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When I went to the lobby, it was empty. Nikki was the only one there and she wasn’t happy. She had a frown and was tapping her foot quickly and steadily. She had probably kicked everyone out of the room.
Then she looked at me and the anger simmered down a bit. It was probably because I was smiling.
“How’s the baby?”
"The babies are fine."
Her eyes narrowed as she looked at me suspiciously. "You said babies...ies."
I nodded with a huge smile. "I did say that didn't I."
She screamed and picked me up, twirling me around until I felt like I was going to hurl over everything in the immediate area.
When she put me down her smile slowly disappeared into a frown.
"What?" I couldn't get rid of my smile.
"Is Mikko the babies’ father?" Her tone was all business.
That question made my smile go away a bit as I looked down at the new ultrasound. "Yeah, I guess he is."
"What do you mean you guess?"
I shrugged and looked back into her eyes. They were still a little golden. "When we were together he said his name was Mac."
She sighed and nodded. "Werewolves as old as he is tend to have a couple of names they go by."
"As old as he is?" She looked towards the exit door. "How old is he Nikki?"
She looked back at me with hesitation. "All I know is that he's old. Like older than anyone we know."
I cringed. "I was afraid of that."
"Did you know he was a wolf when you slept with him?"
"No." I shook my head. "But I should have known that morning." I couldn't help but smile at the memory.
I could see the perverted question begging to come out of her mouth. I groaned and opened up the door to the infirmary. "Go ahead. I know you're dying to ask."
She let out a nervous chuckle. "I've always been curious. He's probably experienced and he's always so confident when I see him."
I felt my cheeks heat up as I thought about it. "He's good."
She smiled teasingly at me. "That blush says better than good."
The sunlight hurt my eyes for a second before they adjusted. I never noticed before the light difference inside the infirmary.
"You shouldn't be gossiping when we have important things to discuss." I jumped when I heard a deep voice behind us.
I looked over and saw Mac—Mikko standing against the building.
Nikki and I exchanged nervous glances. Both of our faces were flushed with embarrassment.
He totally caught us and I couldn’t have been more embarrassed.
I stayed put while Nikki hurried towards the house. I could trust her to keep her yap shut about the twins. She knew that was my news to tell and she wouldn't be the one who took that away from me.
"Eavesdropping is just as bad as gossiping." I retorted.
He just shrugged as he walked towards me. "We really do need to talk."
I nodded only because I knew it was inevitable.
"Where are we going to do this?" He asked.
"The alpha's office." He followed me to there.
There was no one in there when I walked in. We were actually going to have some privacy to work this all out. We needed a plan. Hell, I didn't even know where this guy lived. How was he going to visit my kids?
"So?" I said taking a seat on one of the sofas. The soreness made me want to get off my feet.
"How far along are you?"
"18 weeks."
He nodded. "That definitely makes me a possibility, doesn't it?"
I crossed my arms over my chest. Did he think I slept around a lot?
"I'm not a whore. This isn't going to be an episode of Maury. I know you're the father."
He scoffed and leaned on the back of the sofa opposite me. "You slept with me the night you met me. Who's to say you didn't do that another time?"
I rolled my eyes. "That was the only time I've ever done that."
"At least that sounds truthful enough."
I did my best to hold onto my temper. "How is this for the truth: you're the only one that I slept with since Eddy broke up with me to mate with your sister. You're the only possibility to be my children's father."
"Children?" I could swear I saw the blood drain from his face.
"Yes. I'm having twins."
He let out a slow breath as he looked at the floor. I could see the tension start in his shoulders and make its way down his arms to his hands. He gripped the sofa so hard, his hands were white knuckled. He was going to ruin the couch. I didn't want him to ruin the alpha's furniture, but that was better than interrupting the fight he was having with himself.
I leaned forward to pull the ultrasound picture out of my pocket. I looked at it for a second before putting it on the wooden coffee table between the two couches. I faced it towards him so he could see the first photo of both of his kids.
I stared at his golden eyes while they soaked in what I was showing him. 'Baby A' and 'Baby B' both had arrows pointing towards them.
Then the back of the sofa gave and the couch broke in half in front of my eyes. These were leather couches. No one was supposed to lose their shit in this room. But the rules didn't matter when you were the head alpha's son…obviously.
I kept my usual retort to myself. I wasn't sure he would understand my sarcasm.
"One is bad enough, but there are two!" He snarled.
I nodded. "You're not the one who's going to be worrying about having a miscarriage for the next few months." I said lightly, trying to ease some of the anger he was feeling.
He sighed as his eyes settled on me. "This wasn't supposed to happen."
