Page 8 of Pregnant Kidnapped Mate

I frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“I get that you made the mistake of hooking up with her years ago, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it again. You’re a good guy, could probably get any girl you wanted. You don’t have to settle for a human.”

Settle for a human? I growled, my grip on the bags in my hand tightening. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

He shrugged. “I get it. You’re horny and need to blow off steam. I’m just saying that there are plenty of willing shifters if you look for them. I know Sarah thinks you’re hot. All you’d have to do is go up to her and ask her for a drink.”

“I’m not interested in Sarah,” I said. “I’m good with what I’ve got.”

Dan frowned, blinking. Then his eyes narrowed. “You can’t actually tell me you’re with the human by choice.”

“So what if I am?” I asked, bristling.

“Have you lost your mind? She’s a human.”

“And that’s wrong because…?”

“Because humans and shifters shouldn’t mix,” Dan said. “Humans are self-important idiots. And they’re so weak, basically walking meat sacks. We could wipe them all out in a few days if the council let us.”

I frowned. I’d known Dan since I’d moved here, and up until now, I’d thought he was an alright guy. But hearing this sort of vitriol coming out of his mouth was something I never would have imagined.

“I think you need to chill out,” I said. “One, this has nothing to do with you. And two, there’s nothing wrong with humans in the first place.”

Dan took a step back, shaking his head, undisguised disgust flooding his features. “You’re making a big mistake,” he warned.

“If you have a problem with it, Dan, then you can shut up and leave me alone. I’m not going to justify myself to you on this one. There’s no reason for me to, anyway.”

“She’s going to make an idiot out of you.”

I growled and bared my teeth, stepping within inches of the other shifter. “Leave it before I tear your throat out.”

Dan scoffed, shaking his head and taking several steps back. But his eyes flashed with mild uneasiness.

“Does she know you’re a shifter?” he asked. My silence told him everything he needed to know. “Jesus, Alek, what the hell are you thinking? That woman’s going to make an idiot of you.”

“That’s my problem,” I said, brushing past him. “Just leave me be.”

“You’re going to regret this,” Dan called after me.

I ignored him. But his words trailed after me, looming over like a portent.

Chapter 5 - Iris

The smell of freshly cooked bacon wafted up the stairs, followed by the enticing sound of meat sizzling in the pan as I walked down the steps. When I walked into the kitchen, Alek was facing away from me, hovering over the stove.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey.” Alek turned. He wasn’t wearing a shirt. I stared, color creeping up my face. Every muscle looked as though it had been carved from stone, and I had an overwhelming urge to run my fingers up and down them. “You hungry?”

I blinked, pulling myself out of my reverie. “Yeah,” I said. “Starving.”

“In that case, food should be ready soon. Do you need coffee?”

“Do I need the nectar of the gods, you mean? Yes, absolutely.”

Alek chuckled. “That’s my kind of gal.”

A few minutes and a cup and a half of coffee later, Alek and I were sitting at the kitchen table. It felt strange. I’d rarely eaten meals with Jason and Dad, preferring to avoid them as much as possible—after I’d cooked dinner, of course. Sitting down with Alek was strange, but at the same time, it felt natural. Feeling this comfortable with someone was a foreign sensation, one I hadn’t anticipated. One I really liked.

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