Emily’s POV
“This can’t be accurate,” I mumbled in disbelief.
“The test must be faulty!” I muttered as I studied the two blue lines on the test I was holding. It was telling me otherwise.
Mila’s suspicion was spot on. She was right! I was indeed pregnant again!
This wasn’t planned at all, and I never expected that I would fall pregnant again.
I growled at myself. I felt angry, disappointed, and frustrated, yet a pinch of excitement was overwriting all those feelings.
This was the last thing I suspected would happen. I wasn’t even in heat when we did the deed!
“You weren’t on heat,” Willow yapped, excited. “When Lex was conceived! You should have known that you and Alex….”
“I thought that was some kind of fluke,” I snapped, cutting her off. “What are the chances that I will fall pregnant the second time around without going into heat?”
Werewolves usually have a heat cycle-except for the cycle that forces the mates to mark and mate-it guarantees the next generation. Except in my case. I was different. All I had to do was glance at “little Alex,” and presto-I was pregnant. Alex didn’t have his cock anywhere near me during my last heat cycle.
How the hell did this happen?
“I guess you are something special,” Willow said, adding fuel to the fire.
I rolled my eyes at her, annoyed. She wasn’t helping at all.
I sighed, feeling frustrated.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want the pup; it was just that the timing was off with everything that was going on.
Should I go tell Alex?
What will his reaction be?
“Em?” Mila called from behind the bathroom door. “You have been in there for some time. Is everything okay? Can I come in?”
I was unable to utter a word; I was trying to process the information and decide what to do.
Mila opened the door and peeked her head around.
“Em?” She called again. She sounded anxious.
With a nod, I looked up from the pregnancy test, and Mila pushed open the door and entered, shutting it behind her.
I was sitting in the bathtub, and Mila dropped the toilet lid and took a seat. She extended her hand, grabbed the test from me, set it down on the bathtub rim, and clasped my hands in hers.
“Are you alright?” She asked, concerned. She reached out and gently brushed away a strand of hair from my face.
I raised my head to look at her but shook my head quickly as hot tears began to burn behind my eyes.
A teardrop escaped my eyes and dropped on my belly.
My hand automatically reached out and wiped the tears. I wasn’t sure why I was crying.
Was this my hormone kicking in?
“Take it easy, Em. Everything will be all right,” Mila said, trying to comfort me by rubbing my shoulder. “We will raise him the same way we raised Lex. You have nothing to worry about. Jax and I are here for you.”
Was she suggesting that I raise my pup without a father, as I did with Lex?
I felt saddened by that thought.
Alex would be a great father; he deserves to be in both of their lives. Things are just too complicated to do so now.
“I am not going to hide my pregnancy,” I looked up. “Alex is entitled to information. He is the father of this pup.”
Mila winced, looking surprised. She didn’t expect me to make a decision so soon.
“Are you sure?” Astonished, she stammered.
“I am,” I said, wiping the remaining tears from my eyes and getting to my feet. “I’ll talk to you later,” I said, getting out of the tub and grabbing the test.
“Let me know how it goes and if there is anything you need,” she called after me as I exited the bathroom.
A few minutes later, I found Alex down at the playground with Lex and Sasha.
Lex was the first to notice me and ran closer.
“Mommy, mommy!” he called, and he grabbed me around my waist.
“Hey, big guy,” I said, squatting down to his level. “Are you having fun?”
“Yes, mommy!” He squealed. “Alpha Alex is lots of fun!”
My gaze caught Alex looking, and I smiled at him.
“That’s good, buddy,” I said. “Would you mind if I had a quick chat with Alpha Alex?”
“Is it about my baby brother?” Lex asked, startling me.
How does Lex know about me being pregnant?
“Uh,” I said, a bit nervously. “It’s about boring grown-up stuff.”
Lex scrunched up his nose in distaste. Being among dull adult things was something he detested.
“Okay, I’ll go play with Sai,” he said, and hurried back to Sasha. She grasped his hand, and they headed for the swings.
Alex came closer, shifting his face to the side.
“What’s wrong?” He asked, helping me to my feet.
“Nothing,” I said, attempting to conceal my uneasiness.
“Do not lie to me, Emily,” he angrily exclaimed. His gray eyes flickered to black and back again. “I see you have been crying, and for the past hour, your emotions have been all over the place-they have spilled into the bond.”
I inhaled deeply, feeling my heart begin to beat faster. I am not going to lie to him. He already knows.
How in hell should I tell him?
What kind of response will he get?
Is he going to be upset?
I shifted my gaze toward my feet to avoid Alex’s gaze and folded my arms around my chest, hugging myself.
“I’m pregnant,” I muttered so quickly that I wasn’t sure if I actually said those words.
“What?” He gasped, his gray eyes growing wide.
“You heard me,” I said, feeling dizzy from my rapid heartbeat. “I’m pregnant.”
Alex’s eyes shifted between different emotions, and I was terrified at that moment. He was staring off into the distance, not moving or making any noise.
Was he holding his breath?
Was the news upsetting him?
“You are not playing me?” He asked, his voice deep and full of emotion.
I gave a headshake.
“No, I am not,” I muttered. “I learned about it just a few minutes ago.”
I took the pregnancy test out of my pocket and gave it to him.
Alex did not even give the test a thorough glance. He grabbed me around the waist and spun us around.
A nervous giggle escaped my lips as he set me down.
“I am going to be a father,” he yelled out in excitement, pulling me to his chest.
“Shh! Keep it down!” I said, bewildered, looking around to see if anyone heard him. “Everyone will hear.”
Thank the goddess, only Sasha and Lex stood close by; the rest of the pack members were at the pack house for lunch.
“Let them!” Alex said. His smile was so bright that he couldn’t hide his excitement.
“You’re happy about this?” I asked, feeling my throat run down.
“Yes,” he said, lifting my chin so I could look at him. “I always wanted to be a father. This is the second-biggest gift you gave me.”
“What was the first?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
“The day you accepted me as your mate!” He said that, and a soft smile followed on his lips.
Alex closed the gap and pecked my lips.
“You and Lex are my life,” he whispered against my lips. “This little additional bundle of fur is proof of our love. I want to be there and help raise him.”
Warm, happy tears escaped my eyes, and Alex tenderly wiped them away with his thumbs as he held my gaze.
“You know,” he said, peeking at my lips. “I love you!”
I knew it wasn’t a question, but I still nodded and answered, “Yes.”
“Mommy, mommy!” Lex yelled, and I shifted my head to look back at him. He and Sasha were heading toward us.
Sasha let go of Lex’s hand, and he came up running. Alex squatted down next to me, and Lex leaped into Alex’s arms.
Alex got to his feet and lifted Lex.
“Mommy,” Lex said, his face turning serious. “Can Alpha Alex become part of our family?”
****