Page 43 of Broken Alpha (Unwanted #1)

Aidyn

I lay in the lukewarm bath, absentmindedly running my hands over my little bump.

The interaction between Mr. Ellis and myself was still very fresh in my mind.

The apartment was quiet since Luke had left, though not without protest, to pick up this fantastic eggplant rollatini that was served at a little mom-and-pop Italian restaurant near my old apartment.

Luke was hesitant to leave me alone long enough to drive across town, but I assured him several times that I would be fine.

I used the tracking app on my phone to monitor his location, which notified me that he was stuck in traffic on his way back to the apartment.

The silence bred unsavory thoughts about the recent encounter, but simultaneously, a choice had been made.

I had looked into bonding and inquired if it was safe to do so while pregnant.

I had even asked the nurse as I got dressed during my last ultrasound to ensure that knotting wouldn’t result in a miscarriage.

As long as we weren’t rough in our sex, we would be fine.

My body was designed to take a knot, regardless of pregnancy.

She also confirmed that for some, bonding and having my mate perform a pheromone shower could ease the stress of the pregnancy and make the side effects less aggressive.

By the time the front door beeped open, the bath had cooled and I dried off, curling up on the couch to wait while I scrolled through my phone.

I was instantly hit with the scent of herbs, tomato sauce, and vegetables.

My stomach rumbled, and I scampered out of the tub, rushing to dry myself off.

I pulled on a clean pair of Luke’s underwear and a t-shirt, surrounding myself and our pup in his scent as he pulled down the dishes from the cupboard.

“Doing okay?” he asked hesitantly, his face concerned.

It was as if Luke wanted me to be more traumatized by the encounter with his father than I actually was.

I was shaken up when it happened, but hours had passed, and right now, my concern was not impacting stress upon our pup and instead on how many garlic breadsticks I could steal.

His phone vibrated on the table, and the screen lit up, revealing at least a hundred missed calls from his mother, thirty from his father, about five from his sister, and a mixture of text messages he was ignoring.

Now that he was home, he reached for his phone and pressed the two buttons on the sides of his phone to turn it off completely.

He said nothing as he sat down and began to tear apart the paper bags that housed our food.

“I’m fine, just starving,” I responded, stealing a breadstick and nibbling on it.

“That’s good news then,” Luke grinned, putting my meal on a plate first and handing it to me.

Usually, I was a meat eater, but sometimes I enjoy a good vegetable lasagna or veggie burger.

That’s how I discovered this rollatini, and my mouth watered as the scents of seasonings and vegetables reached my nose.

I eagerly picked up my fork, cut into the baked vegetable smothered in cheese, and popped it into my mouth.

The flavor exploded against my tongue, and I moaned, unable to stop the little happy dance I did in my chair while chewing.

I reached for another bite when my current one reached my stomach, and instantly, nausea hit me.

Bile threatened to bring forth the bite I had just swallowed as I dropped my fork, letting it clatter against the plate.

I dashed off to the hallway bathroom, Luke close behind, and emptied the contents of my stomach into the bowl.

Tears filled my eyes before I could stop them, unable to stop the sob that accompanied them. Kneeling in front of me, Luke tried to rub my shoulders, then down my arms before settling on holding my hands, his pheromones surrounding us to calm my distress.

“We’re going to starve!” I sobbed out, voicing the fear I had held in since the first bout of morning sickness.

“You’re not going to starve, little fawn,” Luke said softly, his Alpha’s purr vibrating in his chest. “We’ll just find things you can keep down. We know the pup likes those strawberry milkshakes and fries. We’ll figure it out.”

“We can’t survive on strawberry milkshakes and french fries.”

“Certainly not with that attitude.”

I glared at him, brushing the tears from my face. I really wanted that eggplant rollatini.

“What can I do to help?” Luke asked.

“Bond me.”

His hands, which had returned to running up and down my arms to soothe me, froze on my biceps. Even his purr died in his chest. I glanced at him, amusement gone from his expression as he looked back at me.

“I know today has been a lot, but —”

“No,” I said flatly. “Don’t give me that bullshit.

