by J. L. Wilder
If she wasn’t eating, she was getting sick. She was more annoyed by this than anything. Her first months of pregnancy had been entirely free of morning sickness, and she’d begun to believe that she would be spared that unpleasantness. Why was it setting in now? It was so unfair.
In between eating and being sick, she had plenty to do. Mark was still insisting on daily jogs, although he’d become more flexible about the time of day and was allowing Maddy to set the pace. After a while, the jogs began to transition into yoga practice, which Maddy found much more enjoyable—she always felt energized afterward instead of exhausted. Maddy had also begun devoting a lot of time to taking naps, and Mark had issued a stern ruling that nobody was allowed to disturb her. It was like being a princess again, like when she was little—the house revolved around taking care of her, making sure she was healthy and happy. But it was even better now than it had been back then, because now everything they were doing was really for her babies.
Harley had devoted himself to cracking the mystery of her food cravings, despite the fact that Maddy had told him she wasn’t really having any. He spent hours in the kitchen cooking up the strangest foods, things Maddy had never even tried before, and asking her to taste them. She discovered dozens of new favorites—homemade strawberry ice cream, tacos with cilantro and jalapeno, even pickle juice, and Harley promptly stocked the fridge.
“But I don’t think any of that’s pregnancy related,” Maddy said. “I think I just like those foods.”
Harley chuckled. “If you say so.”
“You don’t think so?”
“Maddy, I found those foods on a list of common cravings among pregnant women. That’s why I offered them to you in the first place.” He grinned. “And let me guess, red meat sounds delicious?”
“Red meat is delicious,” she argued. “I’ve always liked it.” But she couldn’t deny that she felt a twinge of longing now at the thought. “Did you make that too?”’
He laughed again. “It’s for dinner.”
“What else is on that list? Let me see it.”
Harley retreated to the library and came back with a well-thumbed book about pregnancy. Several of the pages had been dog eared. He handed it to her.
She stared at him. “How long have you had this?”
“A few weeks.”
“And you didn’t show me?” She smacked him in the forearm with the book. “You didn’t think I’d be interested in this? You suck, Harley. I’m keeping your book.”
“Hey, I need that!” he protested, but she was already leaving the room, book in hand, with thoughts of curling up in bed and reading a few chapters to find out what was coming her way in the remainder of the second trimester of her pregnancy.
But she never made it to her room. Jamie was coming down the stairs, twirling a ring of keys around his index finger, and he stopped her. “I’m going shopping,” he said. “Come with me.”
“I was going to take a nap,” she said, knowing she was invoking the magic words.
But Jamie just grinned. “You can nap when we get back,” he said. “You’re not going to be able to fit on the back of my bike for much longer, and you don’t want to miss this shopping trip.”
“Where are we going?”
“To buy supplies for the nursery.”
He was right. Maddy felt a surge of excitement. She didn’t want to miss this. “Let me just run to my room,” she said. “I’ll meet you in the garage in five minutes, okay?”
“Okay,” Jamie agreed.
Maddy ran up to her room, surprised the journey didn’t take more effort. She could feel her body starting to change, could feel the weight she was gaining, thanks to being pregnant. But she seemed to have boundless reserves of energy to go along with her new body. Maybe it was all the naps.
Once in her room, she lifted the edge of her mattress and pushed the pregnancy book beneath it. It would be just like Harley to come up here and swipe it while she was out, just to get her goat. He would give it back when she asked, Maddy knew, but she preferred to think of him searching fruitlessly and having to accept the fact that he’d been outsmarted.
She changed into a more modest shirt—she’d been wearing stretchy tank tops around the house, and they didn’t leave that much to the imagination, thanks to her swelling breasts. Then she ran back downstairs and out to the garage.
Jamie was waiting on his bike, the engine already running. He handed her a helmet. “Ready to go?”
She climbed on behind him. She could see what he’d meant about them not being able to do this for much longer. Her stomach was only slightly bigger than normal, but already, it made it a little challenging to hold on as securely as she would have before. In a few months—maybe even just a few weeks—she wouldn’t fit on the bike at all.
Jamie pulled out of the drive and down to the highway.
As they raced along, Maddy closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of the wind whipping her hair back from her face. She wasn’t taken along on motorcycle rides that often. The men liked to go out at least once a week, but Maddy wasn’t included in those jaunts, and she knew why. It was part of the eternal effort to keep her safe. Ordinarily, she liked that, but it was hard to be happy about it when she was being left out of something so enjoyable, so freeing.
Today’s ride seemed too short. They pulled to a stop in front of a big box store. Jamie parked the bike, slid off, and helped Maddy to do the same.
“Can we afford to shop here?” she asked, looking up at the store’s giant logo mounted above the entrance. “I thought money was tight.”
“It is tight,” Jamie said. “But we’ve got Amy’s first three paychecks to spend today, so that should allow us to get the basics.”
Maddy felt awful. “We can’t take all of Amy’s money,” she protested.
“Amy’s a member of the family. What she earns is to be shared equally for the common good. That’s how packs work,” Jamie reminded her. “All our resources belong to all of us.”
