Pregnant with the Werelion King's Cub (Paranormal Werelion Baby Romance) (Howls Romance Book 2)

by Claire Pike

  Abby stepped toward him. He flinched away from her, covering his face with his arm, as if ashamed to let her see him like this. “Stay back,” he said.

  “But Merek…” Abby reached a hand out, slowly, hesitantly.

  “No.” Merek moved away from her. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Abby lowered her hand. She didn’t believe Merek would ever voluntarily hurt her. But it certainly seemed that when this bestial side was unleashed, he didn’t have full control. She trusted Merek, the man. But she didn’t know if she could trust the animal inside of him. A wounded animal might lash out on instinct, without realizing who it might hurt.

  She suddenly realized why he had always been so distant with her. Why he had worked so hard to keep her at arm’s length. This was the secret he had been hiding, and it was a powerful, dangerous secret. It was no wonder he had trouble opening up and letting her in.

  Merek’s breathing slowed and the tension started to release from his body. His shoulders slumped and he hung his head, sitting curled up with his head between his knees. His body started to shift, shrinking back down to his normal size, his hulking muscle mass returning to the normal yet athletic build of the man Abby knew and loved. His eyes turned from gold to hazel, and a few moments later, he was human again.

  Abby hesitantly stepped forward and then knelt by his side. She touched his arm. He was bleeding from several claw wounds, and his skin was red and bruised. Fortunately, none of the wounds looked lethal.

  Merek looked up at her, a look of deep guilt and shame in his eyes.

  “Merek,” she whispered.

  “It’s all right, Abigail. You’re safe now.”

  She nodded. That was all that mattered. She was safe, and so was Merek. No one else could hurt them now. She leaned her head against his shoulder. What had just happened didn’t make any sense to her. But she was safe, as was her baby.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Merek called the building security to take Caroline away, and he screamed at them for failing so miserably by letting her get inside in the first place. While the guards were taking Caroline out on a stretcher, Merek told them to check the entire building and make sure it was secure. They would need to check all of the entrances and exits, plus make sure that Caroline hadn’t broken a window or something in order to get in. And Merek demanded that the security camera footage be pulled so it could be reviewed.

  Abby sat on a bench nearby, hanging her head. She was still having trouble processing what had just happened. It didn’t make any sense. But she had seen both Merek and Caroline change forms right before her eyes. She couldn’t deny what she had seen. Not unless she had been hallucinating the whole thing. But it wasn’t like she had been doing drugs or anything, and she certainly hadn’t ever hallucinated like that before.

  Merek returned from dealing with the guards. He helped her to her feet, and she went along with him, feeling too numb to fight or argue. He led her slowly back to the apartment, letting her lean on his arm for support. Once they got back downstairs, she sat on the couch, staring at nothing. Merek started pacing back and forth, on the phone with a member of his staff. Abby was too dazed to follow the entire conversation, but she kept catching words like “heir” and “pride” and “queen.” The strangeness of it broke through the fog around her mind, and she looked up at Merek, frowning at him.

  When he hung up the phone, she asked him, “What does that mean? Queen?”

  He scowled at her, and while she knew it wasn’t really her he was angry at, she still didn’t care for the look in his eyes. She crossed her arms and stared him down. “Merek? I need you to explain what’s going on here. What is Caroline? What are you? Is she the queen of something?”

  Merek rubbed his chin. Then he shook his head. “I don’t have time to explain right now. There will be…consequences to this evening. I need to go deal with them. We can talk when I get back.”

  He headed for the door. Abby struggled to get to her feet, grunting with the effort of moving with her large belly. All the running and climbing she’d done earlier had left her sore and exhausted. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, she was feeling aches and pains from head to toe. Plus, the baby was kicking up a storm, protesting all of the exertion they had been subjected to.

  “You can’t leave!” Abby said.

  “I need to. This needs to be handled. Now.”

  “But what about me? What about us?” Abby touched her hands to her belly.

  Merek frowned at her, but his expression softened when he looked at her belly. He touched it briefly, then said, “I’ll send the doctor along to check on you. I’ll be back soon.”

