Page 19 of Hunted

“Penny ambushed me with cake,” I say as soon as Mack blinks his eyes open.

I’d intended on waiting up for him to return from his run with the guys, but between all the food I ate, the movie, and fatigue from my pregnancy, I fell asleep on the couch before 11, woke up with a crick in my neck and said goodnight to everyone before heading up to bed.

He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and leans in close to give me a sweet kiss. Our usual good morning kiss. “Ambushed with cake, huh?”

His voice is husky with sleep. Mine isn’t so much. Thumper was back to using my bladder as a punchbag, and despite Mack holding me, there’s only so many times you can have your sleep disturbed before it no longer seems worth it to try.

I spent the time between dawn listening to birds chirping as I watched Mack sleep instead.

“She said she forgot something, ran out of the house and came back with lemon chiffon cake,” I explain.

His eyes brighten. “Was there any more left?”

I’m not surprised he’s asking. That cake iseverything.

I snort. “I’m a pregnant and emotional woman who once woke up at 2.a.m., having dreamed of bacon crumbled donuts and when it wasn’t there, burst into tears. And she ambushed me with cake.Cake. What do you think?”

The corners of his eyes crease in amusement. “Well, it couldn’t have gone to a better place than you and Thumper.”

He kisses me again. “And not emotional. Disappointed. I’d have been too. We should ask Penny if she can make the bacon and donut dessert you dreamed. I wouldn’t mind tasting it.”

When he moves to get up, I snag his hand and tug him back. “Not so fast. What happened last night? A run doesn’t usually go on that late.”

His eyes skate away from me, and I knew I was right to wonder. Whenever the rest of the pack has gone for a run before and I’ve stayed at home, they’ve never been gone for longer than an hour. When we went for runs together, we’d go for much longer. But it’s like Mack—or everyone else—agreed to shorten them when I stopped being able to go.

“Bennett had beers and peanuts waiting for us at the bottom of the garden when Penny kicked me out of my own house.”

I swallow my smile. “She did not kick you out. I’m not sure you’d have appreciated soaking your feet in hot water with bathsalt and having your nails painted as you ogled hot Hollywood actors.”

He strokes his chin thoughtfully, brown eyes sparkling. “Umm… That actually does sound like?—”

Grinning, I poke his belly. “Don’t be silly. You’d have hated every minute of it. You’d have smiled, but inside, you’d have been dying. Be honest.”

He nods gravely. “The beer and peanuts went down well.”

“And the run?” I prompt.

“The run too.” Again he moves to get up, and again I tug him back.

“Mack. Tell me.”

“Something happened. Something very small that probably means nothing and would only worry you, so there’s no need to even talk about it.”

“Stop…” My voice trails off. I can’t bring myself to say out loud what I’ve started to think as I’ve gotten further and further along in this pregnancy.

Stop treating me like I have to be protected.

Maybe I do. My powers aren’t working, and I can’t even shift to protect myself if I ever needed to.

He gives me a long look. “We were sitting at the bottom of the garden when we heard someone approaching.”

My fingers tighten on the waistband of his sleep shorts.

He smiles reassuringly at me. “Yes, I worried at first, more because of my dad and your aunt being so evasive and hard to pin down.”

“What did you find?”

“Nothing that should worry me. Some tracks, a scratch at the base of a tree, and tire marks on the road near the forest. Someone was there. They had been heading toward the house when something made them stop and leave.”

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