I shrugged and looked at the ultrasound. "But it did. I know that you probably don't want these kids, but I know that I want them. I'm not asking you to be around." I looked him in his wolf's golden eyes. "I just need you to decide and stick with your decision. Either you want to be there, or you don't. You can't decide one thing then change your mind."
He growled. "I have no choice in this matter anymore. This entire pack knows who the father of your kids is. The information will leak and you'll have dangerous rogues on your back."
"You can deny it. I don't need you around."
He shook his head. "I won't have your death and the death of unborn children on my conscience. You need to stay close to me so I can protect you."
"I am constantly surrounded by werewolves. What makes you think you're so much better than the rest of them?"
"It's my job to be stronger than them. These wolves cannot protect you from what would come for you."
"Because I'm carrying your kids?" I asked in disbelief. "What did you do to piss so many people off?"
"That's part of my job." He said in obvious frustration. "There is a lot that you'll be learning about me over the next few months."
I'd just have to deal with the fact that he wasn't going anywhere. I would just have to get over it, if being around him meant that my babies had a better chance to making it full term, then I'd just have to man up and do it.
"Does that mean you're moving in with me until they're born?"
"No." He laughed. "I'm not moving here. You're coming home with me."
I shook my head. "I'm not leaving my home. I'm not leaving my dad."
"I can't just leave my duties. You're coming with me." He said with finality.
He thought that I would just fall in line with what he wanted. He thought that he had the final say here.
"No."
His brows rose. "You think you can defy the inevitable? Would you put those you love in danger because you don't want to move? You being here would put all of them in danger."
"I'm not going."
"It's safer. You'll be on Finn's land. Rogues know it’s a death sentence to invade the head alpha's land."
"I'm not going to pack up my life and move into your special little house just because you found out I'm having twins!" I yelled. "I'm going to stay here. This is where my life is!"
"You think your life matters more than your children’s? If you stay here you're exposed, anyone who wants to can teach me a lesson on loss. I have a lot of enemies Emily, too many for anyone here to take care of." He stayed calm through my yelling. He hadn't even raised his voice.
"I refuse to move for you. I'm not sure that you even like me!"
"I like you just fine. Protecting you from my father's land is more convenient. My enemies aren't going to enter onto the head alpha's territory for you. But if you stay here, they'd be more willing to take the risk. They don't know if this alpha is worth any worry."
"I'm not going!" I said with finality. "I don't care what you say!" I was sure it was mostly my hormones, but I had been stubborn since my birth. He'd just have to deal.
I had my hand on the door knob when I felt his hand enclose over my elbow. "We're not done here."
I glared at him and tugged my elbow away from him. "Yes we are. I'm finished with this conversation." I threw open the door. I wanted it to hit him in the face, but it didn't. Unfortunately he caught the door before it could close.
I didn't want to leave my home. This was where I wanted to raise my children. I wanted them to be around my father and Nikki. They were important to me. I didn't know Mikko and I didn't know his family.
I walked right out the front door. I didn't need my dad's car keys to get home. I needed to walk anyway. I was mad and I needed the long walk to think about it.
I made it to the tree line before I heard footsteps behind me. "Leave me alone!" I shouted.
It didn't matter who it was, I just needed time alone.
"Emily, you can't just leave. Not right now." It was Nikki.
I shook my head. "I think a werewolf would understand the need to go for a walk to cool off."
Nikki caught up quickly. "I do understand that." She said, turning to walk backwards so we could talk face to face. "But you're not doing that. You're trying to get away from Mikko."
I stopped. "He wants me to leave. He wants me to drop everything I'm doing and go live with him."
Nikki sighed. "It's not that bad. It's about keeping those babies safe Em."
I sighed and slowed down my speed a bit. "Why did I have to find him that night?" I ran my fingers through my hair and stared at my best friend. "I don't regret getting pregnant; I just wish it was someone else."
She nodded. "I know it's complicated right now, but it'll get better. I promise."
I kept walking to my house. "I just want to go home, shower and take a nap."
She shook her head no. "You have to stay here until they get things worked out."
I rolled my eyes and scoffed. "Like hell that'll happen."
She stepped in my path and stopped, effectively stopping me. "I've been ordered to bring you back to the house."
"Nikki, come on!" I tried to reason. There was no way I wanted to go back to that house, not right now. Not while he was there.
She shrugged. "An order's an order."
I thought about getting past her. I knew there was no way I could really get past my friend. She was a damn werewolf and I wasn't exactly athletic. "Can I get a thirty-second lead?"
"Sure." She sighed. "You can act like you almost got away."
