Page 10 of Pack Plus Three

“Considering the copious amount of sugar I just consumed, I feel really good. You know when you’re just so full, you want to take a nap?”

Jeremy's eyes crinkled as he laughed. “Didn't you just take a nap? Then again, I guess growing the little one takes a lot of energy.”

“Thank you so much for cooking. Again. I don't know why you're being so lovely, but I appreciate it.”

“You're welcome. Honestly, I'm happy to cook anytime. It's nice to cook for someone other than myself. Staying here has been great because I get to work on fixing up the apartment, but I do miss having my packmates around. At least when they’re around, no food goes to waste.”

“And will you be moving back in with your pack once the apartment's done?” I asked, subtly looking around. It already looked amazing. The living room had been repainted. The kitchen was immaculate and modern. Surely there wasn't that much more left to do? My chest tightened at the thought that Jeremy wouldn't be around much longer. Despite my best efforts, I was getting attached to him.

“Yes, but that's not going to be for a while yet, several months, in fact. There are so many things I want to do here.”

Why was that such a relief to hear? I couldn't allow myself to get so attached to this alpha that lived next door to me. Even on the off chance that he was attracted to me, I was about to be a single mother, and he had a whole pack full of alphas who probably wouldn't find me appealing.

Why was I even thinking about alphas? I've been so content just to go about my life, be a single mother, and do my best by this parasite.

Then my ridiculously hot neighbor had to make me food.

You know that old saying, that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach? That doesn't just apply to men; it also very much applies to pregnant women.

“I think you're going to have to roll me out of here.” I laughed, lightly rubbing my stomach.

“There's a sofa only a few feet away. I could always roll you over there if you need a pit stop.” Jeremy chuckled.

“That is tempting. That sofa looks far too comfortable.”

“It really is. You should give it a try,” Jeremy said as he whisked my plate away.

“Maybe next time?”

I should have taken his offer for a pit stop on the couch.

My own lumpy threadbare mattress was nowhere near as comfortable as his couch. I knew that for a fact, and I hadn't even sat on his couch yet.

Crawling into bed the moment I got home, I hoped that the good food would lull me into a nice and easy sleep.

Four hours later, I was wide awake and staring at my ceiling.

Pregnancy was unusually cruel. The exhaustion tugging at me was intense and all-consuming. All I wanted was several hours of deep, uninterrupted sleep. I felt exhausted because I was pregnant. But because I was pregnant, I also really struggled to fall and stay asleep, as the sweet little parasite I was growing would kick my ribs or give me absolutely horrific back pain.

Neither of those things was conducive to a good night's sleep.

When counting the cracks in my ceiling became too much, I finally threw my pillow across the room and stomped to the kitchen. If I was going to be awake, I may as well have been doing something useful. I still had enough ingredients to make another batch of butter pecan cookies for Jeremy, so I started pulling everything out and laying them on my kitchen counter.

My kitchen equipment was pretty abysmal, most of it purchased second hand, but thankfully, cookies just required a mixing bowl and a cookie sheet.

Twenty minutes later, the dough was ready. Taking a small scoop, I started to individually scoop out the cookies for baking. Humming happily to myself, I reached out to grab another baking tray when the heavens opened above me, and a torrent of ice-cold water drenched me—and everything around me—making me scream in shock.

Rain.

It was raining.

Inside my apartment?

Squealing, I ran out of the kitchen, looking behind me to see that, sure enough, the entirety of my kitchen ceiling was soaking wet as heavy streams of water flooded from it.

It was like a series of sprinklers had decided my apartment was on fire and every surface needed to be doused with water.

Well, shit.

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