Chapter 74: Chapter Seventy-Three
Delanie
Shaina and I walked out of the joint venture building when we thought it was safe.
“Don’t worry, Del. She isn’t the only one who can play with magic,” Shaina whispered.
“What do you mean?” I hissed.
“Don’t forget your appointment at the clinic tomorrow.” She spoke loud enough when we got to Ajax’s SUV.
“You’re in big trouble Delanie. Both of you are!” He threw his arms in the air.
As usual Ross was with him leaning against the car.
“I’m sorry I had to know for sure and you were being paranoid.”
“And?” he breathed out.
“Well, yeah, you were right. Shouldn’t have doubted you.”
He wrapped me in his arms and his rage melted. He kissed my forehead, then my cheek then my lips.
“Let’s get you too home, okay.”
“Wait, but I have to talk to you about Rebecca.”
“Don’t worry about her, baby. I’ll talk to her later about her money. She can have all of it. It doesn’t matter. What matters is you and our baby.”
“But—”
“Into the car, Delanie.”
It was pointless at the moment. I didn’t get my burger, dang it.
***
My burger craving must have been stronger than I realized because I woke up the delectable scent in my room. I sat up in bed and looked at my belly.
I placed a hand over my flat tummy. I wondered what his or her face would look like. Would the baby have my eyes? The green eyes were pretty dominant in my family.
“Good morning, sweetheart.” Ajax waltz in with a tray of warm milk and a burger.
“Oh thank goodness!”
“You didn’t stop talking about it yesterday and I figured you might eat me if you don’t get it today.”
“You were right.”
“Wait, let me kiss my baby good morning, again.”
He pulled up my shirt and planted soft kisses on my belly. It tickled. Watching him do it warmed my heart but at the same time it broke my heart. I set the tray on the bedside table and took his hands.
“What if it isn’t yours?”
“It is, Delanie. I can feel it in my bones.”
“There’s a chance—”
“I don’t want to hear that. He’s mine.”
I think he saw the genuine need for an answer on my face so he sighed before he spoke again.
“It’s going to hurt if it isn’t mine. But he or she will still be your baby and I love you. We still have plans to get married right? I’ll be here. I hate Maximus for all he’s done to you but I wouldn’t hate the child. Good thing is he’s mine.”
That was what I needed to hear and I think we needed to talk about it so it wasn’t a question hanging over our heads. After my breakfast I got ready for my appointment at the clinic.
Ajax was completely different. He wouldn’t let me shower on my own. Why didn’t anyone tell me how male shifters got when their mates were pregnant?
“You’re coming back to nap as soon as the appointment’s over.”
Geez, he’s going to drive me mad!
The doorbell rang and I expected it to be either Ross or Ainsley. She was excited about the pregnancy and texted me half the night about baby shopping. The baby didn’t even have feet yet.
Ajax opened the door to a find a guy panting as he held his knees.
“What happened?” Ajax demanded.
The guy wore the same uniform as the guys from the beta army. His hair was ruffled and he had a red bruise under his eye.
“Sir… Alpha…” he struggled to catch his breath.
“Speak!” Ajax boomed.
“It was him. The old man escaped.”
“No. How did that happen he doesn’t have a wolf?” Ajax demanded.
I gripped my chest and begged for it to be a lie. A cruel joke.
“He got a knife somehow and he attacked the breakfast guard. He killed him. He’s a powerful man even without a wolf. I’d never seen anything like it. It was awesome but also terrifying.”
Ajax groaned. “Find him! And get me new guards. You’re all useless.”
The young beta nodded and turned to walk down the porch. Ajax slammed the door shut.
“You’ll have to cancel the appointment. Max couldn’t have gone far.”
“Hmm…” I couldn’t form words.
He stopped and held my cheeks. “Hey, look at me. I’ll get him. I’m taking Ross and my men we’re going after him. Ainsley’s coming so is extra back up.”
“No, please don’t go.” I grabbed his arms.
“I’ll be back before you know it. I’ll be here for every whimsical craving you want, sweetheart. I have to catch him.”
“You heard the beta. Max is still strong. The man I saw locked up looked like a withering old man but he managed to attacked shifters. Strong ones too.”
He pressed our foreheads together. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll come back to you. I promise.”
***
Less than twenty minutes later Ainsley arrived with backup security and a bag of food.
“This is awful. I’m scared for Ross but he doesn’t understand. He thinks he’s so big and macho but the betas who were killed thought the same.”
“I know right! If Max wasn’t so dangerous I would have wanted them to forget about him and let him be. He needs to be caught.”
I subconsciously rubbed my belly.
“It’s been hours already shouldn’t they have caught him?” Ainsley asked.
I took a sip of the apple juice she brought me. I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen and dropped the juice box.
“Ouch.” The pain intensified.
“Del? What’s wrong?” Ainsley panicked.
I lay back on the carpet and clutched my middle.
“I-I… it hurts so badly.”
Ainsley rushed to pick up the phone from the receiver. I cried out as my insides churned. I felt faint and like throwing up at the same time.
“Hang in there. I’m calling Shaina. She’ll know what to do. Stay awake Delanie.”
I tried but I was half awake. The pain wouldn’t let me escape it though. When I partly closed my eyes I felt Ajax. I saw his face. He was in pain too. He was in horrible that mirrored mine.
I felt it in my core. Ajax’s life was in danger.