Page 104 of What a Wolf Demands

“N-No.” Lizette paled.

Max was at her side in a flash, his hand on her shoulder. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

She shot him an irritated look. “I’m fine. It’s just . . .” She stood and looked at Lily. “Can I speak to you? In private?”

Concern flared bright in Dom, and it made his voice harsh. “Why?”

But Lizette kept her gaze on Lily. “We’ll just be a minute.”

As if in a daze, Lily nodded and rose to her feet.

Max caught his wife’s sleeve. “I don’t like this, Lizette.”

She pulled out of his grip, then patted his cheek. “Calm down, Alpha. Everything is fine.”

He frowned, but he let her go.

Lily shot Dom an anxious look as Lizette led her to a distant corner in the room.

What the hell was going on? He stared at the women, who put their heads together, their whispers unintelligible from so far away. Lizette bent close, her hands moving as she spoke.

Lily’s whole body jerked. Even from far away, her face was the color of chalk.

That’s it. Dom started across the room.

Lizette turned, then put a slender arm around Lily’s shoulders and guided her toward the desk and the other wolves.

Dom met them halfway. “What’s going on?” He looked at Lily, his heart pounding. “Are you sick?”

As soon as the thought formed in his brain, half a dozen nightmare scenarios flooded his mind. She was dying. She was suffering from some rare, incurable disease. If Damian was right, she had witch’s blood somewhere in her ancestry. Maybe it was killing her. Maybe—

“Dom.” Lily’s gentle voice pulled him out of the hellish spiral of his thoughts.

He swallowed, his heart in his throat. “Yeah.”

She gave him a smile that was almost . . . shy. “I’m not sick.” She glanced at Lizette, who looked stunned but also happy. “Let’s go back to the others, and I’ll fill you in, okay?”

He heard himself say “okay,” his voice low and fuzzy. Or maybe it was his head that was fuzzy as he followed them back to the chairs. Lily was safe. That was all that mattered. Still, he needed to hear her say it again.

Everyone waited, their expressions expectant and curious.

Lily sat, then took a deep breath. “Um. This is crazy, but Lizette says . . .”

As a group, the wolves leaned forward. Even Max seemed to hold his breath.

“I’m pregnant,” Lily said.

17

For a moment, there was nothing but stunned silence. Then Remy clapped his hands and said, “Hot damn! Dominic is gonna be a papa!”

Dom blinked. Someone tugged him to his feet and clapped him on the shoulder. Duncan appeared in front of him, his boyish face split in a grin. “Congratulations, Beta. This is the best news.”

Then a soft hand touched his cheek.

Lily turned his head, her green eyes misty. “You okay?”

He had to swallow a couple times before he could speak, and even then his voice was a hoarse croak. “Um, yes.” He shook his head to clear it. “I mean, are you sure?” His hands hovered around her shoulders. Should he touch her? Was she all right?