Sold To The Alphas: A BBW Paranormal Romance (12 page)

Jack cawed loudly a few times, giving his wings a little flap, as if expressing that
he
was thrilled, and Rose continued.

"It's funny. When it comes to most things concerning wolves...attacks, fights, other packs approaching the area and all that...I usually draw blanks. But when it comes to fertility issues and pregnancies...I never miss." After giving me a clear wink, Rose turned and began heading down the lane, pulling up the hood of her gray rain slicker. "I never have!"

While the rain continued to fall, turning the dirt lane into a river of mud, I watched her amble down the lane with Jack on her shoulder. Now that I believed that she really possessed psychic abilities, I wondered exactly what sort of things about my fertility deception still struck her as "some sort of a funny joke," like she'd said earlier;

like she'd been laughing about the day I'd met her. There certainly wasn't a damned thing funny about my fertility deception to me. I still just felt sick about it. Sad about it. Sad that I'd have to eventually come clean, thereby likely losing Grayson and Chase forever. Instead of ultimately having one of them as my mate for life, I'd have neither of them.

I'd probably return to Greenleaf, and word would get around town why I'd returned, and I'd probably be looked down upon and derided. Being that everyone would know I was a liar and a sneak at this point, I was sure no man would ever be interested in a relationship with me ever again.

Not that any of the men in Greenleaf could hold a candle to Chase and Grayson, anyway. Not that I could ever be happy with a man who wasn't one of them.

CHAPTER EIGHT

For the rest of the rainy afternoon, I moped around the cabin, realizing that I was spiraling into some vortex of negativity. And this, after I'd told Rose earlier that I was determined to think positively. Though, of course, I'd been speaking about Skye's upcoming rescue when I'd said that. As for me and my own situation with my fertility deception, I was pretty much feeling like there was no hope.

Sure, I knew it was possible that once I revealed the truth and told them that I was
not
fertile, Chase and Grayson might forgive me, or at least one of them might. One of them might agree to be my mate for life even though I couldn't produce children. I knew this was possible. However, I just didn't think this was probable. Not at all. In fact, I guessed
improbable
probably wasn't even the right word to think. Impossible seemed more likely.

I figured it would take a miracle for Chase and Grayson, or Chase
or
Grayson, to forgive me and accept me as an infertile woman. To continue to care about me and maybe even grow to love me even though I couldn't produce a child. Yes, it would take a miracle, I was sure. The thing was, I was sure that Skye being rescued without her or anyone else being hurt was going to take a miracle, and I just couldn't think so positively as to believe that I actually might get two miracles back-to-back.

I was deep into my negativity funk when Flora and Lily came over for dinner that evening. The men still weren't back from patrol yet, and I'd forgotten that days earlier I'd told Flora to come over for a meal the next time the men still hadn't returned by dinnertime.

Embarrassed to not have anything ready, I quickly assembled a casserole and stuck it in the oven, apologizing. "Guess I've been a little spacey today."

A little spacey from being preoccupied about my impending doom
, I thought.
A little spacey from being preoccupied by how I'm going to have to soon reveal to Skye, Chase, and Grayson that I deceived them all.

Sitting up to the kitchen table with Lily on her lap, Flora said she didn't mind at all that dinner wasn't ready. "I'm actually not very hungry yet, and I don't think Lily is, either. We've both been nibbling on crackers all afternoon, and maybe I had too many. I was just trying to settle a little queasiness I had all day.

“Probably a result of me not cooking a piece of fish well enough last night." Frowning, Flora paused for a moment, seeming to be thinking. "Though I guess Lily had some, and she hasn't felt sick today. And Hunter was just fine this morning. My personal tolerance for food-related ickiness has always seemed to be quite low, though."

I turned from the oven to look at her, knowing full well that a mild case of food poisoning likely wasn't the cause of her feeling queasy that day. A little thrill of joy rippled through me while I thought of how joyful
she
was going to be once she learned what the
real
cause of her queasiness was.

