Chosen To Be The Alpha's Surrogate
⊰ 48 ⊱ Ring of Hope

**I Penelope I**

The darkness of our bedroom feels as heavy as the heaviness in my chest. I lie awake, my back turned to Malachi, replaying the events of the evening over and over in my mind. The embarrassment of being caught in such a vulnerable moment, the hurt and anger in Malachi's eyes, the harsh words he spat at me it all swirls together in a nauseating mix of shame and regret.

Even when he came to bed hours later, I feigned sleep, too afraid to face him. It seems that as of late, whenever he gets upset with me, he speaks to me in a way he never used to. The tenderness, the patience he once showed me has been replaced by a cold, cutting edge that leaves me feeling small and insignificant.

*What if he's grown tired of me? What if the novelty of a human mate has worn off, leaving him with nothing but frustration and disappointment?*

The idea makes my chest ache, especially now, when I feel like I need him more than ever. As my pregnancy progresses, I find myself craving his emotional support, his reassurance. But instead, I feel like I'm drifting further and further away from him.

I know I messed up. God, do I know it. I shouldn't have done... *that*. Not in the middle of a pack gathering, not where others with their heightened senses could hear me. It was selfish and reckless, and I put Malachi in an impossible position. But in that moment, overwhelmed by the expectations, the constant scrutiny, and my own insecurities, I just needed... something. A release, an escape. I didn't think about the consequences.

*Maybe I should've just asked who that woman was... Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.*

Reluctantly, I turn over, my swollen belly making the simple movement a struggle. Malachi doesn't stir, his breathing deep and even. For a moment, I hesitate, fear of rejection making me want to retreat back to my side of the bed. But the need for comfort, for connection, wins out.

Slowly, carefully, I scoot closer to him, resting my head on his chest. His heartbeat, strong and steady, fills my ear. The familiar scent of him-pine and smoke and something uniquely Malachi-surrounds me, and I feel tears pricking at my eyes. "I'm sorry, Mal," I whisper, my voice barely audible. "I'm... so sorry. Please, don't be angry with me. I know I mess up... I... I..." The words catch in my throat as the tears start to fall, hot and fast.

Malachi stirs, his arm coming up to wrap around me. He pulls me close, holding me tightly against him. But even as I burrow into his warmth, I can feel the tension in his body. He's still upset, still angry. He's just putting it aside to comfort me, and somehow that makes me feel even more vulnerable, more wretched.

We lie like this for a long moment, my tears soaking into his shirt, his hand running up and down my back in a soothing rhythm. Finally, he speaks, his voice low and rough with sleep.

"I understand that this is a lot, Penny," he says. "A whole new world, a baby coming... I get it. But you need to be careful. Everything you do now matters."

I nod against his chest, sniffling. "I know," I whisper. "I'll try harder, I promise. I never meant to make you look bad or undermine you. I just... It's overwhelming."

Malachi shifts, his hand coming up to tilt my face towards his. In the dim light filtering through the curtains, I can see the conflict in his eyes-love warring with frustration, tenderness with disappointment.

"I love you," he says, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. "And I need this to work. I need *you*, Penny. You have to understand the position we're in. Everyone is watching us. One misstep could cost us everything."

I see the sincerity in his eyes, hear the weight of responsibility in his voice. It hits me then, truly hits me, how much pressure he's under. How much he's risking by being with me, by making me his Luna. And here I am, making things harder for him at every turn.

"I understand," I say, my voice small and wavering. "I mean, I think I do now. This world... your world... it's so different from anything I've ever known. Sometimes I feel like I'm drowning, like I can't keep up. But I want to. For you, for our baby. I want to be the Luna you need me to be."

Something softens in his face. He leans in, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead. "I know you're trying," he murmurs against my skin. "And I'm proud of how far you've come. But we need to do more. We need to solidify our bond in a way that even the most traditional members of the pack can't question."

Before I can ask what he means, he's reaching over to the nightstand. He pulls open the drawer and retrieves something small that glints in the low light. My breath catches as I realize what it is.

A ring.

"This is a human tradition, I know," Malachi says, his voice taking on an almost nervous quality. "And after the incident at the hospital, I realized that because you're human, we need to make sure that in the eyes of everyone-human and wolf alike we belong together."

He holds up the ring, a beautiful solitaire diamond on a platinum band. It catches the faint moonlight, sending tiny rainbows dancing across the ceiling.

"Penelope Stone," Malachi says, his voice low and intense. "Will you marry me?"

For a moment, I'm speechless. This is the last thing I expected, especially after the events of the evening. Part of me wants to cry with joy, to throw my arms around him and shout yes to the heavens. But another part, the part that's still raw and hurting from his harsh words earlier, holds me back.

Because while this is exactly what I want for our child, his parents to be husband and wife, I also can't help but wonder if I wasn't pregnant, would he ask me to marry him still? If images didn't matter, would he still want to claim me this way? "Mal," I start, my voice hesitant. "Are you sure? After everything that happened tonight... are you sure this is what you want?"

His expression hardens to a stern one, almost fierce. "Penny, listen to me. What happened tonight... it doesn't change how I feel about you. Yes, I was angry. Yes, we have things we need to work on. But you are my mate, the mother of my child. I chose you, and I'll keep choosing you, every day, for the rest of our lives. If you'll have me."

*He'd choose me...*

Tears well up in my eyes again, but this time they're tears of happiness, of relief. "Yes," I whisper, then louder, "Yes, Malachi. Of course I'll marry you."

He slips the ring onto my finger, and for a moment, everything else fades away. The pack politics, the cultural differences, the fears and insecurities-none of it matters. In this moment, we're just Malachi and Penelope, two people in love, about to start a family.

As Malachi pulls me in for a deep, passionate kiss, I feel a flutter of movement in my belly. Our baby, reacting to the surge of emotion. I smile against Malachi's lips, placing his hand over the spot where our child is kicking. "I think someone approves," I murmur.

Malachi chuckles, the sound rumbling through his chest. "Smart kid," he says, nuzzling my neck.

"Takes after his mother."

We settle back into bed, my back pressed against Malachi's chest, his arm draped protectively over my belly. As I drift off to sleep, I feel a sense of peace I haven't experienced in weeks. We still have challenges ahead, I know. There's still so much I need to learn, so many ways I need to grow into my role as Luna.

But for now, with Malachi's steady heartbeat at my back and his ring on my finger, I feel like maybe, just maybe, we can face whatever comes our way. Together.