you want me to tuck you in?”
He grinned and I went pink when I realized how that could be taken. Then again, we were developing a rhythm. I still didn’t enjoy it physically, which I knew bothered him, but I really enjoyed performing my mated duties in the bedroom and making sure Duke wasn’t getting shortchanged. To the point where I’d borrowed some of Bax’s novels and began reading them, not just for entertainment, but forideas. And boy, were there some good ones.
I couldn’t wait to shake Justin’s hold on me. If it ever happened.
Nope. Wasn’t going to think about that. Bax had fallen in love with Abel after being mated and he had no problems in the bedroom. I knew because I’d asked.Thathad been an interesting conversation. And I had a suspicion that there was more going on between Holland and Quin than just the two of them shooting each other heated looks when they thought the other one wasn’t looking. And if Holland was giving Quin those kinds of looks, it only followed that he was interested in Quin in a physical way.
Oh my lady of wolves, wouldn’t I love to seethatcombo in action.
Oops, there went my brain again, wandering off on its own. Some days, I wondered if I’d be able to find my way home again, but there it was. Pregnancy brain. I could look forward to another four months of being an idiot, which would be an absolutejoy. I glanced up at Duke, who was watching me with that smile on his face again, the one he only wore when he was wondering how safe it was to tell me howcuteI was being.
Ugh.
“If you want, I’ll come back to bed with you.” I walked over and wrapped my arms around his waist, trying to look as seductive as possible with a bowling ball in between us.
He leaned down to kiss me briefly. “Naw. Tonight though? I’d rather you ate. I’ll make you something.”
I patted his chest, enjoying the solid feel of him, and pleased that he hadn’t argued about my offer to molest him. “It’s probably going to be a slow process. You go to sleep. Want me to wake you up before I leave?”
