Page 37 of Midnight Hunt (Wolves of Midnight #4)

VIOLET

1 Month Later

“Griffin Hayes O’Neal, get your butt up here!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.

The front door slammed shut, and I heard feet hurry up the stairs, taking them two at a time. As the bedroom door burst open seconds later, I swallowed a giggle.

“Vi, I’m here. What—?”

I slowly stepped out of Griff’s closet, and the panicked look on his face quickly morphed into shock. When I leaned against the doorframe and struck a provocative pose, his jaw slackened and he dropped the paper bag in his hand. It thumped on the floor, drawing my gaze downward.

My mouth immediately began to water, but I forced my eyes back to Griff’s and said, “Sorry it’s not what you envisioned.” I placed my hands on my bare stomach and sensually dragged them up to my breasts. Cupping them through the purple lace material, I added, “At least these are bigger too.”

He gaped at me with an adorably lost expression, watching me fondle myself.

Hiding my smile, I asked, “Did you remember to get three this time?”

He slowly blinked, then made an unintelligible sound.

Realizing his brain had left the building, I dropped my hands with a huff. “Seriously, Griff. If you messed up my order, you can forget this little peep show. We need to leave in a few minutes, and I’m absolutely starving , so—”

“Your breasts are—” he started, then shook his head and corrected, “Your burgers are all there.”

I beamed at him, rushing forward to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. “Thank you, husband.”

He grunted, still struggling to form syllables after seeing me in my newest lingerie. Modeling for him was our thing now. Every time I did it, his response was the same. He immediately turned into a drooling mess, unable to do anything but stare at me. I loved the attention, but the delectable smells wafting from the paper bag at his feet were currently distracting me.

Bending over, I picked it up and hurried to the bed. Griff continued to watch me, his gaze no doubt glued to my backside covered in nothing but a tiny thong. I quickly robbed him of the view, though, sitting down to dive into the bag. Eagerly unwrapping one of the quarter pounders, I took a monstrous bite. A blob of ketchup plopped onto my bare thigh, but I was too busy chewing and moaning in pleasure to care.

“Being pregnant is exhausting ,” I mumbled around my mouthful of juicy beef. “I’m barely three weeks along and can’t stop eating. Did you know I had three breakfasts this morning?” Knowing his brain still needed time to reboot, I went on, “I think I’m showing already. Did you see the bump? Who knew that you’d get me pregnant with the first knot. I mean, I’m not complaining. I love that we’re going to be parents soon. But I would have liked to be a newlywed a little bit longer, you know? Maybe do some traveling first. Griff?”

He blinked again.

“You forgot to ask for napkins.”

He blinked a few more times and finally came out of his coma to say, “You’re definitely bigger.” When I stopped chewing to glare at him, he hastily amended, “Your boobs, I mean. They’re . . . Wow. Can I touch them?”

He stepped toward me, but I immediately put him in his place with a look. “We already talked about this, Griffin. Peep show before we leave, sex when we get back.”

“Ah c’mon, babe. Just a quickie? Two minutes tops, I promise.”

I snorted, but when he came toward me again, I didn’t stop him. “Okay, fine, but I’m going to eat while we do it.”

“I can work with that,” he said and hurriedly unbuttoned his jeans. “Just don’t choke on your burger when I make you come.”

That would be hilarious , Sable mused, and I had to agree. After being kidnapped, I’d expected our lives to return back to normal. But only a week later, I’d discovered that I was pregnant. A week after that, Griff and I got married. We’d held the wedding and reception in the backyard, the exact same place where Kolton and Nora had been married. Only Midnight Pack had attended the ceremony, but Griff had surprised us all by inviting a special guest to the reception.

His brother.

They still had a long road of healing ahead of them, but after Mason had helped rescue me and the other hybrid females, Griff was doing his best to make amends. Mason was ecstatic to be an uncle, and he’d already showered his future niece or nephew with several gifts.

On top of all that, I’d kept in touch with the females who’d been kidnapped, and we’d formed a trauma support group. We’d only met up twice so far, but today would be the third time. I was especially looking forward to this meeting, because I’d been helping Reid plan something special for the occasion all week.

