Page 29 of Pregnant By the Alpha Wolf

“He’s my mate, Rian. You can’t think I’d betray him, that I’d help you,” I say.

The hunter’s eyes shoot back to me, and he growls at Rian, “She’s the halfling alpha’s mate?” He raises the gun again. “I don’t care if she’s useful or half-human; she’s been fucking a monster.”

I don’t understand what he’s saying, but I know I have to do something. I realize I’m still holding my laptop; jumping to my feet, I move at an unnatural speed and slam it into the hunter's face. The crack of his nose splintering under the impact echoes through the room as he stumbles back.

Rian's eyes widen, and he snarls, "You stupid bitch."

I don't have time to respond as the hunter roars and charges at me. We hit the ground, rolling around on the cold tile floor. His hands are everywhere, trying to pin me down. I slam my knee into his groin, feeling a satisfying crunch. He howls inpain and rolls off me, clutching himself. I push him into Rian, and as they both fall, I run for it.

I can hear the shouts behind me as I flat-out sprint for the exit. Suddenly, I hear a growl right behind me. It's Rian. Without thinking, I turn around to face him, ready to fight. But one look at his eyes tells me he's completely lost control; they’re red and feral. His mouth opens in a snarl as he bares his teeth at me, revealing long canines. Then, he lunges forward.

I try to dodge him but am not fast enough; pain explodes in my ribcage as he tackles me to the ground. His weight pins me down, making it hard to breathe, his hot breath on my neck sending shivers down my spine. My heart races as I feel his hand clench around my throat, squeezing tighter and tighter.

All I can think about is my baby and Rowan. I can’t let Rian do this. I frantically reach for anything that can help, my fingers touching something in the mess on the ground that feels metallic and long. I smash it over Rian’s head, and he falls to the side. I’m barely on my knees before he rounds and kicks me hard in the side. I vomit with the impact, instinctively trying to shield my stomach from the second blow. The whole world starts to go dark, and I hear someone calling for Rian in the background. A third blow doesn’t come, but I can’t move.

Rowan?

I’m screaming for him in my mind. I’ve never been able to establish a connection with him. It has always been the other way around. But it feels different now. I feel my mind desperately reaching for him, the tendrils of our bond drifting through the night air, searching for him.

Rowan—our baby.

The pain in my side is unbearable as I curl into a ball, fighting the urge to vomit again. I can hear the hunters moving around in the distance, but the searing pain clouds my vision.

Rowan.

I don’t know whether I’m delirious or the bond is working, but suddenly, it feels like I’m in one of the dreamscapes. Rowan runs to me and picks me up, holding me close. He soothes the pain in my stomach, and it feels like everything is going to be ok. I feel his voice, calm and determined.

I’m coming, love. Hold on.

I feel as though I’m smiling as I roll onto my other side. I open one eye and see the hunters have gathered along the hall. There are more of them than I thought, and they’re centered around Rian, who’s talking anxiously to what appears to be their leader.

“He’ll be here soon. You can take out three alphas,” Rian says, pacing. “And then you’ll go, right?”

The hunter looks disinterested as he turns to Rian. “If you can rid this pack of the halflings and monsters, you can run things quietly. With our say-so.”

Rian nods, “I’ve got all the names here,” he says, pointing to the data. “As you can see, there’s hardly any vampire DNA; it’s all in the elders. Once they’re gone…”

Vampire DNA…

I must be delirious, I think. I must be. My mind tries to override the pain shooting through my body as I attempt to understand what I’m hearing: the DNA, the strange mutations, my baby.

I can barely focus as I hear a huge crash near the front entrance, and the hunters begin to shout. I can make out the sound of claws scraping against the floor, and an inhuman growl sends chills down my spine as I feel my mate’s presence.

I see the hunters draw their weapons, but it’s too late. Before they can react properly, Rowan and Griffen burst into the room, shifting into wolves as they charge them. Their fur is glistening, almost silver in the dim light, and their eyes are fierce with rage.

Jet and Kaiden follow suit, changing shape just as swiftly. It’s like watching a dance as they leap and twist around each other in perfect synchronicity as the hunters scramble.

I try to move, wanting to let Rowan know where I am, but the pain makes my stomach roll again, so I push myself against one of the desks and stay low. From where I am, I see the hunters at the back holding some kind of pointed lamp.

I open my mouth to say something, but no words come out. Suddenly, the whole room lights up as if from the most brilliant daylight. It feels uncomfortably bright, but as my eyes adjust, I see Rowan and Griffen’s wolves on the ground, howling in pain.

IfeelRowan’s pain through the bond, and it’s too much; my vision fades to black.

Chapter 16 - Rowan

I knew Willow was in trouble the moment I felt her reaching out through the bond. Her skills had always been dormant; the fact that she was able to reach me was surprising, to say the least. But, overwhelmingly, my main emotion was pure fear.

Her terror radiated through the bond—physical pain seared along the tendrils of our connection.

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