Chapter Four
Jasper
My wolf was awake. Not awake in that you wake up in the morning, awake as in had come out of his cave fully, maybe for the first time since Dash. When I was with him, my wolf went into hiding.
Probably because I was with a male who wasn’t my alpha, not my true alpha anyway.
Then I heard it. The sound of a truck engine. The shutting of a door. I rolled over and pushed a pillow against my uncovered ear and growled, begging whoever it was to shut the hell up.
There’s a tired, pregnant omega in here trying to sleep.
Said pillow got tossed across the room when the knock sounded at the door.
I jumped up, only boxers on, and picked up a T-shirt from the dresser, and stretched it over all of me, including my belly. It was like trying to stuff too much sausage in too little casing.
“Who is it?” I said then didn’t give them a chance to answer, pulling the door open.
I gasped at the same time Conrad did.
I opened my mouth to ream him from top to bottom, but he spoke first. “I’m sorry to get here so early. I wanted to have all day to finish up the list or at least start on it. It’s quite a list. But I won’t let you down.”
All his words came out in a spill.
“Slow down, I can’t have coffee and that stupid tea does nothing to wake me up. What are you talking about, Conrad?”
He shivered, and my wolf reared up, wondering what the cause was.
He took a few deep breaths, and I tried not to stare at his heaving chest or the built pecs that threatened to break free from the buttons holding the front of his flannel shirt together.
“Travis has put me in charge of fixing up your house. Well, I sorta requested the job. Well, I’m not actually sure how it happened. But I’m here, and I’ve got a list. Can you look over it to make sure I’ve got everything? Don’t be shy. I’m happy to add things to it.”
This guy was way too perky in the morning, but in an adorable way. Like a puppy that wakes you up.
Nope. Not adorable. Annoying and persistent and pesky. “Travis made you in charge of fixing my house?”
“Yes.”
“And you accepted, though you are up to your eyeballs in solar panel installs?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” My bear asked the question right along with me. We needed to know his motive, not that we would trust him, even if he told the truth.
He took a step toward me and, with his hands behind his back, stepped backward again with his head bowed. If I didn’t know better, I’d think this male was showing me some respect. I’d never had that happen before.
“Because I want you to live in a safe home, you and your young.”
I took a deep pull of the air after he spoke. His scent was clean and pure, and there was no lie in his words. I would be able to taste it. I’d tasted lies every time Dash spoke but ignored the sensation. I was so foolish not to doubt, not to rely on my instinct.
We stood there at an impasse for a few minutes when I realized I was standing in front of him, still in my boxers, and I could feel the cool wind touching my belly where the T-shirt left it stranded.
“If my alpha gave this to you, he must trust you. Let me see the list.”
With his neck still bared, Conrad slowly handed me the list. I appreciated the slow movements. Travis or Hayden must’ve told him about my past, and I didn’t know whether to feel embarrassed or skeptical.
“There’s some stuff missing. Do you—” What the fuck was I saying? “Come in and let me get some clothes on, and I can show you the latest things to go wrong.”
He shifted from foot to foot, clearly as nervous as I was. “If it’s okay with you, omega.”
This man shouldn’t be calling me omega. He shouldn’t even be here, but for some reason, my alpha entrusted my house to him. Still, the term of endearment coming from his mouth wrapped around me like a warmth I hadn’t felt in months, maybe ever.
“It’s okay. How do you think you’ll manage this and the solar panels?” I asked, so nosey.
“Um, it’s my day off. Today and tomorrow. It’s the weekend.”
It was the weekend. I’d lost track of my days since sitting here and being a pregnant lump. “You’re here on your day off?”
He nodded and lingered in the doorway after inspecting the creaking sound it made.
“Sit down, Conrad. I’ll go get dressed.”
I rushed down the hall and found a shirt that didn’t make me look like an absolute seal and some paternity jeans from Russell’s hand-me-downs. I combed my hair and spritzed on some cologne.
No, I was not trying to look good for this alpha. No way.
I walked down the hallway, and as Conrad’s head popped up to look at me, a whoosh of liquid burst from me, running down my pants and causing both of us to gasp.
“My water broke. My water…” The rest of the sentence came out with a yell. The pain in my abdomen felt like someone vise-gripped my entire lower half.
“Jasper, I’m going to pick you up and get you to the doctor.”
My pride puffed up. “No, I can walk.” Except I took one step and faltered.
Conrad was there in an instant. With a whispered apology, he scooped me up and I settled against his chest, not because I liked him, but because I was in pain and he was the nearest body.
“Don’t worry, omega. I’ve got you.”