A pain shot through my heart as Terry processed my words. I could see every emotion going through him as he experienced it. I knew what he was feeling, but I didn’t know how he was going to react.

I’d found out I was pregnant yesterday. No—that wasn’t the right way to say it. I didn’t find out. I knew.

It wasn’t something I could explain, just like I couldn’t explain how I knew Terry was my fated mate. It was a feeling that began at the core of my being and radiated out from there. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind. Something had shifted in my existence, and just like the first time I’d met Terry, it had changed everything.

My family’s wishes didn’t matter anymore. I was pregnant with my fated mate’s child and nothing was going to keep me from him anymore. His baby would need us—both fathers. So I snuck out of the apartment when the guys were having a smoke break, stole a car and headed out for the farm. Brad was going to kill me, but I had no choice. Terry had to know. It wasn’t something I could keep from him.

As I looked at him, I realized I was holding my breath, waiting for his response to me telling him I was pregnant. I don’t know what I’d expected, but it wasn’t what I got.

“Don’t screw with me,” he growled.

I was so taken aback I almost didn’t know what to say. “Wh—what?!”

“I said, don’t screw with me,” He repeated. His face was stern, but I could see his eyes beginning to water.

“I—I’m not!” I blathered, feeling my own tears starting to form. “I’m pregnant, Terry!”

He stood there, his eyes fixed on mine, and I watched as all his defenses fell away and once again, I was staring at my fated mate. I felt his love and cried out as he raced over to me and wrapped his arms around me.

“Oh God!” I exclaimed as his scent enveloped me in its warm embrace. His arms were strong and tears poured down my face as he held me. The fire had been ignited. That flame between us was burning stronger than ever, and I felt all the troubles and pains of the world slip away as my fated mate held me.

“I—I thought I’d never see you again,” Terry said softly into my ear. I could hear he was doing his best not to cry too hard.

“I’m sorry,” I told him as he stroked the back of my head. “I’m so sorry.”

“Why did you leave me!?” He asked. My heart broke at the question.

“My—my family,” I replied, feeling terrible and embarrassed. “Brad and his boys. I didn’t want them to attack. If anything happened to you or your pack because of me…”

“I’d do anything for you, Scotty!” Terry roared, pulling back to stare into my eyes.

“I know,” I cried. “And that’s exactly why I had to go! I knew you’d fight for me, and I knew that if I had stayed—even one second longer—Brad would have attacked you. I couldn’t let that happen.”

Terry looked at me, and then to my shock, burst out laughing.

“What!?” I asked, feeling confused. “What is it?”

He shook his head and looked down at the floor. “Jamie. Jamie told me this was probably why you left. But I didn’t want to believe it.”

“Why!?” I cried. “Why didn’t you want to believe it?!”

“Because…I guess it was just easier to believe that I’d been betrayed again,” he replied sadly. “I was hurt, and that was the first thing that came to me. I—I should have had more faith in you.”

“No, no I understand,” I told him, trying to sooth him the best I could. We had both gone through enough already without him dwelling on a mistake he thought he’d made. How he had felt was entirely understandable, and it pained me to know I was the reason behind it.

“It wasn’t your fault,” he told me, as though reading my mind. “It all…it all goes back to Adam. When he left me back then, my whole world fell apart. I guess those emotions were the first ones to come back when I saw you walk away from me.”

“It’s okay, baby,” I told him, caressing his cheek with my hand. “I’m back now. I’m back.”

He felt sticky. There was dirt on his hands and he was covered in sweat. I didn’t mind—in fact I loved how he smelled after a day out on the farm, but I was sure he couldn’t be the most comfortable like that and took him by the hand as I stood up.

“You need a shower,” I said with a gentle smile. “Come. Let me wash you.”

Terry looked up at me and as he stood up, I felt as though our week apart had suddenly been cut from existence, and we were back to being together again as though nothing bad had ever happened. This was the way things were meant to be.

He allowed me to lead him down the hall and into the bathroom. I started the water and turned to him. He was wearing a pair of work jeans and a off-white button up filled with holes.

Slowly, I undid the buttons, one by one, exposing his hard sculpted body. I’d almost managed to forget just how perfect he was, and couldn’t resist running my hand across his abs on the way down to his top button.

A bulge was already forming beneath his jeans, and as I unzipped them and pulled them down, his cock sprang out and into my hand as though it knew right where to go. I held it, squeezed it and looked up at him. His lips met mine and the fire roared between us. Quickly, he snatched my shirt over my head and pulled my shorts off.

My own dick was already getting hard, but this time, I wanted to take things slow and bathe in his presence.

I stepped into the shower and he followed. The water was a little too warm, so I turned it down. Someone had hung a loofa from one of the shower curtain hooks. I took it, lathered it up with soap, vanilla bean, and began to wash my mate.

There was more dirt than I’d seen before, caked onto his forearms and chest. He’d been working with dirt all day obviously. I started at his shoulders and worked my way down.

“Turn around,” I told him. “I’ll do your back.”

I could feel the tension between us. Terry’s cock was fully erect and I knew what he was thinking, as I was thinking it too. At any other time, I would have turned around and spread myself open for him, but I was enjoying our tender moment and wanted to stretch it out for as long as I could. There was plenty of time for him to stretch me…