Page 13 of The Baby Contract

Ingrid made sure to change me into a pair of clean pajamas and French braid my hair before tucking me under the covers, reminding me of something a mom would do, before Boris and her left for the night, leaving me in complete darkness.

I lay looking at the ceiling, my hands resting on my tummy as I thought of today's appointment. I was thankful to finally have some time alone, some time to think.

I thought about my parents as I stared into the darkness, not only of how great warriors they were, but how blessed I was to be their daughter. They taught me everything I knew about being a good warrior, and a leader, so much that it made sense that I was mated to the next in line to the Alpha.

I closed my eyes as I thought about the maids and Nova. How they counted on me, just like they did Mom and Dad before their passing. Nova, my best and only friend and family.

I rolled on my side, pulling the blanket up to my chin as I desperately tried to sleep, wanting to escape my depressing thoughts for just a moment.

It dawned on me that I was about to be a mother, but with no pups to prove it. I would give the pup up at birth, and return to my hell, to the constant reminders of the pup I had birthed.

The fancy cars bought by Grey, Jasper, Lily, and Alpha Orion. Their money, and riches, were all bought by my sacrifice of surrogacy and pain here at the Stormblade pack.

And, I would never get to be a mother or a mate. My child, which once grew inside of me, would never even know me. I would return to being a maid, or worse, to a grave as Grey had threatened.

Nova, sweet Nova, hopefully, she would find her mate outside of the Eclipse, and be able to escape the hell hole and find her prince charming like she had always dreamed of. The one who would rescue her, treat her like a princess, and whisk her far, far away.

I rolled over again, pulling the blanket over my head, as if it was some sort of escape. I just wanted to sleep, not dream, think, worry...

That's when a familiar, husky, forest scent wafted under the door. He was here.

My eyes snapped open, my heart pounding in my chest. What did Alpha Stormblade want? I thought Boris was taking care of everything now, so what was he doing here? Especially at this time of night?

I listened as the lock on the door jiggled, his breath becoming heavy, signaling his frustration. He tried again, but he must not have had the key, as he gave up, taking a few more breaths before stepping away from the door and taking a seat next to it.

All night, I waited for his scent to dissipate, but it didn't. And, even as the morning sun rose, his scent remained pungent outside the door, seeming to guard it.

Soon after dawn, he left, the sound of a chair rustling outside signaling his departure. His wolf seemed to huff, not pleased before I heard his heavy footsteps making their way down the hallway.

I gripped my blanket, my eyes heavy now that Alpha Stormblade had left. I hadn't even realized I hadn't slept all night.

"Hey- "Boris rubbed my arm softly. "Hey, Millie."

I blinked, my eyes blurry with sleep as I woke, confused. I lifted my head slowly to see Boris, dressed in a simple long-sleeved shirt and jeans, his head tilted, his forehead creased as he looked at me in bed.

"Hey, sleepy head." He smiled softly. "I'm sorry to wake you. I waited awhile to let you sleep but I was getting worried. I thought maybe you weren't feeling well."

I furrowed my brows, confused. Why was he saying that? Ingrid always woke me up for breakfast in the mornings. So, it wouldn't have been any later than eight in the morning.

"What?" I croaked out, rubbing my eyes. "What time is it?"

Boris checked his watch. "Just about ten past noon." He sat on a chair, pulling it close to the bed.

"Oh, I missed breakfast- "I panicked, sitting up. "I'm sorry, Beta. Usually, Ingrid wakes me up to eat."

Boris chuckled, patting my hand. "Not a worry, Millie. I gave Ingrid the day off today." He said before slapping his knees and standing up. "I figured you needed the rest over food after your appointment yesterday."

"Oh, Ingrid's not here?" I shuffled my knees to my chest, asking before I could think about how it might come off. "I mean, no offense Beta, but I figured you would be busy with other- "I gulped, my cheeks flushing. "More important things."

Boris laughed as he uncovered two dishes, setting them on my bedside table. "Well- "he smiled mischievously, his dimples showing. "You are important, Millie. And, I may not be as good as Ingrid, in fact- "he turned around.

My stomach grumbled as I looked at the two choices in front of me, my pregnancy making me hungrier than in the past. I opened one and started eating, my tummy rumbling in happiness at the newfound flavors.

"She came this morning while you were sleeping to prepare your outfit for the day." He showed me, waving to it like a model. "I don't think she trusted me with dressing you properly." He rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

Boris smiled as he watched me eat. "She also brought you some books, a few journals, and some things to color- "he showed me on the nightstand. "I think she thought you would be bored with me."

I giggled, picking up my juice. "She always brings me an outfit, even though I never go anywhere." I finished cleaning up my plate. "But I'll get dressed."

I stood, grabbed what Ingrid had laid out for me, and went to the bathroom to get ready. She had laid a pair of black jeans out for me, with a knit grey sweater, along with a pair of long white socks. I put it all on, brushing my hair out into two braids, before going back out to my room.

Boris's smile lit up when he saw me, nodding in approval. "Here." He waved me closer, holding up a beanie. "It's cold outside."

I blushed. "Outside?" I asked as Boris adjusted the beanie on top of my head, tucking the loose pieces of hair out of my face, and into the hat.