  She glared at him as he walked out the door. Then she stomped across the room, clenching her fists at her sides. “‘I’ll be back soon’? Damn that man! How can he leave me right now?”

  She started pacing, but the movement made her aching body hurt even more, so she sat down on the couch and glared at the wall. She felt completely numb inside. It was like the world she had known didn’t exist anymore. Instead, she was trapped in some insane world filled with cat people and bodyguards and a rich boyfriend who never told her anything. It was almost enough to drive her completely mad.

  She was still sitting there when the doctor and her nurse arrived a short time later. One of the guards let them in after checking their IDs and getting confirmation that Merek had authorized them to be here.

  “Hi there,” Dr. Anderson said. “How are we feeling today? Mr. Armstrong told me there was an incident?”

  Abby hesitated. She liked Dr. Anderson. Merek had sent her to the doctor not long after she moved in with him, and Abby had seen her several times since then. But now she wasn’t sure what to say. She couldn’t just tell the doctor, Oh, I was just attacked by a cat woman and found out the father of my child is some kind of beast oh and also I’ve got this minor case of athlete’s foot could you look at it?

  “I’m pretty sore,” was all Abby said. She remained mostly quiet while Dr. Anderson examined her, only answering direct questions the doctor asked. She was bruised up a bit from the encounter with Caroline, but there didn’t seem to be any serious damage. The doctor gave her a cream she could rub on her bruises to reduce the pain and swelling, along with some mild painkillers that she promised were safe to take while pregnant.

  “Everything seems to be all right,” the doctor said, listening to the baby’s heartbeat with a stethoscope. “The princess has a good, strong heart.”

  “Princess?” Abby asked, frowning.

  The doctor froze, exchanging a sharp look with the nurse.

  “Well, it’s a girl,” the doctor said, wearing a forced smile. “Remember, we discussed that at your last ultrasound.”

  Abby put her hands over her stomach. There was something more going on here than she realized, and that was beyond what she’d learned about Merek and Caroline. “But my baby is okay?” she asked. “She’s not hurt?”

  “She’s just fine. Though I’d like you to come down to the office tomorrow for an ultrasound, just to be sure.”

  “Thank you.” Abby didn’t say anything else, but she was more certain now than ever that there was more to this situation than met the eye. Even the doctor seemed to be in on it.

  Abby excused herself to the bathroom, but she kept the door open just a crack, listening carefully. She heard the nurse and the doctor speaking softly in the other room. She couldn’t make out most of what was said, but she did hear one thing that sent chills through her.

  “So was it really the Montgomery clan behind the assassination attempt?” the nurse asked in a low whisper.

  “I don’t think so,” the doctor said. “His Highness didn’t go into detail, but I think it was just Caroline, acting on her own. The rest of the pride wasn’t involved.”

  “Oh my. But at least the girl isn’t hurt. Do you…do you really believe Merek will make her queen?”

  “Well,” the doctor said, “she is his mate. Her pregnancy confirms that. T
he pride’s bloodline can’t be passed down to just any woman. It’s a biological imperative we all have to face, and the king is no exception.”

  “So will the child bear the pride’s blood?” the nurse asked.

  They headed out the door then, and Abby couldn’t hear the doctor’s response. What she had heard hadn’t explained much of anything. She still felt lost and confused and alone. She sat down on the toilet, burying her face in her hands.

  She had known Caroline hated her and wanted her out of the way. But an assassination? And what did it mean that she was Merek’s “mate”? She still had more questions than she had answers.

  She stared off into the distance, wondering just who Merek Armstrong really was.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Merek stalked into the conference room and found the other senior members of both prides already waiting there for him. He ignored their stares, striding for the head of the conference table. He didn’t sit. He was too agitated to sit. He stood at the head of the table, leaning his hands on it, and he cast an angry glare at everyone in the room.

  “Less than an hour ago,” Merek said, “Caroline Montgomery attempted to assassinate my mate.”

