Page 2 of Bullied Pregnant Mate (Silver Meadows Wolves #7)

The background noise in Shelley’s is a low rumble of conversation, occasionally broken by loud bursts of laughter. Behind the sound of revelry, a live singer croons softly, the light strains of her guitar complementing the familiar, comfortable atmosphere.

I don’t let any of it distract me as my fingers tighten on the dart’s metal edge. The light plastic feathers brush against my palm as I narrow my eyes at the target and square my shoulders. I hold my breath for a second, then flick my hand forward, propelling the dart at the board, where it hits dead center.

“You owe me a shot, Kyle!” I yell, pointing at him. “That’s three for three!”

“I’d like to say I missed you while you were out of town,” Kyle mutters. “But my wallet sure hasn’t.”

“Wasn’t my idea to play for shots, bro,” I say, laughing. “That’s on you!”

Kyle grumbles as he gets out his card to order another three shots. I sit down beside him at the bar while Jack gets up to claim the darts.

“What have you been doing since you got back?” Kyle asks me. “You had a full-time job over in Silverton, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I did,” I answer, throwing back the shot of Kentucky bourbon in one gulp. “It was supposed to be part-time to support Sam, but my cocktails were so popular, I ended up working every night.”

“Do you miss it?”

“A little,” I answer, shrugging. “I’d be happy to do something like that again. I should keep myself busy.”

“I’m sure Bae will find something for you.”

“Don’t threaten me,” I groan, shaking my head. “The last thing I want is to get harnessed into working at the sporting goods store. I’ll go insane.”

“Could be worse. Imagine ending up in Jack’s warehouse.”

“Oh, hahaha,” Jack says sarcastically. “It’s all fun and games until you have to buy the next round.”

“Wait, what?” Kyle says.

“Almost perfect score, dude. I only missed one shot. If you can’t beat me, then drinks are on you again.”

Kyle grumbles again as he gets up and takes the darts. I toast him with my empty glass, and he gives me the finger.

“How’s it been up at the big house by yourself?” Jack asks, picking up his drink to finish the shot in one gulp. “We haven’t had a big party there since… well, since—”

“The funeral,” I finish for him. My fingers tighten on the shot glass, and I put it down before I shatter it. Sweat has broken out down my sides, and my breath is caught in my throat.

Up until then, it was all okay. We could have negotiated peace. But then they attacked us, at our most vulnerable, and they used our trust in them to decimate most of my pack.

“Hey,” Jack says softly, putting a hand on my shoulder. “None of it was your fault.”

“Of course not. It was just my house, my land, my responsibility, my oversight that gave them the opportunity to sneak up on us. It’s not on me at all.”

“Jenks, it’s not.”

I shake my head, looking at the floor as emotions swell inside me. “I have to look at the graves every day,” I say, my voice low.

“We didn’t have to have the funeral there,” Jack says. “Bae told you—”

“Yeah, I know what he told me,” I snap. “But I wanted it there. I wanted to remind myself, every day, that life isn’t a fucking full-time party, okay? If I had taken the threat seriously, maybe this didn’t have to happen.”

“You lived in Silverton, and worked there,” Jack says. “They were your friends, and they betrayed you. It’s not your fault.”

They used me to get to my pack. I lived there for years, and all they did was exploit me.

“Yeah, I worked in the bar every night, in my stupid wizard’s hat,” I spit. “I answered all their questions and happily talked about all our defenses and habits, even after things started to get tight. Don’t try and remove me from responsibility here, Jack, because it’s just not going to fly.”

“You’re up, Jenks!” Kyle announces. “And my score is perfect, so one mistake from you, you’re tied with Jack. Two mistakes, and the drinks are on you.”

“Cheers, buddy,” I say, taking the darts and heading to the board. As I line up the target, I can’t stop my hands from shaking.

How can I make this up to my pack? I fucked up, I got so many of my people killed… what can I do?

All my shots go wide, and I head back to the bar to buy the next round. I get a beer as well, swilling half of it down right after the shot.

I can’t stop thinking about all the people I trusted back in Silverton. People I thought were my friends.

Even Sam worked hard to get information out of me—and his sister is Jack’s wife! This is so fucked up.

“You okay, Jenks?” Jack asks.

No.

“Yeah,” I say.

“We done with the darts?” Kyle asks.

“I’d say so,” Jack answers. “Maybe we should focus on getting properly drunk.”

“No,” I whisper, shaking my head. “I don’t want to drink anymore.”

I push the beer away, suddenly feeling sick. Jack and Kyle agree with me and start talking about wrapping up the night, not realizing I meant maybe I don’t want to drink again at all. Ever.

“So, are you in early tomorrow?” Jack asks. “I’ve got those trucks to load for the garden supply store.”

“Sure thing. I’ll have them over before opening time.”

“Better head home then. You alright, Jenks?”

