Shadows (Book 2 of the Zara's Wolf Trilogy) BWWM

19. Insecurities

Plate of food in hand, Rick walks calmly down the hallway in search of his mate. He doesn't have to think too hard as to where she could be because he knows where to find her. She's always so predictable when she's stressed.

He opens the door to the nursery and, as he suspected, sees her sitting next to Emily, wringing her hands together in her lap.

They look up in unison as he closes the door behind him. He maintains a calm façade as Emily rises to her feet and gives him a small smile and nod of her head. "Alpha."

He nods in return, but the smile he wants isn't there.

Alicia turns her gaze to the children, who were playing in the room, but now are staring at Rick in hesitation. He knows he intimidates them, and he's content with this knowledge. When they grow up, they ought to respect him and not challenge him should they ever come through his territory.

"You need to eat," he tells her stiffly.

"I'm not hungry."

He suppresses a growl, wanting to talk to her, but not here. Adults never talk about serious matters in front of the young ones-especially alphas.

"Can I speak with you in private?"

She sighs in exasperation. "Rick, what is there to say that hasn't been said already?"

"Please?"

Now there's something she doesn't hear him utter frequently. She raises an eyebrow at him and he can't deny the sudden skip in his heart when she looks at him.

Thankfully, she pulls herself to her feet with a groan. "Fine." She turns to Emily. "Have you eaten yet?"

The fifteen-year-old brunette shakes her head, no.

Alicia takes the plate of food from Rick's hand and gives it to her. "Here, hun. I'll be back soon."

Emily thanks her before Alicia steps out of the room. Rick follows behind her and they walk down the hallway to an empty conference room just two door down. It's one of the smaller rooms designed as a private space for alphas and betas to talk. With no one using it right now, it's the perfect place for them to talk.

There's a small dark mahogany table in the middle of the room with four plush leather chairs around it. A tall, yet narrow bookshelf stands against one wall, with only a few dusty books on it and a forgotten white mug with a coffee stain on the bottom.

As he closes the door behind them, she turns to him, folding her arms across her chest. "What is it Rick?"

Rick motions for her to sit in one of the chairs. "Have a seat."

Grudgingly, she says, "I'm fine," as she sets herself down, crossing her right leg over her left. "If that's what you're worried about, you can rest assured that I'm fine. I'm just not hungry right now."

"Relax, then," he says as he pulls one of the chairs up to hers.

He sits down in his chair and scoots closer to her. Reaching for her hand, he pulls it to his cheek and closes his eyes. He can feel her relax, and the contact with her skin against his eases the strain on his mind a bit.

He knows how worried she is about losing this one. He was there the other times after all. She didn't always worry about the baby. She used to be very happy, excited, and glowing with love. It wasn't until she lost the first one that she started to worry. Her anxiety only escalated with each consecutive loss.

That first one shattered her, and he thought he'd lose her forever.

"It's not going to get any easier," she says, bringing him back to the present.