Forged in Stone (19 page)

S
omething was up with Allie
. I knew it in every grain of my body, but I chose to ignore it for the time being. She wanted to figure out whatever it was on her own, and pushing her would only make her think I didn’t trust her. I wasn’t going down that road again.

I kept my word and served her breakfast in bed. I went with the strawberry French toast she always loved and coffee served exactly the way she liked it. Milk and a little bit of sweetener. Some things hadn’t changed in the time we’d been together, but others had. She wasn’t the same girl she was when she first arrived in New Orleans, but then again I wasn’t the same guy I was before I met her. Our time together had changed me in all the best ways.

If I’d had the option, I would have worked from home, but that wasn’t in the cards. Things were out of control with The Society, and as much as I wanted to spend every minute of my life with Allie, that was impossible. If I’d tried she would have kicked me out anyway. Allie was big on facing our responsibilities.

I tried to push my worries out of my head as I worked, but by lunch time I had given up. She was definitely upset about something, but it wasn’t me. The amazing sex from the night before helped assuage those fears.

A knock on the door snapped me out on the reminiscing. “Yes?”

“It’s me. Can I come in?” Owen, my chief advisor called.

“Sure.”

He pushed open the door and took a seat in front of my desk without me telling him to. He was used to my office, and he had no problem making himself at home.

“What’s up? Any news on the uprising?”

“No. Nothing new. Things are calm for the time being.” He picked up the mug on my desk and turned it around in his hand.

“It’s only the calm before the storm.”

He set the mug down. “True… but I’ll take the calm when I get the opportunity.”

“If things are calm, then what are you doing here?”

“Glad I can only come visit my friend if things are bad.” He stretched and put his hands behind his head.

“You’re always welcome, but you never stop by without a reason. You’re too hard of a worker.”

“Like you should talk. Has Allie even seen you this week?”

“She saw me last night.” I smiled thinking about the sex again. It would never get old with her. It only got better.

“So things are okay with her?”

“Why?” His question worried me. “Why would you ask that?”

“Just something stupid that Hailey said to me.”

“What did she say?” I leaned over the desk. “I want to hear it word for word.”

“Relax. Calm breaths.”

“Don’t tell me to relax. You’re implying Hailey thinks something is up with Allie. I need to know everything.”

“Hailey mentioned she seemed upset and agitated, but Allie won’t tell her anything. It’s weird because you know how those girls are.”

“Yes, I do.” I’d learned the hard way everything I said to Allie generally got repeated to her chief advisor, who also happened to be my chief advisors’ sister.

“Maybe Hailey was imagining it. She’s paranoid like that.”

“Hailey isn’t usually a paranoid person.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re holding something back from me?” Owen returned his hands to his side.

“It’s just a feeling. Something seems off with Allie. I can’t shake it. She’s been complaining about feeling out of it, ‘under the weather’ is how she puts it, and she seems withdrawn.”

“Did you ask her about it?”

“Of course I did. Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“Maybe you’re the one we should be worried about.” Owen slouched in his chair. “Temper much?”

“I take everything involving Allie seriously.”

“Which you should. She’s your mate after all.”

“So stop giving me a hard time.”

“Okay.” An unreadable expression crossed his face, which meant he was formulating something to say.

“Spit it out.”

“Don’t hit me for asking this. Okay?”

“Asking what?”

“What I’m about to ask.”

“I won’t hit you. No promises on other methods of physical retaliation.” I’m all for being honest.

“Do you want to hear it or not?”

“Go for it.”

“Could she be pregnant?”

“Pregnant?” I sat up in my chair. “Why would you ask that?”

“Let’s see…. your wife is moody, complaining about being under the weather, and keeping things from her best friend. Kind of adds up.”

“I need to go home.” I had to talk to Allie. I needed to know if Owen’s hunch was right.

“Now? I thought you had a meeting at one?”

“Cancel it or cover for me.” I stood up and pushed in my chair.

“Which do you prefer? It’s with the leaders of the local wolf packs. I’m afraid of upsetting them considering what has been going on.”

