Page 6 of The Alpha's Bullied Pregnant Mate

The higher he climbed, the worse the roads went. Very few people liked driving in Frost Peak. About a decade ago, they had begun construction of the massive cable car network around the entire town to ease movement around the mountain.

A huge lot at the base of the mountain was used as a way station for when people wanted to leave the town. It was hardly ever used, as Frost Peak wolves hardly ever left. Save for Fannar, there was no other movement on the road, his headlights the only one visible through the light snow falling.

Fannar pulled into his driveway and brought the car to a halt a few feet from his front door. The snow outside had grown thicker since he entered town, and was falling steadily now.

He sighed and stepped out of the car. If it snowed through the night, the entire mountain would be impassable in the morning. It was a hard place to lice in, Frost Peak, but it was their home, and he couldn’t think of one wolf who would want to leave it for anywhere else.

He picked his way through the snow and unlocked the front door. He shut the door behind him and hung his jacket on the wall beside him. Fannar was a creature of habit, and he went about his routine with practiced patience.

He checked the windows, turned on the TV, threw some dinner into the microwave, poured himself a glass of whiskey, and settled on the kitchen table, nursing his drink and waiting for his dinner to be ready.

The sound of the microwave and the soft whistling of the wind outside were the only sounds in the room. He’d grown accustomed to the silence, and had made it a part of himself.

He wondered what Rowan’s house sounded like at night. A wife, twins, and a nanny, with grandparents constantly in and out of the house. Would he want that? How would it feel to hear cries and the silent patter of adolescent feet?

Fannar shook his head and drank down the whiskey in one swallow. He would not trade this solitude for anything. The boys with families spoke beautiful things about that life, but it wasn’t for him. Fannar was beyond certain that he would not be able to survive such a life, not by choice at least. So he embraced his quiet one, and he loved it.

The microwave chimed at the same time that his phone rang. He got out his dinner with one hand, and reached for the phone in his pocket with the other. It was his mother.

“Hey mom.” Fannar hooked the phone between his ear and shoulder and fished out a bottle of beer from the refrigerator. He shut it with one leg and returned to the living room.

“Fannar, darling,” she said in a high pitched voice. “How are you?”

“Not bad, just about to eat some dinner. Is everything alright?”

“I am…. Do I need a reason to talk to my son?”

Fannar set the plate and the bottle down and leaned back in the couch with a sigh.”You know you don’t.”

“Good.”

“So what’s up, mom?”

“Well, I’m calling about Kathy, Fannar. She called me about half an hour ago and told me you didn’t bother showing up for the date today? Is that true?”

Shit! He’d completely forgotten about the blind date. It was the third one this week and he was starting to run out of patience for the blasted things. “I’m sorry, ma. It skipped my mind.”

“Fannar—”

“I know, I know. I need to find love, I need the warmth, and I need to procreate. I know. You’ve said it a thousand times.”

“Shocking that you remember. With how regularly you miss these appointments, I’m left to believe that you do it on purpose. I go through so much to arrange these dates, you know? So much. All I ask is for a little effort on your part.”

Fannar groaned and covered his face with his free hand. “I’m sorry mom, okay? Err, actually, I was caught up in preparations for my address tomorrow, to the pack. That has been the only thing on my mind all day.” A shabby lie, but it would have to do.

She was quiet a few moments. “Your father and I are proud of your dedication to the pack and how you put it first always. But my point remains, you need to make some time for yourself too. Now, I’m going to appease that lovely young woman, and we would reschedule. Right?”

Fannar knew his mother enough to know that it was pointless to argue with her. “Fine. Deal.”

“Good. Good night, my dear.”

“Good night, mom. And mom, I’m sorry. Okay?”

The line went cold and Fannar deflated like a hot air balloon. Ughh! Can I catch a fucking break today?!

Chapter 3 - Isla

“Boy, I wish I was there. From the stories I’ve heard, it was an epic fight, one for the ages. I can just imagine Alpha Fannar all alone in the were-bear stronghold.”

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