Page 13 of Pregnant By the Alpha Wolf

He surprises me by offering his arm, which I take slowly, instantly warmed by the heat radiating from his large frame.

“Not at all, love,” he replies as we begin walking down the path at the side of the building, “Rian is not the first to agree you work too hard. I bet you haven’t even seen our lake yet?”

I shake my head, looking around in wonder as the path immediately dips into the forest, and the lab fades from view. The snow settling on the trees and ground reminds me of something from a fairytale.

We continue in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds being our footsteps crunching softly on the snow and the occasional rustle of wildlife. I feel Rowan's arm tighten around me as we step out onto a clearing, and I gasp at the sight before me.

The lake is frozen but not white like everything else. It's a deep aqua-blue color, almost mirror-like, perfectly reflecting the stars that are just emerging above. Glancing over my shoulder, I can see the glow of the town square lights behind us, but here, we feel very much alone.

I shiver, and Rowan pulls me closer to him, brushing my hair from my cheek. His touch sends shivers down my spine despite the chill in the air.

“It's beautiful here, isn't it?” he whispers, looking down at me.

I find myself nodding, but something about his touch reminds me of one of my dreams. No, it’s not one of my dreams; it’s too real. This is different. This suddenly feels like drowning. I don't understand why, but I can feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins, my heart pounding in my chest.

But before I can fully process these feelings, Rowan leans down and presses his lips to mine. The world around me fades away as I'm lost in the taste of him and the way his body feels. His hands find their way into my hair, tangling gently in the long strands and pulling me closer still.

And suddenly, everything changes. The cold air disappears, replaced by a heat that seeps into my bones and makes me melt into him completely. The sounds of crunching snow and rustling leaves are replaced by nothing but our heavy breathing, and I swear I can hear the delicate snowflakes settling on our clothes.

It's as if we're the only two people in existence, trapped in our own perfect snow globe. His kiss deepens, his tongue teasing at my lips before slipping inside my mouth. This ignites a fire deep within me that I have never experienced before, and I cling to him desperately.

I feel lost to the sensations that seem to be overwhelming me. An alarm sounds from somewhere deep inside, my dream state mixing with reality, and I’m suddenly fighting to the surface.

Pushing him away, I seem to take him by surprise, and he steps back. His hair is ruffled, making him look devilishly handsome, and I realize my hands have explored as much as his. I didn’t even realize.

“Don’t toy with me,” I say, turning away.

He goes to say something, and for the first time, I see an unmistakable glint of a fang. Not a shifter’s canine, I’m sure of it. My heart is pounding in my chest as I take a step back. He watches silently as I turn and rush back toward the lights of the town.

Chapter 8 - Rowan

I was a fucking idiot.

Left standing by the lake, panting after her like a horny teenager as she ran from me. I showed my hand and blew it.

I don’t…didn’t…believe my mate was out there. I’ve been alive far too long. I honestly believed I would have found her by now if that were in the cards for me. I was resigned. Bored from centuries of chasing meaningless encounters with women who meant nothing to my wolf, I had found a future here with my pack, protecting them and finding solace in watching them flourish.

Until they didn’t. It is frustrating to discover that our problems were derived from our isolation, but it also doesn’t negate the fact that we must still be more careful than other packs. Our lineage is unique, and although diluted through the centuries, most of the Nicholson pack still retains their shifter-vampire hybrid blood.

To say our ancient pairing is unique or was frowned upon is an understatement. To the best of my knowledge, pure vampires don’t even exist anymore, hunted to extinction by those who were scared of their power. Ironic that being hunted is something I have in common with my ancestors.

The pack was built over centuries, some traveling with me from the Old World and others coming together while looking for refuge. I am the alpha who understands their unique gifts and strengths. All are descended from the shifter-vampire hybrids, but none are as purely as I am. My father was a shifter, my mother a vampire—so long ago, I can barely remember their faces. They committed the ultimate sin of falling in love and paid the ultimate price. All so long ago now.

If the Order is trying to destroy shifters, I can only imagine how they would feel about our vampire lineage. I understand my pack’s reluctance to let outsiders in and to allow our DNA to be tested, though, as I have explained to them, Willow cannot identify vampire DNA when she doesn’t know what that looks like. So, unless we want our secret to be known, she will assume that any anomalies are a variant of shifter DNA.

That being said, she is an astonishingly clever young woman, and although she may not want to believe what she sees, I know she saw my fangs last night. The mind protects itself from what it does not want to understand, but I sense that a scientist like Willow cannot help but dig a little deeper.

Which is why I’m avoiding her, giving her some time to rationalize what she saw. I even forced myself not to visit her in her dreams last night, which was more difficult than I could have imagined. I have become surprisingly used to our nightly interactions. I could even feel her subconscious mind searching for me. I’ve never known such personal restraint.

Our kiss and the way she unknowingly reaches through her dreams for me confirms my suspicions, though. She is my mate.

The way she kissed me back before physically fleeing from me tells me that she knows it, too, at least on some level.

A knock on my study door pulls me from my thoughts. My beta, Griffen, appears in the doorway. “Alone?” I ask, looking behind him for Rian.

Griffen laughs and sits down on the worn leather chair opposite my desk. “Yes, your little spy Rian has his hands full at the lab today. Apparently, your scientist is working them harder than usual.”

I school my expression, but Griffen has clearly known me for too long; he doesn’t miss a beat. “Any particular reason you wanted Rian’s update early?”

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