Page 198 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha
“Nah. They’re not really my thing.”
She grinned and snuggled next to me. “Thanks for talking to me about this. I know things will get harder before they get better, but I’m glad you’ll be by my side to see them through.”
“Same here.” I looked down at her when she yawned. She wasn’t usually this tired when we had these longer conversations. “I know I’ve asked you already, but are you sure you’re okay? You seem even more exhausted than I am.” And I was the one who’d made the trek from the Wargs to the Kings.
“Oh, yeah. I, um, had to pull a couple of late nights to try to keep up with the workload. That, and I might have talked with some of my bullies earlier today. It took a lot out of me.”
“You did?” I touched her cheek, my eyebrows knitting together in concern.
“Basically, they apologized for the way they treated me in the past.”
“They’re asking for forgiveness?” I scoffed. “If you wanted to banish them, I’d stand behind you.”
I meant it—mostly—as a joke, but her little frown told me I hadn’t stuck the landing. “Night, I feel really conflicted about this.”
“I’m sorry, love.” I brushed a gentle kiss over her lips. “You know you have zero obligation to accept their apology, right? They were terrible to you.”
“I know, but I don’t think I would embody the alpha I want to be if I turned them away.”
“Well, you don’t have to decide anything right now. You have more than enough on your mind as it is.” I kissed her cheek. “Give it some time, and when you feel ready, you can do whatever you think is best.”
“Isn’t it bad to make them wait? Wouldn’t I show them I’m a stronger leader if I give them a quick response?”
I shook my head. “Not every decision you make as an alpha needs to be the day of. Some things need more time to simmer. With experience, it gets easier to tell when you need a quick, decisive response and when you need to pull back.”
“Oh.” She let my words sink in, and her frown lifted into one of her sweet smiles. “Thank you, Night. I think that was exactly what I needed to hear.”
“I’m glad I could help.” I kissed her again and nuzzled her neck. “Let’s get some sleep.”
I decided to leave our conversation there, even though something told me there was more to her tiredness than work and an encounter with her old bullies. I couldn’t put my finger on why, especially when her explanation made perfect sense. But she was tired, I was tired, and it was best for both of us to get some rest rather than try to get to the bottom of everything now.
I settled in more comfortably at her side and closed my eyes. In minutes, I was asleep.
78
BRYN
As soon as I sat up the next morning, a wave of nausea sent me hurtling into the bathroom. I made it to the toilet before everything I’d eaten the night before rushed up my throat. It forced me to my knees, and my hands turned to claws as I gripped the bowl.
A combination of embarrassment and dread hit me as I coughed and sputtered into the toilet.Dammit! What if Night figures out I’m pregnant before I can tell him? Will he be upset that I didn’t tell him last night?Will he be mad about the timing of the pregnancy in general?
I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to force the nausea away. I needed to calm down. Freaking out now would only make everything worse. There was no way I could pretend everything was fine when I went back out there. I’d have to find out how Night felt about having children today. Once I knew where he stood, I would tell him about the baby.
When my stomach settled, I got to my feet and washed up. As I stepped out of the bathroom, I found Night sitting on the edge ofthe bed. He looked at me, the smooth, handsome lines of his face drawn in concern.
“Are you okay?” he asked, reaching for me as I walked over to the bed. “Are you coming down with something?”
Despite my anxiety about how to break the news to him, his worry for me warmed my heart. I settled on his lap and twined my arms around his neck. He held me against his chest and nuzzled into my neck. I let my hands drift through his thick black hair. It was getting a little long these days—not that I minded.
I could tell him the truth right now.The thought sent a small burst of electricity down my back. I could get it all over with, but it didn’t feel right. Though time was running out, I wanted to make the announcement more special than revealing it right after throwing up my guts.
“I think I caught something while I was working,” I said, loving the press of his warmth against my body.
“You should take it easy today,” he murmured against my throat. “Maybe Tavi and I could take over looking through the paperwork for you.”
“I am tired, but I don’t think I can sleep. My mind is working a mile a minute now that I’m awake, you know?”
“Mm.” He didn’t sound pleased with that, and that made me giggle. I remembered a time not so long ago when it seemed like he disapproved of everything I did, whether it was good or bad. Back then, neither of us knew we were soulmates. And now, we’d come so far, although there were still things we didn’t see eye to eye on.
