The snow was starting to melt. In a few weeks, it would be gone completely.
I scratched my chin as I turned away from the window. Anticipation filled me. In a few minutes, Val would be calling. It became a routine for her to call every night at eight. We talked for at least an hour before she fell asleep. I fucking missed her so much.
We had hoped that things would have been solved by now, but it wasn’t. It seemed to have gotten worse. Pack members were rebelling against us. They wanted Devon’s father to take back the Alpha position. We had the young members who stood by our side, but they were easily influenced by the elders.
Having Val call me was the highlight of my day.
The phone rang, making my heartbeat increase. I hurried over to the phone and picked it up. But it wasn’t Val’s voice on the other side of the receiver. My shoulders sagged and the excitement died down. I glanced behind me and then sunk down into the chair.
“I know you don’t want to talk to me,” Alark said. “Your mate is asleep.”
I glanced at the clock. “So early?”
“The pregnancy is taking a toll on her, David. Mel convinced her to go to the doctor this morning.”
My stomach rolled. “Is she okay?”
“I talked to Devon this morning to have her file send over, but the doctor told me that he hasn’t received anything yet.”
“I haven’t seen him all day,” I muttered. “What did the doctor say? Is Val okay?”
His silence worried me. I gripped my thigh tightly as I tried to calm my breathing. Panic hit me hard. If they wanted her to see a doctor then something was wrong. I thought back to yesterday when I talked to her. She sounded tired but she had assured me that she and the baby were doing fine. She would’ve told me if something was wrong, right?
“Alark?” The silence was killing me.
He sucked in a breath and blew it out. “I think the distance is getting to her.”
“What do you mean?”
“Some females formed a bond to the males that were in charge of caring for them in the facility. When they were rescued those males were killed. The females didn’t survive long after they were freed.” He paused. “The elders call it a mate-bond. The bond could be formed by simply spending time together. It gets stronger the further you take things.”
“I’ve ever heard of a mate-bond before.”
“Neither have I until now.” Alark shuffled through some papers. “I guess that when you first met the bond was already forming. Your wolf instantly recognized her as your mate. The more time you spend with her, the stronger the bond became.”
“What are you saying Alark?” I asked impatiently.
As interesting as I found this mate-bond thing, I was worried about Val. There would be time to learn more about everything.
“Shit man. I don’t know how to explain this to you so it would make sense.” He sucked in a breath. “The distance you put between the three of you is slowly killing her.”
My frown deepened but then it cleared a second later. Was she feeling the same pain as me? “Alark—”
“I didn’t call you to just tell you this. I called you to tell you that I’m bringing her back tomorrow. She can’t stay here any longer, David. It’s not good for her or the baby.”
I pursed my lips. He wanted to bring her home. A home that was far from safe. Nobody in the pack knew that Val was pregnant. We made sure that the doctor and those who had run the test kept their mouths shut. Nobody could find out about the pregnancy. If she returned it would be obvious. We couldn’t keep her locked up inside all day.
“It’s not safe here for her,” I said softly. “Too many problems. We haven’t found the mole yet.”
“Mole?”
“Someone on the inside. It’s the only reason we could think of. There’s no other way for them to know what goes on. They knew exactly where Val was that night.” I leaned back in the chair and ran a hand through my hair. “She can’t come back yet. I’ll talk to Devon and see if we can make arrangements to visit.”
“A visit won’t cut it, David. She needs both of you or one of you with her at all times.”
The office door opened and Devon entered. He dropped a stack of files on top of the table. He looked grim but then it was nothing new. Ever since she left us he’s been in a bad mood. He missed her just as much as I did, but he wasn’t going to admit it. Devon usually made excuses to leave even before she had called.
“I’ll talk to him.” Devon glanced up at me with a frown. “Talk later. Let me know if something happens.”
“Of course.” He ended the call.
Devon took a seat across from me. He pulled the files closer and opened the one on top. It was clear that he wasn’t going to ask who it was. I saw his eyes dart over to the clock and then to the phone. He pursed his lips, slammed the file closed, and leaned back with his eyes on me.
“Alark called.” His face paled.
I repeated everything he told me—about the mate-bond and the danger the distance was having on Val and the baby. He stayed silent throughout it all, even after I was done. I slammed my fists down on the table when a few minutes passed and he still hadn’t said a word. He jumped and turned his head to glare at me. I wanted to fucking punch him so damn bad. I tell him that our mate was possibly dying and he does nothing. He doesn’t even demand that we go to get her.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I yelled. “Our mate needs—”
“Then go to her,” he interrupted me.
My mouth opened and closed as I tried to find the words I wanted to yell at him. Devon calmly pushed the chair back in place, and then picked up the files. Without a word or a backward glance, he walked out of the room and slammed the door closed behind him. I squeezed my eyes closed and sucked in a deep breath. My skin tingled. The urge to rip the room apart was too hard to resist.
I allowed all the pent-up frustration to slip free.
I stood back a few minutes later and stared at the remains of what once was an office. The walls were ripped apart along with the furniture. I tried to catch my breath as I stared at what once was the wooden desk. There was no more doubt in my mind anymore. I knew what I had to do. Wrin would just have to take over for me until Val could return. There was no way I was going to stay away from her any longer.
I stepped over things as I made my way to the door. When I threw it open, four pack members jumped back from the door. I growled at them. They winced and quickly bowed their heads. I pushed past them and climbed the stairs two at a time until I reached my bedroom. Throwing the door open, I headed right for my closet. I dumped an old bag on the floor and grabbed clothes.
“Where are you going?”
I glanced up at Wrin. “I need to get to Val. Can you handle things here?”
