Page 4 of Beneath His Alpha's Wings
He laughed. “Don't worry about it. My mate had a baby not too long ago, I'm used to catering to pregnant omegas.”
“Oh,” I said again. I stood there awkwardly for a moment, until the woman pulled out a chair next to her, across from Teddy.
“Please have a seat. I'm Mesha.”
“Hi…” I said, still feeling quite confused and overwhelmed.
“It's okay,” Teddy said.
Not sure what else to do, I obediently crossed the room and sat down. A moment later, the one man presented me with a mug of coffee and a couple of packets of cream and sugar.
“I made you a half-caff, since you’re pregnant,” he said. “It’s enough to get that sedative out of your system, but if you’d like a second cup, you'll be just fine.”
“Sedative?” I asked in alarm.
“Oh my god, Tagger,” Mesha said, wrinkling her nose. “You're so tactless, it's a wonder your true mate agreed to be with you at all.”
“Now, now that’s hardly fair, sis,” said the man sitting next to her. The one apparently named Tagger started to thank him, when he continued. “Taggers mate was already an omega. Tagger didn't have the chance to screw it up.”
“Hey!” Tagger said in protest. “At least I have a true mate.”
“Ouch,” the man laughed, clapping a hand over his heart. But he bowed his head and, to my surprise, actually looked somewhat remorseful. “To be so lucky.”
“We should all be so lucky,” Mesha said longingly.
I cleared my throat. “What uh…”
“I'm sorry,” Mesha said. “You must be confused.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Who are you people? Where am I?”
Before she could answer Teddy reached across the table and grabbed my hand. “Don't panic…” He paused a moment then said, “These people are the wardens.”
I gasped and nearly dropped my coffee, as if I expected it to be poisoned or something. My hands clamped protectively over my belly and pushed away from the table. Could I beat them to the door? What then?
Tagger snorted and a soft growl emanated from Mesha.
“Boy, he did a number,” she spat. I looked at her, heart pounding, and her face immediately softened. “I'm not mad at you,” she said quickly. “It’s that damn feral filling your head with nonsense.”
“What’s a feral?” I asked nervously, glancing toward the door and gauging the distance.
“That's what shifters call someone who goes around turning people without permission,” said Teddy. “They said it’s against their laws.”
Mesha smiled encouragingly at me. “Do you remember anything that Larkin told you?”
“Who’s Larkin?” I asked.
Tagger cleared his throat and I looked hesitantly at him. “I'm afraid Larkin tranquilized him without a word. If anyone is surprised by that.”
“Are you serious?” Mesha demanded angrily. “Why?!”
“I saw that he was pregnant,” came a deep rumbling voice from behind me. “And I didn't want to take any chances with him shifting and fighting. So, I sedated him before he could.”
I turned in horror and there, taking up practically the entire doorway, was the man from my dream!
“Oh god!” I gasped, looking around again in a panic. It was the only door. And yet… I swallowed hard, with absolutely no idea what to do. These were the people Knash was so afraid of? The people he said would kill us? These people had killed his entire family, and yet they were all sitting around here with Teddy, eating croissants and drinking coffee! This wasn't right, it couldn't be right.
“Can you move please, you big lummox?” asked a voice from behind Larkin. “I was up all night and I'd like some coffee.” A lithe man, practically dwarfed by Larkin, elbowed his way between the huge shifter and the doorframe, and slid into the room with us.
