Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

A lena found herself strolling hand in hand with Zane down a sun-dappled path, the air heavy with the scent of blooming wildflowers. A sense of peace and contentment settled over her, her bear practically purring with satisfaction at having her mate by her side. Because Zane was her mate. She felt it in her bones.

Suddenly, a small crowd of women appeared on the path ahead, their faces alight with excitement.

"Congratulations!" they chorused, rushing forward to engulf Alena and Zane in a flurry of hugs and well-wishes. Alena blinked, confusion clouding her features.

"Um, thank you?" she managed, shooting Zane a bewildered look. "But what exactly are you congratulating us for?"

The women merely grinned, their eyes sparkling with some secret knowledge. Before Alena could press further, a rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, the sky darkening ominously.

"Oh, dear, looks like a storm is brewing," one of the women tutted. "Better hurry home, you two."

Alena opened her mouth to respond, but a crack of lightning cut her off, making her jump. As the women dispersed, a mailman appeared on the path, a package tucked under his arm.

"Ah, just the person I was looking for," he said, thrusting the parcel towards Alena. "This is for you, my dear."

"For me?" Alena asked, her brow furrowing. "But I'm not expecting anything…" She turned to question the mailman further, but he had vanished, leaving her standing there with the mysterious package in her hands. What in the world?

Alena jolted awake, her heart racing and her mind spinning. She sat up in bed, running a hand through her tousled hair as she tried to make sense of the bizarre dream.

"Well, that was weird," she muttered to herself, shaking her head.

These dreams are getting out of control.

For a moment, she let herself wake a little.

God, but last night was incredible.

She looked to where Zane had been laying. She had awakened briefly as he kissed her goodbye maybe an hour or two ago. All she knew was that it had still been dark out. Thinking of him flushed out most of the weird feeling from her dream.

Shaking off the last lingering bits of unease, Alena swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, only to be hit by a wave of dizziness.

"Whoa." She steadied herself against the nightstand. That was when the smells hit her. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee, once a morning staple, now turned her stomach. And was that… Indian food?

"What the hell?" Alena groaned, her nose wrinkling in distaste. Who on earth was cooking curry at this hour? Annoyance flickered through her, hot and sharp. Great, now I'm moody on top of everything else. Her bear shifted restlessly beneath her skin, attuned to the sudden shift in her emotions but uncertain of the cause.

Before she could dwell on it further, her phone rang, Brandon's name flashing on the screen. Alena sighed, steeling herself before answering. "Hey, Brandon. What's up?"

"Alena! Hey, sorry, I know it's kinda last minute, but I need you to come in a few hours early tonight," Brandon said, his tone clipped and harried. Irritation surged through her, and she bit back the urge to snap at him. It wasn't like she had plans, but still…

"Is everything okay? I mean, what happened to ‘please'? Jeez, Brandon," she muttered instead, trying to keep her voice level.

"Sorry, We're dealing with issues at the shop. Can you make it or not?" Brandon retorted. Alena felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes.

What is wrong with you? She chided herself. This was definitely out of character for Brandon, but hardly worth getting teary about.

"Yeah, fine, I can make it. You're sure you're all right?"

"Archer will fill you in when you get here, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. No problem," she managed, hating the wobble in her words. As soon as the call ended, Alena rushed to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before the nausea overtook her. She retched, her stomach heaving violently. And that was when it hit her like a bolt of lightning. The weird dreams, the heightened senses, the mood swings…

"Oh, my god," Alena whispered, her hand fluttering to her stomach. "I'm pregnant."

No, it can't be! But even as the denial formed on her lips, Alena knew, deep down, it was true.

Mate. Baby. Protect. Her bear's instincts suddenly roared to life, a fierce surge of love and protectiveness almost overwhelming her. What? No, it wasn't possible, it had only been what? Ten days since her and Zane's first night together? But shifter pregnancies were fast. She knew that.

Oh my God, this can't be happening.

