Page 47 of Bully Alpha's Pregnant Mate

I narrow my eyes, not liking where this is headed. “Something else like what?”

Janelle crosses her arms and purses her lips in a knowing smirk. “Like a bun in the oven.”

I stare at her, feeling my stomach flip for reasons that have nothing to do with nausea. “A bun in the… what? You think I’m…?”

“Pregnant?” Lianne finishes for me, arching an eyebrow. “I mean, it’s a possibility, isn’t it? You’re married to Alec, and unless I’m reading you both wrong…”

My heart skips a beat, and a flurry of emotions swells up faster than I can organize them. Happy? Worried? Terrified? Yes, to all three.

“I don’t know,” I admit, feeling unsteady. “I hadn’t… I mean, with everything that’s been going on, it just never crossed my mind.”

“Maybe it should,” Janelle states. Her gaze is filled with an excitement that makes my heart twist. “Alec would be over the moon, don’t you think?”

I let out a shaky laugh, not even sure how to respond. “It’s Alec. I have no idea how he’d feel. But…” I pause, feeling a strange flutter of hope, “maybe?”

Lianne squeezes my shoulder. “There’s only one way to find out, Isadora. Don’t you worry, we’re not going anywhere. Alec specifically asked us to stay with you, remember?”

Janelle nods, already grabbing her jacket. “I’ll just run to the store and grab a test. Lianne will stay with you while I’m gone. Sound good?”

I manage a small nod. “Thanks. Really, you two… I don’t know what I’d do without you right now.”

Janelle winks as she heads out. “You’d probably be dealing with this all alone. So good thing you’ve got us.” She closes the door behind her, and the house falls into a tense silence.

Lianne sits beside me on the bed, resting a hand on my shoulder in silent support, though I can feel her curiosity practically buzzing in the air. My stomach twists—whether from the thought of a possible pregnancy or the flu-like symptoms, I’m not sure. Either way, waiting feels unbearable.

It’s not long before Janelle returns, a bag clutched in her hand. “Here you go,” she says, handing over the box with a reassuring smile. “We’ll be right here. Take your time.”

I head to the bathroom, my heart pounding and my stomach churning even more. After I open the package, I follow the instructions, barely able to keep my mind from spiraling. Minutes stretch out, heavy and slow, each second feeling like an eternity. Finally, I glance down and see the result.

Positive.

I stare at the test in stunned silence. A strange mixture of joy, disbelief, and something raw and tender rushes through my body. For a moment, I rest my hand on my stomach, letting the reality of it sink in. A baby. Alec’s and mine. It’s so much more than anything I’d ever planned or expected.

“Wow,” I whisper to the empty bathroom. A shaky smile breaks through despite my confusion. But almost as quickly as the warmth spreads, worry surfaces—Alec. How will he react? I know he cares for me, but this… this is far beyond any mere “arrangement.”

My thoughts scatter when a sudden, shrill alarm blares from the edge of the property. One of the traps! My heart jumps into my throat, and my instincts kick in as I rush back into the bedroom and grab my sweater from the foot of the bed. Janelle is gawking at us both, but Lianne is right beside me.

“I’m coming with you,” she announces, already pulling on her boots. There’s no time to argue, and honestly, I’m glad to have her there.

We step outside, and the night air, biting and cold prickles at the back of my neck. The alarm continues to wail, drawing us both toward the dark outline of trees marking the edge of the property. Lianne stays close, her footsteps matchingmine as we move toward the trail leading to the trap I’d set up just last week.

As we approach, I can see it—caught in the bonds of magic and reinforced steel—is a creature unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I’ve heard the stories from when they attacked a couple years ago, but seeing it in person is something else entirely.

Its eyes are a molten, seething yellow, and its skin is covered in black scales. Giant horns protrude from its head, cracked like burning embers. Wisps of smoky black tendrils seep from its body, curling into the night air before they vanish.

Lianne tenses beside me, and her hand hovers near the knife at her side. “Is that…?”

“A demon,” I answer, feeling through my mind for my wolf, though I have no clue how much good she will do against something like this.

The creature thrashes, snarling as it strains against the magical bonds. I watch, my pulse racing as it tests every bit of reinforcement I’d woven into the trap using the runes I acquired with the Ironclaws. Each of its jerking movements causes the steel and magical bindings to strain and creak.

Lianne glances at me with wide eyes. “You… you caught it.”

The trap worked. We caught the son of a bitch. But now for the million-dollar question: what the hell do we do with it?

Chapter 21 - Alec

The instant my phone blares with a new alert, my stomach drops. It’s the border alarm, triggered close to our house. Every worst-case scenario I can imagine rushes through my head at once.

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