Page 10 of Impregnated By the Alpha

He moved his hips exaggeratedly, still off-beat with the song. Despite myself, I laughed at his antics. I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure.

“Got any more coffee?” I asked, moving toward the kitchen island where he had placed his breakfast feast. Stacks of pancakes, plates of bacon, and a tray of eggs—scrambled and fried—covered the surface. I took a plate and fork from the pile and began loading it as Nile poured me a cup of coffee.

“Can you add a—”

“Dash of cream?” Nile finished my sentence. “Got it right here.”

I was surprised that after so many years, he had remembered how I liked my coffee. It was a small thing, really, but for some reason, it made my heart ache a little bit more.

“Thanks,” I mumbled as I accepted the mug. “What’s all this? Are you expecting to feed the whole pack this morning?”

“Not thewholepack, but a few members usually stop by for most meals. I find it’s better to have extras so that we’re always prepared,” he explained.

“You cook like this foreverymeal?” I asked.

Nile shook his head. “It isn’t always me doing the cooking. Whoever is here when it’s time to eat is welcome to cook whatever is on hand. It’s a tradition that the last alpha started a long time ago, and I’ve kept it going.”

A quiet knock came from the front door, followed quickly by the sound of it opening. Clearly, the knocking was a courtesy, not a request for entry. Not wanting to get up from my stool at the island, I craned my neck and peeked into the hallway to see who was approaching.

Two men I recognized from yesterday made their way toward the kitchen, nodding at Nile and me as they entered.

“Good morning, Terry, Mike,” my mate said.

“Morning, Alpha,” one of the men responded. “You about ready to go?”

Nile flipped the last piece of cooked bacon onto the plate with the others and nodded. “Ready when you are,” he told them.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“To work,” Nile chuckled. “Unfortunately, I didn’t come from money, so I still have to work for a living.”

“Although when you have as much fun as we do, I’m not sure it counts as work,” the other man said, punching Nile on the shoulder jovially.

“What do you do?” I asked. I felt stupid now, but I hadn’t even thought to ask what his job was prior to this moment.

“I work at a store,” Nile said.

“Don’t be so modest. Our alpha hereownsPinedale Adventures,” the man said. “He’s one of the most successful and well-respected men in town. Not just among the packs, either. He spends a lot of time with the customers, getting to know their needs so he can recommend the best outdoor gear and equipment for them.”

So, not only had Nile become the alpha of a pack in my absence, but he had also become a rich and successful town hero. I felt my resentment growing the longer I heard them talk about Nile’s accomplishments. Clearly, no one truly understood who he was or what he was capable of except for me.

“I’ll be back later today,” Nile said. “Penelope is still asleep, but her babysitter will be here soon to take care of her, so you don’t need to worry about doing anything.”

I nodded, unsure of how to respond. Everything for me had changed so quickly, but for Nile, life was continuing just as it had without me.

That day went exactly as Nile had explained it would—Penelope’s babysitter showed up just after he left, and she spent the day taking care of her while I got accustomed to my new home. Nile returned for dinner, and we were joined by a few pack members. After dinner, everyone went to bed.

The day after was much of the same, as was the day that followed. The only thing that really changed was how much time I spent with Penelope.

Aside from that first day, Penelope attended preschool during the week. On the second day, Nile took me with him so that he could show me where her school was and add me to the authorized pickup list. I didn’t believe it was necessary, but Nile said it might be necessary for me to drop her off at school some days, and he assured me it was fine if I wanted to pick her up early.

For a few days, Nile left the house with Penelope in the morning and returned with her in the evening, but as we spent more time getting to know each other, our attachment grew.

“I want to stay home with Violet,” she told Nile one morning while he was trying to tie her shoes.

“Violet has other plans today, baby,” he explained. “We need to get going so we’re not late.”

“Actually, I don’t have anything going on this morning,” I said, peeking my head into the hallway from the lounge where I was drinking my coffee. “We can do something together, and I can drop her off before lunchtime, if that’s okay.”

---