I hadn't doubted it, but now I knew with absolute certainty that Rose had been right. Flora was pregnant, but she didn't even know it yet.

She suddenly set Lily down and took a sip of ice water, clutching her stomach. "Ugh. Here it is again. Just...a feeling of complete yuckiness. Next time, I'm going to leave the fish in the oven for a solid hour."

I looked at her with another little ripple of joy coursing through my body, making butterflies flap their wings in my stomach. But almost instantly, the butterflies disappeared, becoming replaced by a feeling something like a stone dropping in my stomach, when I realized that I'd never be experiencing myself the joy that Flora would soon be experiencing.

Skye might experience it, but I never would. I'd never mistake morning sickness for food poisoning. I'd never take a home pregnancy test and watch while it turned positive. I'd never get to tell Chase and Grayson any happy news.

However, Flora was my friend, and I was determined to be happy for her. I was determined not to let my own disappointment cloud my joy for her. My joy that I realized I couldn't show right then. With Flora not seeming to have a clue about her condition yet, I had to keep a bit of a poker face. However, I figured, maybe I could help her
get
a few clues.

While Lily twirled from the kitchen to the living room area, singing a happy little song about deers and rabbits all "a-leaping through the forest," I took a seat at the table, across from Flora. "Are you...." I paused, clearing my throat. "Are you late for your period or anything?"

She shook her head, smiling, though it wasn't a smile that reached all the way up to her big blue eyes, or even close. "No. I'm not late. Won't be until tomorrow. But, knowing my luck, I won't even be late tomorrow. I'm just betting my monthly friend comes before then. Though I'm hoping it doesn't. I'm always hoping. Hoping for another miracle."

She took another sip of her ice water, relaxing her hold on her stomach. "See, when I had Lily, she was a miracle herself. The medical tests I underwent before getting married revealed me to be only 'possibly fertile.' And the doctor said it was a very, very long-shot possibility. So, when I became pregnant with Lily, it truly was a miracle. I was so happy I told myself I'd never dare even hope for another miracle.

“I'd just enjoy having been blessed once. I'd be content. But, of course, then my husband passed away, and I eventually met Hunter and fell in love again. And no matter how hard I tried not to, I started hoping for another miracle. Just one more.

“And most days, I'm convinced I won't get it. But then other days...." Flora sighed, lifting her slender shoulders in a shrug. "I don't know. Do you believe in miracles, Rowan?"

I believed that was probably the most loaded question I'd be asked all week. I believed in miracles when it came to
her
, because of Lily, and because of the baby I knew she was carrying. The baby that I knew was going to overwhelm her with pure bliss once she learned of its existence.

I also believed I was going to get a miracle with Skye. I believed that with Chase and Grayson leading their pack and their wolf friends from up north in a raid, Skye was going to be rescued, and rescued unharmed.

But when it came to miracles happening to me, personally, when it came to the possibility of any miracles having to do with my own fertility, I didn't believe. I couldn't. I knew I'd just be setting myself up for a lifetime of disappointment, because unlike Flora, I hadn't been deemed even "possibly fertile"; I'd been deemed completely infertile. Just like the vast majority of women in my town had been.

Having trouble maintaining eye contact with Flora, I chose my next words carefully. "I guess I believe in miracles in some cases. I definitely believe that you might get another. Maybe even soon."

Smiling, Flora suddenly reached across the table and gave one of my hands a squeeze. "I'm so glad you came here to Shadowfen. I'm so glad we're friends. And I hope you're right. About me getting another miracle, and maybe even soon. Can you imagine this scenario? Me and you, both pregnant at the same time. Going through all the excitement and changes together."

I
could
imagine it. I could imagine it to the point that my eyes instantly became a little watery.

Trying to smile, I quickly blinked the moisture away. "Sorry. Guess I've been a little emotional since Skye was abducted."

That was the truth. Though, of course, not
just
because Skye had been abducted.

Flora gave my hand another little squeeze with her bug blue eyes radiating sympathy. "Of course you've been emotional. Who wouldn't be, considering what you're going through? I imagine you've probably had a hard time keeping your mind from Skye. But tonight, Lily and I will help you with that.

