Page 25 of Bully Alpha's Pregnant Mate

Her hand shifts, catching the collar of my shirt, and she mumbles something—something that sounds suspiciously like my name. It’s soft, sleepy, almost affectionate, and somehow, it’s the one thing that could knock the breath right out of my lungs.

Her hand tightens, and her fingers brush against my skin as she holds on. I swear, in that moment, I’d give anything to hold on to her like this.

Her head tilts up just a bit, and before I realize it, our faces are inches apart, close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating from her skin. I can feel my heart pounding, every logical thought slipping away as her lips part just slightly, her breath mingling with mine. My gaze drops to her mouth, and it’s all I can do to keep myself from closing that last bit of distance.

I’ve been around her for weeks now, sharing a house with her, navigating this mess of a marriage we were both forced into. But right here, right now, all of that fades away. Right here, there’s just her, soft and warm in my arms, the faint scent of her filling the air.

The urge to kiss her is almost unbearable, a pull that digs in deep and won’t let go. Every part of me wants to lean in, to give in to whatever’s building between us. My dick springs to life, and my blood flow diverts to other regions, leaving me light-headed. It’s almost painful, holding back, resisting the urge to kiss her, taste her, and lose myself.

We’ve been sleeping apart ever since the wedding, and to say I’ve been horny would be an understatement. But somehow, the desire is mixed up with something more. There’s a sense of yearning that runs deep, and the more time we spend together, the deeper it goes.

But then, somewhere beneath the haze of want, logic rears its head. She’s exhausted, barely aware of what’s happening, and I know there’s a part of her that still looks at me with resentment, with a guarded edge that reminds me exactly how far we still have to go.

I set her down on the bed, carefully slipping my arms from around her and laying her back against the pillows. Her hand releases its grip on my collar, falling to her side as she settles. I pull the blanket over her, tucking it around her shoulders. She shifts again, murmuring something unintelligible, and there’s that hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

It hits me again—this fierce, almost painful urge to protect her, to make sure she never has to carry any of that old hurt again. I watch her for a moment, caught in that quiet vulnerability she never lets me see when she’s awake. For once, she’s not guarded, not braced for some argument or cutting remark. Just… at peace.

And then, because I know I shouldn’t push my luck, I step back after brushing a strand of hair away from her face before turning toward the door. But as I reach it, I can’t quite bring myself to leave without saying something.

“Goodnight, Isadora,” I whisper. I linger there, just watching her, the sound of her soft breathing filling the room.

As I close the door quietly behind me, the memory of her hand against my collar, her half-asleep murmuring of my name, stays with me. There’s a weight in my chest, a mixture of regret and something else I can’t quite shake off.

I don’t know when things changed, but somewhere along the line, it’s become impossible to ignore the truth: I care about her. I want her to see that I’m not the same guy who looked theother way when she needed someone. And maybe, just maybe, I’m starting to need her, too.

Chapter 12 - Isadora

When it comes to how I enjoy spending my mornings, deciphering visions and hidden threats with a seer wouldn’t usually make the top of my list. But here I am, flipping through notes and maps alongside Jade while her toddler, Penny, finds her own chaos nearby, happily spilling colored pencils across the floor.

Jade glances over at me with a knowing smile as Penny attempts to grab every shade of purple in one hand. “Thanks for helping with this. Alec said you have a knack for research and… well, everything, really. I think he just wanted to keep you busy.”

I snort. “I’m sure that’s exactly what he meant. Gotta keep his luna from causing trouble, right?”

“Something like that,” Jade laughs, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she sorts through her vision notes. “But seriously, he trusts you, Isadora. He wouldn’t have mentioned your skills if he didn’t think you could make a difference.”

Trust. Not a word I would’ve associated with Alec a few weeks ago, but here we are.

The past few days of working alongside Alec, finding him waiting up with a smile when I got home, offering his help without expecting anything in return—all of it is slowly working through my defenses. And now Jade’s pulling me further into their circle, making it harder to keep that distance.

“Trust is a strong word,” I argue, moving my gaze back to the maps, trying to keep the skepticism out of my voice.

Jade catches my glance and shrugs, an amused gleam in her eye. “Maybe. But you have a way of pulling things out of people. Like, tell me you don’t know exactly where to look next.”

I stare at the notes, considering the mix of locations where demon energy might pool. “I mean, the typical spots aren’t producing much. We need to focus on places with high energy. Somewhere the portal would be less obvious but still sustainable. Waterfalls, caves, natural structures that might mask anything demonic…”

As I ramble on, Jade nods along, pinching her brows together thoughtfully. “You’re right. Water sources—strong, natural energies, places that would help mask the portal but also feed it. We need somewhere it would be hard to detect without getting close.”

Penny breaks into a chorus of “up, up, up!” until Jade scoops her onto her lap. “Hey, Penny,” she says softly, smoothing down Penny’s hair before glancing at me. “You’re good at this.”

I wave off the compliment, trying to deflect. “Just common sense. You don’t need a magic bone in your body to put two and two together.”

Jade chuckles, adjusting Penny’s grip on a rogue crayon. “Alec would agree with that. You know he’s always respected people with knowledge over title. There were times in Starfire Hollow that, if it weren’t for him, I would have—” she stops, biting her lip as if she’s said too much.

I look up, curious. “You don’t have to say anything. I know your history with Starfire Hollow was… complicated.” Complicated, as in exiled for her magic, though she didn’t deserve it.

“I don’t talk about it much,” Jade admits. “But I think it’s important for you to know. Alec isn’t perfect, but he’s sacrificed a lot. When I was cast out… well, you can imagine. He was therefor me in a way nobody else was. Since both of our parents died when we were still pretty young, he’s been looking out for me.”

A strange knot twists in my stomach. “He really did that?”

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