Page 2 of Beneath His Alpha's Wings
“And you've been here for…”
“Two months. Almost exactly,” I said. “He turned me the night before the full moon, two months ago.”
Teddy frowned. “I thought we could only change into bears on the full moon.”
“That's us,” I said. “Omegas. Alphas can shift anytime they want. Like Knash can.”
“Were you sick?” Teddy asked.
“Sick? No.”
He pursed his lips in thought and frowned.
“I was hiking,” I said. “And very surprised to see a bear.” Nevermind one that changed into a human after attacking me. I shivered at the memory. Of course, Knash couldn't help it. His bear was lonely and he couldn't always control it. But, he promised that we were family now. He’d take care of me and our baby. Or as he put it, cub.
“Do you trust him?” Teddy blurted.
The question was perhaps a little too close to my line of thought for comfort.
“I…” I hesitated. I felt like do you trust someone should have been an easy yes or no answer. And yet it was complicated.
Before I could say anything, the lock on the door rattled and it was flung open. Knash rushed in, eyes wide with alarm.
“They're here!” he roared. “The wardens have found us!”
“What?” Teddy cried.
I clapped my hands over my stomach protectively. “What do we do?”
“Get into the basement and hide,” Knash said. “I'll lead them away.” The door slammed behind him and he was gone.
Teddy and I stood there for a long moment, stunned. The wardens were coming. Were they going to kill us? Would they be shifted? Was I going to be ripped to shreds by some crazy bear all because I was with Knash and not them? Would I even have a chance to beg for mercy?
“This is crazy,” Teddy said, starting for the door.
I thought he was going to lock it, but to my shock he opened it instead.
“Teddy!” I gasped. “The wardens are out there!”
He turned back to me. “I don't care. I'll take my chances.” His face clouded and he added cryptically, “I've been ready to meet my maker for a long time. And I'm not going to do it cowering in a basement because some man I don’t know, and don’t trust, told me to.” With that, he closed the door behind him.
And I was left alone.
For a moment I considered going after him, but knew that I wouldn’t get far, not as heavily pregnant as I was.
“In truth, no,” I said softly to the empty room. No, I didn't entirely trust Knash. But I didn't have a choice either.
When Knash first told me he changed me into some sort of werebear and that I was pregnant, I didn't believe a word of it. It sounded crazy. Who would believe that?
But then he showed me that he reallycouldchange into a bear. And then a few days later the morning sickness started. I thought I could maybe explain it away from nerves from being essentially a prisoner in someone's house. But soon there came the undeniable fact that I was hungry and moody and tired. And my pants were gettingreallytight. A couple of weeks later I found it hard to deny that maybe I really was pregnant. The first time I felt the baby kick, well…
Since Knash hadn't been lying about those things, how could I possibly know what I could and couldn't believe? When he said that leaving the house was too dangerous for us because of humans, and the wardens, and my pregnancy, how could I take that risk? At least here I was growing comfortable with our routine. I knew what to expect and, while I couldn't deny some resentment that he had changed me against my will and essentially kept me trapped in his house, he had also been nothing but kind. Knash was keeping me well fed and clothed. He hadn't hurt me. And aside from the full moon when we were bears, he hadn't even indicated an interest in sex. I wasn’t sure if he even knew I was gay, although I hadn’t volunteered the information. Regardless of what my bear thought, Knash wasn’t my type. On the other hand, a potential kidnapper wasn’t my type either.
Knash claimed his lonely bear had taken over and changed me, and that he was doing the noble thing by taking me in and protecting me. It didn’t seem any more farfetched than being able to change into a bear in the first place.
I realized that I was standing in the kitchen like an idiot and turned and hurried, as fast as I dared, to the basement. I picked my way carefully down the stairs and tucked myself away, behind a pile of boxes. I swallowed hard, then closed my eyes and prayed that Knash could safely lead the wardens away.
For a few tense minutes, I found myself hoping that he would reappear. Knash would come back and tell me everything was okay. I was safe. The baby inside me was safe.
