Page 5 of Pregnant By the Alpha Wolf

I dare not turn since he’s crowding me, so I remain looking toward the lab below. “It’s very impressive…I can see we can get a lot more done. These machines look very, um, new.”

I sound like an idiot as I ramble, and he chuckles, the sound surprisingly jovial. “Well, yes, they are new. Straight from the box, my dear.”

I stifle a groan as we look at the technicians below, literally unpacking them in front of us. Of course, they’re new. Why does he have this effect on me? It’s infuriating. He makes me feel like a fool, tripping up over my own words all the time. I scramble for something to say to recover my composure.

“At least you’ll have no excuse to provide your DNA sample now?” I attempt lightly.

“Mmm,” he smiles, “you really are quite desperate to look very closely at me, aren’t you?”

I scoff at the suggestion, incredulous, but the action causes me to stumble slightly, and his arms fly up to catch me. Suddenly, I’m pressed against his hard body. His height dwarfs me from a distance, but this close, I feel even smaller. Despite my curves, Rowan still manages to make me look petite.

“I…I—” My words fail me as I stammer, lost in his eyes. His hands once braced against the railing, now cradle my hips, drawing me closer still.

“Perhaps we should take this conversation”—he leans in, his lips an inch from mine—“somewhere more private.”

His growl sends a shiver down my spine and warmth between my thighs. I know I should say no and push him away,but his scent—that intoxicating cologne he wears—mixed with a hint of the rain outside clouds my judgment.

“Willow? A moment,” Kaiden calls from across the room, breaking the spell. What the hell am I doing? What must this look like? I spring back, practically sliding along the railing in my escape. I rush toward Kaiden and his betas, well aware that my face must be bright red.

“Yes, um, I’m here,” I say, squeezing between the assembled men to where Kaiden is waiting. He’s staring across at Rowan, an unmistakable scowl on his face.

“Tour the lab with me, Willow; let me know what you think,” he says, leading me toward the door. Once clear, he adds, “Did Rowan upset you?”

I laugh, waving my hand as if to bat away the suggestion. Inside my body, my emotions are still in turmoil; it’s as if I can still feel his hands gripping my hips. “No. No, honestly. He’s just a bit intense, isn’t he? He’s an alpha, after all.”

Kaiden raises his brows at me, and I fall over my words, “Not that you’re all intense. Or strange. That’s not what I mean…”

Kaiden barks out a laugh that makes his whole face light up, “I’m sure Kit would agree wholeheartedly. We are intense, but I get the feeling Rowan is on a different level. All of this,” he says, gesturing to the lab, “is very impressive, but you’re my responsibility, and I won’t leave you here if you’re not happy to be left. If you don’t feel safe.”

My face is on fire under his scrutiny. I know he’s being a good alpha; he’s caring about my well-being. I just wish he wouldn’t look so intently because I’m not sure how to describe my feelings about the encounter with Rowan. It definitely wasn’t fear I was feeling.

The thought of being left here to work doesn’t scare me; what scares me is my own troubling feelings whenever I am near Rowan. He does something to me simply by his closeness, the way those enticing mismatched eyes seem to stare right into my soul, as though he sees something in me that no one else can—it’s ridiculous, of course. If anything, he’s simply toying with me, and I risk embarrassing myself.

Is that fear worth risking the progress we could make here? For the good of all our packs? Of course not.

“The lab is impressive, and this is important work. I’m not scared of Rowan, and I need to do this for all of us.” I say resolutely, and for a moment, I see a flicker of pure respect cross Kaiden’s expression, and I’m surer than ever that I can do this.

But can I cope with the way Rowan makes me feel things I have no right feeling? After what happened to my parents, I have no desire to risk my heart or life by falling for someone as dangerous as Rowen. The thought of being with someone as strong as an alpha when I don’t even have a wolf is unthinkable to me.

Chapter 4 - Rowan

“How did the tour go?” Griffen asks, strolling into my office and sitting by the fire. “Suitably impressed, I hope?”

I lean back in my chair, feeling calm and in control. My encounter with Willow is so fresh in my mind that my fingertips still tingle with her essence, as though I could just reach out and touch her again right now, right here. It is more than I could have imagined.

I clear my throat, leaning back into the high back of my chair. “It went well, of course. How could it not?”

“And they will agree? To share their best scientists? A lab is only as good as the people who work in it,” Griffen pushes.

“I have no doubts. They’re having lunch at the facility and supposedly talking it over, but I know the answer will be affirmative,” I say sincerely. I saw the looks they all gave each other, the nods of approval, and the lab clearly exceeded Kaiden’s expectations.

We all fear the Order of Reclamation knows far more about us than we do about them. If we want to beat the hunters next time they strike, which is only a matter of time, we need to catch up quickly. Willow’s research has been slow, but she could only work with what she had. With the lab’s resources, I have no doubt we will learn more about the Völva magic.

“Good. Good…” Griffen nods, but something in his tone catches my attention.

“You have doubts?” I ask, studying his expression. Griffen has been my beta here for over two centuries and my friend for even longer. There are few people I trust more on this earth.

“No,” he states firmly, “I do not need convincing. You know some of the pack are concerned; they have been throughout the building process. Seeing them all roll in today in trucks has caused some anxiety. It needs addressing.”

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