Page 5

5

Kaylee

Watching Marco leave the office, I walk around Amelia’s desk and take the seat he had previously occupied. Amelia watches me with questioning eyes.

“What did Lucas do to you earlier?” she asks, and I sigh. I’m going to kick Marco’s ass later.

“I was training with Evette when the mate bond sent a danger warning to Lucas. He came barging in and took me away to my cottage,” I answer, watching as Amelia’s eyes widen.

She subtly looks down, and I stiffen in my seat as her eyes land on my stomach. I keep my hands on the chair’s armrest, doing everything I can not to confirm her suspicion while Royce watches on in shock.

“So that’s why everyone has been talking about Lucas being a possessive asshole,” Royce says, laughing.

“He definitely is an asshole,” I agree. Amelia looks away from me with a small smile on her lips as she turns to Royce.

“When it comes to Kaylee, I’m pretty sure my nephew is more an idiot than an asshole,” she says playfully before her demeanor changes. “Royce, I need you to plan a few more hunting trips. If you need to go outside the pack for it, that’s fine. David called me earlier to tell me to expect the refugees from Harvest Willow in four days. I’d like to stock some freezers with fresh meat by then.”

“Sounds good. I’ll start planning the trip so we can leave in a few days,” Royce says, nodding.

“Could you set one for tomorrow and have our wolves return in two days?” Amelia asks.

Royce’s eyes glaze over for a moment, most likely linking one of his hunters to see if this is doable.

“Chastity says she can run a trip tomorrow morning and be back by the time the Harvest Willow wolves join us,” he states. Amelia nods in approval and types into her laptop.

“Would you like to come along, Kaylee? I know your hunting skills are better than mine,” Royce asks, looking at me.

I go to answer, the idea of getting away from the pack and hunting down some good prey tempting me, but Amelia speaks instead.

“I need Kaylee here to help me prepare the pack. Have Chastity take Simon and Evette, as well as a few omegas who are good at foraging.”

After making her intentions known, Amelia turns back to her laptop, her knowing gaze leaving me no room to argue her orders.

“Sorry, Royce, but Amelia is right. I’m needed here in the pack,” I say reassuringly to my friend. He sighs, scratching his head for a moment as silence settles.

“If you need our beta to help you, Alpha, I can’t argue. Do you mind if I leave to start planning tomorrow’s trip?” he asks, accepting the orders.

“Go ahead. Just let Kaylee know who you’re taking and if you need any equipment.”

With a wave of her hand, Amelia dismisses Royce, and after another smile at me, he leaves the office.

An awkward silence settles between us, and for a moment, I wonder what else Amelia has to say. She quietly watched me, her gaze making me feel nervous, as if I’d done something wrong.

“How far along are you?” she asks, making me jump when she breaks the silence.

“W-what?” I respond, confused by the question.

“The mate bond called to Lucas because it thought you were in danger. It only does that for one of two reasons. Considering you were training, it isn’t option one because you weren’t in immediate danger. So that leaves option two—you’re pregnant, and the bond was protecting the pup.”

I sigh at her explanation, although I’d already figured that out. Placing a hand on my stomach, I look down at my lap.

“I would say two weeks, maybe three,” I answer.

“So it happened during your heat.”

I nod at her words, and Amelia sighs.

“You’re an adult, so I won’t lecture you. But I will tell you that whatever you decide, I support you. You’re family, Kaylee.”

Looking up at Amelia, I see a soft smile on her lips as she stands and makes her way towards me. Her arms wrap around my shoulders, her rose-scented perfume washing over me. I rest my head against her, feeling her motherly love for me through our bond.

“Lucas said he would support me if I decided not to have it,” I whisper, Amelia pulling away to look at me in shock. “He said it’s my choice, and for some reason, I feel comforted by that.”

Amelia watches me, her fingers moving to play with my hair as she stands beside my chair.

“He really has changed,” she says quietly, and I nod in agreement.

Lucas has changed a lot since he rejected me. If I decide to keep our pup, I think he would be okay with co-parenting.

“So, has the mate bond re-formed?”

Her question catches me off guard again, and I hesitantly nod before explaining that it started repairing itself after the forced heat. For the last few weeks, I’ve been fighting it, but when Lucas told me I was pregnant, the bond snapped back into place, completely repairing itself.

My explanation left Amelia silent for a while, and then she sighed and hugged me again.

“The only way it would reform is if the rejected party began trusting their ex to keep them safe,” she states, surprising me. “Lucas has been showing you that he regrets rejecting you and plans to keep you and his pup safe. It’s evident from how he helped you through your heat without marking you, which is very difficult for an alpha-blooded wolf. Not only that, but he came without hesitation when the bond reached out to him earlier today.”

I mull over her words as she walks behind her desk, sits down, and watches me with a small smile.

“So what do I do with this bond then? I can’t go through another rejection, and as hurt as I was, I can’t put Lucas through the pain either.” My voice sounds small as I voice my concern. I can see Amelia thinking for a moment before she leans back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest and sighing.

“As angry as I am with him for hurting you and listening to his stupid father, I can admit that he’s working on becoming a better person for you. I’m not saying to give him a chance, but I am saying to keep his current actions in mind when making your decision.”

I can only nod at her words, unsure what to do next. Whether I like it or not, keeping the pup and making up with Lucas is my decision. I’ll have to make it at some point—and soon.

“I think I’ll head to my office and see if work can clear my mind,” I mutter as I stand from my chair and turn to leave.

“I can send you a few files to look at if you’d like. We have a few requests from rogues wanting to join our pack that the Council sent us, and I trust your judgment.”

“Sounds like a good distraction,” I agree, turning to catch Amelia moving closer to her computer.

Without waiting for confirmation from her, I make my way out of her office and down the hall to mine. I feel that I should wait until after my ultrasound to decide whether to keep the pup.

As I reach for my office door, I open the link between Lucas and me.

[I have an ultrasound appointment to see how far along I am. It’s three days from now,] I say while entering my office and flicking on the light.

[Do you want me to come?] his deep voice replies instantly. I hesitate for a moment. Do I want him to come? It is his pup, after all.

[Yes. I want you to come, and then we can talk about what we will do.] Hope flickers in the mate bond, and I wonder if I did the right thing.

[I will be there no matter what,] he responds, his voice filled with happiness.

The link closes before I can reply, and with a shake of my head and a smile on my face, I sit down at my desk and get to work.