“All good.” The doctor smiled at me as he pulled his gloves off and dropped them in the trash. “Now all that’s left to do is to get your weight up and out of the danger zone.”
I took Devon’s hand and slipped from the bed. I fixed my clothing and then followed him out of the room and back to the desk. David glanced up and gave me a small smile. I blushed when he tugged me onto his lap. The doctor took a seat behind the desk and smile at us.
“Will, what happened cause complications with future pregnancies?” Devon asked softly.
“No, I don’t believe it will. Since she’s part human and her body was shocked by the sudden Lycan pregnancy. That’s the easiest way to explain things to you. I’m going to tell you what I told Alark and Mel.” He leaned forward and placed his linked hands on the desk. “Val is part human but she has Lycan blood. The more you give your blood to her, the stronger she will get. It’s a secret some of the elders have kept.”
“What if we want to change her?” David asked softly.
My eyes snapped down to his. Change me? I frowned at him. I was already part Lycan so why would they want to change me? Doubts filled my mind again. I thought of all the things I had learned about female Lycan’s. They had the same abilities as the males.
“It’s possible,” the doctor said softly, “but I wouldn’t advise it.”
“Why?”
“The numbers of deaths are high. Very few survive the change. Giving her your blood every day will be enough. It will boost her immune system, prolong her aging, and make her stronger. You don’t need to change her.” His eyes darted between the three of us. “The same goes for when you decide to have a family. There is a possibility that the baby might turn full Lycan if she drinks your blood regularly during pregnancy.”
Our children wouldn’t be weak like me. They’d be strong like their fathers. David pressed a kiss against my cheek, making me glance down at him. He gave me a small smile. I returned it before glancing over at Devon. He was frowning down at the floor. Scratching his chin, he glanced up at me before turning his attention back to the doctor.
“What about contraception?” he asked softly. “Something to prevent pregnancy until we’re ready to start a family.”
“Right. The best options would be condoms.” Both men growled, making the doctor laugh.
I made a mental note to ask them about it later.
“There is the pill, but since we don’t have any mixed couples amongst us, we’re not sure if the pill would be effective.”
“Any other options?”
The doctor leaned back in his chair and reached out to pull open the drawer to his right. He searched inside and then straightened. I glanced down at the pamphlet he placed on the table in front of us.
“The Nexplanon or birth control implant is the best form of birth control I can suggest to you apart from condoms. It’s a thin rod that is implanted under the skin of the upper arm. It protects you from pregnancy for up to five years.”
David tugged the pamphlet closer and glanced down at it. He was still frowning when he handed it over to Devon. After glancing it over, Devon held it out to me. I hesitated and then took it from him. Uncertainty filled me as I stared down at it.
“Read it, do some research, talk about it, and then decide.” The doctor stared right at me as he spoke. “How long will you be staying for?”
Neither one of them answer. The doctor gave us a few more instructions before he got up and followed us out of his office. He bid us goodbye by the door before turning away. I held onto their hands as we walked out of the building. People turned to stare. We were drawing attention and I hated it. A tug on my arm made my eyes snap up to Devon.
“How about we catch a movie?”
I shook my head. “I want to go home.”
“Home it is then.”
“Our home,” I said softly. “I want to go to our home.”
Devon pursed his lips and glanced at David over my shoulder. They were communicating silently again. Anger made me rip my hands from theirs and stomp away. I crossed my arms over my chest as I walked blindly down the street. I knew they were following behind me. It was hard not to miss their presence so close to me. Storming away wasn’t the best option since I didn’t have the keys to the car. So I was forced to wait for them to unlock it before I could climb inside.
I gasped when Devon grabbed the door before I could slam it close. He leaned over me and reached for the seatbelt. He slowly pulled it across my body and clipped it in place all while keeping his eyes locked with mine. I tried to even my breathing, but his closeness was affecting me. Devon’s tongue slipped out to lick his bottom lip. I followed the movement with interest.
