Page 19 of Impregnated By the Alpha

“No, the big ones. Check out these muscles,” I said. I raised my arms and flexed my biceps like a bodybuilder while making a serious face.

Nile laughed at my expression, and I broke into a smile as well. It felt good that we seemed to be getting along without having to pretend for once.

“Very impressive,” he assured me. “I admit, I have an ulterior motive for coming to pick you up today.”

“What’s that?”

“To ask you out to dinner,” he said. “I have a babysitter at home with Penny, and I’d like the chance to correct my mistake yesterday. What do you say? Will you go out with me?”

I hesitated at his invitation, realizing that with Penny at home, this would be the first time Nile and I had the opportunity to spend any significant amount of time alone.

“I don’t know, Nile…” I wavered.

“Please, Violet?” he asked. “At least let me show you what I have planned. If you hate it, I’ll take you straight home. It’ll be good for us to be seen out in public for a little bit without Penny, and I really do want to have the chance to spend some time together. But if you don’t want to stay, I’ll understand.”

“Alright,” I acquiesced. “Lead the way.”

Nile offered me his arm, and I linked mine underneath it. I ignored the flutter in my stomach as I walked with him down Main Street.

It’s just a casual date,I said to myself.There’s nothing between us anymore. This is just business. Nothing wrong with being friendly.

Chapter 10 - Nile

I had everything set up and ready for my date with Violet, but even though I had prepared for it ahead of time, I was still surprised that she agreed to join me. Everything had been tense between us ever since she had joined the pack, and it felt as though there were no guarantees that she would agree to keep spending time with me.

“Where are we going?” Violet asked.

We had been walking for a while, and I hadn’t told her what I had in store for her yet. We had nearly reached the edge of town by now. All that was left was to climb up a short hill that would give us a view of the forest.

“It’s a surprise,” I said. “Don’t worry, we’re almost there.”

As we walked up the hill, Violet surprised me again when she reached out her hand to hold mine. There was no one around, and it warmed my heart to think that maybe the iciness between us was melting at last. I felt her fingers intertwine with my own and relished the closeness we shared. Her palm was warm, and soon I found myself tracing patterns on the back of her soft skin with my thumb.

At the top of the hill was a pagoda, which had been built as a lookout for the pack to monitor the outlying forest. Today, there was no one on duty but us.

“This is so cute,” Violet said as we walked up the stairs.

The wooden supports were decorated with fairy lights, and the deck was covered with a comfortable oriental rug. I had brought floor cushions. Between them, a small easel sat on a short table.

At first, Violet was distracted by the view of the forest beyond the city limits, but soon she noticed the art space I had set up for her.

“What’s all this?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

“I remember how much you always loved painting, but I haven’t seen you do any art since you’ve been in Pinedale,” I explained. “I thought you might like the chance to do some painting. We can stay as long as you like. Tonight, you don’t have to worry about taking care of anyone else—it’s all about you.”

She blushed and immediately walked toward the canvas. Her shoes were discarded as she sat cross-legged on a pillow and pulled the table closer. She rummaged through the box of supplies I had brought, searching for her chosen implements.

I smiled at her enthusiasm and pulled my cushion where I could see her face. I could always look at her painting later, so I wanted to make sure I had a good view of her expressions as she worked. Her heart-shaped face was fixed in a look of intense concentration as she set about her task. I watched as she tilted her head and stared at the empty canvas, seemingly willing the blank space to communicate it’s purpose to her.

“Any ideas on what you want to paint?” I asked, leaning back on my hands and stretching out my legs in front of me.

“Only about a dozen,” she said. “I’ll just have to wait and see what my hands decide to work on first.”

She took a wide brush and began to prime the canvas, her strokes deft and sure. I was glad I had asked Walter to gather the supplies for me, because I’d had no idea what I needed to get for her.

“What does that layer do?” I asked.

“The primer makes it less likely that the painting will corrode over time,” she explained. “And it also helps make your brush strokes smoother. It can be hard to notice if you don’t know what you’re looking for, but primed canvases always look better than if you just paint directly onto the surface.”

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