The Alpha's Surrogate: A Paranormal Pregnancy Romance (10 page)

It was something that took getting used to. Reign wasn't a prude, but the wolves were a force of nature. They loved, and fought, and lived with a fiery passion she had never believed possible. When they went for something, they went for it.

There were new faces here as well, two men, and the lone surviving woman from East Cascade. The rest had opted to go lone, and try to start new somewhere else. She didn't know any of them, and honestly she was surprised Richard let them join after what they did.

She still didn't understand all the wolf stuff about alphas and packs. His pack seemed to love him, and they would do anything for him. Edward’s pack seemed to operate purely from fear.

She did see one face she recognized. The claw marks had mostly healed on the big giant. They left three paper thin scars down the middle of his face. He had found himself a corner to hide in and was nursing a drink.

Reign glanced around for Richard, found his face through the crowd, as if he knew she was looking at him he turned to her and smiled. It sent little bolts of electricity through her fingers. She smiled back. Her tummy ached just seeing his beautiful face.

I’ve never been into older men, why does just looking at him do the things it does?

With a deliberate effort she broke eye contact with him, she knew once she was with him, there would be no escaping, and there was someone else she needed to talk to first.

She wandered around the party, saying hi to one person or another, trying not to make it look like she was deliberately making her way to him. She didn't know his name, and the only time she ever met him was when he tried to kill her.

"Hi, I never got your name?"

He seemed shocked that she was there. Nervous even. He glanced around looking for support.

"I'm not sure you should be talking to me."

Now that he wasn't screaming obscenities he had a pleasant voice, a little higher than she expected.

"I can pretty much do what I want, so don't worry about that. I'm Reign," she held out her man.

His hand dwarfed hers, he made even Richard look small next to him.

"Timothy, most people call me TJ."

"I'm surprised you made the switch, why not lone wolf it?"

He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the next, his eyes fell to the floor. He looked like a little boy afraid to answer.

“It's okay, were all friends here, TJ."

"That's why, I don't want to be alone. I've never done very well alone. But I'm rather good at following orders, I guess I just got lost there for a while."

"Richard’s a good man, TJ, and he has good people, if you knew nothing else about him, that should be enough. Hey, I want you to meet a friend of mine," Reign waived at Abby to come join her.

"TJ, this is Abby, neither of you talk much, so enjoy."

She left the two loners to themselves, and a smile from Abby promised that she would be friendly.

Mission accomplished, and with a self-satisfied smile on her face, she made her way to Richard.

He was talking quietly to Cara, the poor girl had still not recovered to her full self. And she wasn't at all happy with those who switched over. She couldn't even look at them without shuddering. Physically she was fine, but her wounds ran deep. Reign briefly wondered if they had a wolf psychologist they could talk to.

Cara wouldn't talk about what happened, though how she dressed, bundled up in sweaters and coats, and baggy pants, told the story well enough. Richard had made sure that each of the three wolves who joined up had nothing to do with Cara's torture, and they hadn't. All they knew was that she was being held in the barn.

Cara spied Reign and gave her a forced smile, followed by a hug.

"I'm glad you came down," Reign said, stepping in next to Richard and casually putting her arm around his waist. Cara's eyebrows raised slightly, she looked at Reign, then Richard.  “My alpha," she nodded, and walked quickly away.

"What was that all about," asked Reign.

"It's complicated, you have to understand, I have a past with everyone here, and sometimes not everything is uncomplicated."

Reign nodded, she wanted to form some sort of coherent, intelligent conversation, but her mind wandered back to the cliff, and what they had done. And not done.

"Would they miss you?"

“Who?”

"Your pack, if we slipped out..." she let her voice linger. She raised an eyebrow at him. Her stomach clenched and sweat broke out on her skin. She wasn't sure if he felt this way about her, but she was sure she did.

"No, not at all. I'll follow you."

She didn't trust herself to respond, she just grabbed his hand and led him up the stairs, her head down, face burning red. People left for the rooms for only one reason.

                            *              *              *

"Wow, it's nice in here."

His room was big, a king sized bed, oak dresser, a full mirror, walk in closet, and a bathroom bigger than her room at home.

"I'm glad you like it."

He was hesitant, she could feel it. He wasn't sure what she wanted or possibly, what he wanted. She liked that, it made her feel in charge. She was wearing a blue pullover and jeans, nothing too fancy. She didn't exactly have a large wardrobe to begin with.

She turned to face him, her back against the foot of the bed.

"I know I'm not pretty like Cara or Skye, but am I pretty enough?"

She waited for the rejection, she braced herself inwardly for it to come. Richard swept forward, he took her hands in his, "Oh my dear Reign," he brushed her black hair out from her eyes. She felt his lips on her forehead, his hot breath on her face, her eyes fluttered and her chest tightened.

