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CHAPTER SIXTEEN

NATHAN/ IVAN

NATHAN

“You look different. Like there’s this... glow around you,” Otis observed, raising an eyebrow.

His voice held that playful curiosity I’d grown used to over the last few weeks.

It was hard not to feel comfortable around him—especially after everything with Ivan.

Otis and I had gotten close quickly, much faster than I’d ever expected.

We met up at Sunset Brews after my shift, just like we had a few times before.

The cafe was quieter in the evenings, with only a handful of customers nursing their drinks or chatting quietly. It was nice.

I’d never really had many friends, and Otis—being Ivan’s brother-in-law—felt like a solid, natural connection.

Friendships had never come easily to me, especially growing up without them and then later, being so focused on just surviving.

Otis’s gaze lingered as I brought our drinks over to the table, and he tilted his head thoughtfully.

“So, what’s different?” he asked, sounding almost sure that I had something on my mind.

I bit the inside of my cheek, wondering if I should just get it out there. Ivan knew. Samuel knew.

Why not Otis? I took a deep breath.

“I’m pregnant,” I said, the words feeling strangely light yet heavy at the same time.

Otis blinked, his eyes widening in shock, his reaction almost comical.

Then a grin spread across his face as he practically leapt up from his chair, sliding out from the booth and pulling me into a hug.

“Oh my god, Nathan! Congratulations!” He patted my back, pulling away only to beam at me like I’d just told him I won the lottery. “Does Ivan know?”

“He does.” I smiled, feeling a little less nervous now that the news was out in the open. “Actually, so does Samuel.”

Otis raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Wait, Samuel? You have to tell me how that happened.”

I laughed and started to explain the weird coincidence of bumping into Samuel at the clinic, and how it had turned into this awkward, yet somehow not-so-awkward, moment of him recommending pregnancy tests to me.

Otis chuckled, shaking his head as he listened.

“That sounds about right. Samuel’s always got a way of being there for the unexpected moments,” Otis said.

He then launched into stories of what it was like when he was pregnant with his kids, Ariel and Porter.

“Zane was extra possessive. I’m sure Ivan’s gonna be the same way, maybe even worse. Dragon shifters—especially alphas—don’t mess around when it comes to their mates and kids. It’s rare for them to have children, so when it happens… well, let’s just say you might be under heavy guard,” Otis said.

As we chatted, I noticed two large men in leather jackets walk into the cafe.

They were nondescript—probably tourists—but something about them made my skin prickle.

My wolf stirred uneasily, but they smelled like regular humans, so I forced myself to relax.

The conversation flowed easily with Otis, and for a while, I forgot all about the two strangers.

My phone buzzed, and it was a text from Ivan asking when I’d be heading home.

I glanced at the time—already late.

“Look at the time. We should both be heading back to our mates,” Otis said, glancing at his own phone.

“Yeah, Ivan’s about five minutes away,” I replied, grabbing my jacket. “I don’t mind heading out early so the staff can close up.”

Otis agreed, offering to walk with me since Zane was also nearby.

We stepped out of the cafe, the cool night air a welcome contrast to the warmth inside.

I glanced around and noticed the two men from earlier leaving just as we did.

That prickling feeling returned, sharper this time.

Otis seemed to pick up on it too, his gaze narrowing as he glanced over at the men.

He leaned in close, his voice low. “Do those guys seem... off to you?”

I nodded, the unease settling deeper into my gut. “Yeah. I noticed them when they came in earlier, but I thought they were just tourists,” I said.

Otis frowned, his expression tense.

“Let’s take a walk around the block, just to kill time before Ivan and Zane get here,” Otis suggested.

We started walking, but I couldn’t shake the feeling we were being followed.

Sure enough, after a few blocks, the two men were still tailing us, keeping a steady pace behind.

My heart began to race, adrenaline kicking in as my wolf stirred restlessly. Something wasn’t right.

Then I heard it—a low, familiar rumble. A motorcycle engine roared behind us, sending a jolt of fear through me.

My mind immediately flashed back to Reece. It sounded just like his bike.

I stopped in my tracks, my breath catching in my throat.

“Keep walking,” Otis murmured, his voice tense.

