“Why the bloody hell would he do that?” Noah’s outrage was impossible to miss as it twisted his features.
“He wanted to take my place as Alpha.”
“Bastard,” Noah snarled.
“He got what he deserved,” I said, violence lending my voice a sharp edge. I couldn’t seem to get a rein on my emotions; I was too raw. Everything was at a ten.
Kingston’s hands ran over my arms and down to my hips as though he was checking me for additional injuries. Then his palm rested lightly on my lower belly as he locked eyes with me, silently asking, ‘Are both of you okay?’
Caleb sucked in a sharp breath, clearly aware of what Kingston was doing. Noah, ever observant, noticed as well.
“What’s going on?” Noah’s voice was low and controlled.
So much for keeping things secret for now. Alek’s semi-willing capture changed everything. My men needed—deserved—to know. Especially since I was planning on going after Alek while growing one of their babies inside of me. They were going to have some feelings about that. But they needed to understand why it wasn’t going to sway me. And before long, they’d both sense the changes in my body.
I may not have a way to Novasgard yet, but if that blond asshole thought he could just steal one of my mates without repercussions, he was seriously mistaken. I’d tear a hole in the universe if it meant I could bring Alek back.
“Dove. What are you keeping from me?”
His question hit me like a shock from a live wire. It brought me back from the edge of fury. I locked gazes with him, his molten amber eyes making me all at once calm and terrified. The sensation had me reeling. Nausea rolled through me, but I swallowed it down.
Kingston’s arms tightened on me, and he nuzzled into my neck, whispering against my skin, “It’s all right, baby. I’m right here. You’re not in this alone.”
Gulping, I glanced between Caleb and Noah, anxiety tightening around my heart like a fist. “I’m pregnant.”
“We’repregnant,” Kingston corrected.
“Oh? Areyougrowing the tiny human?”
“Wolf.”
I shook my head. Leave it to Kingston to choose this moment to throw down the gauntlet. I had to admit it made me feel better, that sliver of normalcy. Especially when my eyes returned to my vampires. Neither had so much as blinked. Caleb stared at me with a tortured expression, as though he already knew, and Noah looked like he was about to be sick.
Great.
I stepped forward, reaching for Noah, but he flinched away. “Noah.”
“I... Sunday... fucking hell, this can’t... You...” His panicked eyes stared into mine. “It can’t be mine.”
All the air left my lungs, those four words breaking something inside me. I knew not all of them would take the news as gleefully as Kingston had, but a part of me hoped they’d at least be okay with it. But actively rejecting our baby? That was pretty much the worst-case scenario.
“So you can fuck her but not take responsibility for what comes next? You fucking coward. Can’t you see this isn’t what she needs from you?” Kingston’s low growl rumbled through my body.
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, what a fecking disaster.”
“She was supposed to be protected. She took suppressants.” Every word that left Noah’s lips sent accusation flying toward me.
“I did. And if you were that worried about knocking me up, maybe you should have used a goddamn rubber.” I couldn’t look at him right now; it hurt too much. So I turned to my confessor, steeling myself in case I found nothing but contempt staring back at me. “Caleb?”
“What have we done?”
“Keep it together, Priest. It’s not like you fathered the kid.”
I stiffened in Kingston’s arms.
“You didn’t tell him?” Caleb asked.
“You told me not to.” I hated the tremor in my voice, the tears blurring my vision. They’d just shattered me more thoroughly than I thought they ever could. I hadn’t realized how much I wanted their acceptance and support until they’d denied me.