Chapter Six

Red

"I swear, I'm never letting her do that drive again," I mutter, slamming the car door.

Riley quirks her brow at me. "Not even if it means we get to look at our pup?"

"Way I see it, Baxter can use his crazy Maddox Tech money to buy the ultrasound machine, Marcus can read the scan, and Eve never has to drive anywhere again."

She scoffs, but I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one tempted by this idea—court rules be damned.

Marcus and Baxter help Eve inside. Instinctively, I look around for Thorn, making sure all of our pack has arrived home in one piece, but he must have slunk off without my noticing. Typical .

Within minutes, Eve is putting together a nest on the couch and my inner alpha is simmering down. Riley's right—no matter how much that drive sucks for her, at least we know our pup is healthy. And we're home now, safe and sound.

Until next month's checkup.

"Sorry to break it to you, princess," Marcus says, joining us in the living room with a plate of cookies, "but it's time for your meds."

Eve makes a face. She burrows into the pillows, turning her ass up to me in the process. God, I love those cute little shorts she's wearing.

Baxter rumbles, "The meds are good for you, and the pup."

"How do you know?" she pouts.

I pinch her thigh, grinning when she gasps. "Because Doctor Court-Face said so."

"Doctor Perez," Riley corrects me.

I guess this is a pretty convincing argument, as Eve finally sits up and accepts her meds. Marcus angles a cookie into her mouth as soon as she's done. Her cheeks flush—a welcome sight after all that ghostly white and sickly green.

I'm about to try my luck at hand-feeding her a cookie when the back door closes. My head perks up, noting Thorn as he enters the room with a duffel bag slung over one shoulder.

"Going somewhere?" I ask, unable to keep the suspicion out of my voice.

He makes a beeline for Eve. She shifts, unsettled, until Baxter slips his arm around her.

"Our second has been called out on business," he explains.

Eve's bottom lip quivers. She bites down on it. "Oh."

Thorn crouches down, putting his hands on her thighs. "I won't be long." His dark eyes bear into hers, almost like he's scared of her response—knowing how easy it is to make her cry right now.

Eve just forces a smile. "Long enough to miss you."

He smiles back, brushing his lips against hers.

I give them a moment, my gaze checking Marcus and Riley. Clearly, neither of them knew this was happening either. We should all be used to Thorn's intermittent absences by now, but it's been a while since the last time he was gone. I've got to admit—I feel safer when he's around. Or, at least, I feel like Eve is safer.

Then I remind myself of all the time he's put into training me. After years of asking, he's finally taken me under his wing, teaching me how to fight. How to protect our pack.

"When you get back," I say gruffly, "we're going back to sparring."

Marcus shoots me a panicked look. Riley glares as if to say, Now? Really?

It's too late. Eve's already growling.

"I'll be careful," I promise her. "No more black eyes."

She growls again, louder. I guess the mental image alone is enough to piss her inner omega off.

"We'll discuss it later," Thorn says without looking at me. He strokes Eve's jaw, purring ever-so-slightly, until her outrage melts away into an adorable little scowl.

***

Thorn is gone within the hour. Like always, he doesn't tell us where he's going. I guess it's safer that way.

"Red," Baxter murmurs, "why don't you take her upstairs?"

I look down at Eve—sprawled in my lap, like she's worried the second she lets me go, I'll disappear to the gym and somehow get myself beat up.

"Come on, cuteness."

She's practically falling asleep over my shoulder as I carry her upstairs, laying her down in her nest.

"Mmph—" she pinches my shirt.

I stop, smiling. "I'm not going anywhere."

She shifts onto her side, her body in the perfect position for spooning. What's an alpha to do? I crawl into bed behind her, pinning her ass to my waist, her spine to my chest.

Don't get hard. Don't get hard. Don't get hard.

She's too tired, not to mention drained from all that vomiting. Besides, there's no way Baxter told me to take her upstairs so I could get my cock wet.

But then she shudders, pushing her hips back. I bite off a groan.

"Omega," I say lowly.

I can hear the smirk in her voice. "Alpha?"

"You're …" I huff. "You should rest."

"I can rest," she says innocently.

I nod, trying to relax. "Good. Good girl."

"With you inside me."

God fucking damn.

I hold her closer, positive she can feel the pulse of my cock through her shorts. "You're gonna get me into trouble."

"But I'm needy," she says, "and hormonal."

My cock gives a twitch of agreement. The doctor did mention she'd be extra clingy right now. I figured, judging from what we've seen so far, that would just mean more violent mood swings.

Is ‘horny' a mood?

Eve's dainty hand slides back, skimming the bulge in my pants. Holy fuck.

No matter how fast my mind races, I cannot think of an argument convincing enough to stop her from pulling my zipper down, taking my length in her heavenly hand, or angling it between her thighs. My body moves on its own, helping her shimmy out of her shorts.

Her arousal floods my scent, taking over whatever sanity I have left.

" Fuuuck ," I moan, gliding seamlessly into her.

She whimpers.

Instantly, I stop, my heart thudding. "You okay? Too fast?"

Her walls twitch around me, remembering my shape. "No. It's just … a lot."

"Good a lot, or bad a lot?"

She laughs airily. "Good, alpha."

That laugh soothes me, but it doesn't quite give me the confidence to move. Suddenly I remember where I am, what I'm doing—and that my omega is carrying our pup inside her.

"It's okay," she assures me, reading my mind. "The doctor didn't say … we couldn't … do this."

She starts to rock her hips, sucking me in and out. I bite my cheek to stop from knotting her right there.

"We go slow," I say through gritted teeth, gripping her waist. "Really fucking slow."

Eve gives an adorable moan of affirmation.

I'm not exactly the slow and steady type, but right now, I can't think of anything better. Cuddle-fucking my pregnant omega, the tip of my dick kissing the deepest part of her with every thrust, our heartbeats pounding in messy unison. For the first time in weeks, she's all mine.

"Gonna take such good care of you." I kiss her temple, my hand snaking around to her front so I can touch her. "Give you everything you need, omega."

It's as if all the tension leaves her body, flying out with an almighty sigh of relief. Her pussy flutters around me, slicking me up in her come.

Maybe Baxter did send me up here to get my cock wet. Eve's been so agitated about my getting hurt, that maybe this—being one with me—is exactly what her omega needs.

"Knot," she whispers, "please, alpha, please."

I'm already there, my fingers digging into her waist as the base of my cock swells inside of her.

" Fuck , I'm coming. Coming. Coming —"

Locked in place, all I can do is jerk helplessly, filling her insides with ropes of come. Breed her, my alpha brain growls, breed her more .

I gasp, still twitching, as I wrap my arms around her. She's warm and sweet and everything I've ever wanted.

"I love you," I murmur, flattening my palm over her stomach. "Both of you."

She purrs. Content.