Page 35 of Pucking the Enemy

Her best friend was a male?

That could potentially cause a problem.

“You shouldn’t let anyone talk to you that way,” Phillip said.

“He was just surprised,” she assured him. “Look, I just wanted you guys to know I don’t want anything from you. We can go back to our lives as normal, but I—I felt wrong not telling you.”

The last thing I wanted to do was overwhelm her, but I wasn’t going to go back to my normal life. There was no way in hell I was going to act like nothing’s changed when I was going to be a dad. Judging by the looks on my pack mates’ faces, they felt exactly the same way.

“Have you eaten?” Phillip asked, ever the pragmatic one.

Hazel shook her head. “I was feeling really nauseated, so I skipped breakfast.”

“Sweetness, it’s nearly seven in the evening.” Cormac frowned.

“I know. I just knew I was seeing you guys, and I didn’t feel up to it.”

“Are you allergic to anything?” Phillip asked.

“Just shellfish,” she replied, trying to leave my side, but I pulled her chair right next to mine, refusing to let her leave.

A deep, instinctual part of me demanded that I kept my omega close.

Sure, Hazel wasn’t my bonded omega, but she was pregnant with my child. That bonded us in a serious way.

“Stay,” I grumbled lightly. She looked up at me, those wide eyes full of worry.

Phillip nodded at her answer and stalked off toward the counter.

“Where is he going?” Hazel asked.

“My guess? To go get you some food.” Cormac smiled lazily at her.

“Oh, he didn’t need to do that.”

“Yes, he did,” I said, my hand reaching out and finding hers. I rubbed my thumb over the pulse point in her wrist; her heartbeat was erratic. So much worry and stress couldn’t be good for her.

It would be down to me and my pack to help make her life easier now.

“So, where exactly do you live?” Cormac asked.

“I live in a dorm on campus, Dallas House.”

Cormac whistled. “I’ve heard of that place. It’s fancy.”

Hazel grimaced. “It is nice. My parents pay for it, so I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be there for.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. Why would she be moving? Maybe she could move in with us. She certainly couldn’t be farther away from us. We needed to be close, in case she needed help. The twenty-minute drive between our current homes already felt like too much.

“My parents don’t know about my situation, and they are not going to be very understanding when they find out.”

“In that case, fuck them. We’ll take care of you.” Cormac shrugged.

Hazel wiggled out from under my arm with a huff. “It’s not that simple!”

“Yes, it is.”

Hazel looked at me imploringly. Philip returned from the counter, placing a grilled cheese sandwich with a side of veggies and dip in front of Hazel. She quietly thanked him.

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