I started running immediately. I didn't get very far in the allotted thirty-seconds. Nikki grabbed my shoulder, stopping the game.
I laughed. "Come on Nikki; let's just go to my house."
She shook her head. "Can't Em. This is either going to be very easy, or not comfortable for you."
I rolled my eyes and kept walking. I shrugged off her grip on me. She wasn't holding tight enough to leave marks on my skin. After the show between Eddy and Jason, we both knew Nikki wouldn't put any bruises on me. We both didn't know how Mikko would react.
I kept struggling, so she picked me up and carried me back to Jerry’s house. Damn werewolf strength. She was right, this was not comfortable at all.
When we got in the house Nikki put me down. Margaret rounded the corner quickly, obviously enraged. I didn't even have time to think of something spiteful to toss at Nikki. Her smirk told me she knew my train of thought had been interrupted.
“Is it Mikko’s baby?” She asked out of breath.
I nodded once.
She shook her head. “I can’t believe him! He gets a girl pregnant and abandons her!” She started pacing. “Just wait until I see him again! I’ll give him a piece of my mind!” She nearly yelled then turned and stomped off somewhere.
Her reaction was funny. It didn’t make me laugh, but at least I smiled a little bit.
Nikki smirked. “I don’t know which one to be more afraid of, her or Mikko.”
I followed her into the living room where we sat down and stared out the window.
“So why are you so afraid of him?” I knew my best friend well enough to read it in her body language.
Nikki took a deep breath and sat up straight in her chair. “Mikko is his father’s enforcer. If there’s a werewolf breaking pack law or completely out of control, it’s Mikko’s job to take care of them.”
“So he kills other werewolves.”
“There’s more to it than just killing werewolves.” Nikki sounded like she was defending what he did for his father.
“So if you lose control one day, it will be Mikko’s job to kill you.” I said in disbelief.
She nodded. “If I lose control, I hope he’s quick to kill me. Out of control wolves are very dangerous. They kill and kill and kill until someone kills them.”
“I don’t want my babies growing up knowing that their father is a killer. It’s hard enough growing up when your dad’s a wolf and your mom died trying to be one.”
“You grew up fine. We both grew up fine.”
I sighed. “I just wanted a normal life for my child. School, college, marriage, a family. Who knows what’s going to happen now.”
Nikki sighed. “The babies can still have all of that. Who knows if Mikko’s even going to be there? If he’s not, the babies won’t know anything you didn’t growing up. They can have a close to normal life.”
“Yeah, but what if he wants the babies. What if he takes the babies from me?”
Nikki shook her head. “No one would let him take your babies from you.”
“Who could stop him?”
Nikki looked down for a minute, then she looked at the door right before it opened. I tried to sink deeper into my chair, but I wasn’t every successful.
Alpha Jerry sat down on the love seat across from me. He looked at Nikki. “Give us a minute alone.”
She nodded and walked outside. I had never been alone with Jerry. The alpha had never had reason to speak with me, the human. Even when Eddy and I had been together, we had never really spoken to one another besides pleasantries.
He leaned back, looking relaxed. “Mikko being the father creates some problems.”
I raised my brows. “Really?” I replied sarcastically.
He smiled like he was amused with me, which peeved me a little. “We all know what he does for his father and he doesn’t exactly have many friends. He has a lot of enemies. If they find out that you’re having his first child…children, they’ll come for you.”
“This is his first, ever?” That was a shock. Mikko was really old and had the killer reputation. Who would want to mess with his kids?
He nodded. “It’s never been safe for him to have a family. You’re going to need to be protected.”
“Why does anyone have to know?” I didn’t want anyone to know.
He shrugged. “Word will get around that he’s having children and when it does, they will come.”
“So my children will always be in danger.” He nodded, even though it wasn't a question. “Which means I’m going to have to change to protect them.” He nodded again. “Will I be able to go to work?”
He shook his head. “That isn’t important anymore. Keeping yourself pregnant should be your only goal.”
“If he has so many enemies, why don’t they just go for him?” I asked bitterly as I put my hands on my protruding belly.
He smiled. “There aren’t many who could take Mikko on directly. Mikko would wipe the floor with anyone here, including me.”
“I don’t have to leave, do I?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know yet. Your best protection would be Mikko, but I’m sure I could provide you with adequate protection.”
I nodded. “I don’t want to have to leave.”
He gave me a small smile. “I’ll see what I can do to keep you here. Finn wants you to go home with them while Mikko is more willing to let you stay here.”
I nodded then the alpha left. I was tired, so I leaned back in the chair and just rested my eyes a bit. It had definitely been a long day.