Page 55 of The Alpha's Bullied Pregnant Mate

He babbled the most, laughed the loudest, and played the hardest. Isla could already imagine a grown Oliver, with the cold exterior of Fannar, and the colorful disposition of herself. The best of the two of them.

He saw Isla watching him from the front passenger seat and threw his hands forward at her, speaking excited gibberish. Elsa helped him out of his seat belt and he lurched forward into Isla’s arms. “There’s my champ,” Isla said, settling him on her lap. “Did you miss me?”

“Mama,” he said, followed by a string of nonsensical words that Isla couldn’t understand. He spoke with such fierce determination that Isla found herself wishing she could understand him, just so she could hear what he was saying.

The last two years had been an adventure of a lifetime for Isla. They had gotten married three months after her delivery, and it was the most glamorous event she had ever attended.

Fannar spared no expense, going over and beyond on everything. Her ring was a piece of art, diamond wrought with inlaid gold, complete with machine earrings and a neck piece. She glittered like a prism every time she passed under a light.

His friends had shown up with their entire families, and half of Frost Peak had attended the grand event. It was such a ball, Isla still heard about the wedding two years later.

Rumor had spread that Fannar had caught a deadly virus, and that Isla had been responsible for curing Fannar where the healers had all failed. This swung public opinion in her favor, and for the first time, she was no longer the community outcast.

Isla was convinced the former Luna had a hand in sharing that piece of information, but decided to enjoy the extra fame and popularity that came with being a hero.

Fannar moved her parents into a bigger house, and retired her father from active service with a generous pension. He also invested a lot of money in his business, providing contacts as well as supply lines.

And then there was Oliver, the best thing that had ever happened to her. The child grew as fast as a bean stalk, and when he wasn’t playing, he was constantly watching. Watching her, Fannar, Elsa, his grand parents. He was a charm and more, Isla could feel great power brewing inside him.

For the first time in her life, she was truly happy and content. She’d never dreamed to have life this good, and it was more than she could have asked for. She still fantasized about traveling, but it was more of an afterthought than a pressing need. She had everything she needed at Frost Peak.

Oliver yanked her hair, a cross look on his face. She’d wandered off again. He hated when she did that, and he always found the most painful way to regain her attention.

“Ow. I’m sorry, my love… You were saying?” She spent the next half hour listening to Oliver talk about everything and nothing, nodded and smiling with preternatural precision. Sometimes, Isla was convinced they really were having intelligible conversations.

True to what Elsa had said, the stout branches protruding from the trees in Whispering Oak still maintained some orange leaves. There were a few patches of snow here and there, but nothing a Frost Peak wolf would have considered inconvenient.

Isla could understand why Josie had moved down here without looking back once. Whispering Oak was a bloody fine town to live in. She’d been to Callahan’s a few times, but the glass, state-of-the-art mansion always took her breath away.

It was a welcome change from the sturdy wooden and stone redoubt-looking structures she had come to get used to in Frost Peak. The front lawn was filled with cars, and Isla could imagine they were the last family to attend.

Josie stepped out of the front door to greet her Frost Peak contingents as they alighted. “Isla! Fannar! So good to see you. OLIVER!” The boy grinned and bubbled spreading his arms as Josie approached. After his parents, there was no one else Oliver liked as much as Josie, and she liked him just as much.

She yanked him out of Isla’s arms and tossed him a dozen feet into the air. Isla felt her heart sink into her stomach as her son flipped a few times in the air, but the little boy squealed in delight. Isla caught him with both hands and swung him again into the air. This time she caught him in her arms, then flipped him to her back, where he clung delightedly.

Isla hated this routine. It always sent her heart racing, but Josie’s timing was impeccable. What was worse, Fannar always laughed along with his son when Josie played with him so.

“Mrs, Agdluak, Elsa, merry Christmas. The party is round back. Come on, everyone else is waiting.” Josie tickled Oliver and he giggled joyously, then led the group round the house to the backyard.

Isla hung back until she and Fannar were behind the group. “I really wish she would stop throwing him so high. It’s not safe.”

Fannar chuckled. “What would happen? He’s not an ordinary kid, Isla. He’s the next thing to immortal. If he falls, he would heal. And I’ve watched that woman work. She’s never dropping him.” He pulled her close and squeezed her butt. “Now, can you relax and have some fun?”

Isla gasped. “Stop! There are people here.”

Fannar raised a brow. “So? Do you care?”

Isla groaned.”Not really. But still—”

“I know just the spot. It overlooks the backyard and we can keep an eye on Oliver from there. Come on.”

“But… We haven’t even met the others yet. They would be looking for us.”

Fannar laughed. “Trust me. They would know exactly where we are and what we are doing. I don’t care. I want you. Now.”

Isla hesitated briefly. “You’re lucky I’m your wife… Well, what are you waiting for?”

Fannar led her into the house through a side door and then up the stairs to a bedroom on the second floor. True to his word, it had a good view of the garden below and a breathtaking view of the woods surrounding Callahan’s villa.

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