Page 48 of Forced Pregnant Mate

“How can it get any fucking worse?”

“When I spoke to Decker and told him what you told me, he lost his shit. Said he’d given Pete too many chances. He went and kicked him out of the pack immediately.”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” I put my hands on my temples, shaking my head. Then I look up at Bailey, and read the look on his face.

“Oh, no,” I say softly. “What else?”

Bae’s face twists. He slams down the whiskey, shaking his head.

“They are on their way here, to beg me to take them in.”

I stare at Bae, feeling the world rushing away from me. My head is pounding, and I can’t think.

“As my beta, what would you advise me to do?”

“You know what I’d tell you to do,” I mutter. “But you can’t. Lena knows all about her father—I don’t think she cares about what happens to him. But she wants to protect her brother. He doesn’t have long left until he graduates, and she’s sure he can get out of this town if he just gets a chance.”

Bae looks at me, conflict in his eyes. He shakes his head, just slightly.

“Bae, come on,” I grab his arm, and he looks away. “Sam is an innocent kid. We can’t let anything happen to him.”

Lena would never forgive me.

“I don’t know…” Bae turns away from me, finishing his drink.

“I tell you what,” I say, drumming my fingers on the table as I think faster than I ever have in my life. “How about you put all the responsibility on me?”

“What?” Bae almost yells. “What are you talking about?”

“Take them in,” I say, practically begging. “I’ll take full responsibility. If they fuck up, I’ll wear it all. I’ll step down as beta—even if it means getting kicked out of the pack.”

Bailey stares at me, emotions storming across his face. Before he can answer, Lena’s voice splits the air.

“Jack?” she cries from behind me. I spin around quickly, seeing her fury and knowing I am completely and utterly cooked.

“Lena, I’m sorry—”

“No!” she yells. “There is no ‘I’m sorry’ that fixes everything here. How dare you make decisions like this without me? I thought we were equals. That you’d share everything with me!”

“Lena, I do! I was going to tell you—”

“When? When my father showed up at the door? When Sam moved in with us? When Bailey called a meeting? It sounded to me like you made the decision all by yourself, and you don’t give a damn what I think.”

“Of course I care what you think!” Now my voice is rising, and I can see Bae getting anxious. I know he wants to take this out the back—the rest of the bar is starting to notice, and not everyone in here is part of the pack.

Even if they are, he’s not ready to reveal all of this. Not yet.

Lena crosses her arms, her lip trembling as her eyes glitter with tears. Gina comes up behind her and wraps an arm around her shoulders, trying to comfort her.

“They are my family, Jack,” Lena whispers. “They are my problem. And you are supposed to be my family, too. How could you risk yourself, your position in the pack—our position—without talking to me first?”

I know exactly what she’s saying, and I feel bad for it. I really do. I made the decision without thinking, and I did it for her. I did what I thought she would want without even asking her. I know exactly what I’ve done wrong, and she has every right to feel this way.

“Lena, I’m sorry—”

“I know, I know you are,” she says, sniffing. “But I just can’t believe you would do this. After everything we’ve shared, everything we’ve done—”

She looks up, her eyes boring straight into mine. I want to see fury, accusation, and anger, but all I can see is hurt, and it breaks my heart.

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