“Bad girls get punished,” he whispered. “Remember that, little dove.”
And then he straightened and slammed the door closed. I watched as he walked around the front of the car and met David halfway, He held out his hand for the keys. David muttered something which made Devon frown. I tapped my foot on the ground as the minutes passed. Finally, they moved. Devon got in behind the wheel and David next to me. He gave me a wink before focusing on the passing scenery.
My eyes dropped to the pamphlet in my hands I opened it and started to read. The side effects made me feel hesitant to agree with the implant. Everyone was different, I knew that, but the implant has never been used on my kind. We could have serious side effects because of it.
“Why won’t you wear condoms?” I asked softly.
David glanced at me. “It’s not natural.”
“If both of you want to have sex then you better start getting used to it.”
The car swerved to the right sharply. I gasped. Devon turned the car back in the right lane and waved a hand at the man who was cursing at us. His eyes caught mine in the rear-view mirror. I gave him a sweet smile which made him frown at me. His eyes darted back to the road.
I glanced at David when he took the pamphlet. He read over it and then glanced back at me. “I thought you were going to get this?”
“Have you read the side-effects?”
“It only lasts for about a month,” he pointed out.
“It could last longer.” I turned slightly towards him. “Have you forgotten the fact that I’m not fully human? We don’t even know if it will work on me the way it should. We don’t know what kind of side effects it could have on me.”
Silence filled the car. A few minutes later Devon parked the car in the driveway. He turned off the ignition but made no move to get out and neither did David. I unclipped my seatbelt and sat forward. David crumbled the pamphlet and pushed it into his pocket. My eyes darted to Devon when he sighed.
“I need to go back tonight.”
My shoulders sagged. “Right.”
I should’ve been expecting that, but I had hoped that he would be able to stay for a few more days. They had a pack to run. My mind trailed back to Mel. A lot of pack members ate at the diner. They greeted her with friendly smiles and made small talk with her. They truly looked happy to have her as their Alpha Female. I needed to know her secret. I needed to win over the pack members.
“If I could, I would stay right here with you Val, but I can’t.”
“I know.”
I got out of the car and made my way into the house. Voices from the living room drew my attention towards it. I paused in the doorway and stared at the man sitting on the couch opposite Alark. He looked familiar but I couldn’t remember where I saw him before. His dark hair was long and tied back in a ponytail. He wore an expensive suit that clung to his slim but muscular build. His skin was pale—almost transparent.
He turned his head then, looking right at me. The hair at the nape of my neck rose as ice gripped my veins. Now I remembered him. I wouldn’t forget those ink-black eyes. I took a step back when he stood. His lips pulled up into a small closed-lip smile. I knew behind those lips were sharp teeth. He was the man that haunted my dreams when I was a little girl.
“Hello, Valeria.”
I took another step back and bumped right into somebody. An arm wrapped around my waist. I glanced over my shoulder at Devon, but his eyes were focused on the man. David stepped up beside us, so close that his shoulder brushed against mine
My eyes snapped over to Alark when he stood. He turned towards us with a small smile. His eyes darted between the three of us and then back to the man.
“This is Carl Woods,” Alark introduced us. “He will be staying with us for a few days. Carl was just telling me that he knew Val’s parents.”
“How?” Devon growled.
I caught the slight shake of Alark’s head. “This is Alpha Devon and David. They lead the pack a few miles away.”
“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Carl said, taking a step closer. “I’ve heard a lot about the two Alphas leading alongside each other.”
My stomach rolled when he glanced at me again. I pressed myself closer against Devon’s chest. The urge to run was strong. I hated the way he looked at me. The feeling of dread intensified inside me as the men continued to make small talk. Finally, Carl excused himself, and Alark and David led him out of the house.
The moment I heard the front door close, I turned in Devon’s arms. “We need to leave.”
He frowned down at me. “What?”