“How long will you be gone for?”
I zipped the bag and swung it over my shoulder. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I send a text to Alark to let him know that I was on my way. Wrin gripped my arm before I could walk out of the bedroom. I growled at him.
“How long will you be gone for?”
“For however long Val needs me.”
“You can’t just up and leave David.” He took a step closer. “We’re in the middle of negotiations.”
“I’m sure you and Devon would handle it just fine.”
I walked past him and made my way towards the door. His next word made me pause in the doorway.
“Is she more important than your own pack?”
I didn’t hesitate to answer him. “Yes, she is.”
***
My eyes darted around as I climbed out of the truck.
The area was well lit by streetlights. Turning around, I reached over and grabbed the strap of the bag, and pulled it closer. The front door opened before I reached it. I paused but then quickly hurried up the steps to enter the house. Alark glanced at the bag but made no comment. Instead, he turned and led me down a short hall and then up a staircase. He then pushed open a door to the left and stood aside for me to enter the room. Val’s scent filled my nostrils even before I entered the bedroom. My eyes were instantly drawn to her small figure curled under the sheets.
Her hair was spilled out over the pillow. I stared at her for a few seconds and then moved forward. I just about remembered to lower the bag softly to the floor. I hesitated next to the bed. The lamp on the bedside table was on which gave me a perfect view of her face. I took in the dark circles under her eyes and the paleness of her cheeks.
She had lost weight. Pain made my chest tighten. This was our fault.
My eyes snapped up to Alark when he moved. Our eyes locked for a second before he glanced down at her with tenderness in his eyes. “Are you hungry?”
I shook my head. “I’m fine.”
“I’ll leave you to it then. We can talk in the morning.”
“Thank you.”
Alark gave me a small smile and then excused himself. I waited until I heard the door click close before I kicked off my shoes and carefully crawled onto the bed with her. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pressed a kiss against her forehead. She didn’t even stir. My worry increased. I was here with her now, but what if it was already too late?
***
Val stirred and then let out a low moan. My eyes were focused on her face. Her brows furrowed and her fist clenched. She reached out to grip the pillow. After a few seconds, her brows straightened and her face cleared. I reached out and carefully moved a few strands of hair from her face.
“Go away, Mel,” she moaned. “It’s too early to get up.”
My lips twitched. I hesitated and then slipped my finger down her cheek, over her cheekbone, and to her slightly parted lips. She frowned again. Reaching up, she pushed my hand from her face. I smiled when she reached for the sheets but her hands only grabbed air. Val grumbled under her breath.
“Hate you, Mel. Go away.”
“You want me to go away?” I asked softly.
She froze. Her hand dropped at the same time her eyes snapped open. Val stared at me silently. The room faded when she gave me a big smile. She was so fucking beautiful, even with her hair a knotted mess around her face. Val reached out and placed a shaky hand against my chest. Her eyes trailed over my face. I frowned when her smile faded slightly.
“Are you real?” she whispered.
I moved closer and pressed my lips against her forehead, her nose, her cheek, and then her lips. I kissed her gently and then pulled back to smile at her. “Does that feel real enough for you, doll?”
“No,” she muttered, reaching up to cup my cheeks. “I need more convincing.”
I chuckled but allowed her to take control of the kiss. She rolled onto her back, tugging me along with her. I was careful not to lower my full weight on top of her. A low moan slipped past her lips and into mine. It made my stomach quiver. One of her hands slid around my neck to grip the back of it. Her body arched against mine.
Fuck. I slipped an arm beneath her back and tugged her against me before I flipped us over. It was the wrong thing to do. Val pulled away with a distressed moan. She pressed a hand against her mouth and crawled away. I sat up when she stumbled into the bathroom, and a few seconds later I could hear her puking
When I entered the bathroom I found her clutching the toilet. I hesitated in the doorway, feeling unsure of what to do. When Val stumbled to her feet, I hurried forward and helped her stand. Guiding her over to the faucet, I reached out and opened the tap. She rinsed her mouth and splashed her face with some water.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I hate this.”
I said nothing. I knew nothing about pregnancies, but I was going to find out more about them as soon as I was sure that Val was okay. My fingers brushed ribs through the thin nightshirt she wore. We needed to do something about her weight loss too. It was the first thing I needed to discuss with Mel and Alark. Val turned in my arms and pressed her face against my chest.
“I’m sorry, doll,” I whispered against her hair.
She shook her head and wrapped her arms around my waist. I stroked her back for a few seconds before I pulled away. Carefully picking her up, I carried her back to the bed and lowered her onto it I took a seat on the edge of the bed next to her.
My eyes instantly dropped to her stomach. It had grown since the last time I saw her. I couldn’t stop myself. I pressed my hand gently against the curve of her lower stomach. Val placed her hand on top of mine, making me glance up at her. Her eyes were focused on our hands. I couldn’t make out the emotions I saw swirling in her eyes.
“Where’s Devon?” she asked softly after a while. “Is he here?”
I hesitated. “He will be joining us in a few days,” I lied.
She swallowed. Val tugged my hand up to her chest and pressed it over her beating heart. Her eyes darted up to mine. Tears filled them and slowly started to drip down her cheeks. She swallowed loudly and then gave me a wobbly smile.
“I’m scared, David,” she whispered. “I’m really s-scared. I don’t think I’m ready to be a mother.”
I had to swallow the lump that suddenly filled my throat. Pulling my hand away from hers, I cupped her cheeks and leaned forward to press my forehead against hers. She closed her eyes and blew out a shuddery breath.
“I’m scared too, Val. So fucking scared, but I know that we’re going to be okay because we’re in this together. You, me, and Devon.”