Page 3 of Broken Pregnant Mate
That I am, at my very core, a Grayhide, even if my family lost control of the pack two decades ago. That I’m part of the clan that’s been fighting with the Ambersky, trading deaths and leaving dead bodies scattered along the border.
All of which is to say I’m sure Kira and Dorian still have their doubts about me. Over the years, I’d like to think I’ve gotten good at reading people, and the look on Kira’s face says she’s not thrilled with the idea of me alone in a room with her kid.
“You have my sincerest apologies,” she says, turning a thousand-watt smile in my direction as she hefts the wooden board into the air. “This is done, maybe we can pay reparations with food and lemonade?”
“It’s the only kind I’ll accept,” I joke, following her through the sliding door. Dorian holds it open, Ollie still dangling from one arm as we step out onto the deck.
It’s filled with Ambersky—Emin and his wife, Veva, along with their daughter, Sarina. The general store owner, the receptionist from the pack hall.
They all greet me warmly, make jokes, and touch me like I’m part of the group.
But I know that I’m not. Halfway through the party, I find a chair in the corner and collapse into it, settling my glass of lemonade on my stomach.
Emin and Veva sit in the corner, Emin’s hand on her stomach. She’s watching his face carefully, I assume to catch the moment he feels his child kicking against her belly. Veva’s hair is dark and cut around her shoulders, but her daughter, Sarina, has the same copper hair as Emin.
On the other side of the patio, Dorian stands in front of the grill, sipping on a drink while Kira stands next to him, pointing at one of the hamburger patties, urging him to flip it.
“Did you forget we agreed the grill ismydomain?” he teases, reaching out and pinching her side.
I close my eyes, let my head fall back against the chair.
During my time here, I’ve started to love these people. But seeing them happy—especially the couples—never stops reminding me of what I’ve lost.
The girl from that group home that I left behind. Her wide, shining eyes as she watched me go. The words I’d hurled at her to keep her from following me as I went.
“Aidan!”
I look up to see Sarina—Emin and Veva’s daughter—staring down at me. She’s wearing a yellow bathing suit and has floaties on her arms.
“Hey, Sarina,” I say, shading my eyes as I meet hers. “What’s up?”
“Emin said you could teach me how to do a cannonball!” she says, swinging her arm around and pointing at the pool.
Something sticks in my throat, and I realize they’re all watching me now—Emin and Veva, Dorian and Kira, even the twin boys pausing in their toddling to stare.
I plaster a smile over my face, set my lemonade on the table, and stand, already reaching for the corner of my shirt.
“Sure thing,” I laugh, running for the pool, knowing the water is about to splash everyone on the deck. “Just watch and learn!”
Chapter 2 - Emaline
“Wake up, bitch.”
Something heavy drops onto my stomach, and I roll over, gasping for breath as Vern and his buddies chuckle around me.
Distantly, I’m aware that this is a dream—that all this is the past—but I can’t make myself wake up. Just like I couldn’t convince myself to leave back then, when it was really happening.
When I open my eyes, they’re all there—stringy hair, greasy faces, jeering at me.
Glancing down, I see the heavy object is a plastic, gallon-sized bag filled with a glittering, almost translucent powder.
I pull my hands away from it and right myself, guard going up. I never feel comfortable sleeping at Vern’s, with all the people in and out, but I don’t have much of a choice. It’s Vern’s or the street, and I seem to think the men I know are better than the ones I don’t.
“Comeon,” Vern snaps, all humor gone from his tone, the flip so fast it gives me whiplash.
I’m not moving fast enough, so Vern reaches down, anchors a hand under my armpit, and hauls me up so I’m on my feet next to him. Pain pinches under my arm and spreads out, like he has his hand right on a nerve, but I know better than to yank away from him.
My head spins, so dizzy that I stagger, and the guys laugh at me for it. It must be from lack of sleep, or maybe a contact high, because Inevertouch his stuff.
