Monster in My Bed

Chapter Forty-Seven | Graduated to Dad Status

Three weeks.

It took me three weeks to start calling Matteo 'Nathaniel'. I hated it, and every time the name left my lips, it felt wrong, but I was learning to just accept it.

Matteo was much better than I was, and I blame it on the fact that he'd had several weeks of knowing my new name to practice it. However, he occasionally did slip up. He'd never once called me Elyse while having sex, either, but it was mutual. I still couldn't will myself to say another man's name while I was getting to business.

Barron had begun his reign of terror immediately. He'd been filling us in on all of the highs and lows of what our former pack had been going through as Matteo and I lived our lives as close to being human as possible.

Jack tried to challenge Barron to keep Caedes the stand-alone pack that it was. Stupid boy. Luckily, a few days with his mate changed his mind. Taylor certainly had a way with words, and by the mark on her neck that appeared only two days after returning to Caedes territory, she had a way with her body, too. Barron allowed Jack to keep his authority in the pack, allotting him control of the territory under his jurisdiction. Basically, he was still the Beta just under different circumstances.

The pack had a service for the loss of their Alpha. The news of Matteo's death ripped like a tornado through the werewolf community, bringing out a bad side of my mate for a few days. It was like he was mourning his own death.

Vindicta tried waging war with Uirium for the premature murder of Matteo, claiming that he was a traitor and a danger to all. With Uirium now having more territory and numbers than even Ducem Pack, not a single Alpha took the chance. Adrian was forced to back down and submit to Barron. Barron's ego was at an all time high.

Adrian's hunt for me, nevertheless, was still ongoing. He was searching for me across the southern border of Mexico, believing I'd fled to South America. Not a single suspicion had been raised that Matteo and I were hiding in Uirium. It was a miracle.

Amid the merge of the pack, Daniella found her mate. She was a high-ranking Warrior from Uirium.

Yeah, she.

Barron showed me a few pictures of the 5'11 woman with the build of a line backer. I'd never been more attracted to a woman in my life. Brown hair only a few shades darker than her skin, green eyes, and an androgynous look that made me drool.

I could just imagine Daniella and the godly human being together—immaculate.

I did feel bad, however, that the poor girl had to deal with Dan for the rest of her life. It was probably going to be torturous.

A rapid knock on the front door startled me, making me jump. It sounded like someone was unloading an assault rifle on the exterior of my house.

"Let me in," a gruff voice grunted as the heavy pounding persisted. I groaned, wiping my wet hands off on a towel. Every time I tried washing dishes, something just had to interrupt me.

"Stop pounding on it like that!" I hollered, rounding the corner of the kitchen and walking to the front door. The pounding slowed down but didn't cease. I was going to kill him.

I ripped the door open, watching the Alpha walk past me. His body was tense, riddled with anxiety, the source unknown to me.

"I've already told you to just come in," I reprimanded, watching Barron dramatically flop onto my couch. It had been about two months since Matteo and I had gone into hiding, and Barron made a visit to our home about three times a week. Conveniently, when Matteo was at work.

"She's f—king pregnant," he all but spat, running his hands down his face. My lips formed an 'o'. I wasn't too surprised. Matteo and I had been betting on it since we got here. It was only a matter of time before she wound up pregnant the way the two of them went at it. I was surprised that the normally smug Alpha seemed defeated, though.