Page 35 of What Haunts the Heart
16
Eden
Iwoke up alone, and when I reached over to Oakley’s side of the bed, the sheets were cold. Instantly, there was this crushing weight on my chest that stole my breath away. I fisted my hand in the blankets and blinked tears out of my eyes.
This wasn’t what I wanted.
I knew I was pushing him away. I could feel his uncertainty, the threads between us fraying, and it terrified me. I didn’t want to lose the only man who’d ever made me feel worth something. My mother’s words haunted my dreams, reminding me where I’d end up the moment my Alpha lost interest—all alone and possibly knocked-up.
But this wasOakleywe were talking about. The man who’d stolen my breath away the very first time we’d met. The man whose bright smile and rich, hearty laughter made my heart feel lighter than the clouds. The man whose touch seared my skin and left an imprint on my heart.
I loved him and I didn’t want to lose him, and that was exactly what was going to happen if I didn’t pull my big-boy panties on and deal with it.
Sniffling, I sat up in bed and poked at my belly. Was there a tiny human slumbering away in there? Would I grow up to resent him, to pass on the bitter words my parents chained me down with? I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to believe that. I didn’t want to believe that I’d become the very people who made my childhood miserable.
I slipped into a hot shower and tried to steel my nerves for what I was about to do. I might not be pregnant. I’d feel like a giant fool if I pushed Oakley away on a mere possibility, but if I was? I needed to face my fears. He’d said he wanted pups of his own, a house and a yard and a family, so why the hell was I so scared?
I dressed in a loose pair of sweats and one of his t-shirts and wandered down the hall. I could hear soft music playing from the kitchen. I recognized it immediately. It was the playlist we’d made of our favorite songs one night, buzzed and happy.
My throat knotted. I couldn’t give this up.
I found Oakley mixing something in a large bowl and, judging from the muffin tins set out on the stovetop, I was guessing he was making muffins for breakfast. He glanced up, nostrils flaring once before he gave a small grin. Warmth shone in his golden eyes and turned my heart to goo.
Be strong,I told myself. “Morning.”
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” he said. “How’s your stomach?”
“Better,” I murmured.
“Good, because I’m making chocolate chip muffins with some of that leftover Halloween candy.”
I bit my lip, unable to keep the smile off my face. “Genius.”
He puffed out his chest. “I thought so. What better than ooey-gooey chunks of melted Hershey’s bar for breakfast. Mmm. We’ll gain ten pounds just by smelling it.”
Giving the mixing bowl one last churn with the spatula, he carefully poured the mix into the lined tins, then set the bowl in the sink to soak. Once the muffins were safely in the oven and the timer was set, I reached out and took his hands in mine.
“Can…I tell you something?” I hated the tremor in my voice, but I held my head high.
“You can tell me anything, baby,” Oakley said softly. “Anything.”
“If something happened and I somehow ended up pregnant, what would you do?”
He studied me for a moment, his head tipped to one side. “Is it mine?”
I had to laugh. “Of course, dummy.”
“Then I guess we’d start our family a little early, right?” His words were a balm to my wounded soul and suddenly, I couldn’t keep the tears at bay any longer. Oakley immediately wrapped me in his arms, crushing me to his chest. “Shh, don’t cry. It’s okay, Eden.”
“I-I don’t know if I am, but Chester said I smelled different and my heats have never been normal and I have no idea what I’m going to do, because it’s not like I can just quit my job to pop out a kid and—”
Oakley hushed me with a firm kiss. “Everything’s going to be alright, baby. I promise. If you’re pregnant, we’ll handle it together, okay? If you want to keep your job, I’m happy to be a stay-at-home dad.”
I swallowed hard. “Even though you’re an Alpha.”
“Especially because I’m an Alpha,” he said firmly. “ArealAlpha doesn’t abandon his mate, Eden, and you’re my mate. You wear my mark and if you’re carrying my pup, you can bet your ass that I’m not going anywhere.” He caught my hands in his and gave a gentle squeeze. “I love you and I’m in this for the long haul. In fact…”
He slowly sank to his knees on the floor and hugged me around the middle, which made me cry even harder. He pressed his cheek against my stomach, then gazed up at me. In his hand was a small black box. Tears blurred my vision, but I knew without a doubt that he was holding a ring.
