Page 96 of Claimed By the Cowboys
“Holy shit,” Ralph breathed, his shock evident.
“What makes you boys think I have any interest inyouanymore?” She tossed her auburn locks over one shoulder, several of her well-healed bonding bites on display.
“You’re—” Kyle trailed off, as stunned as his other pack mates.
“I’m…? What, Kyle?” Piper prompted impatiently. “Pregnant? Bonded? Incredibly happy—not that you’d know anything about what that’s like.” She shrugged, her anger simmering just beneath the surface, emboldened by my backing her up behind the trio of bozos.
“You’reglowing,” Lance gushed, doing his best to salvage the quickly deteriorating situation.
“Why, thank you, Lance! It’s all thanks to you! If you’re here to collect my gratitude, please—” She waved her hands through the air dramatically. “If you had never treated me like garbage, cheated on me, and then let me wander off on my own, I never would have found the loves of my life.” Her eyes flitted to mine for the briefest of seconds before she continued with her scathing rebuke. “I never would have found the men who could make me a part of their family.”
Before the members of Pack Adamar could make any kind of scene, I decided this was my cue.
“Speaking of family…” I let my voice boom from behind the three weasels, Kyle nearly jumping into the air. “You boys are interrupting family night.” I looked down my nose at them, Lance, the tallest of the group, still a few inches shorter than me with about half my muscle mass.
“Now, if you’ll excuse us and go run along.” I tipped my hat to Pack Adamar, my wooden smile letting them know they were dangerously close to outstaying their welcome.
Kyle looked as if he might have liked to fight about it, but before he could make a fuss, Clay—with a tray full of fried food delights—and the twins, Maisie riding on Montana’s shoulders, returned.
“Everything all right over here?” Clay growled, his teeth gritted through his best attempt at a civil smile.
“Just peachy,” Piper sighed happily, reaching out to pinch a crispy crinkle fry from a paper boat on the dinner tray. “PackAdamar was just leaving, on their way tohave a nice life. Weren’t you, boys?” she chimed sweetly, nodding to the trio of dumbasses who had paled at the sight of all four of us Blackwood boys rallied around our omega.
“Indeed, we were,” Lance replied tightly, offering a clipped nod before he shepherded the rest of his pack in the other direction at a decent pace.
“Shouldn’t be a problem any longer, not with Clay growlin’ at them and Zeke towering over everything.” Dakota snorted a laugh.
“Good riddance to bad rubbish,” Montana agreed.
Gratified, I watched Pack Adamar skulk off into the crowd, their tails between their legs.
Chapter 45
Piper
Sleeping when you were a million months pregnant was actually quite difficult.
Every position I rolled onto—my back hurt or my bump was uncomfortable. My nest now had such a variety of pillows that I had tried every combination known to man. Pillows under the knees, pillows in between the knees, pillows behind my back.
Sometimes I simply slept on my alphas.
They were far from squishy but surprisingly comfortable.
Only now, I was so far along, everything hurt.
Even though I’d had a wonderful time at the fair, my back had twitched the entire evening.
I had been tossing and turning for a while when a particularly odd squeeze in my side jolted me fully awake. Sitting up, I groaned, clutching at my stomach.
Was it time?
Clay and Zeke were piled into the nest with me. Grimacing, I hauled myself out of bed and padded toward the bathroom, hissing as the pressure on my cervix settled again, thanks to gravity. I stood there for a few moments. Nothing was happening. It’d been just a squeeze. It was probably nothing.
I went back to the bed and tried to get comfortable again, which of course was damn near impossible. After an unknown length of time, that squeeze came back, a sensation like my muscles were flexing without me having to tell them to. I flipped over my phone and looked at the time. Three-thirty in the morning.
Hmm…okay. Well, I guess we’ll just see if anything happens.
I dozed on and off, and then it happened again. I looked at the clock. Three-forty-one. And the other one had been after roughly ten minutes too. God, and that made three of them.