I gripped the front of his shirt and jerked until his face was close to mine. Surprise made his eyes widen. His lips parted but no sound escaped.
“David told me to always follow my instincts. I’m listening to it now and it’s telling me to run. I’ve seen him before when I was younger at Aunt Geraldine’s house. It’s not a coincidence that he’s here.” My hands tightened. “We need to leave, Devon. Now.”
“What makes you think he’s here to cause problems?”
“He’s not just passing through like he said,” Alark muttered as he entered the living room. “He asked too many questions.” His eyes locked with mine. “Val is right. You guys need to leave.”
***
“Don’t show them you’re weak,” Mel said softly as she helped me pack my clothes. “No matter what happens, keep it in until you’re able to let it out. Be friendly but firm. The biggest thing that will help you make your pack accept you is if you don’t allow them to walk over you. If you don’t give them reasons to see you as weak then they have no reason to claim you to be weak.”
I closed the suitcase and turned to give her a small smile. “Thank you. I appreciate your advice.”
Mel stepped closer and wrapped her arms around me. I hugged her tightly. Who knew when we’d see each other again?
“If you need anything just call me.” Mel pulled away and pecked my cheek.
I smiled at her. We were leaving with Devon tonight. Instead of taking two cars, we were only taking one. Alark had offered to have some men go with us but David had declined. He had assured Alark that we would be fine until we reached home.
I grabbed a suitcase while Mel grabbed the other. I paused in the doorway to glance around the room. It held a lot of painful memories. Nothing would ever be the same again. We had lost a baby. True, that it wasn’t fully grown and neither of us had time to form a close bond with it, but it will always be remembered.
I exit the house and walked over to the truck.
David took hold of the suitcases and loaded them onto the back of the truck. I turned towards Alark and Mel. I was unsure of what to say. When I arrived here I wanted to be anywhere but here. I was planning on running away, but in the end, I stayed and I was glad that I did.
“You’re welcome here anytime,” Alark said softly. “All of you.”
“Thank you,” I muttered softly.
“Thank you for protecting her.” David stepped up to my side and held out his hand.
Alark rolled his eyes but slipped his hand into David’s. They exchange a few more words and then we finally said goodbye. David slid in behind the wheel. Since it was a single cab truck, I had to sit between them, not that I was complaining. I placed one hand on David’s thigh and reached out to grip Devon’s hand with my other. Worry still ate at me, but I knew we’d all face what was coming together.
“I called Wrin to inform him that we were n our way back.” Devon squeezed my hand. “I also asked him to double patrols, and to let us know if something happens.”
“Good.”
“We haven’t finished our discussion from earlier,” I muttered after a few minutes of silence.
David chuckled. “You want to talk about sex now?”
“I want to keep myself distracted.”
“I can think of a lot of things that will keep you distracted,” Devon muttered against my ear.
I smiled when he placed his hand on my knee and slowly slid it up my thigh. David muttered something under his breath. My smile widened. I encourage Devon by spreading my legs a little wider. He paused before he reached the apex of my thighs.
“No sex while I’m driving,” David said softly. “It’s not fair.”
“You can always join in on the fun.”
He growled. “I need to concentrate on driving. No sex.”
Devon chuckled. I glanced at him in question. He gave me a wink before sliding his hand up to cup my sex. “We’re just going to play a little.”
I leaned my head back against the seat when he applied pressure. This was the worse time to be thinking about sex, but it was a great way to keep the fear from choking me. Devon pressed his thumb against the seam of my jeans, right over my clit. I moaned.
David jerked, making my eyes snap open. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was digging my nails into his leg. I eased up and just held on.
Devon’s hand disappeared. He turned slightly and reached for the jeans. After unbuttoning it and sliding down the zip, he slipped his hand into my pants. I slid forward as much as I could and tilted my hips to give him better access.
It felt like heaven, but I had no idea how quickly heaven could change to hell.