Page 53 of Talk About… Secrets
“Looking up more blackmail?”
“No, actually. Just the business kind. Sit down with me and comb this man’s work. Give me a reason to fire him.”
“Done,” Spencer said, sitting down before going in search of the man.
It took less than twenty minutes to find where this alpha had been slacking. With a stack of complaints in his file already, it was over.
“Actually, let’s let HR handle this one for me,” I said with a laugh, sending all the files to our favorite HR girl and letting out a breath.
“Any other issues?” Spencer asked, bouncing in his seat.
“Minor ones. Go wrap up then get home. Pack up anything we have left. I’m ready to go to our girl.”
“Done,” Spencer said, his grin blinding before he was rushing out.
Now it was a race to the end and I was nothing, if not efficient.
Grace
The two pink lines staring up at me from the pregnancy test had bile rising in my throat, though I wasn’t sure if that was from looking at the test or the morning sickness I’ve been battling for close to a week.
The first time was with the girls, and it seemed Avery was spot on.
Drew had to have noticed but he didn’t call me on it and I’d tried my best to be discreet. It helped that he didn’t know my normal eating and sleeping patterns.
Fuck, I was pregnant. Only half my pack was home. Our packhouse was a construction zone.
Oh god.
The panic started to rise. Something that was happening far too much without them. I was always dying for a pack, but I never wanted to be this reliant on them. Yet, the half-formed bond was not being kind.
My hands shook as I pulled up the group chat I had with Avery, Sydney, Oriana, and Wren. We’d all become such good friends and right now, I needed them in the worst way.
The video call was ringing and I knew that I looked like a hot mess from the way that each one of them answered, concern etching their beautiful features.
Then Avery’s eyes narrowed and a slow smile spread across her face.
Sidney wasn’t there yet, her angry voice echoing through before anyone could say a word.
“Grace, what’s wrong?” Sidney asked. “Whose ass do I need to kick?”
Instead of finding words, I simply put the test up to the screen, the bright pink lines saying everything I didn’t need to.
“Guess Avery won the bet.”
All of them started talking at the same time, a mix of excited squeals and so many questions. Too many to keep up with or make sense of.
“And let me guess. Still no pack?” Wren asked, looking livid on my behalf.
“They said they had news about an hour ago, but nothing yet,” I admitted. “In other news… I have this now.”
I pulled back my shirt to show off the new bite mark that was still a bit swollen and red, but healing nicely.
“Did you go into heat during the wedding?” Oriana asked. I shook my head.
“I couldn’t imagine riding out a heat at that venue. Most places have rules against that. No, it was just a one night stand with newly found mates. Hell, Drew and I didn’t even do anything until this,” I admitted, waving at the bite mark. “We didn’t use protection but I was on birth control.”
“That can happen the first time finding scent matches. It kick-starts our biology,” Avery said. She was right, I knew it,but her soothing was making me feel fragile and I felt that way enough lately.