“Like me?”
He kissed her. “Not like you. You’re not a resource. I’m sorry you ever felt that way.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and led her into the store. The shelves were filled with all kinds of beautiful baby things, from adorable outfits to brightly colored toys.
“Necessities only,” Jamie said, leading Maddy past a display of wall decals and over to a row of bassinets.
They loaded up their shopping cart. It was hard to know exactly what to buy, not knowing how many babies they were expecting, so they decided arbitrarily to plan for five. “If it’s less than that, we can return some things,” Jamie said. “And if it’s more, five ought to be enough to get us through the first week. They won’t all be sleeping at once anyway.”
In addition to the bassinets, they bought strollers, a huge playpen, and what felt like a lifetime supply of infant onesies and diapers. “Expecting triplets?” the clerk said, raising an eyebrow as she checked them out.
Jamie and Maddy shared a private smile. “Something like that,” Maddy agreed.
“Can we have these things shipped to us?” Jamie asked.
“Yes, we offer that service,” the clerk said. “Write down your address here.” She gave them a form. Jamie filled it out and handed it back, and the clerk stapled the receipt to it. “You’ll get your things in a few days,” she said. “Good luck to you both.”
They stopped at a bar on the way home, although they both ordered ginger ales. “Ginger will be good for the nausea,” Jamie explained as they found seats on the patio.
“I’m not having any nausea right now,” she said.
“Really?” He looked pleased. “Maybe that part’s over. It’s supposed to stop in the second trimester.”
“How do you know that?”
“I read it in a book Harley bought.”
“You read that book? You guys are such shits! I can’t believe nobody was going to share it with me!”
“You didn’t ask for a bo
ok! I didn’t know you wanted one.”
Maddy dipped her fingers in her drink and flicked ginger ale in his face.
IT WAS MARK WHO TOOK her to his bed that night, and Maddy was glad, because Mark rarely wasted any time, and she had been itching for a good fuck all day.
She didn’t know what it was, but the hot desire that had burned in her since the day she’d imprinted seemed to have risen into an inferno lately. She felt half wild with it. Even the ride on the motorcycle earlier today had been frighteningly erotic, and it had taken every ounce of her self-control not to start grinding against the seat. Her skin felt hot all the time. She’d taken to holding her wrists under running water, trying to cool down.
She felt hypersensitive to his touch as he tore away her clothes. The fabric of her shirt ran over her nipple, and she shivered with excitement.
“God, you want it, don’t you,” he murmured. His thumb traced slow circles along the side of her neck. So light. Barely touching at all. Maddy’s breath hitched. She didn’t dare answer him, didn’t even dare nod, in case she dislodged that thumb.
He was barely touching her. How could she be so overwhelmed with pleasure already?
She had been wrong about Mark, she realized to her dismay. He was willing to make her wait. Especially, it seemed, now that he had uncovered this new sensitivity she seemed to have. He laid her down in bed and trailed his fingers over every inch of her blazing skin, stopping to explore areas that he would have skipped right over in the normal course of events. He spent what felt like hours on the tops of her feet. Days on the crease of her hips. A lifetime on the back of her left knee.
“You’re killing me,” she whispered, arching against him. “You’re driving me insane.”
He smiled. “Do you want me to stop?”
“Don’t you dare.”
He bent and resumed his work, this time exploring her with lips and tongue, and Maddy let her head fall back and she basked in his attentions. She couldn’t keep still, and squirmed beneath him, angling her body to try and guide his tongue to the places she wanted him most.
He pulled back. “Don’t move,” he said.
“Mark—”
“Stay still.”
A strange sensation washed over Maddy. She’d felt it before, but it had been years. Yet she recognized it immediately. It was a command. Mark had given her a command, as alpha.
And she had felt the force of it.
This was a pivotal moment. Obeying him now, accepting his authority and submitting to it, would cement her as a member of the Hell’s Wolves. She would be subject to their orders from now on. She had long wondered how she would feel about this moment when it came— if it ever did—but now, gazing up at him, she realized she wanted his alpha power over her as badly as she wanted his body. She craved it.
So, she submitted to the order immediately, falling still on the mattress.
Mark noticed the sudden change. Where, before, she had been writhing and reaching, now she was motionless. She saw his eyes widen. “Did that work?” he asked.
“Yes,” she breathed.
His hand moved to her face. He caressed her cheek so, so gently. “Do you want to keep going?” he whispered.
“God, yes.”
“This is okay?”
“This is perfect. Do whatever you want with me, Mark, I’m yours.”
His teeth bared in an animalistic grin, and Maddy felt a thrill of anticipation. What would he do with this new power, now that he had it?
“Ride me,” he said.
He lay on his back, and Maddy followed his order gladly, climbing on top of him and filling herself with him, tossing her head back in ecstasy as she did so.
She began to move, his hands gripping her hips and guiding her easily up and down, as though she weighed nothing at all. When she was settled in her rhythm, he shifted his hands to the swell of her belly, then up to her breasts. Maddy felt like she was going to combust. Every touch felt like electricity shooting through her body, lighting her up, setting off sparks of pleasure in every nerve.
