ChapterFour
SUNDAY
Two Days Without Alek
Moira linked arms with me as we rushed out of our last class of the semester. We saved the worst for last... theology with Caleb. If it was awkward attending class with my professor before he possibly knocked me up, it was absolutely unbearable now. Especially after the way he reacted to my pregnancy. He was always my dark knight, my protector, even though we couldn’t be together in public. I hadn’t expected him to jump for joy, but I also, deep in my heart, never thought he’d turn cold.
In one terrible night, I’d been abandoned by three of my mates. Maybe not in the same way, but it was abandonment all the same.
Even though I had Kingston, my heart ached for everything that was missing. Instinct still screamed for me to find Alek, bring him home to me, make him see what a mistake he’d made. But the truth was, he didn’t want to be here. Whatever his reasons were, it had been his choice to go.
I refused to let my thoughts continue to dwell on any of my other mates. Kingston was safe territory; they were definitely not. Maybe I’d been wrong to put my faith in them.
“Brr, it’s colder than a witch’s tit out here,” I grumbled, shivering dramatically as Moira cuddled into me.
She cupped her breast. “Can confirm. It is, in fact, colder than a witch’s tit. In case you were wondering.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Sounds like a personal problem.”
She shrugged. “Ash doesn’t complain.”
“Are you excited to go home and see her during the break?”
A little of the light left Moira’s eyes. “It’s harder to see her when she’s home. Her parents make things uncomfortable.”
“You’re welcome to join Kingston and me with his family.”
“So you’re really doing that, then?”
“Where else would I go? The headmistress is locking down the campus for a magical cleansing, and I sure as shit don’t want to go back to my pack and spend the holiday by myself.”
“You don’t think things will be different now that you can shift? Well, maybe not at the moment with the no shifting while pregnant thing, but you know, in general.”
“I’m sure they will be, but I don’t want to be surrounded by people who refused to love me when I was at my lowest. I’d rather spend time with the people, or at least one of the people, who always accepted me as I was.”
My belly fluttered with nerves at the thought of going to the Farrell estate. The last time I’d seen Kingston’s parents, I’d rejected their son. I was hardly daughter-in-law of the year material. And bonus, I was showing up with a bun in the oven that may or may not be his.
Moira gave me the sweetest hug before releasing me and staring into my eyes. “Thanks for the offer but, I’ll pass. I donotwant to be the third wheel in that particular sandwich.”
I opened my mouth to correct her metaphor, but gave it up. Not worth it.
Warm arms wrapped around me from behind, the earthy scent of Kingston washing over me and immediately soothing something deep inside my soul. “Mmm, you look better than you did when you left this morning, Sunshine. You’re fucking glowing.”
“That’s frostbite,” I snarked. “It’s fucking freezing out here.”
Kingston’s chest rumbled against my back. “Guess that means I should get you home and underneath me, I mean, a blanket. There’s a reason wolves are pack animals. We keep each other warm.”
“I swear to the goddess, if I have to hear you talk about puppy piles one more time, I’m going to hurl.”
“Don’t get jealous, Belladonna. You could always be my little spoon,” I teased.
“Bitch, I’m the big spoon, and you know it.”
“I’mthe big spoon.” Kingston nuzzled my neck and then scraped his teeth over my mark, making me suck in a sharp breath as need careened through me.
“Technically, Alek is the biggest spoon.” As soon as his name left my lips, my smile vanished.
Look at that. I’d gone a whole five minutes without thinking about Noah, Caleb, or... Alek. The slowly healing wound I could feel but not see around my heart broke open again. I knew it was impossible, but I wished there was some way to contact Alek, even if only so I could be sure he was okay.