Page 12 of Pregnant Wolf's Mate

And it was with that she grabbed Lottie by the shoulders and shook her viciously until she stopped questioning her. She looked her older sister dead in the eye and said, “Charlotte, you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone about this!”

“Macie, I…” Lottie sounded as though she was going to protest, but there was no way she could let her do that.

Shaking her head and squeezing her sister’s arms tighter, she added, “Lottie, please! Nobody can know about this until I am absolutely certain it’s true.”

The two sisters stared silently at each other for several minutes and the thoughts that passed between the two of them told Macie that they already knew the truth. The problem was, she wasn’t anywhere near ready to admit it.

Even more so, she wasn’t at all ready to admit that the father of her child was a damn McCormack! Worse, the eldest son of the McCormack line and a direct rival to her own alpha.

The bile rising again in the back of her throat might just have been the nerves talking, but she was certain it was something more than that. It was as if the thing growing inside of her had finally decided to make itself known and for once, it wasn’t her wolf.

Why did I have to go and screw things up so monumentally? Macie thought begrudgingly. All she had wanted two weeks ago was to find a way to access her wolf, to fit in with the rest of the pack and to have people stop looking at her as though she was the failure of the Silverdale family.

Now she was certain that was how they were going to look at her for the rest of her life. Not only was she unable to shift, but she had allowed herself to get pregnant with a rival’s pup, and worst of all he hadn’t even so much as hinted at their being mates since she had given up her virginity to him in the forest.

Macie, you truly fucked it all up this time! she thought, knowing just how her parents would look at her when they found out the truth. No, I have to go and find out for myself.

“Promise me, Lottie, I need to hear you say it!” Macie demanded, shaking her sister again. “Say it!”

“Okay, okay, I promise I won’t tell anyone that you are pregnant until you are absolutely certain,” Lottie promised, and the tone of her voice set Macie’s teeth right on edge. A little more solemnly, she added, “I promise, Macie.”

Standing outside the apothecary, Macie was terrified to set foot inside. She was all too scared to find out the truth. But the witch standing behind the counter just on the other side of the glass door would most definitely be able to give her the truth of the matter.

After some serious procrastination, Macie finally plucked up the courage. Sucking in a deep breath, she stomped her way up the apothecary steps and pushed open the door, cringing slightly at the high-pitched dinging of the bell above.

“Macie, I was beginning to wonder when you would finally come inside,” Malia greeted her without looking up from what she was doing on the counter. The raven-haired, blue-purple-eyed witch continued to wrap something up before finally turning her full attention on Macie with a brilliantly beautiful smile.

Macie’s heart clenched at the sight of her, not just because she was utterly beautiful and magical but also because she knew that before too long she was going to get the truth whether she liked it or not.

“What can I do for you today?” Malia asked, clasping her hands before her on the counter. Her electric-painted blue nails gleamed with silver glitter in the candlelight of the room. The witches had always insisted upon as little electricity as possible within their store, something to do with it interfering with their magic, and Macie had to admit it was a damn sight better on her own senses as well. Maybe if not for her reason for being there, she might have actually felt calm standing before the witch.

“I…I need to have a spell performed,” Macie admitted, her stomach clenching painfully. Already she was beginning to feel sick again, and she was certain it wouldn’t be long before she vomited. It was best to get this over with so she could get out of there without making a fool of herself.

“What kind of spell?” Malia asked, raising one perfectly plucked black eyebrow.

Macie gulped past the lump in her throat. “A…a pregnancy spell.”

Malia looked startled. Then just as quickly the surprise died from her eyes and she offered a kind smile. "If you would come with me, please?"

Feeling more nervous than ever, Macie was forced to follow the gesture of Malia’s hand as she swept her around the side of the counter and through into the back room.

Just like the front of the shop, the back was filled with shelf after shelf of herbs, potions and creams and all manner of magical items. To one side there was an ornately carved desk while opposite it was a sort of examination table, the kind you might find in the infirmary at the Silverdale Manor.

Malia gestured Macie over to it and, smiling, said, "Please, lie down."

"How…how did you know the spell was going to be for me?" Macie asked nervously.

Malia looked at her with sympathy and shook her head a little. "Because you aren't exactly calm right now, Macie. I can tell you are under a lot of stress."

Right, I should have known better than to think a witch couldn't just sense things, Macie thought begrudgingly even as she slipped her boots off and chambered onto the bed. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come here after all.

Could she even trust Malia to keep this kind of a secret?

Almost as though she sensed just what Macie was feeling, the witch stepped up to the bed and took hold of her hand. Squeezing gently, she smiled and assured her, “You need not worry. Either way, I won’t tell a soul. You’re safe here.”

The woman’s words only eased her anxiety a little. After all, the witch keeping her secret wouldn’t mean much for long, not with how quickly werewolves grew pups. Macie gulped past the lump that was growing painful in her throat. Just the thought of having a pup of her own made her feel even more sick.

“Please, lie back and relax,” Malia told her gently, laying a hand on Macie’s shoulder. “This won’t take a moment.”

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