"Pretty, doesn't even come close to describing you, and if that was all that mattered, then yes, you’re more than pretty enough."

He lowered his head to her lips and kissed, a tender, slow kiss that made Reign weak in the knee's and sent her stomach spinning.

"There is more to you than pretty, though," he said, breaking the kiss, "you're smart, creative, and oh so clever. Abby told me what you did, so let’s add brave to that list."

It was too much for her, too perfect, she threw her arms around his neck and pushed her lips to his. They parted, her tongue darted out and found him willing. Their kiss lasted forever, and when they broke this time, Reign was out of breath. Her skin crawled, and her desire to be close to him, to be with him was unbearable.

He ran his hands against her thighs, slowly pulled her shirt past her breasts and over her head. She felt a sudden wave of awkwardness, she wasn't sure what to do.

As if he sensed it, he smiled, and took her hands and guided them to his own shirt.

She pulled his t-shirt over his muscled chest. For a moment they stood there, framed in the moonlight from the large bay windows.

Her sleek body was engulfed by his massive frame. He kissed her again, pushing forward till she fell backward on the bed, each of his kisses a hot spot on her neck and shoulders.

She moaned as he unclipped her bra, freeing her pert breasts. Her vision clouded as he danced around her nipples, reflexively she put her hands in his hair, pulling, tugging, and scratching his head as each kiss drove her wild.

And just as she was about to die from frustration, he took her nipple into his mouth, and she sighed. Her whole body shuddered as he caught her nipple in his teeth, gently pulling and nibbling.

She let out a breath as he took her breast into his mouth, never had she felt so amazing. Warmth flooded through her, her skin felt alive, as each inch of it sparkled with electricity. She hadn't even felt him pull her jeans off, she only noticed she wasn't wearing them when suddenly his hot breath wasn't on her nipples, but on her panties.

With a deliberate slowness he pulled her last layer of protection down past her feet. She was exposed now, and for a brief second, doubt overcame her desire, her mind cleared and the heat in her flickered and nearly died.

Until he gently bent down, and kissed the inside of her thigh. All thoughts of anything but the sensation of his mouth, on skin no man had ever touched, left her mind, and just the burning desire remained.

He kissed her right thigh, working his way to her belly, over her center to her left thigh. She squirmed under his ministrations, there was a need, an urgent desire in her that she didn't know how to fulfil, but it was driving her insane.

His mouth found its way to her insides and she exploded. Her hands clutched his head, her back arched, and she let out a scream that lingered in the air.

"Oh GOD," she froze with her back arched high, her thighs tight around his head, she couldn't move, she could barely breath as her orgasm shook her from her core to her fingers.

After what seemed like an eternity she collapsed, her head rolled to one side, her eyes half closed. She twitched from every movement, from every touch. The pleasure lingered in her.

She felt him sliding up her, his skin against hers. His hard muscles were circling her body as his arms slid under her and cradled her. She was weak from the intensity of her pleasure, she lay their like a doll as he wrapped her up.

His mouth found hers and she kissed him, he tasted sweet, and wonderful, and his smell burned itself in her brain. She found the strength to open her legs, to wrap her thighs around his waist. He needed no urging. His hard erection pushed against her, seeking an entrance. She needed him inside her, to feel his very being. Her desire ran true again, her skin and her body ached to be touched.

"Please," she whispered.

He pushed, slow at first, entering her slowly, she exhaled with a deep sigh of contentment as his massive penis penetrated her virgin sex.

"Oh god, please don't ever stop."

Once fully lodged within her, Richard pushed up, looked deeply at her. She could see the moonlight reflecting off of his yellow wolf eyes.

"I love you," he whispered to her. Then, with the utmost care, he made love to her.

She came with the first thrust, her body turning to jelly, she couldn't think, couldn’t breathe, all there could be was him inside her, filling her, she screamed again and again. She lost track of time as the night wore on.

Richard stopped, found her mouth with his and kissed her deeply, then in the midst of their kiss, pushed himself deep into her, his body went rock still as he let loose his seed inside her. The sudden flood of warmth and the spasm of his body in her, sent her over the edge, her body responded, her hips bucked and she cried out with one last rush of pleasure. They collapsed together, entwined in arms and legs, as the sun rose over the mountains.

CHAPTER SIX

In the deep, snow covered woods of the Cascade Mountains, the sound of a violin echoed off the mountains. Vivaldi Concerto No. 1 rang throughout the hills and trees, through the rivers and streams. The deer and rabbits grazing this part of the forest migrated toward the sound of the strings to listen to its beauty and passion.

In a small clearing, near a little brook, was Reign. She was bundled in a large white coat with fur trim, and a knit cap to keep the cold off her ears. She cradled a dark wood violin between her neck and hands as she played with all her heart.