"Yes." He grabbed a jacket, helping me put it on. "Doctor's orders, of course." He winked, as he moved to zip it up. "Plus, I think it's about time someone gave you a tour of Stormblade. It's much bigger than what you can see from your tiny window."

Boris grabbed some boots, unlacing them as he motioned me to step into them. "Um- "I breathed. "I don't know if I'm supposed to be doing that. I mean I don't want to- "

"Millie." Boris leaned down to tie my boots. "I'm the Beta. I can handle Alpha Stormblade. Don't worry about him." He stood up, looking at me. "You're not going to try and run away, are you?"

I blushed, feeling shy under his gaze. "No Beta, of course, not."

"Well, if you do- "Boris squeezed my shoulder. "Just know that I love a chase." He winked, before unlocking the door, giving me my first chance at freedom for the first time since I stepped foot in the Stormblade house.

"Just follow me." Boris ushered me as I stepped out the door into the large, wide hospital hallway. My eyes widened as I soaked in all the beautiful, rich details. The paintings, the warm atmosphere, the endless hallway. This hospital must have been miles long, with thousands of private rooms.

Boris looked at his watch as we made our way to the end of the hall, a group of nurses bowing to him, looking surprised to see me beside him. "Hello, Beta. Millie." They waved sweetly, before going back to their work.

I blushed at their nice encounter, surprised that they knew my name.

I waved back shyly, not wanting to be rude.

Boris led us out a huge pair of double doors, revealing a huge mansion, with a swivel staircase.

In the middle of what looked like a pack common, a huge, sparking chandelier hung, adorned with millions of diamonds, shining on all areas of the pack mansion.

"The pack house is fifty-one floors. Two hundred rooms on each floor." Boris noted, taking my hand to guide me down the stairs. "Except for the fifty-first floor."

I nodded, taking in the luxury and beauty of this place.

It was the polar opposite of Eclipse, which looked like it could fall apart at any second.

We didn't even get our own rooms, instead, the maids were all stuffed into one basement bunker, where we lived without heat in the cold months, and without air conditioning in the summer.

"What's on the fifty-first floor?" I asked, my curiosity peaking. I knew if Nova was here, she would be running around this house, asking a million questions. Soaking in the luxury of this place.

"That would be the royal family and I's suites." He answered as we made our way to the first floor. "One day, hopefully, me and my beta female." He swooned, pulling me along gently.

"This-"He waved to a huge family room, full of couches, TVs, fireplaces, beautiful artwork, and toys scattered across the floor. Even the walls were painted a beautiful pearl shade, encrusted in a gold trim. "Is the pack commons."

"And, over here- "He showed me a huge, white-marbled industrial kitchen, where hundreds of wolves were busy at work, their pots full of hot steaming, food. Each wore sleek, white chef coats, their hair neat as they worked in order. "Is the Kitchen."

"Beta!" A young man shouted bowing, a knife in his hand. "Oh! Millie, Hey!"

Did everyone know who I was? The shouting caught a few more wolves' attention, as they all smiled and waved at us, before returning to their work.

"There is much more I can show you- "Boris grabbed my hand sweetly, "But that would take all day. Let's get some fresh air."

At least I knew my pup would grow up in this luxury. In a clean, safe, pack house where they would have food and their own room. Amongst these people, who seemed kind.

A door caught my attention, Alpha Stormblade's scent coming heavily from it. "Don't worry-"Boris squeezed my hand. "That's Alpha's office, but he's not there right now. He's out training warriors right now."

Boris pulled me to the front door, the cold air hitting my face. I stopped for a minute, my eyes adjusting to the sun. It had been a while, although, I didn't know exactly how many days, since I had been outside.

The outdoor area was quite large, covered in a luscious forest, that was now the color of autumn. "There is a little lake out here where we can sit." Boris slowed down to keep my pace, as I walked slowly, taking everything in.

I nodded, the sound of clashing swords and grunts catching my attention in the distance. "Ah." Boris looked over his shoulder. "That's the class Alpha is training today."

We walked further, the sounds becoming more mumbled as we approached a small lake, covered in a large rose garden.

I stopped, taking in all the colors, the white, pinks, and shades of red. "Oh, wow. This is stunning."

"I figured you would like to see it." Boris led me over to sit on a large rock by him, patting to make sure it was dry. "It's quite the tranquil garden."

I sat beside Boris, studying a nearby rose. "These are really pretty." I played with the petals, bending over to smell it. "Someone else seems to think so too."

I studied a perfectly arranged nest of flowers a few feet away from us, the thorns carefully picked off the stems. Laid perfectly in harmony, to form a perfect circle.

"Yeah." Boris let out a small chuckle, looking at the roses. "Interesting."

"Hey, Beta?" I asked, rubbing my hands on my jeans nervously. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything." He smiled lightly, patting my hand.

"How do your pack members know me?" I cleared my throat looking down at the roses. "I mean, know my name at least."

Boris laughed lightly. "Well, of course, they know you. Everyone in Stormblade does." He said matter of factly. "You are Millie, the she-wolf who is going to be the mother to our next Alpha. They are all very happy you are here."

Well, at least they were happy.

"Oh my goddess- "A voice squealed excitedly from the distance, making Boris shoot his arm around me in protection, his head whipping around to see the source of the voice. "Is that Millie?"

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