  A ruckus spread throughout the room, with members of Clan Armstrong shouting angry accusations, and members of Clan Montgomery responding with vehement denials. Merek pounded his fist on the table to silence them. Then, in the silence, Caroline’s father spoke up.

  “I can assure you,” he said, “that my pride knew nothing about this attack. It was not authorized, and Caroline will be punished accordingly.”

  Several others began speaking at once, some of Merek’s clansmen saying that punishment wasn’t good enough. One man called for Caroline’s head. Merek glared at them until they grew silent. Then he spoke in a calm, level voice that barely hid his carefully restrained rage.

  “This was an isolated incident, and one motivated purely by personal emotions. Caroline was not acting as a member of Clan Montgomery. She was acting as a woman who was angry at being rejected. There is no reason for this incident to be escalated, and no reason for it to impact the alliance between our two prides.”

  One of Merek’s clansmen spoke up. “But, Your Highness, we must respond to this! For you and your mate to be attacked in this fashion is an insult, and one that cannot be ignored.”

  Merek growled at the man. “I will not have us go to war with Clan Montgomery over this incident. We have spent these past months forging a hard-won alliance together. What happened between Caroline and me is a personal matter between us, and it should not affect our two prides. Not after everything we’ve done to get to this point.”

  There were some grumbles from around the table, and several members of both clans shot Merek dirty looks. But no one spoke up to argue.

  “I will offer a recompense,” Caroline’s father said. “It is a matter of honor, and I will not let anyone ever say that Clan Montgomery is without honor.”

  “On the contrary,” Merek said, finally sitting down. “It is I who dishonored you and your daughter. I consider Caroline’s actions tonight to be fair payment for what I did. I was unfaithful to her, mating with and impregnating another woman. I tried to move past it, but it is clear to me now that I owed your clan a debt to repay what I had done. I would consider the attack tonight to be payment of that debt.”

  Caroline’s father slowly nodded. He looked uncertain, but it seemed clear that he didn’t want the alliance to break down.

  “However,” Merek added, “I do think that, under the circumstances, Caroline should…relocate away from the East Coast. I think it would be best for all involved if she was nowhere near me or my mate. I’m certain that Clan Montgomery could find an appropriate position for her within one of your other territories, especially considering the new acquisition of land you’ve recently gained.”

  Gabriel stroked his chin. “My daughter does need some time to think about what she’s done,” he said. “She has always been far too headstrong for my tastes. And there is the matter of choosing someone to oversee the new lands. Our pride’s ancestral hunting grounds should be overseen by a member in high standing.” Gabriel exchanged a look with the other members of Clan Montgomery. They nodded in approval. “Very well. Caroline will become the new overseer of those lands. She’ll be transferred to Quebec immediately.”

  There was some discussion of the logistics involved, but Merek mostly ignored the details. It didn’t matter what political avenues Gabriel was using to deal with his daughter. All that mattered was that she was out of Merek’s hair.

  The meeting was almost over when one of Merek’s clansmen brought up another issue that needed to be addressed. “My lord,” he said, “there is another issue to discuss. One which we have needed to bring up for some time.”

  Merek folded his hands on the tabletop. “Yes?”

  The man had a suspicious look on his face. He eyed Gabriel Montgomery. “Perhaps we should discuss this matter privately. It is a matter for our pride alone.”

  Merek glanced at Gabriel. The other clan leader sat up a bit straighter, meeting Merek’s eye but waiting for him to make a decision. “Clan Montgomery is welcome here,” Merek said. “If we are to honor this alliance, it begins with full transparency. Speak your mind.”

  “Very well,” Merek’s clansman said. “The question at hand is what is to be done with this human woman you have mated with, and her child.”

  “Nothing need be ‘done’ with her,” Merek said, his eyes narrowing.

  The clansman bowed his head. “Forgive me, Your Highness. I meant no offense. I merely meant to ask if your mating with her would be formalized. Is she to be queen?”

  Merek thought about that. It was a question he’d been considering for some time. He had avoided bringing the issue up, since he was afraid it would further offend Clan Montgomery. They had already been insulted enough when Merek rejected Caroline, and that insult would have been compounded if he made another woman his queen.