Her audience consisted of any woodland animal that was brave enough to close the distance. Her biggest fan, though, was the large salt and peppered timber wolf that lay at her feet, lazily soaking in the early winter sun and the sounds of the violin. Reign swayed with the music as she played the piece’s difficult parts, her eyes closed, and the music filled her soul, telling her where to go next. She followed it to the ultimate conclusion, finally bringing the violin down to rest on her swollen belly.

The last nine months had brought so many changes to her life. She practically lived in exile at Richard’s lodge, the home for his werewolf pack. After two wars with other packs in the area, and one of their own being kidnapped and tortured in a desperate effort to destroy the pack, Richard wouldn’t let her leave.

While she had seen first-hand how vicious and cruel others were capable of being, she was only nineteen, pregnant, and she wanted her mom. The last person who could be with her. Richard was courting disaster just having her there, it would be impossible for him to defend his actions if her mother was there as well.

As the echoes of the violin faded and Reign placed it with gentle care back in the case, the normal sounds of the forest returned. The violin, a gift from Richard, had an exquisite spruce body with a dark maple top, and fit snugly into the case. She gave it one last look before closing the lid. She turned to watch the object of her affection.

Richard had been every inch the loving man and protector these last nine months. She could not fault anything he did, but she was just nineteen. Her whole life was ahead of her, and now that she knew him, and would come to know their daughter, she didn’t think that she could just walk away to pursue a career in music, even if it meant giving up the dream she'd longed for since she was a little girl.

Richard’s wolf lay in the snow; his large yellow eyes followed her every move, his tongue hung out to shed the excess heat his body generated. It was still awkward for her; all the things she believed about the world needed to be questioned. All her personal beliefs, too. Werewolves and vampires, she knew of, but what else existed in her world that was just a myth and legend? The wolf before her sprang to its strong legs and gently padded behind without a sound. His fur was coarse, but inviting and warm. She dropped a hand to his ears, which were about at her waist, and scratched them in the place she knew he liked.

Together they walked through the snowy woods. The air was cold, the sky clear, a mild breeze carried with it the smell of burning pine. The lodge was only a half-mile distant and its hearth burned near constantly. They spent a good part of the summer building up enough wood to make it through the long mountain winters. They also spent a good amount of time replanting trees to keep their woods populated and full.

“That was beautiful, Reign.”

Richard's voice startled her, she dropped the violin, and in a blur of motion, he was there, one hand on her back, the other on the violin.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

She smiled and took a breath. “I didn’t hear you change.”

He held her close, a smile on his face, his brown eyes gazing down at her. She suddenly became aware of his nakedness, and how close he was.

They paused for a moment, their breath mingled between them. She leaned into him, he to her, their lips touched and they kissed. Her knees weakened with his touch, her stomach tightened and she felt just like she did the first time they kissed. She ran her hands over his thickly muscled arms, his taut stomach and rested them around his hips. His torso was too thick for her to get her arms around him with her belly in the way.

“You know, the doctor said that sex will encourage labor,” she said with an impish grin.

“Well, if that’s what the doctor ordered...”

Reign paused for a moment, she felt a twinge, like the baby kicking, a smile lit her face and her hand went to her stomach.

“The baby’s moving,” she said.

Another twinge, it hit her hard, she dropped to one knee and screamed as fire erupted in her stomach.

“Richard, help me,” she said through gritted teeth.

Richard knelt beside her, a patient, pleasant smile graced his lips. “It’s okay, Reign, this is how it is, don’t fight it.”

“It hurts, Richard, it hurts.”  She was on her back, eyes squeezed shut, writhing in agony. Her stomach felt like it was on fire and she could taste blood in her mouth. She screamed again as a clawed hand pushed its way through her stomach, she could see the outline of it. Tearing through her flesh...

Reign sat bolt upright in bed, drenched in sweat, panic gripped her heart, and her hands flew to her stomach. She was fine. No baby was clawing its way out, she wasn’t in any pain. She closed her eyes and breathed; she couldn't hear anything except how loud her heart was in her ears.

Just a dream, just a dream.

For the
nth
time, she wished Richard hadn’t gone away on business, that he could have stayed the whole time. Instead, she was alone, nearly at term, and terrified. The door flew open, and she let out a squeal. Silhouetted in the doorway, with her perfect hourglass figure, and long silky brown hair, was Cara, naked of course.

Reign tried hard not to be jealous of the women in the pack, but she was nine months pregnant; she saw herself as a walrus, who couldn’t see that? Cara, Skye, even Abbey, were a man’s idea of a wet dream. Add to that the wolves’ propensity for free love within the pack, and Reign found herself, on more than one occasion, questioning Richard’s fidelity.