A sudden, almost primal urge to find a den in the woods and nest hit her next, her bear pacing frantically just beneath her skin. That was the final confirmation she needed.

"Yup, definitely pregnant," she muttered, dragging a shaky hand across her face. "Holy shit." Panic and joy warred within her, the enormity of the situation crashing down like a tidal wave. Pregnant. With Zane's baby .

Her mind began to race even as her bear pressed her desires on her at the same time. Protect. Cub.

It will be cub, right? Or a hatchling? How will that work anyway?

Alena paced her small living room, her heart racing and mind reeling. She could feel her mind wanting to go to the darkest corners, although at the same time, there was undoubtably a current of something…

Excitement? Hope?

She wasn't sure. Her head was a mess. And her condition was not helping matters.

I need to tell Zane!

She grabbed at her phone but hesitated.

Wait, you need to get it together. Calm down. If you call him like this, you are going to freak him out, too. Right. But I need to talk to someone, or I'm going to lose it.

With shaking hands, Alena dialed Kelly's number instead.

"Hey, Kel, are you busy?" she asked tentatively.

"No, just doing some cleaning. Everything okay?" her friend asked, seemingly picking up on the tremor in her voice.

"Yeah, um, sort of. I really need to talk to you about something."

"Of course. What's going on?"

"I know you wouldn't say anything, but you have to swear to keep it a secret, at least until I say otherwise."

Kelly's tone now carried an edge of concern. "Lena, that goes without saying. You're starting to freak me out a little. What's going on?"

Alena took a deep breath, her bear pacing restlessly within her. "I'm pregnant."

"What! Holy shit!"

"Yeah, that was my first reaction."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. I mean, I haven't done a test, but I know. It's Zane's." There was another moment of stunned silence before Kelly spoke again.

"Wow. I didn't realize you had already… that is… Well, are you okay? I mean, what are you going to do?"

"First, I just need to stop freaking out. And yeah, it's been a whirlwind. That's why I called."

"Do you want me to come over? Or whatever you need," her friend said.

"No, it's okay. I just needed to tell someone, you know… but with everything, I just…" She trailed off.

"Totally get it," Kelly offered.

As Alena poured out her initial anxieties, Kelly listened patiently. Slowly, Alena's panic began to ebb, replaced by a growing sense that perhaps this, too, was all part of the plan.

Isn't this what I've wanted all along?

Her bear rumbled in agreement, fiercely protective instincts already stirring.

"So, do you have a plan?" Kelly asked gently.

Alena nodded to herself, newfound determination filling her. "First, I I'm going to tell Zane, of course. Since you and I spoke last, things have really ramped up between us. Obviously." She let out a nervous laugh. "I'm sure he'll stand by me, I know it."

"I agree."

"Right, and then, we'll tell our families—at least, I assume we will. Together. We were already planning on telling them about us."

Her bear's thoughts echoed her own.

"Wow, you have some guts, Alena."

"Well, there is no other choice as far as I can see. And he and I were already planning on telling our families about us. This just sort of ups the ante."

"That it does, but you are strong. And yes, hope for the best."

"Thanks, Kelly. I just needed to tell someone, you know?"

"Um, yeah, of course, are you kidding? This is a lot! If you need to talk more later, call me, okay?"

"I think I'll be okay. I'll see you at work? I'm heading into town early to find Zane first and tell him the news in person."

"Okay, hon, good luck!"

Alena hung up, her heart full of hope and love. She had some nerves, too, but she tamped them down. She quickly texted Zane with a simple, Hey , but she received no immediate response.

He was probably busy. No matter, she would head in and find him.

Alena's heart raced as she hurried down the street, her mind still reeling from the revelation of her pregnancy. She had to find Zane, to share the news with him. Surely, he would be just as thrilled as she was, right? Her bear's instincts thrummed through her, a constant undercurrent of fierce love and determination.

As she approached Misty Brews, the distinctive rumble of motorcycles filled the air, growing louder with each step. Alena frowned, a sense of unease prickling along her spine.

These bikers… what now?