Before I can answer, the front door makes a sharp bang, and I look up to see Bae hurrying over to me. Even though he’s never chewed me out for letting my guard down in Silverton, I’m still expecting it to happen at some point.

“Hi guys, good to see you all here,” Bae says. “Can we head out the back?”

“Sure,” Jack answers. “Everything okay?”

“No emergencies,” Bae replies with an easy smile. “Just an important update.”

I get up slowly, following the others to the back room. My head is starting to ache. I just want to get this over with.

“What’s up?” Jack asks as we take our seats around the table. “Are we calling in Carson and the others?”

“Not yet,” Bae says. “I wanted to chat with you three privately first.”

“Sounds serious,” Kyle remarks.

Bae grins at him. “Serious?” Maybe. Not deadly and violent, though.”

“Good,” Jack says. “I’m in no rush to go to war.”

“And we’re working on that,” Bae replies. “I don’t want war, either, but Decker obviously does.”

“I don’t know anything for sure,” I say. “I wasn’t milking them for information like they were doing to me. But they are arrogant, and I think it comes from the connection to the Ancient Ones. They think you’re afraid.”

“The Ancient Ones come through their relationship with Kelta,” Bae mutters, scowling. “And the fact she never told us about it just proves the point she was never really with us.”

“Joining Decker is still extremely unexpected,” Jack says.

Bae shrugs. “She’s not loyal to him, either. The wild wolves will betray him just as fast as they turned on us.”

“So, what are we here to talk about?” Kyle asks. “If you’re looking for drinking buddies, we were just wrapping up.”

“That’s not why I’m here,” Bae answers. “We’ve decided to make another match between the witches and wolves. Most of the pack is of one mind, but a few are still wavering, and we want our position to be secure. The witches are back for good, and they have our support. The best way of showing this is to have another ceremony.”

“With the power boost that comes from marrying a witch, I’m amazed the whole pack isn’t clamoring for a witch wife,” Jack comments.

“That’s my point,” Bae says. “They aren’t. Most of them want more information about it. How it works, why it happens, are there side effects, that type of thing.”

“And making a match is the best way of doing that,” Kyle says, nodding.

“So, who are we looking at?” Jack asks. “You’re here to discuss a new partnership, and you want our opinion, right?”

“Correct,” Bae replies. “And I’m looking at him right now.”

Silence falls around the table. I look up, suddenly realizing I’ve been miserably staring at my own hands all this time. When I see Bae’s amber eyes focused on me, a powerful chill runs down my spine.

“Me?” I ask, pointing at my own chest.

“You,” Bae answers firmly. “It’s time to step up, Jenks.”

“No,” I mutter, shaking my head. “I’m not ready for this. You can’t trust me to make a stable partnership. I’m the loose cannon, remember? I can’t settle down, no way.”

“That’s exactly why I’m choosing you, Jenks,” Bae says, his voice hard. “I know you want to contribute to the pack and that you’re carrying some guilt since the attack. I’m giving you a chance to prove yourself, to take a position of worth in the pack.”

“I’m the serial bachelor,” I retort, trying for a light tone. “I barely stay still, and I’m always up to wild antics. I’m the worst possible man for the job.”

I fuck up everything I touch. Just ask my mother.

“Jenks,” Bae says, “consider this for a full minute before you try to weasel out of it. You’re a direct relation to our luna, and you had close ties with Silverton. If you make a match with a witch, it will be a statement to the whole pack of our solidarity and commitment.”

I could redeem myself… I could do something truly useful with my life.

I drum my fingers gently on the table, my mind racing. The idea of being married terrifies me, but so does the idea of living alone, being utterly useless and practically cast out.

And there’s only one girl I ever really wanted to marry… though I fucked that up, too.

“What are you thinking?” Jack asks.

I nod slowly, feeling more confident by the second. “You’re right, Bae,” I say. “I think this could be good for me.”

“Excellent!” Bailey announces. “I was hoping you’d see the sense in it. I’m proud of you, Jenks.”

“Thanks,” I reply, nodding hesitantly. “I want to do something for my pack, something to support us and help us heal. I think this is a good opportunity to do it. I appreciate you offering this to me.”

I’ll think this through a bit, and maybe talk to the girls while we get comfortable making a match. Then I can redeem myself with this marriage and my ongoing support of the alpha and inner circle.

“Great! Let’s go!” Bae says, standing up. Jack and Kyle stand up, too, but I just sit there stupidly, staring up at them.

“Go where?” I ask. “What?”

“The wedding is tomorrow,” Bae answers. “And the witches are having a meeting right now to choose your bride.”

“Now?” I ask, shocked.

“Yes, now,” Bailey says, smiling. “I know it’s sudden, but this is how it’s done. You’ve agreed, and by the time we get to the bakery, the witches will have decided as well.”

“They’re deciding right now?”

“Yes,” Bae confirms, laughing. “Come on. Let’s go meet your wife-to-be.”