Page 43 of Rescued by the Alpha

“Are you feeling sick?”

Elam shook his head, patting the bed next to him. “You’re right. We don’t have to get to Alex’s right away. And when we do, I’ll help her with the preparations while you go talk to your father.”

Nic rubbed his forehead. Do I really deserve this guy? “You heard?”

Elam offered him a sheepish smile. “I may or may not have been listening at the door.”

Nic snorted while he yanked off his shirt. “You’re a smart man.” He slid off his pants, his cock already at half-mast as he sauntered to the end of the bed, climbing up on the mattress then crawling toward the man he loved more than life. Nic reached Elam then yanked the covers free, revealing his nakedness.

Elam yelped, laughing. “It’s freezing!”

Nic quirked a smile. “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll warm you up.”

* * * *

Nic regarded his father, his brow wrinkling as he absorbed everything Nic had shared with him about Dara’s visit. When he and Elam had first arrived at Alex’s, Nic had excused himself so that he and his father could speak privately in the den.

At last, his father straightened. “I hate to say it, but what she told you rings true.” His father shook his head, sighing. “It pains me to say this about my own son, but I’m afraid Artur has changed over the past few years—and not for the better. Where he’d once been eager to learn the ways of the pack, to allow me to guide him with an eye to being Alpha one day, something drastic must have happened somewhere along the line to make him so angry and resentful. He was always impatient, didn’t see why being pack Alpha was so much work since he thought everyone should be serving him.

So, I’m almost wondering if he was the one who sought out the Yukon Delta Pack instead of the other way around. Who knows what drivel they fed him, how they pandered to his ego, what promises they made?”

Nic was relieved his father had been the one to bring the subject up. He’d already been leaning toward that explanation as a likely possibility but hadn’t wanted to upset him with a harsh criticism of Artur. “Sounds as if you could be right.”

His father sighed then leaned back in his chair. “Okay then. Let’s enjoy the rest of the holiday, then tomorrow I’ll approach the council. Let’s see if they want to bring in the Alliance and propose a more official inquiry into the Yukon Delta Pack or leave it with us to arrange for a social visit.”

After they’d left Alex’s den, they made their way back to the kitchen where all the activity was taking place. Katya was on Elam’s lap and he was reading to her from a pop-up book. Nic was familiar with the polar bear-themed tale from his childhood. The story only lasted about two minutes, so he could only imagine how many rounds of polar bear adventures Elam had already been through.

I’d lose my ever-loving fucking mind. He hoped he didn’t suck too bad as a parent. Thank thegods for Elam. Their kid would be toast otherwise.

Greg came bursting into the kitchen from the living room, stopped, then held up his hands like claws and squinched up his face. “Grrrrrrr. Ah woo!” After his enthusiastic wolf imitation, he raced from the room again. Nic swallowed hard, suddenly aware of what he would soon be tackling, what

his life would be like in the near future. He glanced at Elam still happily reading away to Katya and making gasping sounds every time he opened a page and a bear popped up. Katya would dissolve into laughter and clap her hands with delight.

His sister whacked his arm with a spatula. He grabbed it where she’d struck him and glared at her. “What was that for?”

She crooked her finger, beckoning him closer to where she was frying up a generous batch of potatoes and onions. “You’ll be fine. When they’re your own, they cast a sort of magic spell on you that makes it all better.” She inclined her head. “I guess it’s the same for humans or else their race would’ve probably died off long ago.”

Nic rolled his eyes. “Funny.” He leaned closer. “But what if I’m too old for this? Maybe it won’t take.”

She whacked him again and drops of oil went flying.

“The fuck, sis?”

“Language!”

Alex and Elam had shouted the admonishment in perfect unison.

Chapter Thirteen

Elam shuffled through the cabin, one hand below his protruding belly as if the baby might burst out of him and land on the floor.

Certainly feels like it.

When Nic returned, they’d be loading up the last of the boxes to take to the new place in town.

They were renting the two-bedroom home from one of the pack’s residents who had inherited it when their father had passed. As the time for the birth had drawn closer, Nic had become increasingly worried about them being so far out in the woods all alone. Elam had agreed, since the last thing he wanted to do was go into labor without any help nearby.

Whenever that’ll be.