AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That same fiery blue blaze erupts behind her eyes as she glares at me, her posture rigid and her hands fisted at her sides.
“You can’t tell me what to do.”
“Yes, I can,” I reply flippantly. “I’m your alpha. You’re carrying my child.”
She stumbles in surprise, her face pales, and her posture relaxes. “How do you know that?”
“I can smell it on you,” I say, trying to keep my voice flat. Emotionless. “It’s not hard for an alpha to notice when his mate’s pregnant.”
That’s not a lie. I thought I caught a whiff of it earlier when we were on the beach. A slight minty scent. And now, with her so angry, it’s stronger, swirling with her hot anger and the sweet warmth of her natural scent.
“Well, it doesn’t matter,” she says, her voice holding a delirious edge as she turns toward the house. “I’m going anyway.”
“No, you’re not,” I growl, grabbing her by the arm. “You could die. Our child could die.”
She pulls her arm free, her eyes snapping with fierce energy. “I told you I don’t care about death!”
So beautiful and defiant. I love her when she’s like this, snapping with anger and resentment. If it wasn’t for the fact that this is so serious—if she wasn’t going to hurt herself if she didn’t listen to me—I’d take her to her nest right now.
As it is, all the frustration I’ve felt all day surges through me, breaking down my every last civilized thought. Moments from the day play through my mind. When Cass attacked her on the beach. Seeing my brother so maimed and broken. And now this, a mate who’s stuck on getting herself killed.
I’m not surprised when it comes bursting out of me, a streak of pressure as I roar up at the sky. The trees shake, and birds caw and fly from the branches.
I want to scream. Yell. Fight.
Roaring again, the earth shakes under my feet, and the steps leading up to the wooden cabin crack loudly.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Hetty stumble and fall lightly on her bottom. Immediately, I stop, and I look down at her in alarm. But she’s just staring up at me calmly. Not scared at all.
“Are you finished with your hissy fit?” she asks coolly.
“Yes,” I reply calmly, reaching down to pull her to her feet. “And lucky for you, I do care whether you live or die, so you’re not going to Goldenrod.”
She glares at me, her mouth set in a straight line. “You told me you’d never hurt me again, Noah. I guess you’re a liar now?”
I seethe, resisting the urge to pull her close. “Don’t leave Wyatt and Camilla’s house. That’s an order from your alpha.”
Unable to stand here a second longer, I release her arm and pivot on my heels with a curse. Swallowing my burning regret, I stalk through the trees and refuse to look back at her.
41
What Stella Does Best
Hetty
Noah doesn’t come back to say goodbye or apologize.
He’s gone. I can sense him moving away from the camp, anxious, excited, and only a little remorseful.
Meanwhile, I’m sitting on Wyatt and Camilla’s front steps, fuming. I don’t even feel angry with him anymore, just disappointed and a bit regretful of my own behavior. But not that regretful.
What an asshole.
But he could just be worried about me and our baby, I suppose. I cringe at the thought. Baby? He must be wrong. I can’t have a baby. My heart quickens at the thought. I’m not sure if it’s from excitement or fear.
I don’t even know where to go or what to do now. Stay at Wyatt and Camilla’s, he said. But I’ll just be a bother here. In their way.
Do I go back to my nest in that rotting cabin? Back to Rill and Elizabeth’s, where I share a room with Beth, Cleo, and Colleen? My gut twists at the thought. I have a mate now, and I have to go back to sharing a room?