He and Desirae had grown close over the past few weeks, so close that he was already prepared for the next step. Once we all arrived in Boston, I was taking the girls shopping and finding Desirae the perfect outfit. Next was hair and makeup, then the game. After the Rebels won—and they would—Reid was going to pop the question in front of the whole stadium.

Normally, I’d think three weeks was too soon for a couple to be getting engaged, but they were absolutely smitten with each other. His easygoing nature paired beautifully with her gentleness. They were perfect for each other.

Kind of like me and Griff.

Our lives had changed so much this past month, but I’d never been happier. I was fulfilled in every way possible, and I couldn’t stop smiling.

“What?” Griff said, looking down at his erection. “Do you think it’s getting bigger like your boobs? I’ve heard that can happen during pregnancy, kind of like sympathy morning sickness.”

I burst out laughing. “That is so not a thing, Griff. Your dick is the same size it’s always been.”

“Except when it’s knot,” he said with a wink. “Get it?”

I rolled my eyes with a groan. “We definitely don’t have time for that. I told Desirae we would pick her up in twenty minutes.”

“Guess we’d better get started, then,” he purred, reaching a hand down to run it up my thigh. Pausing at the blob of ketchup, he swiped at it and sensually licked it off his fingertip.

My core immediately tightened, reminding me that my increased appetite for food wasn’t the only side effect of this pregnancy. I was also ravenous for sex, morning, noon, and night. If I spent the next three months doing nothing but eating and having sex, I’d be one happy pregnant woman.

Unfortunately, I had a full day ahead of me, and if I didn’t get going soon—

Griff abruptly flipped me over onto my stomach. As I hit the mattress, I scrambled to hold on to my burger. I really had meant it when I said I’d continue eating while he banged me. As I took another bite, he slipped a finger under my thong strap and tugged. The action stimulated my clit, and I instantly grew wet. Griff inhaled my arousal with a pleased rumble, then snapped the thong in two as if it was floss and tossed it aside.

I rolled my eyes at the neanderthal move but grew even wetter. “One pair, Griff. I would like to wear just one pair more than once.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” he crooned, gripping my thighs to spread them open. Before I could swallow my mouthful of food, he thrust his cock inside me with one smooth stroke. Always shocked at how good it felt to have him fill me up, I literally almost choked on my burger.

Sable snickered, and I silently growled at her to butt out. We had rules about this stuff now. When Griff and I were getting frisky, our familiars weren’t allowed to intervene. Same went for when Sable and Whiskey did the deed. Their time was their own, and so was ours.

Hey, boundaries were important.

When Griff started to thrust, my appetite for food quickly vanished. Another appetite took its place, and it was equally hungry. Tossing the burger aside, I gripped the comforter and moaned. He slid a hand up my spine, and with a flick of his wrist, my top disappeared as well. Leaning forward, he slipped his hands beneath me and cupped my breasts. When he pinched my nipples, I gasped, the hard peaks more sensitive than usual.

As my head came off the bed, he burrowed his face in my neck and nuzzled his claim spot. He freshly marked me at least once a week, but I couldn’t blame him. He’d almost lost me, and I’d almost lost him. We were still reassuring each other every day that this was real. That we were together, whole and safe.

Every time he claimed me, it cemented in my mind that I was his. He wanted me. Loved me. And that would never change.

As his thrusts grew more urgent, he reached down and touched my clit. The added stimulation had me panting, each movement pushing me closer and closer to the edge. When he suddenly bit his claim spot, sinking his canines in deep, pleasure exploded through me and I loudly cried out his name.

My walls spasmed around his hard cock, and he jerked inside me with a muffled groan, spilling his release. With his canines still in my neck and his fingers between my thighs, I rode the incredible high, completely blissed out.

I was about to ask him to go again, just one more time, when a groan reached my ears. A groan that was definitely not Griff’s.

“Seriously, guys? You didn’t even close the door!” Brielle complained from the—oops—open doorway. “I almost let Melanie in.”

“I smell burgers!” Mellie piped up from the hallway. “Can I have one?”

“Whoa, squirt, you do not want to go in there,” a new voice said, this one Jagger’s.