Not that they were married, but she wanted to believe that she was the only one for him. With the baby’s due date rapidly approaching, her emotions were a roller coaster. Was she being hormonal, or was there something happening and no one was telling her?

Cara entered the room and sat at the edge of the bed. She moved carefully, as if afraid to startle the girl.

“It’s okay, Cara, just a bad dream.”

As Reign awoke, her feelings muted, and sense started to kick in, of course Richard had a past, and of course, she wasn’t his first. He told her he was not sleeping with anyone else and she believed him. Cara crawled into bed with her, a sleepy look in her eyes.

“Well, if it’s all the same to you, I’ll snuggle with you and keep you safe till you fall back asleep,” she said with a suppressed yawn.

“Sounds good to me.” Reign turned back over and pulled the down comforter up. Cara crawled in behind her and rested one hand on her thigh, and nuzzled the back of her neck. She let out a sigh of contentment, feeling safe in the wolf’s embrace.

“Cara?”

“Yes?” she answered, half asleep.

“What’s it like to become a wolf?”

Cara tensed, then relaxed her body.

“It’s not for everyone, now go back to sleep.”

She did, and she dreamed of running in the meadows and howling at the moon.

   ***

Richard hated crowds, and he hated flying, so airports were the perfect storm of annoyance to him. This one, Denver International, was particularly crowded. It was the day after Thanksgiving, and everyone was trying to get home before break was over, a terrible time to fly, but he had no choice.

He had made this trip to make sure his financial affairs were in order, and to check with his source in New York. Not for the first time in the last few months, did he question his judgment on his affair with Reign. She was so young, and vulnerable, yet there was a strength of spirit in her Richard had rarely met. If the blight had not happened, he would have offered her the family of the pack. Now, though, it was a death sentence.

It might be either way.

Richard received a letter from his source at the Lunar council. The Alphas were not happy. He made the trip to verify it face to face, and he was right. The Alphas had excluded him from their meeting, passing judgment on him and Reign without meeting her.

Their fear was justified, though. A long time before, longer than most of the wolves who were still around, several villages in France became aware of the existence of a pack near them. Because of the indiscretion of a newly turned wolf, fifty of them lost their lives. Burned at the stake until they were ashes. There was no regenerating that.

In his most somber moments, Richard could still smell the smoke. Feel Indigo’s hand on his shoulder, warning him. He could see her, bound, on the fire, looking right at him; he could hear her sweet voice telling him to let her go.

He and Sally had come to help the pack that was in trouble, but instead she joined the many who died. While Richard had loved since then, he had never loved as deeply or as completely as he had when he was with Sally McBride. That was – until now.

Reign captured his heart in a way no woman ever had, not even Sally. He was drawn like a moth to a flame, an apt analogy considering his current dilemma. There were two things he was sure of, he could not live without her, and he could not live with her, at least if she were human.

His nose twitched as he caught a scent, a half-forgotten perfume that flooded his mind with memories. Memories of a bygone age and a woman who he also had loved, until she betrayed him.

Heidi. Where...

He looked about, trying to be casual, but knowing he was late in smelling her; she had to know he was there already, even through the crowd.

“Is this seat taken?” Heidi appeared beside him as if by magic. Her blue dress stopped short of her knees, and silhouetted her upper body. She wore no underwear or bra, and with the light behind her, she might as well been wearing nothing at all. She looked just as he remembered. Blond locks fell from her head to curl around her face and shoulders, blue eyes like the sky, lips so naturally red it could have been blood.

That would be on her hands.

“By all means,
Fraulein.”
He motioned for her to sit.

“Oh, Richard, you're not still mad about that are you? That was such a long time ago.”

“Funny, seems like yesterday you stabbed me in the back.”

He flinched as she ran her hand up his back, and another up his leg, her lips parting slightly with the promise of pleasure.

“Now, now, your back is as fine as ever, and if we can slip off to somewhere more quiet, I promise I will make it up to you.” Her voice dripped with sexuality, and despite his anger he felt himself stir at its seductiveness.

You always were good at that.

He stopped her hand an inch from his crotch; he held her wrist in a vice-like grip.

“Cut to the chase, Heidi, why are you here?”

“You’re hurting my hand.” She spoke in a much lower voice now, the overt sexuality of her tone replaced by a mild amount of pain.

He squeezed, her lips thinned as she warded off the pain by tensing her muscles.

“Why. Are. You. Here.”

“You know why, now let go.”

She made an effort to break his grip, but it was futile. Worry crossed her eyes, and that was what Richard was waiting for, he didn’t want her thinking she knew him, that he was predictable. She was dangerous, always had been, he needed her to know he was too. He let go. She rubbed her wrist to get the blood flowing again.