Page 16 of Bullied Pregnant Mate (Silver Meadows Wolves #7)

My paws drum across the ground as I hurl myself forward, leaping with every stride. Even when my muscles begin to ache and my breath burns my throat, I keep running, using every last bit of my strength to keep up my speed.

Where am I going?

I don’t even know. I heard the howls calling us in, and Body answered somewhere not far from me, which tells me he’s patrolling near my route.

I should check in, I know I should. But if I do, I’ll spill my guts about this, and I’m nowhere near ready for that!

Fear burns in my belly, setting my heart ablaze with frustration and anger. I had issues enough with my mother, and now I’m feeling a kind of fury I’ve never felt before.

Born of betrayal.

Loss and grief crash through my rage, and the urge to howl is almost overpowering.

Tell them. Tell your pack!

No! I am alone, as I have always been alone. No one can help me!

My mind reels as I go over the same details over and over again.

I have a father, and a brother I never knew about. And they’ve been close—so close—my whole life.

I have a whole family!

A shard of pure pain stabs me in the heart.

They are from the enemy pack. They run with Decker, the same wolves that attacked my pack and slaughtered so many of my friends.

Can I trust them?

My first instinct to this is no, absolutely not. I have no idea if what they’re saying is true. And even if it is, they could still be dangerous to my friends.

What do they want from me?

A snow bank crumbles under my paws, and I yelp as the small avalanche cascades down a steep slope. I can’t get a foothold anywhere and end up crashing into a huge rock with a pile of snow on top of me. For a moment, I just stay still and pant, my muscles quivering with exertion and fear.

They might want me to help them infiltrate. Even if I don’t agree, they could get information from me, and I’d be putting everyone in danger.

I know this is the main reason I can’t trust my supposed half-brother and father. It would be devastating to us if any wolves from Decker managed to get close. It’s already bad enough that we have family conflicts, such as Sam and Lena, as well as our suspicion that Decker has several of his wolves locked up simply for supporting peace.

What do I want? If this is true, do I want to get to know them?

These questions pain me, and I start kicking my way out of the fallen snow. By the time I struggle free, I’m bruised and trembling with exhaustion. Without even paying attention to where I’m going, I turn into the woods and start running again.

My mind is blank as I pace downhill, all my focus on the physical exertion of running through the snow. When the ground flattens out around me and I finally look around, I realize I’m in my own backyard.

I made my way home.

As I walk towards the house, I shift back into my human shape, feeling so tired that it’s hard to hold my body up. I stumble several times, and as I get near the door, I collapse on one knee.

Jesus Christ, fucking get it together!

“Jenks!” I hear Alisa cry out. “Oh my God, Jenks, are you okay?”

She comes running from the house with a big trench coat, wrapping it around my shoulders and bending down to look into my face.

“I’m okay,” I croak.

“No, you’re not!” she scolds me. “Come on, come inside. I’ll make you something warm to drink.”

I stagger to my feet, letting her lead me inside. The gentle pressure of her hands soothes me, and I’m touched by her concern. I can tell by the look she’s giving me she wants to ask a million questions, but to my surprise, she doesn’t pry.

“Here,” she says, putting a steaming mug in my hands. “It’s some hot water and lemon. It will warm you up.”

“Thanks,” I mutter, wrapping my fingers around the cup. As the warmth seeps into me, I start to realize how cold I am and snuggle into the jacket a bit more.

“Do you want something to eat?”

“No, I’m fine,” I answer, my stomach lurching at the idea of food.

“You need to eat something,” she insists, bringing me a couple of plain biscuits. “Just to keep your blood sugar up.”

When she puts her hand on my forehead, my whole body responds with a wave of warmth. It’s as if she lit a fire inside me, regulating my temperature with her touch.

“You should go to bed soon,” she says. “It really feels like you’ve had a rough time and need rest.”

“Yeah,” I agree, still sipping the tea. My energy is coming back, but I still feel shaky, and I have a few bruises from the fall on the slopes.

Alisa gives me a firm hug. “Is there anything you need?”

The question rings through me, striking my bones and returning the chill to my blood.

I don’t want to be weak. I have to stand on my own… but I also need someone on my side. I don’t know how to let her in, but I’m trying.

“Alisa… will you stay in my bed tonight?”

Doubt flashes across her face, and her clear, crystal eyes look troubled. Immediately, I want to take the question back, but I hold my tongue.

I need to know how she feels, and I also need to stop deflecting and putting up walls.

“Okay, Jenks,” she finally says. “I can do that. It doesn’t mean it will be a repeat of yesterday, though.”

“Of course not,” I say quickly. “I wasn’t even thinking of that. I just don’t want to sleep alone.”

Nightmares.

The word is whispered from somewhere beyond hearing. It definitely wasn’t a sound, more like a feeling.

