Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45658 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45658 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 183(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
“Thank you.”
“Of course.” Simon pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped the screen. “Let me send the healer a text. She’ll race over.” Looking up from his phone, he shook his head fondly. “She hasn’t ever seen a Psi give birth so she’s almost as excited as you are.”
The Blue Mountain healer was more excited than Ricky about his pregnancy. For that matter, so was everyone else who knew about it. He closed his eyes and gave himself an internal lecture. Having a baby was a good thing. Plus, he was having Morgan’s baby. Even if his mate never forgave his betrayal, Rick would have a part of him. That should make him happy.
“It is exciting,” he said, more to himself than to Simon.
Simon’s phone pinged. “What’d I tell you? She’s on her way.”
Ricky opened his eyes to see Simon raising the phone to his ear.
“I’m calling Mitch.” After a few seconds, he frowned. “It’s going straight to voicemail, which is weird because he’s here meeting with Freddy.” Brow furrowing, he lowered the phone. “Will you be okay if I run downstairs to let him know what’s going on? I’ll come right back. Promise.”
“Sure.” If Simon’s mate wanted updates, Ricky wouldn’t stand in his way. The guy was terrifying. “I have time.” Probably. Hopefully. Not that he had any idea how to know. He swiped the back of his hand against his eyes, angry that they kept watering. “Can I call Wesley? I don’t think I asked him enough questions.” Which was to say he had asked absolutely no questions and hadn’t listened all that carefully to the information Wesley had volunteered. The whole avoidance thing was causing him problem after problem and he absolutely had to stop doing it.
“Good idea.” Simon handed him the phone. “I’ll be right ba—”
“Simon,” Mitchell Grant’s voice bellowed through the walls. “Simon!
“In here.” Simon hurried toward the door. “I was just about to come find—”
Mitchell stepped into the room and pulled Simon against him. “I need you to stay up here.”
Tilting his head back so he could look his ridiculously tall mate in the face, Simon said, “Ricky is—”
“Ricky too.” Mitchell narrowed his dark eyes and flared his nostrils, the combination making him look even more frightening than usual.
Deciding that avoidance wasn’t so bad after all, Ricky clambered to the corner of the room, behind the bed. Not for the first time, he wondered how petite Simon could feel safe sharing a home with this man.
“Both of you stay in the room until I come back,” ordered Mitchell.
His tone changing from happy to concerned, Simon asked, “What’s going on?”
When the large Alpha flicked his coal gaze toward him, Ricky couldn’t stop himself from shrinking away and reaching for the blanket, as if a piece of fabric could keep him safe if he got on the wrong side of the intimidating Alpha. Thankfully, Mitchell turned his attention back to his own Omega, who inexplicably, pressed closer to danger rather than flinching away.
“There’s a car on pack lands, coming toward the Alpha house.” He lowered his voice. “We think it’s Morgan Peters.”
Simon gasped. “How did he find out Ricky was here?”
“I don’t know,” Mitchell growled. “But he’ll regret doing it.” He kissed Simon and then turned around. “You two stay here. Freddy and I will take out the trash.”
Chapter 6
At age sixteen, Morgan’s plan had been to travel the world and visit far away packs. He would meet new people, see new terrain, and develop new skills, and then he would find his mate and return to Golden Valley to raise a family and share with his pack what he had learned on his adventures. His father had supported his dreams and had arranged with his various contacts to host him. But right before he could embark on his journey, Morgan’s world had blown up and he’d had to adjust. Now, seven years later, he was experiencing a distorted version of his teenage dream.
The time he had spent in Ricky’s company had been brief and hurried, a mistake for which he had nobody but himself to blame. He had scented his mate in his house, and instead of going to him, fighting for him if necessary, and then cherishing him, Morgan had been consumed by anxiety over the welfare of his pack and he had focused on their needs instead of his Omega’s. Even after Ricky had sought him out in his own home, Morgan had forced him to beg for attention—something no mate should have to do. And if those sins weren’t bad enough, Morgan had left Ricky to wake up alone in a new place after their first intimacy. He didn’t blame the other shifter for leaving, given the way he had treated him, but he hoped once he apologized, Ricky would forgive him and they could start their lives together.