She wanted to keep going, to make it last as long as possible, but she didn’t have the willpower to slow things down. Neither, it seemed, did he. They climaxed quickly, Maddy gasping for air and Mark letting out a string of expletives. Then, she collapsed onto his chest to recover.
They lay like that for a long time, even after they’d gotten their breath back. Maddy didn’t want to get up and dress, didn’t want to leave this bubble of afterglow and skin on skin contact. She felt her eyelids drooping and knew she would soon fall asleep. That was fine. She was incredibly comfortable here. She had no desire to leave.
“What was that?”
She opened her eyes. Mark was sitting up, the movement of his body levering her into an upright position. She was amazed, all over again, at his strength.
“What was what?” she asked.
“You didn’t feel that?”
“I was asleep, I think.”
He eased her away from him just slightly and rested a hand on her stomach. For a long moment, he was silent, and she watched him curiously.
Then— “There!”
She had felt it that time. Something had definitely moved. “The babies!”
Mark jumped up and pulled on his shorts, then tossed his robe to Maddy. She put it on, wondering what this was all about. He pulled her to her feet and out of the bedroom, into the common room that had begun its conversion into a nursery.
He pounded on the other two doors, the doors that led to his brothers’ rooms. “Harley! Jamie! Get up!”
A moment later, Harley and Jamie had come stumbling out of their rooms, both looking half asleep and irritable. “What’s going on?” Harley asked.
“It’s the babies!”
Jamie came a little more awake at that. “The babies? What’s wrong with them?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Maddy said hastily. “They’re moving.”
“They are?” Harley came close. “Can I feel?”
“Of course.” She reached out and took his hand and Jamie’s, pulling them both in to rest on her stomach. “Do you feel that? At least one of them is doing somersaults in there.”
“I can feel it.” Harley’s voice was full of wonder.
As one, the four of them moved to the couch. Maddy sat in the middle, with Harley and Jamie on either side of her, their hands still resting on her stomach. Mark knelt on the floor in front of her. “Do you think they can hear us?” he asked. “The book said they might be able to.”
“You read that book too?” Maddy cried. “Honestly, the three of you are incorrigible. I don’t know how you go out and buy a pregnancy book and don’t immediately give it to your pregnant omega.”
“It won’t happen again,” Jamie assured her.
“Yeah, not now that I took the book!”
They all laughed. Alphas and omega stayed up well into the night, discussing what the future held for their children and feeling them begin to explore the possibilities of movement.
THE NEXT MORNING, MADDY was exhausted.
Reese made bacon and oatmeal and eggs over easy for breakfast and the others ate heartily, but Maddy felt as though she’d just completed a marathon. Maybe staying up all night had been a bad idea.
“Back to bed with you after breakfast,” Mark said as her head drooped low over her orange juice. “You need to catch up on sleep. Consider that an order.”
“An order?” Harley looked up.
“She submitted last night,” Mark said, smiling. “In all the excitement, I guess we forgot to tell you.”
“For real?” Reese turned around where he stood at the stove. “That’s awesome, Maddy. You’re part of the family now.”
She smiled up at him through the haze of her exhaustion. “I guess so,” she agreed. Part of the family. In the moment, she had been so caught up in the physical and emotional joy of submitting to Mark that she hadn’t had a chance to think around the edges of her decision. But now, she saw
it in another light. Family. She was one of them now, really one of them, and whatever happened going forward, they would face it together.
She hadn’t had a family since she’d been thirteen years old. It felt like a miracle.
Suddenly, the kitchen door banged open, hitting the far wall. Piper came running in, her eyes wide and fearful.
“There are men outside,” she said. “I was in the garden and I heard them. They’re in the woods.”
Mark stood up so fast his chair tipped over. He didn’t bother to right it. He ran to the window and looked out.
When he turned back to them, his face was a mask. Maddy watched him fearfully.
“Go to the garage,” he said. “Right now. Leave everything.”
“What is it?” Jamie asked.
“It’s the Death Fangs,” Mark said. “They found us.”
Chapter Fifteen
Jamie jumped to his feet and took Piper by the arm. “Turn off the stove and go, Reese,” he said.
It had been an order, but Reese didn’t move. Jamie could imagine what that must have cost him. “What about Amy?”
“Go, now. We’ll get her.” He pushed Piper gently into Reese’s arms. “Both of you. And don’t open the outside door.”
Reese nodded and caught Piper’s hand. The two of them slipped out of the kitchen, looking younger than they had in years.
“Where is Amy?” Maddy asked.
“Still in bed,” Mark said. “I’ll go get her. Harley, Jamie, get the others out.”
“How?” Jamie asked. His heart was pounding a mile a minute. If the Death Fangs were right outside their door, they would know as soon as the motorbikes started up. They would hear the engines, and they’d emerge from the woods. And Jamie didn’t think they’d stop to talk.
“We’ll have to go on foot.” Harley had clearly been thinking along the same lines.
Mark nodded. “We’ll have to shift. But we’ll talk in the garage. They could try to come in at any moment. Go, now.”