Did we just share thoughts?

“Okay, I’m just going to the bathroom,” Alisa says. “Go and get ready for bed. I’ll be there soon.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

I watch her go, finishing my lemon tea in a big gulp. It really did make me feel better, and I wonder if it was some kind of potion.

It really doesn’t matter if it was. I’m already under her spell.

In my room, I put on warm sweatpants and a loose shirt, then curl up in bed. When Alisa comes in, she’s in soft flannel pants and a light sweater, both so baggy, I can only see hints of her curves underneath.

And even dressed like this, she’s the hottest girl on the planet.

I keep my arousal in check. I know she’ll feel it, and I don’t want her to think I’m pressuring her.

I just want to sleep beside her, and hopefully have no nightmares.

“It’s okay, Jenks,” she says, climbing under the covers. “It’s a cold night, and I don’t mind snuggling with you. It’s natural for your body to respond, and I know you’re not asking for more. I trust you.”

Did she just read my mind?

Alisa wriggles close to me, and I wrap my arms around her, tucking the blanket around both of us like a warm cocoon. She sighs with pleasure as she snuggles against my chest, her hand loosely around my waist.

Immediately, I begin to relax. Her sweet scent, the rhythm of her breath, and the heat of her skin—just being close to her grounds me and calms my thoughts. I can feel her curiosity, but also that because she cares so much about me, she won’t push.

What did I do to deserve her? How could I have hurt someone who has so much love inside them?

Her arm tightens on my waist, and she snuggles even closer to me. I stroke her hair gently, knowing the words are going to come out and there isn’t anything I can do about it.

It feels right to tell her, and I have to tell someone. I can’t handle this alone.

“Alisa, something happened today.”

“Hmm?” she murmurs. “I mean, I noticed you must have taken a fall. You’re lucky you weren’t injured.”

“No, not that. Something else.”

“I’m here if you need me, Jenks. But if you aren’t ready to talk, that’s okay.”

“No, I need to tell you,” I say, my throat closing with anxiety. “I need your support.”

Alisa sits up a little so she can see my face. “I’m with you, Jenks. No matter what it is, let’s handle it together.”

I look into her eyes a few moments more, then let out the breath I’ve been holding in a big sigh, trying to ease the tension in my chest and throat.

“Today, while I was on patrol, I met a wolf. The same one that was here, that attacked you.”

“Oh my God!” she cries. “Did you fight him?”

“No.” I shake my head. “He’s obviously been tracking me for a while. Today, he shifted and came forward to talk to me. He didn’t want to fight me.”

“So, what did he want? Are they enemy wolves?”

“Yes. They are from Decker. But here’s the thing… he’s claiming to be my half-brother.”

“What?” she gasps.

“Yeah, I know. Pretty crazy, huh? He says he’s my half-brother, and that the other wolf I saw in my backyard is my father.”

“Jesus,” Alisa whispers, sitting up. “This is really out there. Do you believe them?”

I look into the shadows of the bedroom, contemplating her question. I want to say straight up that no, I don’t believe them, but there are lingering doubts.

That familiar scent… and he knew about my mother. It also explains why she was so weird about me wandering around town.

“Jenks?”

“I’m not sure,” I finally say. “I’m really not. From the first moment I saw them, I felt something. I can’t just dismiss this.”

“Why did they attack me?”

“They might not have been,” I reply. “Maybe they closed in, and you thought it was a threat and ran.”

“No,” Alisa says firmly. “They were definitely threatening me.”

“Okay, well, it’s not like they could possibly know you’re my wife. The Decker wolves would definitely attack a random witch.”

“That’s what they came here to do, not so long ago,” she reminds me softly.

My guts twist as I remember the terrible night of the attack. I can still hear my friends screaming, and see their bodies being lowered into the earth.

“Jenks.” Alisa puts her hand on my arm, snuggling back up against me. “You can’t trust them.”

“I don’t. But they’ve never hurt me.”

“I know. But they could hurt everyone else.”

“What can I do, though? Tell Bae? I think that’s a terrible idea.”

“It might be,” she agrees. “You have every right to take your time here and think about this before you tell the rest of the pack.”

“I appreciate that so much, Alisa,” I whisper, giving her a gentle squeeze.

“I’m here for you. I won’t betray your trust and tell anyone about this. You have my full support. Thank you for opening up to me.”

She wriggles up a bit to give me a quick kiss, then snuggles back against my chest. I hold her gently, burying my nose in her hair to soak up her sweet, delicate scent.

Like pale petals, scattered with drops of ice. All those years, I thought she was cold, but she’s not. She’s the warmest person I ever met.

My body begins to relax, and my mind settles as I start to drift off to sleep. I’m relieved that for the first time in my life, I’m not alone, and I’m beyond grateful to have her by my side.