Page 27 of The Alpha's Bullied Pregnant Mate

“You all need to pay up,” Articus said after they settled down again. “Well, Blake and me. We called it, remember? We called it. Wow! Fannar Agdluak has woman problems.”

“Cut it out guys, seriously. That’s enough.” Rowan looked serious but Fannar could still see the humor in the corner of his eyes. That bled out his irritation. These were his friends after all, and in their defense, he did swear that he would die alone less than a week ago.

“Okay, fine,” Articus said. “What the hell does ‘woman problems’ mean?”

Fannar had to think about it a moment. How could he describe how crazy everything had become since he met Isla? How confusing it was. The longing, the pull, the passionate, desperate sex. How intense and weird she was. How could he articulate all of that?

“Well?” Asher prompted.

“What does it mean when you have an uncontrollable longing for someone? Mind you I used to know this person a long time ago, but we only met again recently. Back then, I used to always notice her and she used to make me feel so unsettled.

“It’s kinda the same now, only worse, and with this constant, nagging longing for her. Like an itch I can’t scratch. I have no idea what to make of it and I hate it.”

They watched him quietly, each with a shell-shocked expression on his face. He looked hopefully from face to face, desperate for answers. He badly needed some answers.

Callahan grinned and slapped him jovially on the shoulder. “That, my friend, is what it means to truly like someone. And the look you see on our collective faces, goes to show you just how shocked we are to find out that you truly like someone.”

Callahan, still smiling, reached into his back pocket, pulled out a hundred dollar bill, and slid it to Articus. “I guess I owe Blake when next I see him.”

Rowan and Asher did the same. “Heck, I don’t even know what this bet was, but I’m guessing it was worth it,” Asher said as he passed the note to a smiling Articus.

Articus turned to look at Fannar, who now had a confused look on his face. “Well what are you waiting for? You too, big fella. Pay up.”

Fannar pulled a note from inside his coat and placed it on the table—where Articus immediately scooped it up—but his mind had traveled far from the group. It finally made sense. All those years bullying her, picking on her, calling her names. That strange longing during his address. His burning desire for her. He’d always liked Isla.

The realization was like a domino effect and he could feel tiles falling rapidly in his mind. The thought of it left him reeling, especially when he considered how beautiful and intimate sex between them had been. His world was unraveling and didn’t know how to piece it back together.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Callahan smiling kindly at him. “Trust me man, I get it. I have a Frost Peak woman in my home currently, and I had to literally die first to hear her tell me she loved me.

“You snow addled wolves find this experience really challenging. But trust me, Fannar. It’s not all that bad. Embrace it, and I promise, it will be the most beautiful experience of your life.”

The more Callahan spoke, the more solidly it settled on Fannar. He liked Isla. He had always liked Isla. Fuck!

Chapter 11 - Isla

Isla glanced at her phone again. Nothing.

She sighed audibly, a small expression of the frustration that had been building inside her over the last week. She frowned and put the phone down, and looked up to see her mother watching her over the rim of her steaming mug of cocoa.

“Did you hear anything I said?” her mother asked, her sharp tone showing that she’d probably been talking for a long while and Isla had been distracted the whole time.

“I’m sorry, ma. I was just a bit distracted, is all. What did you say?”

“Don’t I know it.” The older woman took a sip from her mug. “I was saying that your father wanted us to attend the next event with him at Moonwood town. He wanted to know if you’d be interested in coming, but that’s not important right now.

“There’s something going on with you. I’ve been noticing it for a few days but I wasn’t sure. Out with it, lady. What’s been troubling you and why have you been keeping it all to to yourself all this time?”

Isla blinked in shock. Was she so obvious? She thought she had guarded herself well, but her mother always had an eye for detail. Still, Isla had been absolutely certain that no one else could have known just how troubled she was.

How much of what was plaguing her could she tell her mother? How much of it would she be comfortable enough to even speak about? It didn’t help that she blamed herself for what was happening, but at the time she’d believed that she was making the right decision.

She glanced at her mother and bit her lip. “I’m fine, mom. Just stressed with work, and life, really. Nothing for you to get worked up about.”

Her mother rolled her eyes. “You work in a library, Isla. A quiet place, inside a quiet town. What counts for a bad day for you there is someone talking loudly or returning a book to the wrong shelf. My point is, I’m quite certain whatever is going on with you, it has nothing to do with your job.”

Isla laughed at that. “Valid point. And what about life? Do you also think that I have nothing that stresses me in my everyday life? Hold on, let me guess. I’m too boring and lonely for that, right?”

“Well, that’s what I’m trying to figure out.” Her mom set down the mug. “We both know the story about where you got that five grand from was bullshit. But your father trusts you, and so far, no one is looking for any money, so I’m willing to let it slide.

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