“We'll have a nice dinner, and then maybe we'll play a few games of cards while enjoying some wine until our men get back. That is, if Lily doesn't sneakily take half the cards and hide them while we're playing, like she has a tendency to do when Hunter and I play cards sometimes. How does that sound?"

I mustered a smile. "Sounds great."

I couldn't deny that an evening of distraction was maybe just what I needed.

Flora, Lily, and I
did
have a nice dinner together. Lily, not normally a fan of vegetables, actually ate a few pieces of broccoli that Flora had picked out of her serving of cheesy chicken-and-vegetable casserole, in addition to eating all of her own.

Flora looked on, clearly amused. "Well, I'm glad
she's
into vegetables tonight. I normally love broccoli, but it's just not smelling that great to me right now."

While we played cards after dinner, Flora found that wine also didn't smell that great to her right then, and she only had a few sips before pushing her glass away, wrinkling her nose. I, however, had two large glasses and was actually feeling pretty great by the time Flora and Lily left to go home around nine. With my earlier negativity more or less completely gone, all I could think about was Chase and Grayson arriving home. I wanted to throw myself into their arms. I wanted to forget about all my troubles and my deception and just enjoy another night of intimacy and pure pleasure with them both.

I even wanted to get into the "treasure chest" of "pleasure products" from Ashcrest Chase had spoken about.

By the time they arrived around ten, I'd had another glass of wine, and I'd located the "treasure chest" beneath my bed. I'd also opened it and had begun sifting through the items in it, becoming more than a little turned on as I went.

With me having become a little tipsy from the wine, a little dizzy, a little dazed, Chase and Grayson kind of startled me when they entered the cabin and crept up to my bed, where I sat sorting through the chest.

Chase came to a stop at the foot of the bed, a sexy half-grin slowly spreading across his handsome, strong-jawed face. "Well, well."

I held up one of the "pleasure products" I'd discovered in the chest. "Please tell me you both plan to use this on me sometime very soon."

*

I was so tipsy I wasn't even quite sure what the "pleasure product" I was holding up to Chase and Grayson even
was
. All I knew was that it was turning me on. As was just the sight of them. They both wore their usual uniform of battered jeans and dark, fitted t-shirts, the items of clothing that showed their muscular physiques to their best advantage. The items of clothing that I wanted to rip off them right then, in order to see their muscular physiques bare, not covered by anything.

The "pleasure product" I held in my hand was obviously a rubbery replica of a man's erect member. It was very detailed and realistic, right down to its flesh tone color, wide head, and corded veins along the considerably long shaft.

However, it wasn't like any masculine replica I'd ever seen or had heard of before. This rubbery-yet-very-stiff replica had black leather straps and various wires and cords attached to it, and some sort of battery housing box attached to the straps. I couldn't imagine how it might all be used, but I sure wanted to find out.

After exchanging glances with Chase, Grayson took the whole contraption out of my hands, his coal-gray eyes looking deeply into mine. "I'm not quite sure, but I think this just might be the hottest, sexiest scene I've ever come home to after a long day of work.

“And, in fact...." He took a step closer to the bed, and me, his gaze still locked on my face. "In fact, I'm sure of it. This definitely is the hottest, sexiest scene I've ever come home to after a long day of work.

“You, Rowan, just sitting on the bed with your pretty round cheeks flushed...no doubt from having a few glasses of wine from the bottle I spotted on the table. And maybe your pretty pink cheeks are a little flushed from something else as well. Maybe they're flushed from you being more than a little turned on from what you've found in the chest."

With his breathing heavy and quickening a bit, he paused before continuing. "Yes, this is definitely, without a doubt, the hottest, sexiest scene I've ever arrived home to find."

Chase's breathing had also become a little fast and heavy, and he stepped closer to the bed, raking his gaze over my body. "I think this gorgeous, naughty little minx sitting on the bed should be stripped of all her clothes, then immediately pleasured to the point that she becomes even tipsier than she already is."