  But things were different now. Clan Montgomery was still on the defensive, thanks to Caroline’s actions tonight. They would never object to Merek being mated to another woman. They wouldn’t be able to risk damaging the fragile alliance.

  “She is already my mate,” Merek said. “But she has not yet been bitten. That will come soon. And once it is done, I will bring her before you as our pride’s new queen.”

  There was a gentle murmur around the table as the clansmen quietly discussed this turn of events. But there were no objections. Merek had expected some complaints about him taking a human woman as his mate, but when it came down to it, the deed was already done. It was too late to take that back. The important thing now was for him to legitimize his mating to Abby and ensure that his bloodline would remain secure. The child she bore, his heir, would be the next in line to rule the werelions of North America.

  Merek discussed a few more key details with his clansmen and with the members of the Montgomery clan. When the meeting adjourned, he left immediately, heading straight home.

  There were things he needed to explain to Abby. And he needed to make sure she would accept the news and accept the fate her future would now bring.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Abby had fallen asleep sitting over by the window. She woke up when she felt arms slipping under her and lifting her up. She woozily opened her eyes and saw Merek lifting her from the chair and carrying her to the bedroom.

  “You’re back,” she whispered.

  “Yes.” He carried her over to the bed and laid her down. Then he took off his jacket and shirt.

  Abby was tired, but the questions that had been haunting her earlier wouldn’t go away. She sat up in the bed, rubbing her eyes, and forced herself to focus. “We need to talk,” she said.

  “It can wait until morning.”

  “No. It can’t.” Abby crossed her arms and frowned at Merek. Considering everything she’d been through today, she wasn’t about to go to sleep without getting some answ
ers.

  Merek sighed. He sat on the edge of the bed and took off his shoes. “Very well. What do you want to know?”

  Abby’s mind spun with the dozens of questions she had to ask. She wasn’t sure which one to ask first. But there was one that seemed to be the most important.

  “What are you?”

  Merek sat there silently for a long time, staring at the wall. Finally, he tossed his shoes aside and said, “My family, my clan, are not human. Not fully. We’re werelions.”

  “Werelions?” Abby frowned and shook her head. “Is that like…werewolves?”

  Merek shrugged. “Essentially. Though we aren’t affected by the full moon. We can change forms between man and beast or take on a hybrid form in between the two. Most of the time, however, we are simply people, like anyone else. It’s only in times of great anger or desperation that we change. Or sometimes, when we want to reconnect with nature.”

  Abby thought about that for a moment. “The garden, upstairs. That’s where you go to be…a cat?”

  Merek nodded. “We used to roam the countryside freely, hunting and living in the wilds. Before human civilization encroached upon our lands. Ever since the spread of Western civilization, my family has lived in cities, gaining financial and political power where we could. One of our main goals is to preserve our ancestral lands. There are several prides living in North America, though we all descended from the same ancient tribes that traveled to this continent centuries ago. Some of the prides, like Caroline’s family, focus on gaining political power and using it to push for land conservation, protecting the lands we once hunted in. When their efforts fail, sometimes I can succeed by using financial means instead, buying up land before it can be developed and urbanized.”

  Abby shook her head. This was too much for her to absorb all at once. “So you’re a lion. Does that mean…?” She touched her hands over her belly.

  Merek smiled. “Not necessarily. It’s rare that one of my kind mates with a human. We usually work hard to preserve the bloodline. Particularly since there is a quirk in our shifter DNA that prevents us from bearing offspring with any random woman. We must be mated, as you and I are. Don’t ask me to explain how it works. We used to consider it magic, or the influence of the gods. Now most believe it’s a hormonal shift, promoting fertility only when the right conditions are met. Either way, it often leads to small families, and it’s very important that our offspring contain the blood of the pride. Children born from a human parent only have a small chance of being born as a werelion, and even if they are, it usually doesn’t become apparent until after puberty. They start showing small signs of the bloodline at a young age, perhaps a shift in eye color or the awakening of feral instincts. Then they won’t actually learn to change forms until later in life, perhaps in their late teens or early twenties.”