Page 5 of The Alpha's Bullied Pregnant Mate

“And Asher,” Callahan said. “Makes four out of a group of seven. Not bad. Not bad at all. Although, I wouldn’t hold my breath for Asher. That would be the most unusual sight in the world. Asher in love.” Callahan shuddered elaborately.

“Who do you think will be next?” Blake asked, a mischievous smile dancing on his lips. “Articus is an unrepentant whore, and Xander and Asher don’t look at women. That leaves Fannar. Yeah, my money’s on the Yeti.”

Fannar was half way through sipping from his glass and turned to Blake with murder in his eyes. “Not a chance in hell—”

“Now that you mention it,” Articus said, cutting Fannar off, “I do see Fannar falling desperately in love next. He has that look in his eyes. It’s an image I’d love to see. Yeah, my money’s also on the big guy.”

Fannar glared hard at Articus. “Fuck you.” Laughter exploded around the table. Fannar rolled his eyes and took a drink from his glass, pointedly ignoring his friends.

“Come on,” Callahan said. “You make it look like it’s the worst thing in the world. It isn’t.”

“Listen, guys. Don’t join my mom with that bullshit,” Fannar said, draining his glass. “She’s been on my ass for years now about a mate and an heir. It’s tiring. I run away from her, only to run into the same thing from my best friends? That just sucks.”

“Still—” Callahan started to say.

“Plus,” Fannar continued, holding up a finger. “Plus, you guys know me. All of you. If there’s one thing you know about me, it’s that I’m not the romantic type. Not just that, I also have no lovers whatsoever anywhere. None that I am aware of, at least, so there’s nothing to look forward to.

“I do not see this as a problem,” he said with a shrug, “as I’ve never really seen myself as needing anyone else. And I assure you guys, I’m fine just the way I am. So, except you don’t have any use of your money, I’d advise you against betting any of it on me finding love soon.”

Fannar turned to look Blake dead in the eye. “You started this, so I’m talking to you. To be honest, I’d love to see you lose your money on such a foolish, ill-advised bet.”

“Christ,” Blake exclaimed. “No need to get so wound up about it, you know? You hate love? We get it. But my money’s still on you.”

“Don’t know about that, Blake,” Rowan said. “From the look of things, our friend here seems frozen deep in ice.”

Callahan guffawed. “It’s that mountain he lives on. Maybe he could come stay with me in Whispering Oaks. Some warm weather would do him some good.”

“Way I hear it, the thinner the air is to breathe, the less of an actual person you become,” Blake chimed in. “I agree, we need him away from Frost Peak for a while. Should change his mind on love and relationships.”

Fannar smiled. “Again, you guys remind me of my mom. Lately she’s been obsessed with matching me with someone. She must have planned a hundred different blind dates. It’s insane. She wants me to find someone who will, in her words, ‘bring warmth and love into my life’. It’s insane.”

“I mean,” Rowan said, “she’s not wrong…”

Fannar shook his head. “Sure she is. I don’t need any more warmth and love, I have that already. I have my family, I have you guys. And that’s about all the warmth and love I need.”

“I don’t know about you guys,” Xander said, clearing his throat, “but I’m definitely not in love with any of you. But yeah, to Fannar’s point, I do value and appreciate our friendship.”

“You’ve really never liked anyone?” Articus asked, his attention on Fannar. “Like ever?”

Fannar reclined in his seat and thought long and hard. There was nothing. Except… right on the fringes of his memory—a vague flash of yellow. He tried to connect the dot but the harder he tried to grasp it, the more elusive it was. Eventually, he gave up and shook his head. “None that I can remember, no.”

The men at the table watched him silently for a long moment. It was almost as if he had just uttered the most egregious taboo possible. “Now what?” he asked impatiently.

‘Nothing,” Rowan said. “But it seems like we are all considering the singular possibility that you might just be aromantic.”

“Exactly,” Callahan added. “ And with the phasing out of the mating bond, it’s quite a possibility. Back in the day, wolves used to be unable to fall in love until they found their mate. Looks like Fannar is one of those.”

“An interesting possibility…” Articus said.

Fannar lost the rest of what was said, watching his friends analyze his peculiar position on love and relationships. He wished they would all just shut up and leave the matter alone.

An hour later, on the lonely stretch of road that led towards the mountain range, Fannar could still hear his friends arguing about how aromantic he was and the peculiarities surrounding his love life.

There’s nothing wrong with me, dammit. Why can’t they get that through their thick skulls?

The mood in the bar had remained festive, despite the dark clouds in Fannar’s mind. He couldn’t join in the celebrations and had decided to leave a little earlier. Blake’s comments struck too close to home. Was there really something missing in his life?

Frost Peak mountain loomed ahead of him. Fannar slowed down as he approached the mountain, not trusting the grip of his tires on the sleek surface of the road. Only a thin patch of asphalt was visible through the snow, and he kept his car to the middle of the road.

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