The Alpha King Call Boy
Chapter 230

Fiona

"I think she's pregnant," I finally told Alex."

Unexpectedly."

Perhaps I ought not have. I will spilling a secret.

But he was kind of silently badgering me. Giving me suspicious, squinty looks. Somehow my husband just knew that I had learned something from my extra time with Liv this afternoon, and he wasn't going to stop glaring at me until I told him what it was. "Oh," he said, his face going blank with surprise.

"Yeah. I almost said something to her about it, but it would not have been right. Those are private emotions she is dealing with, and it's not my place... even if it were to say something reassuring... I don't know. It probably would have overwhelmed her. And she's a big ball of stress right now already."

"Really? She seems so calm and upbeat. I would never have guessed."

I nodded, frowning. "She really does. She must be very strong, to be putting up such a convincing front, while inside she's.." I closed my eyes, remembering what I felt when I shook Liv's hand.

The woman's internal world was a jumble of excitement, fear, joy, anxiety, hope, love, panic, and elation... all the conflicting, crazy strong feelings I felt when I first found out I was going to have a baby. I had to guess her pregnancy was unplanned, for it to have her feeling so conflicted.

"You won't say anything to Grayson." I meant for this to be a request, but it came out more like a soft demand.

"Of course not." Alex blew air out from between his lips, a pfft sound that meant he would gladly avoid getting in the middle of Liv and Grayson's business.

And that was the end of that conversation.

If only I could put the subject out of my mind so easily.

I was just still feeling for Liv. My new friend. She was already worked up about the pregnancy, and now... now my husband had just asked hers to aid him in battle against the vampires.

I was worried about her. I scrubbed my teeth, washed my face, and changed for bed, all while continuing to worry about her.

I wasn't just worried about Liv, though. I was worried about so, so many things...

This forest clearing was starting to feel familiar. I'd been here enough by now to recognize it instantly, the second that it came into focus.

The sun was shining overhead, veiled by a lace of leaves and branches.

I was alone. And I was cold. The air was icy and still, with no trace of any breeze slipping through the trees.

And the ground, once again, began to move beneath my feet.

This time I knew what was happening, because I'd felt that sensation once before. I ran for the trees.

But I only made it a few steps. Because suddenly a hand reached up from within the dark, soft, churning earth and latched onto my ankle.

I fell to the ground and screamed. I thrashed my leg, trying to wrench free from the small, pale hand clenching desperately to my ankle. I reached up, my fingers clawed into the dry earth, trying to find purchase, trying to drag my body up...But the hand was unrelenting. It dug its long fingernails into my flesh deeper, harder, telling me it was never gonna let go. I felt its pulse - a racing heartbeat pounding in the palm of the hand...

In vain I tried to kick it away with my other foot, but it only held on tighter.

I gave up trying to scramble away and instead reached down for the hand next, using my fingers to try to pry it off me. And then I realized...I knew that hand.

I recognized the ring on the wedding finger. The thin gold band with its single, small, cloudy diamond. It was covered in filth right now, but I'd recognize that ring anywhere -and those long pink fingernails tearing into my flesh, I recognized them tool] "Fi, wake up."

And then I was waking up.

"Fiona. Hey." Alexander was a warm shadow in the dark. "You okay, sweetheart?"

"Ugh." I groaned, but needed to catch my breath for a few more seconds before I could answer him properly. My throat and lips were dry. My heart was racing. "No. I... ugh..."

As I tried to sit up, my head made me aware that it was aching severely. A moment's thought helped me identify my jaw as the source of the pain.

Oh because I was clenching it like a freaking vise.

I sipped from the glass of water Alex offered me, then placed it on the nightstand.

"You're okay, Fi. You were just having another nightmare. I heard you talking, saying something about.

"

I worked my jaw open and closed a few times. It was terribly sore.

"Can I turn on the light?"

"Please."

Click. Warm yellow light pooled the bedside.

"Fiona." Alex reached out and cradled my cheek with his hand. "I didn't press you about it last time," he said quietly. "But I'm getting worried about this. Maybe you'd feel better if you talked about it. The dreams. Do you want to tell me what these nightmares you're having are about?" I nodded. He was probably right.

Alex moved closer to me on the bed and took both of my hands into his. The love, sympathy and compassion I felt in his touch was enough to embolden me.

"There is something I haven't told you about that has been weighing on me," I confessed.

His eyebrows moved up his forehead, but he said nothing. Only waited.

"I found out a little while ago that my mother is in a bad situation. Alex, my... um, the Red Moon Pack, they went looking for my father. And did not find him, of course. After they gave up searching, they went ahead and inducted a new pack leader." I paused to clear my throat.

"Okay," Alex said slowly. "And what's going on your mother?"

"He has claimed her. The Alpha that's claimed the pack, he's claiming my mother, too. Saying they are going to be married. I suppose she will have to... divorce my father, somehow. Since..."

Alex dropped my hands and moved his own into his lap. He looked away. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" he whispered into the dark. "Alex, it's not like I want to keep secrets from you. It's just... our families..."

He ran a hand down his face. "Yeah. That's not been the most fun topic for us to discuss in the past." He sighed heavily and finally turned back to look at me again. "But Fi, that's in the past. Right? Haven't we moved past all that? Don't we... understand each other now?"

"Yes. You're absolutely right. I'm sorry, my love." He shook his head. "Forget it. You don't need to apologize. Just, please, Fi. In the future, if something's bothering you, will you please tell me? You keep things inside, maybe that's why..." I nodded, swallowing down a guilty feeling that was rising bitterly in my throat like bile. Alex looked hurt. "Yes," I promised. "I will."

He kissed me lightly on the lips. Then planted his lips on my forehead and left them to linger there.

Finally he pulled away, then met my eyes with a look of fiery determination.

"What's this guy's name?" he asked quietly. "The one forcing himself on your mother?"

I shook my head. "Alex, no. You cannot get involved."

"Why not? If she doesn't want to marry him, and

_"

"First of all," I interrupted, "I don't know if she has protested. She is very weak-minded, Alex. My father really did... Well, listen, the bottom line either way is that you and I simply can't get involved

"Fi, I get that you're not a member of that pack anymore, but this is sketchy as fuck. Maybe I can help-"

"Stop. Please." Suddenly the air between us felt tense and heated. "This is the answer, Alex-why we can't get involved? In a word: Conrad. You know we cannot meddle in anything involving my father's disappearance. We have to act like we know nothing, remember? And keep far, far away from all the ensuing drama."

Alex exhaled forcefully, then groaned. "F**k. Visit FindNovel.net for more updates.

You're right. I'm sorry. Come here." I let my body fall forward into his. He wrapped his arms around me in a tight embrace. Now he was feeling guilty about getting riled up into protector mode and accidentally upsetting me.

"That's probably why you didn't want to talk to me about this," he mumbled into my hair. "Hm?"This conversation was starting to feel as inescapable as the nightmare. Yes, even after all this time, I still hated talking to Alexander about our families. It felt like pressing on a bruise.

It was my turn to say, "Forget it. Please."