“Someone looks happy,” Chance teased when I waltzed through the front door, high on love. Because that’s what it was—I was head over heels for Hunter Morgan, and I was happy about it. I scoffed and elbowed my way past him for a shower and a nap in my own bed.

I climbed up onto the mattress with a groan. I’d missed the smell of my pillow and the soft fuzzy blanket I used as a bedspread, but laying here alone, I missed Hunter’s embrace more.

We’d spent the last four weeks together, floating along like balloons at the carnival booth, just sort of existing in each other’s space. It was a wonderful feeling, but one that left me feeling alone now that I was home. I knew we both needed some time apart, to think about what the future held for us.

Hunter had made it clear that he didn’t want a mate and I was guessing it had everything to do with the scar on his neck. A mate-bite that he’d inked over with swirling tribal patterns in an attempt to cover it up. In an attempt to cover up the past. Who had hurt him so badly, that he was so afraid of giving in to the spark that sizzled between us?

I felt it deep in my soul. Hunter was my mate, of that my wolf was dead certain. He was mine. He belonged to me, and yet that niggling thought remained. What if he never felt the same way? Could I give everything to a man who couldn’t—or wouldn’t—give it back?

He just needs time, I told myself. He’ll come around. How can he not feel this? I smiled through my own uncertainty, then turned over in bed. Burrowing beneath the covers, I breathed in the familiar scents of home and let them lull me into a deep sleep. Things would be okay.

Over the next few weeks, we played the dating game. I visited him at work and sometimes, I took him lunches, because we both knew he wouldn’t pack them for himself. I couldn’t help but spoil him a little while I was living with him, and by the way Hunter’s eyes brightened when he saw me toting a brown paper bag of goodies, I knew he appreciated it.

I spent the weekends at Hunter’s place. I was happy to be wrapped up in his scent once more. His attention never wavered, not even when my stomach grew rounder and marred by thick red stretch marks. I fell asleep with his arms around me, one hand caressing my belly and his lips brushing whispery kisses over my neck. He might not’ve come out and said it, but I felt loved.

I shuffled through the front doors of the hardware store, my lower back aching something fierce. The pain radiated down my spine to settle at my hips and nothing seemed to put it at ease. I was nearing five months and I was already as big as a freaking barn. This baby was gonna be huge.

Pike was manning the registers, looking bored out of his skull. I gave a little wave and he rolled his eyes, then grabbed the radio. “Mr. Morgan, please come up to the front register. Mr. Morgan,” he chimed out in his most professional voice before shooting me a grin. “You’re spoiling the shit out of him.” He gestured to the lunchbox that swung against my hip. “Where’s mine?”

“Last I checked, you weren’t my boyfriend.” I wrinkled my nose at that. The thought made me feel a little squirmy, knowing how many times Pike had tried to charm me. “Guess you’re gonna have to find your own Omega to fix you meals, huh?”

Pike sighed dramatically. “Such bullshit.”

“Watch your language,” Hunter barked when he strode up from the back. He came to me like I was a beacon in the night and planted a noisy kiss on my lips. When Pike made gagging sounds, we both laughed. Hunter looped an arm around my waist and steered me back through the Employees Only door.

The break room was small and plain, with two short tables with equally short bench seats in the center. There was a couple of vending machines off to the left, but one of them boasted an “out of order” sign and the other looked in dire need of restocking. We sat down together and I pulled chicken salad sandwiches out of the lunchbox.

“This is a family recipe,” I told him when he took a big bite. He hummed his approval. “The secret ingredients are grapes and walnuts, giving it a sweet yet savory flavor.” Granny always teased us that the sweat that dripped down her nose and into the food was the true secret ingredient, but for some reason I had the feeling that Hunter wouldn’t approve. I smiled to myself anyway and nibbled at the crackers I’d brought.

“It’s good. Different than anything I’ve ever had. Your family was pretty big on sweet things, weren’t they?” More than once, I’d brought him leftovers from past dinners. Anything from sweet smoky BBQ chicken to Granny’s maple-pecan muffins.

“Oh, yeah. Even after Granny died, Mom kept up the tradition with the recipes from her cookbook. She taught me everything I know about cooking, though the family recipes were lost when Huxley and I left the pack. Now, whenever I cook, it’s from memory.” I shrugged.

Hunter paused mid-bite to study me. “What happened to your mother?”

