Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
He stepped away from her and went immediately to the fridge. Opening the fridge, he looked at the contents, trying to figure what would be quick and easy to make.
Yesterday, he had already prepared a load of meatballs, grinding up his meat, seasoning it, and part-cooking them, so they would be ready for his freezer. They were still cooling in the fridge.
Going to see Lisa took priority, and he was thankful Pam nor any of his pack had stolen his meatballs.
He grabbed a tray, along with a jar of tomato sauce, and knew he would have dinner on the table in less than twenty minutes.
Shadow put a pot of water on to boil, and as he worked, he was very much aware of Lisa’s gaze on him, and he wasn’t about to complain about it. He wanted her eyes on him.
“So, uh, do you want to tell me how you’ve been feeling?” he asked.
“I’ve been fine.”
“Pam happened to mention that you’ve been hungry a lot lately.”
“It’s nothing. I put it down to me … you know, eating my feelings.” She tried not to wince.
“You don’t think it is that?”
“I don’t know what it is, to be honest.” She took a deep breath. “But it’s fine.”
“And you’re eating beef.”
“It seems Pam talks about me a lot more than I thought, huh?”
Shadow finished putting sauce, some herbs and spices, and then the meatballs into the pot, bringing it back to boil.
“She cares,” he said.
“And I care about her. What is this about, Shadow?”
He took a deep breath. “We didn’t use any protection,” he said.
“Yeah, and it doesn’t matter, right? You’re a wolf and you can only get your mate pregnant. Your mate can only be a wolf, and you have to feel this connecti—” Lisa stopped. “What are you not saying?”
“You’re pregnant, Lisa. The cravings, the food, even the dizziness. You’re carrying my child.”
Chapter Six
Lisa didn’t think it was a good idea for her to get up, but she wanted to. She wanted to get up, go to the front door, and leave.
There was no chance she was pregnant.
But, they didn’t use any kind of protection, not anytime they were together. She didn’t think it was possible, and neither did Shadow. Even though she rarely talked to the other woman, she had heard through several wolves that Eloise had been pregnant. There had been a lot of rumor and gossip surrounding the couple but from what she could now see, the two were very happily married and mated. She made it a priority not to listen to gossip. Nothing good ever came from doing that.
“That can’t be possible,” Lisa said. “There is no way I can be pregnant, no way.”
“It’s true.” He ran fingers through his hair.
“I bet you hate this, don’t you?” Lisa asked, putting a hand to her stomach. She had been feeling strange lately. She had put it down to the heartbreak.
“No, I don’t.”
Lisa slid off the chair, because she couldn’t listen to this again.
“Stop,” Shadow said.
She didn’t know why she was listening to him, and tears filled her eyes as she turned toward him.
“You can’t do this alone,” he said.
“The only reason you care right now is because this is your baby. That is all. You’ve not changed your mind about me, about this. I’m still a weak human, remember. I don’t need you.”
“Damn it, Lisa, stop being so stubborn,” he said.
She had started to walk away, but he grabbed her arm, bringing her to a stop.
“You can’t do this,” he said.
“I can do whatever I like. I don’t have to stand and listen to this. I’ve got a job to get to and stuff that needs to happen.” And that dizziness suddenly hit her quite hard, and it helped Shadow as he moved her back into her chair.
“Look, I get that I fucked up, and you know what, I am sorry. I know I fucked up and I know it is going to take a lot more than apologies to make this up to you,” he said. “But, you’re pregnant. Pam’s picking up a test, and she’s bringing it back here, and then we can confirm it. After that, we can come up with some kind of plan for this to work.”
“A plan?” Lisa asked.
“You cannot do this alone.”
“I don’t need you.”
“You’ve got me, because I am the father of your baby, and whether you like it or not, I care about you.”
“So now you care about me?” She hated how her heart skipped a beat.
It wasn’t love, but he cared. Damn, treacherous heart and body. Even as she wanted to hate him, her body liked him being close.
Tears filled her eyes, and that explained the constant fluctuations of emotions that ran riot around her body with no way to stop it. Was it so wrong that at that very second, with how close he was to her, she wanted to pull him in closer, kiss his lips, and feel those hands touching her?