He was alert now, his body tensing as the men behind us quickened their pace.

Suddenly, they were in front of us, cutting off our path in the alleyway we had wandered into. My stomach dropped.

The two men, now close enough for me to smell, no longer seemed entirely human. There was something... off about them.

Their scent was all wrong, like a mix of shifter and something else.

“Come quietly with us, and no one gets hurt,” one of them growled, stepping forward with a twisted smile.

The other one eyed Otis, his gaze dark and predatory. “Your friend looks good enough to eat. Maybe we should take him too.”

Panic surged through me, my wolf howling inside my head. I stepped back, my body shaking as the men advanced on us.

Otis growled low in his throat, his body tensing, ready for a fight.

“Stay behind me,” Otis muttered, his eyes flashing with determination. But the men lunged before we could react.

Otis shifted partially, his eyes glowing, his hands forming claws as he blocked one of the men’s attacks.

The other man grabbed me, his grip like iron around my arm. My heart pounded in my chest as I struggled to break free, fear clawing at me.

But then a thunderous roar filled the alley, followed by the heavy sound of footsteps. Ivan.

He appeared out of the shadows, his eyes blazing with fury.

Without a word, he charged, tackling the man holding me and throwing him to the ground.

The man let out a strangled cry as Ivan opened his mouth and set him on fire.

“Ivan!” I gasped, relief washing over me as I stumbled back.

Otis was struggling with the other man, but after seeing his partner on fire and screaming in pain, he bolted.

Ivan didn’t waste a second. He quickly caught up to the man, jerked him close and tore out his throat without hesitation.

His gaze shot to me, wild and protective, before he stormed over, pulling me into his arms.

“Are you okay?” Ivan’s voice was rough, filled with concern as he cupped my face.

I nodded, tears of relief streaming down my face as I clung to him.

“I’m okay... I’m okay now,” I told him.

Ivan growled softly, pulling me tighter against his chest.

“I’m not letting anyone touch you. Ever,” Ivan said.

I buried my face in his chest, my heart still racing, but for the first time all night, I felt safe.

Otis was calling Zane on his cell in the background, telling him where we were and what happened.

Ivan pulled me close, his warmth and strength grounding me as the tension slowly ebbed away.

We were safe for now, but I had a feeling more trouble was heading our way.

IVAN

As Zane arrived to check on Otis, I stood there, still clutching Nathan tightly.

My heart was pounding, and the anger hadn’t ebbed.

If anything, seeing the bodies of the intruders made my blood boil even more. How dare they?

How dare those bastards think they could take Nathan—and Otis, no less—away from me?

From us? My mate. My family.

Zane glanced at the remains of the men I had dealt with, a frown of disapproval tugging at his lips.

"You could’ve left them alive," he said, his voice low but firm. "I’ll send Doyle to help clean this up. We need to talk."

I was still seething, my arms wound tightly around Nathan.

He was safe now, but the fear of almost losing him gripped me harder than anything else ever had.

"My apartment’s close by," Nathan suggested softly.

His voice, as soothing as ever, was the only thing keeping me grounded.

Zane and Otis nodded in agreement.

Nathan gently touched my face, his fingers brushing against my jawline.

"Ivan, you can let me go now. I’m safe," he whispered, his words a balm against the raw edges of my anger.

I didn’t want to.

Every instinct in me screamed to hold him tighter, to never let him go. But I nodded, reluctantly loosening my grip on him.

As much as I wanted to keep him wrapped in my arms, I knew he needed space to breathe, to process what had just happened.

We made our way to Nathan’s apartment. It was small but cozy, much like him—humble yet full of warmth.

"Sorry, it’s small," Nathan said, directing the comment more toward Zane.

I watched him, admiring the way he moved, how he effortlessly switched into host mode, despite what had almost happened.

It was one of the things I loved about him—his ability to care for others, to offer them comfort, even when he was the one who had been in danger.

"Anyone want anything to eat or drink?" Nathan asked, his voice steady, though I could sense the slight tremble beneath the surface.

Zane and Otis settled on the sofa, while I took the armchair.

Nathan, sensing that I wasn’t ready to let him stray too far, perched on my lap.