I won’t lie and say this isn’t about your family because part of it is, but you would do it anyway, right?

You said you would! Having a bond with my mate will help ease the morning sickness.

I looked into it, and a lot of research supports this theory!

Maybe I could keep food down better. Maybe the pup knows we’re not bonded, and it’s anxious, and that’s why I’m so sick!

Worst case, nothing changes, but if it does… do you not want to be bonded anymore?”

“Of course I do, baby!” Luke cried, his voice loud against the tile. “But the last time I attempted, it didn’t go well, and negative emotions fueled it. I want this to be different.”

“Would it be so bad even if it was fueled by negativity? Once we’re bonded, your family will have to accept me, or they can not be a part of their grandbaby’s life. Once we’re bonded, you can’t bond with someone else unless I’m dead.”

“Don’t talk about your death so casually, Aidyn.”

A dark cloud crossed the features of his face, his eyes hardening as if in anger. He rarely used my name, preferring to use nicknames instead, so I knew he didn’t appreciate my comment.

“I’m not. I’m simply stating a fact. Pregnancy and birth are hard on male Omegas; it’s why our pups come early. I’m simply stating a potential reality.”

“A reality I don’t want to entertain, thank you very much. You won’t starve, and you and the pup will be fine. Ryan isn’t even concerned.”

“Your parents have the next five to six months to push and push. They’ll stop when I’m bonded because nothing can be done then. You can’t bond with another Omega. I won’t have them take you away from me, from us, and I refuse to go through this pregnancy with that threat looming above our heads.”

Reaching out, I took his hand in mine, and I fought to put my emotions into words.

“Those that are bonded have said that it feels like a mental connection, a presence in your mind that you know is your partner. I need to feel you there. I need to feel that you’re mine and by my side.

I refuse to go through this pregnancy with the threat of your parents trying to ambush me any chance they get. ”

“Fine,” Luke sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “When?”

“Now?” I suggested, trying to pull a playful grin.

Luke turned his hardened gaze toward me again, but this time, it was also different. I saw the heat behind the glare.

“Why don’t you pack away dinner? Call Dr. Easton if you have to. I’ll brush my teeth and get ready for you.”

Luke still looked unconvinced, but he helped me to my feet, pulling out his phone as I brushed my teeth. I could hear his low conversation, no doubt harassing Dr. Easton with questions. This would take some time, allowing me to implement my idea.

I silently slipped into the bedroom, shutting the door quietly, and moved toward my half of the dresser, setting my glasses on the nightstand.

Kneeling, I opened the drawer and pushed aside the clothing that hid the lingerie that I had purchased on a whim a few weeks ago.

While it came in a set, I opted to pull out the panties.

Lately, my nipples have been hurting to the point that wearing my piercing was becoming painful as it rubbed against my shirts, so I ended up removing it a few days ago.

The idea of lace against them made my skin crawl. Nothing chafe-worthy, please.

The panties were designed more like a jockstrap with lace straps that would cup my ass and present it nicely for my Alpha.

It had a sheer front, but the indigo coloring made it harder to see my cock behind the fabric.

But my favorite part, and why I had bought it, was a little frilled skirt at the waist. It was made of the same lace and wasn’t lengthy at all.

It may have stuck out half an inch, but it looked adorable.

A mating bond was the perfect time to wear it. Or so I told myself.

I contemplated pulling out the thigh-high stockings as well, but I remembered Luke’s comment about wanting his mark on my thigh and felt they would only get in the way.

My face warmed at what we were about to do as I quickly got undressed, slipping the lace on, and admired myself in the mirror.

The blue looked stunning against my pale skin, and the skirt tucked itself under my little bump, making it more notable than before.

“Okay, I called Ryan, and holy fuck—”

Luke stalled in his steps as he entered the bedroom, his eyes falling on me, mouth agape.

I grinned and spun slowly so he could get a good look at the lingerie.

A low growl rumbled from his chest as he tossed his phone onto the floor, quickly removing his shirt and pants, his boxers tenting obscenely at the groin.

“You like?” I mused, knowing the answer.

“When did you order this?”

“Weeks ago, I just never wore it.”