“Why not?” my little sister whined. “Vi’s in there.”

“Yeah, but so is Griff. It’s just like when Kolton and Nora are in a bedroom together. No rugrats allowed.”

“I’m not a rugrat!” she pouted, then suddenly squealed as Jagger no doubt picked her up to carry her far, far away from here.

When Brielle firmly shut the door and padded away, I whispered, “Sure you want to make this room a nursery?”

Griff removed his canines from my neck and chuckled. “I’m sure. We can move into the new house at any time, but I want you to be ready first.”

I smiled, beyond grateful that I had a mate who knew when to push . . . and when not to. Now that Griff’s alpha gene had awakened and we were starting a family of our own, Kolton and Nora thought it would be a good idea for us to have our own place. I’d panicked at first, still recovering from being taken away from my family, but when they’d explained that the new house would be built on the Rivers estate property, I’d gradually warmed up to the idea.

For now, though, we would stay in the big house. There was no pressure to move out, but our house would be there waiting for us when I was ready for our next chapter.

Five minutes later, Griff and I were presentable enough to leave his room. As we headed downstairs with my burger bag clutched in my hand, I saw Brielle in the foyer down below and mouthed, Sorry .

She waved off the apology with a good-natured laugh, but I saw the way her eyes darted to the left. Before I could confirm who’d caught her attention, Sable purred, Those two have so much pent-up energy, they’re going to explode if they don’t bang it out soon .

Jagger walked into my line of view a second later, and I forced my expression to remain neutral. It had taken lots of cajoling, but I’d finally weaseled the truth out of Nora a week ago.

Brielle and Jagger were soulmates.

Jagger had found out months ago, but Brielle still had no clue. Even so, their connection was obvious to me now. I’d promised Nora that I would keep the secret, a secret that she’d promised Jagger she would keep from her best friend, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t do a little prodding.

I’d seen the way they looked at each other—when the other wasn’t looking, of course. A bond like that couldn’t be denied forever, and with them still living in the same house, something would eventually give. I’d known Jagger for most of my life, and he’d always been a mystery when it came to females, but maybe it was time to poke the lone wolf. Hell, I’d needed poking, and I was so grateful to everyone who’d helped nudge me and Griff together.

Leaning into him a little more, we reached the ground floor and were met by several familiar faces.

“Aww, you didn’t have to see us out, everyone,” I said, taking in each precious face. Seeing my niece and nephew in Kolton’s arms, I hurried forward to pepper them with kisses—even though I’d done so less than an hour ago.

I hugged Kolton next, and he murmured against my hair, “We don’t want to take a single moment for granted.”

I knew exactly how he felt and hugged him a little longer—just in case. I turned to Nora next, snorting when our bellies bumped. “Yep, it’s official. We’re definitely blowing up like balloons.”

She laughed and pulled back to inspect both our stomachs. “I still say you’re farther along. I’m just showing faster because my body’s already done this twice.”

I side-eyed my brother, muttering, “You really need to put your sperm on ice after this. Three babies in one year is a lot.”

Griff loudly guffawed and pulled me back against him. “Who’s to say we won’t have three kids in a year, babe? Now that I have a knot—”

“Not again,” Jagger groaned from behind us.

“What kind of knot?” Melanie piped up.

“More grandbabies?” my mother excitedly said at the same time.

Laughing, I hurried to hug the rest of my family and proclaimed, “If these males have their way, this entire house will be filled to the brim with babies.”

As I finished hugging my mom, I sneaked a glance at Jagger. He practically looked green . Sable chortled, more than happy to observe the growing drama now that our own had been sorted out.

Mark my words. Those two. Epic fireworks. It’s only a matter of time .

Smiling at her remark, I rejoined Griff, content when he slid an arm around my waist and pulled me close. As we opened the front door to depart, Kolton said, “Keep her safe, brother. Keep them both safe.”

Griff turned to his best friend and gripped his shoulder, pulling me a little closer as he replied, “I will, brother.”

And he would. He’d do anything to keep his mate and unborn baby safe. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he’d always, always be there for us.

No matter what.

The End