Rounding the corner, she stumbled upon a scene of utter chaos. Bears and dragons faced off against each other, shouting and gesticulating wildly. The Forsaken Riders milled about, their presence only seeming to fuel the tensions.

Oh, shit .

Alena spotted her brother Archer at the head of the bear contingent, his face twisted with fury as he jabbed a finger at the dragons. Brandon and Smith flanked him, their stances equally aggressive. What the hell had happened? Scanning the crowd, Alena's gaze landed on Zane, her heart leaping into her throat. He was squaring off against another bear, his jaw clenched and eyes flashing with barely contained anger.

This is bad. Really bad.

Fear coiled in her gut as she watched the two groups inch closer to each other, the air practically crackling with hostility. Surely, they wouldn't actually come to blows, right? Not here, not in broad daylight. But the sinking feeling in her stomach told her otherwise.

Great.

There were the unmistakable fluorescent vests of Sampson and the rest of his construction crew. It seemed the blowup she had witnessed the other day had not just faded away. The bear was right at the front, practically foaming at the mouth as he yelled and cursed, the specific words lost to Alena in the din.

Her bear whined anxiously, torn between the desire to protect their mate and the instinct to shield their unborn cub from harm. Her hand instinctively went to her belly.

Suddenly, Zane's eyes met hers across the sea of snarling faces. For a suspended moment, the world fell away, and it was just the two of them. His gaze softened imperceptibly. For a fraction of a second, it was like they were right back in bed, lying next to each other and gazing into each other's eyes. But just like that, the moment was gone. Whatever she had thought she had seen was almost instantly buried by his hard exterior once again. He gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

The message was clear: Stay away. Don't get involved.

Alena's heart clenched painfully, her bear keening at the perceived rejection. She wanted nothing more than to rush to Zane's side, to stand with him against the rising tide of animosity. But she couldn't. She shouldn't, and she knew it. Not now, not with their cub nestled in her womb, vulnerable and precious.

With a shaky breath, Alena turned away from the confrontation, her feet carrying her towards the diner almost of their own accord. Tears stung her eyes, blurring her vision as she walked. Stupid hormones. But it was true—this wasn't how it was supposed to happen.

She had envisioned telling Zane about the pregnancy, seeing his face light up with joy and wonder. They were supposed to be celebrating, planning for their future together. They were supposed to come out together to their families, to everyone! But this was a shitshow.

Fear and doubt swirled through her, insidious whispers that maybe their love wasn't strong enough to weather the storm after all.

God, what a rollercoaster. It was like the last few days had been the slow steady rise to the top, but now her stomach was in her neck, and she was falling.

If they couldn't even stand together in the face of their families' hatred, how could they possibly hope to build a life together?

No. Stop it. She knew she was thinking crazy, but she couldn't seem to help it. It's one stupid riot or whatever. This will pass. Calm down.

Alena shook her head firmly, trying to dislodge the negative thoughts. Zane loves me. He loves us. We'll find a way through this, somehow. Her bear rumbled in agreement, fiercely protective of their little family-to-be.

But as she pushed through the diner doors, Alena still couldn't shake the anxiety that erupted within her.

Before she could process any more, Brandon appeared beside her.

"Great, thanks for coming in early," he said breathlessly.

"Is that blood?" she demanded, noting what looked like a gash on his chin.

"It's nothing," he replied, causally bringing a hand to his face, checking for blood, and dismissing the injury. "Look, I need you to be in charge tonight okay? Some, eh, issues have arisen that need my attention. Can you do that for me?"

"Um, yes, of course," she managed to stammer.

"Great." He headed back out, across the street, and into the crowd.

No matter how she tried to spin it, this was not good.

Please, Alena prayed silently, to the universe or fate or whatever power might be listening. Please let this work out. It has to .

She headed to the little break and locker room, determined to make it through her shift without breaking down.

Everything was different now. This wasn't just about her and Zane, either.

She had to be strong, for herself and for the tiny life growing inside her. Only now, she was beginning to question exactly what that was going to look like.