I picked at my sandwich, peeling the crust from the softer part of the bread. “She died. Shot by a hunter, same as our father. Dad made it out with his life, but his body healed with shards of the bullet still inside of him and over the years, the silver poisoned him. Made him crazy…”

“Damn. I thought that was a myth.”

I shivered. “No. Definitely not, so do yourself a favor and avoid getting shot with silver bullets, okay?” When he chuckled, I took another bite of my food and forced myself to chew and swallow. It sank like a rock at the depths of my gut. I cleared my throat and changed the subject. “So I have an OB appointment today. An ultrasound. I was wondering if you wanted to maybe come with me?”

Hunter glanced up, his eyes locking with mine. “You want me to come?”

“Yeah. I mean, you’re the father. You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I can call Chance and see if he’ll take me. It’s really no big deal, I just thought I’d offer.” I gave him a smile, though I couldn’t explain the sudden burst of nervous energy that roiled through me at Hunter’s strange expression.

It was almost like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to see the baby on that monitor. Like if he didn’t see it, he could pretend it wasn’t real. The thought made my stomach sink. After all this time, did he still not want a child?

“When is it?” he asked.

“Um. Four-thirty? I think?”

“I don’t know if I’ll be off by then. Boss has been having me work over, with training and all.” He’d told me last week that he’d been offered the management position in their store. Something that Pike was not gonna be happy about when he found out.

I quickly shrugged it off. “Don’t worry about it. Really. It was just an idea.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you,” he said in earnest, as if he could tell I was disappointed, try as I might to hide it. “Maybe we could go out on Sunday afternoon and start shopping for baby stuff?” He made a face and we both laughed. I knew that was a once-in-a-lifetime offer from the grumpy stag. He hated shopping with a vengeance. “That work, Sor?”

I smiled. “That sounds like fun, but only if you promise not to bitch the whole time.”

“No fair.” He huffed. “Can I bitch a little?”

“A little,” I agreed.

We picked up our mess, then Hunter led me back down the hall. We walked outside and Hunter grabbed my hand. “Text me and let me know how the doctor thing goes?”

“Of course,” I said and we parted ways on another sweet kiss, but for some reason, I was left with a crushing disappointment. Chance came and picked me up, of course, but… I’d really wanted him to come. I’d wanted to see the look on his face when he saw our baby for the first time. Wanted to share that moment with him. Was that so wrong?

“Everything okay?” Chance asked on the drive back. “You should be excited. You’re having a little girl.”

“I am,” I assured him. “I’m just… Overwhelmed, I think, and tired. I need a snack and maybe a nap. That’s all.”

But I didn’t get the chance to steal away to my room. While I was snacking on a bag of ruffled potato chips, my brother came up and leaned in the doorway, overseeing the kitchen. When he cleared his throat, I knew something was on his mind. “So… Have you two decided your next step? Once the baby’s born?”

I glanced down at my belly. My shirt was hitching up on one side. I quickly grabbed the hem and tugged it back down, too aware of my brother’s eyes on me. Studying me. After today, I was left wondering myself. “We’re playing it by ear,” I told him after a long pause. “It’ll be fine.”

“Is he going to mate you?” Huxley’s voice was quiet, but the truth of it stung. I didn’t know. I didn’t know if Hunter intended to make me his. Hell, I didn’t even know if he loved me. He had to, right? He wouldn’t kiss me like that if he didn’t. But he’d never once marked me with his scent. Not even a hickie.

“Hunter’s a little bit trepidatious, is all,” is what I said.

“Soren.”

“I’ve got it under control, okay?” I snapped, my irritation rising. “Don’t worry about it.”

Huxley heaved a sigh. I felt him come up behind my chair and I stiffened when his arms came around me, to embrace me from behind. I wanted to be upset, but in all honesty, I felt a little bit lost and in need of my Alpha’s comfort. I relaxed into his touch. Huxley squeezed me tight. “I don’t want to see you get hurt. I’m your big brother and I do worry.”

“It’ll work out,” I uttered.

“Do you love him? Be honest.”

I closed my eyes. “Yeah, I do. I really feel like he’s the one. He’s the one who’s resisting.”

“Just be careful, Sor. I want you to be happy, that’s all. I love you.”

“Love you too, bro,” I mumbled thickly. “It’ll work out. It has to.”

“I hope so.”