“Take the meeting. I’ll be worthless in the talks with where my head is anyway.”

“I’ll agree with you there.” Owen was one of only a few people in the world who could get away with talking to me that way.

“Fill me in, and don’t promise anything.”

“I’m an expert at evasive speech.”

“I know. How do you think you got this job?” I ribbed.

“Are you sure you want to piss off the guy who’s covering for you in an important meeting?”

“I couldn’t piss you off if I tried.” I smirked. Owen and I got into it sometimes, but we didn’t come to head nearly as much as I did with my other best friend, Jared.

“I’m leaving.” I checked my pocket for my phone and keys and headed right for the elevator.

I thought over Owen’s words the whole drive home. I could barely sit still. Was it possible? We weren’t trying yet, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t happen.

I tried to calm my nerves while I sat at a stop light. I was being ridiculous. It was probably something else entirely. If pregnancy was the issue, she would have told me. We were married, and I was the one more ready to do the parent thing than she was. I knew she wanted to finish college first.

Finally I pulled into the driveway and parked the car. I ran up the front steps and unlocked the front door. “Babe?” I called out.

I hadn’t seen her car out front, but she usually left it in the garage anyway. “Babe?”

When she didn’t reply I checked out all the rooms downstairs before heading upstairs to our bedroom. It was empty, and the bed was perfectly made.

I sat down on the end of the bed. So much for getting resolution by coming home.

I heard the front door open. “Levi?”

“I’m up here,” I called down. I needed to plan my interrogation. Whoa. No. I stopped that line of thinking. This wasn’t an interrogation. It was a conversation with my wife.

“What are you doing home?” She was wearing workout clothes, so my guess was she’d just come in from a run.

“Were you with Hailey?” I couldn’t help but worry. I’d asked her to be extra careful going out alone for the time being.

“Yes. She even went super slow for me today.” Allie grinned. “That’s the test of a true best friend.”

“Are you pregnant?” The words flew out of my mouth.

Her face froze. “You found it?”

“Found what?”

“The test.” She gestured to the bathroom. “I assume that’s how you know.”

“You have a test in there?” I felt excitement creep into my voice. She wasn’t denying it. “You’re really pregnant?”

“You sound excited.” She put her hands behind her back and shifted nervously.

“I am excited—surprised, but I like the idea. Can I see the test?”

“Wait. Tell me, how did you know? My moodiness finally gave me away?” She raked her teeth over her lip, and all I wanted to do was kiss her and hug her. And do everything possible to celebrate.

“Owen figured it out.”

“Owen?” She put a hand on her hip.

“Yeah. He prefaced his guess by making me promise not to hit him.”

She shook her head. “Leave it to Owen to figure it out before you did.”

“Hey, it wasn’t on my radar as a possibility. I mean you know I was hoping we’d start talking about it next year, but…”

“Yeah, I know. I obviously didn’t plan this. I guess the pill really isn’t 100% effective.”

“No, it’s not.”

“So that leaves us here.” She looked me straight in the eye.

“Here.” I put my hands on her hips. “I like here.”

“But what happens? I mean with school and everything?”

“You are already doing a flexible schedule. We’ll just make it more flexible. I promised you I wouldn’t get in the way of you graduating from college, and I mean it. We have plenty of child care options.”

“I’m pregnant.” She said the words as though she thought that would make it more real.

“You’re pregnant. Or we’re pregnant. Isn’t that what people say?”

“I’m pregnant. It’s weird when guys say it like they are the ones doing any of the baby carrying duties.”

“Ok, you’re pregnant.” I grinned. I couldn’t help it. I was going to be a dad. And it was with Allie, the girl of my dreams—both literally and figuratively.

She leaned on me, and I pulled her into my arms. I asked one last question. “Why didn’t you tell me right away?”

“I wasn’t sure how… I couldn’t really accept it myself.”

“I guess you have to thank Owen for making it easier on you.”

“I will, but not yet. It’s too early. I don’t want to tell anyone yet.”

“You probably need to tell Hailey, or at least convince her you’re okay.”

