Page 34 of Pregnant By the Alpha Wolf

“What is it, Sara?” I ask, fear squeezing my heart, and I hold my breath.

She looks at me, inhaling slowly. “There’s a heartbeat now…”

I stare at her, my mind whirling with so many questions that I can’t form a coherent thought. How is this even possible? Is it real?

“I-impossible,” Sara mumbles. She looks to Rowan, who appears completely dumbstruck. “Have you ever? Have you ever known anyone do this? The baby was…gone. I’ll take some blood. Run t-tests.”

He grabs my hand, a smile breaking out across his face. Genuine happiness radiates from him. “No, but I don’t care,” he laughs. Our baby is okay.”

My heart feels like it might burst from my chest as I take in the reality. Our baby is okay. But will itstayokay? I need to know why this is happening before I can be certain our baby is safe. I need to know the truth.

One truth I do know is that Rowan will make a wonderful father, whatever his DNA. The moment he knew our baby was alive, I felt a surge of pure love through our bond, and I know that whatever happens next, I want to face it with him.

Turning to him, I take a deep breath and say, “Tell me, Rowan. Please. Is this because our baby has vampire DNA?”

Chapter 18 - Rowan

Nothing mattered except saving Willow, stopping the hunters, and punishing the traitor, Rian. And then, after…nothing mattered except the Willow and the baby.

Our baby.

I stare at the rhythmic line of our child’s heartbeat and rest my hand on Willows's still-flat stomach in reverence. ThatIwould have a mate and a child? I would never have believed it.

Sara finishes taking Willow’s blood and slips from the room with a sympathetic smile.

Thanks to the hunters and Rian’s treachery, I may lose everything. Kaiden and Jet fought alongside me, but I know they heard all our pack secrets revealed. I’m sure they will have their questions. I don’t want to go to war against men who have become my friends—but it wouldn’t be the first time.

And I don’t want to lose my love.

I know she’s waiting for an answer. I saw that she knew the truth when she looked into my eyes. Now, she’s just waiting for confirmation, or at least some kind of explanation. Perhaps she’s hoping I’ll deny that vampires are real or that our child will harbor such a beast.

I’ve never considered myself a coward, but as I prepare to tell her the truth, I know it’s genuine fear coursing through my veins. I know they saythe truth will set you free, but that has not been my experience in life.

“I don’t know why the child lives,” I say honestly, my voice hoarse. “I know there are many myths about vampires, but I’ve never heard of something like this. I know many who have died, none that have come back to life…like this.”

She seems to think about my words, and I can practically see her scientific brain at work as she appears to consider her next words carefully. “Tell me I’m not crazy, Rowan,” she says quietly, “I heard them. Rian and the hunters. They were talking about your vampire DNA and killing all the elders who have it.”

A story as old as time, I think to myself as I sink into the chair beside her bed. I know she expects a simple answer, but this may be the only chance I get to tell who I really am. I’m not sure it will matter, but she is my mate, and our child lives; I have to try.

“I don’t remember much about my parents,” I begin, “but I know they loved each other, and me. For a time after their death, there were people who knew them, and they told me the stories of how they met and how happy they were to have a child. Unfortunately, not everyone was happy about their love.”

I take a deep breath. I’ve never been comfortable talking about my parents or my past. Griffen knows most of it, but it’s not like we sit around talking about it or analyzing our feelings. Sitting here with the weight of Willow’s pregnancy consuming me, I can’t help but imagine how my own parents must have felt.

“My father was the alpha of an ancient pack of shifters that ruled the entire eastern border in France, though, of course, the borders in the Old World were rather different back then,” I add, watching as her brows raise, but she says nothing as I continue, “My mother was different. She had no pack or family and was hunted across the continent. When my father found her, he should have killed her. Instead, he realized she was his mate, and they fell in love. His pack forsook him. They ran…had me…but were eventually killed.”

I can’t bring myself to look up as I utter the words I know Willow has been waiting for. “My mother was a vampire.”

Deafening silence falls over us. I realize I’m still holding her hand, almost unwilling to let go in case I never get to hold it again. I stare down at her slender fingers in mine and wait for the reaction that is sure to follow. After a pause that stretches forever, I hear her let out a steady breath. “That does make sense.”

Her calm voice takes me by surprise, and I risk a glance, finding her staring at me with compassion shining in her eyes. I try to speak, but my words die on my tongue as she gives me a gentle smile. “Tell me about them. Your parents. The vampires,” she says.

I close my eyes, taking in a deep breath before continuing, “The vampires were a mix of good and evil, much like everyone else in the world. Some wanted to live in peace with humans, others saw them as nothing more than food. It was those who considered them lesser beings that caused the most harm. The wars between the vampires and shifters intensified around the same time. Eventually, hunters rose up against them, seeking to eradicate them from the planet. The vampires had weaknesses, like enhanced light. Eventually, both hunters and shifters killed so many of them that true vampires ceased to exist. Even halflings, like me, are a rare occurrence now, hunted into near extinction until a safe haven was created.”

Willow’s eyes go wide. “The Nicholson pack.”

I nod. “So much death, Willow, so much pain. There was a time when I relished the fight, and perhaps I still do in some ways. But as the centuries went on, the wars remained the same—the same hatred, the same righteous killing. I grew tired; I wanted my people to find peace.”

Willow squeezes my hand, speaking softly, “And now you find yourself hunted again.”

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