Page 45 of Bully Alpha's Pregnant Mate

“Talk to me,” I say, my voice gruffer than usual as I scan the area, noting the heightened defenses we’d set up in the last week. Most of them still look intact, but that only fuels my unease.

“It’s bad, Alec.” Quincey tightens his jaw as he motions for me to follow. “Whatever hit us knew exactly where our traps were. It’s like they were avoiding them.”

I glance at him sharply. “You’re saying they had inside knowledge?”

He doesn’t answer directly, but the look in his eyes is enough. Kai falls in beside us as we walk the path along the border, her usually confident demeanor subdued. She gestures to a spot just ahead, her face etched with a mix of anger and disbelief.

“Over here,” she says quietly. “We found… evidence.”

We reach a clearing, and I freeze at the sight. The remains of a trap—a reinforced one that Isadora herself worked on with me—lies in pieces on the ground. And scattered around it is something we haven’t seen in weeks: deep, jagged claw marks embedded into the earth and splintered wood oozing a dark, sticky substance that reeks of sulfur and rot.

I kneel down, brushing my hand over the strange, otherworldly residue, my stomach twisting as recognition hits. This isn’t rogue shifters. This isn’t even close.

Kai crouches beside me, her voice barely more than a whisper. “You’re thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Demons.” The word is bitter on my tongue. We were so sure the last attack came from some random rogue shifter. We caught sight of him on one of our security cameras even. But what I see right now tells me we were dead wrong.

Quincey lets out a low growl. “This isn’t just a random attack. They’re testing us. Seeing how far they can get before we catch on.”

My mind is racing through every possible way we could reinforce the area, every method we haven’t tried yet. “They’re getting bolder. Last time, they were cautious, slipping through the cracks. But now? They’re practically taunting us.”

Kai straightens her spine. “What’s the plan?”

“Double patrols, day and night,” I say immediately. “We got lax when we thought the matter was settled. Now, we’re reinforcing every boundary with more than just traps. I want magical defenses, the works. Call in any witches you think would be open to helping us. If they’re coming at us, they’ll have to get through every layer we can throw at them.”

Quincey nods, already pulling out his phone to set things in motion. Kai glances at me with a steely expression. “And Isadora?”

I grit my teeth. The thought of her lying back at home, vulnerable and unaware, twists my gut.

“She’s sick,” I explain. “Her family’s with her. Plus, we have security at the house. She’s safe.” I say that last part more for me than for them, but they nod just the same.

We set out getting the traps and triggers back in shape, but even as I focus on securing the area, my thoughts drift back to the house, to the way I’d left Isadora lying there, too tired to fight anyone or anything off. My pulse quickens with the realization that it might not be enough.

As soon as we’ve secured the perimeter, I need to get back home and protect my wife.

Chapter 20 - Isadora

“Is it really necessary for you two to hover like this?” I ask, trying to keep the exasperation out of my voice as I pull the blanket over my knees. Janelle and Lianne exchange a glance before leaning in closer, each armed with a water bottle and what appears to be enough soup to feed a small army.

“Necessary? Definitely,” Janelle quips, plunking down on the bed beside me. “Alec’s orders were pretty clear—rest, hydrate, and don’t let you up for anything except to pee.”

I groan, rubbing my temples. “Since when did Alec’s word become law?”

Lianne raises a brow, settling onto the other side of the bed. “Since he’s practically your full-time caretaker now. I mean, honestly, Izzy, how are you not seeing it? The man’s completely wrapped around your little finger.”

I let out a snort. “Oh, please. He’s just taking care of his wife. Any decent man would do that.”

“Right.” Janelle’s grin widens. “And I’m sure that’s why he’s hovering over you like a mother hen, losing sleep and bossing us around like we’re his backup medical team.”

I roll my eyes, leaning back against the pillows. “He’s just protective because of this whole demon and rogue shifter chaos we’ve had going on. It’s not like he’s crazy about me. He’s doing what he thinks he should do.”

Lianne lets out a dramatic sigh, giving me a look as if I’m the densest person alive. “Honestly, Isadora, how are you not seeing it? He’s a big, bad alpha, sure, but he’s been fretting over you like you’re made of glass since this whole thingstarted. That’s not just any kind of care, either. It’s prime-grade obsession.”

I open my mouth to argue, but Lianne cuts me off, holding up a hand. “Remember last week? When he was overworking himself to the bone but still took time to check in on you every chance he got?”

“Okay, maybe,” I admit begrudgingly, feeling a bit warm under their combined stares. “But he was also dealing with rogue shifters and demons. It makes sense he’d be on edge.”

“Right,” Janelle says, stretching the word out. “And bringing you lunch from your favorite place in town every day was also just a standard alpha duty, I’m sure.”

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