Chapter 173

Chapter 173
Alexander's POV

I jolted awake, immediately reaching for Arabella beside me. My hand met cold sheets instead of her warm body. My heart rate spiked as I sat up, scanning the dim room. Empty.

"Fuck," I muttered, grabbing my phone from the nightstand.

I quickly opened the home security app, checking for any door or window alerts. Nothing. No perimeter breaches, no exits recorded overnight. I exhaled slowly, forcing my wolf to calm down. She was still here, somewhere in the house.

Switching to the camera feeds, I tapped through until I found her. The kitchen.

There she was, hair pulled into a messy bun, humming softly while stirring something in a bowl. She swayed slightly to whatever song was playing in her head, completely absorbed in her task. Alice sat in her high chair, contentedly gnawing on what looked like pieces of fruit.

I couldn't tear my eyes away. Something about the sight of Arabella, so at ease in our home, doing something as simple as making breakfast, hit me in a place I'd forgotten existed. This was what I wanted to protect. This moment. This woman. This life we were building.

"Holy shit. Is she... singing?"

I hadn't heard Lucas and Tristan enter the room, but there they were, both looking over my shoulder at my phone screen.

"She's downstairs, and you're up here watching her on camera?" Tristan asked, the corner of his mouth quirking up.

Lucas defended me. "You know she'd never do this in front of us. She's too shy."

I remained silent, listening to the soft melody of her voice through the phone's speaker. It was better than I'd imagined—sweet and pure, if a bit untrained. I'd pay any price to wake up to that sound every day.

"Sometimes I think she's like a lost princess who stumbled into our lives," Tristan said quietly, a rare moment of sentimentality from him. "Made it her mission to steal our hearts and fix our broken pieces."

I turned to Tristan. "How was last night?" I could smell Lucas on him.

Tristan's expression softened. "Better than expected. I enjoy it more than I thought I would." His eyes shifted with concern. "Is she... okay?"

I looked at Lucas, who nodded. "We talked. She just needs understanding, especially with the pregnancy hormones torturing her."

A rare smile crossed Tristan's face. "We're actually getting better at communicating, aren't we?"

"Thanks to her," Lucas agreed. "I honestly think we're becoming decent men."

I felt a sudden hunger to see my Arabella in person rather than through a screen. I pushed myself out of bed. "I'm heading down."

She had started singing another song—one of my favorites, an old rock ballad I was surprised she even knew. My heart swelled at the coincidence.

"I'll join you," Lucas said, stretching. "Need to shower first."

I nodded, heading to the bathroom for a quick rinse. Five minutes later, dressed in clean clothes, I was taking the stairs two at a time, eager to see her.

When I entered the kitchen, Arabella noticed me immediately. Her face lit up with a smile that nearly stopped my heart. I crossed the room in three strides, wrapped my arms around her waist from behind, and buried my face in her neck.

"Good morning, Puppy," I murmured against her skin.

She smelled like warm honey and fresh shower gel—like home. My home.

Her cheeks flushed as she closed the waffle maker. The counter was lined with cooked bacon and fresh waffles, the scent mouthwatering.

"Morning," she said softly. "You're in a good mood. Must be the extra sleep."

I gave her ass a playful smack. "Or maybe it's because my woman is in my kitchen looking delicious."

She turned in my arms, looping her hands around my neck and giving me a kiss that made every nerve in my body tingle.

"This smells amazing," I said, concern creeping into my voice. "You got up to cook? You should be resting." Charles would have a fit if he knew she was up and about.

I watched her bite her lip, uncertainty crossing her face. "I just needed something to distract myself. I haven't looked at my phone yet, but—"

"Good. Don't," I cut her off, not wanting those negative messages to reach her.

She leaned against my chest. "Alexander, I hate being publicly humiliated. I know releasing that stuff was necessary, but... it's hard knowing Wesley's shit is out there for everyone to see."

I held her tighter, resting my chin on top of her head. "I know, Puppy. Tell me what you need. I'll do anything."

She looked up at me. "Hold me like this? Forever?"

I didn't hesitate. "Done."

The waffle maker beeped, interrupting our moment. She patted my chest and gestured for me to sit while she poured me coffee.

"Papa!" Alice called out, dropping her fork and reaching for me with grabby hands.

I lifted her from the high chair, feeling her tiny body press against mine. "So demanding. Just like your mother," I teased, making her giggle.

Looking at her little face, I was struck again by how much she resembled Arabella—perfect in every way, impossible to resist.

Freshly showered, Lucas and Tristan entered the kitchen. Lucas's eyes widened. "Waffles? Sweetheart, it's like you read my mind. I was just thinking I could eat."

Tristan and I exchanged a knowing look. Lucas's appetite had recently matched Arabella's—nearly insatiable.

"Does Charles know you're cooking?" Lucas asked, snagging a piece of bacon.

"She's our Luna," Charles called from the living room. "She can do whatever she wants."

I bit back a laugh. That didn't sound like the usual Charles.

Tristan chuckled under his breath. "Little warrior, what did you do to earn his respect?"

"I didn't do anything," Arabella protested. "Maybe it's more of a mutual understanding rather than him actually being afraid of a harmless pregnant woman?"

Lucas laughed. "I don't think Damien and Liam would agree."

Arabella groaned. "I told you guys—I didn't do anything to them."

The sharp buzz of my phone interrupted the moment. I felt my entire body go on alert, noting that Lucas and Tristan had stiffened too. We simultaneously reached for our phones.

Asher's name flashed on my screen. My stomach dropped.

The message was simple: [Come to the club. Bring Arabella.]