His presence was an anchor to my fraying composure, and I wrapped my arm around his waist, pulling him closer.

I needed to feel his warmth, his heartbeat, to remind myself he was still here. Still safe.

We started discussing the incident, trying to piece together who those men were and why they had targeted Nathan and Otis.

"They smelled strange," Nathan said, breaking the silence. "At first, I thought they were just tourists—humans, you know? But up close… their scent was confusing."

Otis nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, we both mistook them for harmless. They didn’t register as a threat,” Otis admitted.

Nathan turned to me then, his gaze searching mine.

"And when I heard the motorcycle engine… I thought it could’ve been Reece. Trevor mentioned he was part of a nomadic pack,” Nathan said.

A chill ran down my spine at the mention of Reece.

My arms instinctively tightened around Nathan, and I breathed in his scent, letting it calm the storm raging inside me.

The thought of Reece—still being in town—made my stomach churn.

"So, there could be more of them?" Zane asked, his tone edged with anger.

Nathan shot me a panicked look. "Trevor said there were four in total. Reece… Reece is still out there,” Nathan whispered.

The room fell into a tense silence. I could feel Nathan trembling in my arms, the weight of the situation pressing down on both of us.

Zane exhaled sharply, his jaw clenched.

"We’ll deal with this. But for now, it’s late. Let’s leave the discussion for another day,” Zane said.

I nodded in agreement, though my mind was far from settled.

As much as I wanted to hunt Reece down right then and there, Nathan needed me more tonight.

The threat could wait. My mate couldn’t.

As I walked Zane and Otis to the door, Zane placed a firm hand on my shoulder.

"I’ll have Draven and Doyle sniff around town, see if there are any more intruders. Don’t worry, we’ve got it covered,” Zane assured me.

"I can help," I insisted.

The thought of doing nothing while Reece might be out there made me restless.

But Zane shook his head. "Your mate needs you right now. Focus on him. We’ll handle the rest,” Zane said, voice firm.

I nodded, reluctantly agreeing. Zane and Otis left, and the apartment fell into a heavy silence.

I turned back to Nathan, who was already waiting for me in the bedroom. He looked small and fragile, sitting on the edge of the bed.

I crossed the room in quick strides and knelt in front of him, taking his hands in mine.

"I’m sorry," I whispered, my voice hoarse with emotion. "I’m sorry I wasn’t there sooner."

Nathan shook his head, his eyes soft and filled with understanding.

"You saved me, Ivan. You got there in time,” Nathan pointed out.

"But what if I hadn’t?" The words tumbled out of me before I could stop them. "What if I had lost you? You and our child…" My voice broke at the last word, and I couldn’t stop the flood of emotions that came with it.

Nathan placed his hand on my cheek, tilting my face up to meet his gaze.

"You didn’t lose me," he said softly. "I’m here. We’re both here."

His words washed over me, soothing the raw panic that had gripped me all evening.

I pulled him into my arms, holding him close as if the very act of holding him could erase the fear that had clawed at my heart.

We lay down together, and Nathan nestled against my chest, his hand resting on my heart.

I stroked his hair, pressing gentle kisses to his forehead, his temple, his lips.

Slowly, the tension in my body eased, replaced by a deep, overwhelming sense of relief.

"Ivan," Nathan murmured, his voice barely a whisper. "I love you."

The words hit me like a wave, washing away the last remnants of fear and doubt.

"I love you too, Nathan. More than anything."

I rested my hand on his belly, the thought of the life growing inside him filling me with an indescribable warmth.

The future—our future—flashed before my eyes.

A life together, with our child, safe and happy. I would protect them, no matter what. I would never let anything happen to them.

But as I held Nathan in my arms, a dark thought lingered in the back of my mind.

Reece was still out there. And if he thought he could lay a hand on Nathan or our unborn child, he had another thing coming.

I would find him. And when I did, he would pay. Because no one—no one—threatened what was mine.

I kissed Nathan’s forehead once more, tightening my hold on him as he drifted off to sleep.

For now, we were safe. But I knew, deep down, that this wasn’t over.

Not until I had made sure that no harm would ever come to my mate and our child again.