“Wait… did she tip off Owen?”

“She told him she was worried.” She couldn’t be mad at her friend for caring.

“I’ll tell her, and uh, I probably do need that appointment with Dr. Ellis after all.”

“But not right now.”

“Oh, right. The test.” She pulled away from me, but I captured her hand. She led the way into the bathroom.

She went right to the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a little white stick. “Ignore the fact that I peed on it to get those lines to appear.”

I laughed. “Wow, that’s two really clear lines.”

“I tossed out the other ones I took. I only saved this one.”

“The other ones?”

“Yes… I wanted to be sure.”

I placed the test on the counter and pulled her back into my arms. “Please never change, babe.”

“‘I don’t plan on it.” She pulled out her hair tie letting her long brown hair spill down her back.

“Did you have lunch yet?” I had even more of a reason to worry about her now.

“No. Want to go out for something? I need to shower quickly, but then I’ll be ready.”

“Nope. Lunch in bed. You shower while I cook.” I ran a hand through her hair. It was as soft as usual.

“You already made me breakfast in bed.” She pointed to our bed. That bed held so many good memories.

“True, but I now have yet another reason to spoil you.” I ran my hands up and down her arms.

“Spoil me by helping me with my French essay. I still can’t believe you convinced me to take another one of those classes.” She groaned.

“Come on, it’s worth it for the tutoring.” I waggled an eyebrow.

“Levi, I’m married to you. I shouldn’t have to suffer through summer classes to get your undivided attention.” Allie was taking a full load of summer classes to offset her lighter schedule during the semester. It turned out that was going to be even more important now.

“Of course you don’t, but it gives me another excuse to teach you something. You teach me a lot, this is something I get to teach you.”

“You teach me plenty.” She smiled. There were many different ways to interpret her comment.

“Do I?” I brushed my lips against her ear. “Well, it looks like we’ll be learning something new together soon.”

“In about eight months.”

“That soon?”

“Do Pteron pregnancies last longer than nine months?” A look of horror crossed her face.

“No, but eight months sounds really short.”

“I was thinking it sounded really long. At least the first month has passed already.”

“There’s some positive thinking.” I kissed her hand and brought it to my lips. “How long have you known?”

“Just a few days. I didn’t even think about it as a possibility until a random girl heard me get sick in the restroom at the courthouse.”

“Wait...does that have anything to do with you developing a sudden interest in questioning a witness that day in court?”

“Maybe.” She smiled lightly.

I laughed. “I should have known, but no more keeping this kind of thing from me.”

“Should I call you in when I’m taking the test next time?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Next time? You’re already talking about the next baby?”

She laughed that light beautiful laugh I’d never get enough of. “Not by a long shot. Let’s focus on this one first.”

“So about lunch? What sounds good to you?”

“Is it really my choice?” She shifted her weight.

“Yes.”

“Camellia Grill. I need a burger and a shake.” Her stomach growled.

“You really are pregnant.”

“Hey, I love that place.”

“I know, but this gives me another reason to give you a hard time.” I brushed my lips against hers, ready to start the next phase of my journey with my dream girl.

W
ant to see
where Allie and Levi’s story first began? Check out
Flight (The Crescent Chronicles #1)
!

N
ever agree
to a road trip to New Orleans with your roommate. At least not when your roommate is dragging you along while she reconnects with an ex-boyfriend. Possible consequences of failing to take my advice:

1) Unknowingly going out with a vampire stripper.

2) Getting kidnapped by said vampire's nest mates.

3) Falling head over heels for your winged hero.

Believe it or not number 3 is the worst one, especially when no one believes you that he exists.

You’re probably not going to believe a word I say. If you’re like everyone else I’ve told, you’re going to read this and tell me to get help. That’s fine, because the only thing I care about is finding my winged hero. So whether you believe me or not, if you see him, tell him I’m searching for him, and I have no plans to give up. Because when a man can kiss like that—can make you feel alive in every grain of your being—there’s no comparison. The only clue I have to find him is his first name. Owen.