Filed to story: Claimed By The Alpha Nursing His Baby (Grace & Alpha Theodore) Book PDF Free
My hand ghosts over my stomach.
I’m barely into this trimester, so it’s not like I can tell what’s going on with the baby. But I haven’t bled at all, even with my meager amount of food, so at least that’s a good sign I haven’t miscarried.
“Here.” She reaches into her coat pocket, pulling out a plastic bag with a sandwich in it. “I brought this just in case.”
I scarf it down the moment it’s in my hands, practically moaning at the taste. It’s the best thing I’ve had in, well, literally three weeks.
“What’s been going on out there?” I ask in between bites.
She shakes her head. “Not much. There are some people who have been wondering where you went, but no one’s been looking. I think they just think you’re hiding out in your cabin.”
That angers me more than being thrown down here.
Fuck, what would’ve happened if I’d actually been kidnapped? Would I just be left to deal with it myself?
I always knew my pack hated me, but when push came to shove, I always hoped they’d actually come help me, even if begrudgingly. I’m still their pack mate, after all.
“I snuck down here because I’ve been looking for you,” Delilah continues. “I’ve been so worried. I thought maybe something happened with the humans and you got caught or something. I kept going into town trying to look for you.”
She chokes up on the last few words, causing my throat to tighten with emotion.
I reach through the bars again to hug her. It’s awkward with the bars in the way, but I don’t really care. I’m so goddamn thankful for my best friend and her never giving up on me.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I wish I could’ve told you or left some clue for you.”
She sniffles while we part. “No, don’t blame yourself. I can’t believe that bastard threw you down here. Did he catch you coming back from town or something?”
“Worse. A patrol caught me and found the package and brought it to him with me in tow. He saw the pregnancy test.”
Delilah stiffens. “No.”
I nod, even though it’s probably hard for her to see. “And he read my letter. He knows it’s Theodore’s.”
“Shit.”
I grip the bars tightly. “Tell me Theodore’s been to the pack to check on me. Or sent someone to, at least.”
She hesitates, her mouth opening and shutting while no words escape her.
Dread fills me.
He wouldn’t abandon me…right?
“Did a letter arrive at least asking where I was?”
“I don’t know, actually. He could’ve sent a ton. I wasn’t sure what you put your name as at the post office and they wouldn’t let me look you up without your ID.”
Fuck.
“He’s probably worried sick, though,” Delilah says.
“No.” I sit back on my feet; they’re burning again. “He probably thinks I got cold feet.”
“You really think he’d let you go that easily, Grace?”
“No, but he strikes me as the type to give me space if it’s gotten obvious that I need it.”
She makes a frustrated noise. “Yeah, sure. But you guys were sending letters back and forth all the time and then suddenly you weren’t. He wouldn’t find that the least bit suspicious?”
In my own fantasy world, I’d like to believe he would. But I really don’t know. I’ve known Theodore for such a short amount of time, and while we’ve gotten to slowly know each other through our letters and the weekend we spent together while in his lands, it’s not nearly enough for me to have any kind of definitive answer.
I want to believe that he’d notice my lack of response and come rushing over here to check on me. But clearly that’s not the case.
“You need to go to him.” Delilah’s voice is firm when she speaks again.
“How?”
“I’ll break you out.”
I grab at her through the bars again before she can straighten up to stand. “No. You’ll get thrown down here too.”
“I don’t care. If I can get you out of here, you can run to Pollis and tell Theodore what’s going on. He’ll have no choice but to come here and punish Daniel for what he’s done to the king’s mate. That’s the law.”
I frown.
Can it be that easy though? And can I actually let Delilah potentially be hurt in the process? I’ll do anything I can to save her that pain…but she’s right. How else are we going to stop Daniel’s reign of terror?
If Theodore doesn’t know what’s going on over here, he can’t fix it.
“He’ll come looking for me eventually,” I say.
“What if he doesn’t? You said it yourself, what if he’s just giving you space? You could be dead by the time he figures out to come looking for you, or you could miscarry. Grace, you have to go to him now.”
I hate that she’s right. I hate it even more that I’m not going to win this argument and dissuade her because she’s clearly already made up her mind.
My hand tightens around her wrist. “I’m not letting you get thrown down here because of me. Or hurt.”
She pats my hand with a smile. “You’ll just have to come break me out if that happens.”
“Delilah…”
A noise above us startles us both: the sound of something being dragged toward the cellar door that Delilah’s left wide open.
“What the…” a voice from above says.
Delilah blows her candle out, plunging the room into darkness again. It won’t do much with our night vision once shifted, but at least whoever is coming our way will be surprised before they can shift.