Page 45 of Impregnated By the Alpha

Moira couldn’t think about the future in that moment or imagine the best path through the mire of her life choices. Every option seemed to have its barbs. Did she still want this to be nothing more than a business deal?

“I was so worried you’d freak out,” she said, talking to keep from crying. “I was afraid to tell you.”

Jonah sighed and tightened his grip around her, comfortingly strong, inviting her to lean all of her weight against him. “I’m sorry. I hope you can believe me when I tell you I’m here for you, no matter what. And I’ll be here for our baby, too.”

Tears stung her eyes. She blinked them back and bit down hard on her cheek to keep from crying. She wasn’t going to break down. Not there. Not then. Reluctantly, she pulled away from Jonah and rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands.

“It’s still really early.” She flattened her hands against her stomach. “So much can change in that time.”

Seeming to sense what she needed, Jonah gave her space and went to finish making her hot chocolate, topping it off with a small handful of marshmallows. The rich chocolate flavor and the marshmallows' sweet vanilla grounded her, keeping her from spinning into a panic.

“Here you go,” he said, handing her the cup. He drank his coffee and watched her from the far side of the kitchen, face thoughtful. “It’s all going to work out, Moira. I know it is.”

Skeptical, Moira raised an eyebrow. “You can’t know that.”

“I have a feeling about us,” he said with such confidence that she almost found herself believing it.

Something acrid bit through the smell of the hot chocolate and the coffee. Smoke. Moira jumped off the counter.

“Something’s burning,” she cried, looking around the space.

Jonah ran for the front door and threw it open. Smoke billowed in, a choking cloud. Moira grabbed the fire extinguisher from the closet and swung it at the fire, discharging a spray that smothered the fire before it could grow any larger, leaving a pile of smoldering wood at the front doorstep.

“This was intentional,” Jonah said, shifting.

He leaped over the charred remains of the fire and took off toward the woods where the scent had disappeared last time. Before following him, Moira gave the wood another blast with the fire extinguisher, ensuring it was fully out. Whoever had set that fire hadn’t wanted it caught so early, and if it wasn’t for the sharp sense of smell that ran in her family, they might have been trapped in there.

Whoever had set it was escalating from property damage to arson, to potentially hurting someone. Moira growled, thinking of the baby inside of her. Someone had put their baby in danger. With a burst of speed, Moira caught sight of Jonah darting through the scrub trees, kicking sand up in a wall behind him.

They were moving quickly, too quickly for her to follow a scent, but when she caught sight of a tawny tail just ahead of Jonah, she realized they didn’t need one. Their quarry was close. Moira’s legs burned as she worked to catch up but Jonah and his prey were faster, disappearing into the trees then reappearing up ahead, ever out of reach.

She heard their snarls and growls, yelps of pain, and knew Jonah had caught them. Moira howled up at the sky, letting him know she was coming. Thoughts of Jonah hurt, splayed open by some monster’s cruel fangs, spurred her on.

When she reached them, they were a tumble of fur, claw, and white teeth flashing in the dusk light. The other wolf was larger than Jonah, but Jonah had them by the neck, shaking them back and forth like they were as light as a rabbit. Moira couldn’t find an opening that wouldn’t also impact Jonah. She waited for her moment, crouched and ready.

The other wolf twisted free of Jonah’s jaws and, rather than lunge for Jonah, spun for Moira. Jonah leaped for them, but the bigger wolf’s leap took it out of reach, and it collided heavily with Moira, knocking her on her side before she could dodge out of the way. Reflexively, she lashed out with her teeth and caught a mouthful of tail, biting down hard. Her teeth sank in through fur, into the flesh beneath.

But the wolf knew it was outnumbered now. It broke free, leaving Moira with a piece of its tail in her mouth, the taste of blood flooding her tongue, and took off into the woods again. Jonah slid to a stop beside her.

“Go!” She urged him on, scrambling to her feet. The knock had been hard, and she felt the bruises forming already.

“Are you okay?” Jonah nuzzled her side and leaned his weight against her, supporting her as she rose. “I’m not leaving you.”

“He’s getting away.” Moira whimpered at the sharp pain in her ribs, wondering if she’d crack one when the wolf had hit her. He’d had the strength of a battering ram.

Jonah circled, agitated, but stayed by her side. “He’s long gone. Let’s go back. Can you walk?”

She could, but it was slow and tedious when every step sent a jolt through her ribcage that left her breathless. Jonah stayed close, there by her side if she stumbled, ready to catch her. Together, they trekked back to the lighthouse.

Its light spun slowly around, illuminating them, then darting off to light the ocean. The smell of smoke hung in the air around it, but the fire had not rekindled itself in their absence. Moira flopped down onto the floor once they made it inside, and Jonah shifted, kneeling beside her.

“Can you shift back? We should get you to the hospital.” He ran his hand lightly over her side, through her fur.

Moira shifted and instantly regretted it. The pain was so much worse in human form. “I’m okay. I don’t want to go to the hospital just… just take me to Vera, okay?”

Jonah opened his mouth to protest, but Moira shot him a look, and he snapped it shut again. “Whatever you think is best.”

She had no idea what was best. Not in any area of her life. All she knew was that she and her baby weren’t safe there until that wolf was caught.

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