When She Needs Them Most
: Chapter 19

The Blacksburg office of Shadow Security is bigger than I expected, from the way they talked about it. The parking lot alone is huge, and Arden tells me the entire building is theirs.

The commanding alpha has an important conference call that he got roped into at the last minute, but he promised to drive me home as soon as he’s done.

I waddle into the employee entrance after him and focus on pulling off my gloves and coat as he handles the alarm and turning on the lights. Yanking off the beanie, I shove it and the gloves into the pockets of my coat.

It really is a nice jacket. It has kept me nice and toasty, but Arden is a bit much with how serious he is about the gloves and making sure my head is covered. I even heard him rambling about finding me a scarf as I got settled into the truck to drive here.

Arden finishes up with the lights and leads me out into the main office. It’s a huge space, with several cubicles in the middle of the room. The walls to my right and straight ahead are lined with offices, but it doesn’t seem like anyone else is here.

He places his hand on my lower back and guides me forward. “The door on the left wall leads to the sales area. It’s where prospective clients can check out the various options if they’re interested in a security system, but most choose from the catalog.”

“How many people work here?” I ask as we pass the cubicles.

Arden clears his throat. “Just the three of us, but we do employ seven location-specific teams for dispatching from Virginia. They’re not required to be on site regularly, so they only pop in for pre and post-op briefings.”

My forehead wrinkles.

They mentioned that they offer security contracts, but for whatever reason, I forgot.

“I know Kase stayed home to let in my internet technician, but where’s Linc?” I ask, like I have the right. He was already gone this morning by the time I got up.

“He had an estimate to give to a prospective client.” Arden stops at a door and pushes it open. His hand on my lower back indicates I should head in first. He closes the door behind him and steps over, snagging a remote from the wall.

The wall frosts over, and he places the device back in the holder.

“Would you like to have a seat on the couch?” He gestures to the leather sofa on the wall. “This shouldn’t take more than fifteen or twenty minutes.”

I nod, waddling over with my jacket still hanging over my arm. The couch is comfortable, and my feet ache.

Arden comes over, squatting down in front of me, and lifts my legs. I twist with him until I’m stretched out over the couch sideways. He stands, shrugs out of his jacket, and grabs mine before tossing them on the chair facing his desk.

My head tilts as he comes back to the couch and lifts my feet before setting them in his lap. He pulls off my flats, dropping them onto the floor, and begins digging his fingers into my left foot.

“What on earth are you doing?” I choke out.

“The doctor indicated that we should be pampering you.” He quirks an eyebrow. “Tell me, love, does it feel good?”

“Yeah,” I admit, trying to build up the courage to discuss what happened in the doctor’s office. “We need to stop by an ATM on the way back to your house. Please, don’t let me forget. Do you know exactly how much I owe you?”

“I’ll take a smile,” he says, digging the backs of his fingers into the arch of my foot.

“That bad, huh?”

He chuckles. “It was about what I would expect without insurance. However, it wasn’t bad when weighing the cost of delivering a healthy baby.”

“Are we talking more than two hundred dollars for the visit?” I ask, my tone lined in terror. It’s not like I can avoid paying it. It’s a necessity, but the fact he’s not giving me a number is only succeeding in freaking me out.

“I went ahead and paid the uninsured rate for delivery, which will change if you end up needing a C-section, but if you deliver vaginally, you won’t owe anything else to their office,” he says, without meeting my eyes. My jaw falls. That’s definitely more cash than I can get from a single trip to the ATM. “It even included your six-week postpartum checkup. The hospital stay will be separate, and you’ll need to coordinate with the pediatrician you choose, but your portion of the delivery is secured.”

“You’re still not saying a number, so I’m guessing I’ll need to write you a check or stop by my actual bank for that large of a withdrawal.”

Arden places my feet on the floor and holds out his hands. I blink at them for several long seconds, but eventually place my palms in his. He carefully pulls me up, and his hands land on my hips. He moves me to his lap.

The longer he goes without spitting out a number, the higher my anxiety ratchets. Once my knees are settled on the couch, he gives my lower back a gentle push, and my weight falls to his thighs.

“I was hoping you might consider the doctor’s payment a gift from the three of us.” His fingers thread through my hair as he palms the back of my head.

“Luna’s dad left money that I was going to use to cover that.” I’m completely torn on how to feel. It’s a very sweet gesture but way too lavish of a gift for a neighbor. At the same time, I’m starting to view all three of them as more than merely the guys I moved in next door to.

It’s just hard to fight all the negative thoughts that bombard my mind.

I almost feel cursed.

I counted on my mom…she died.

I really thought Clark was the one…he died.

And, rationally, I know it’s silly, but an overwhelming pang of sadness hits me square in the chest. This next chapter of my life is a huge step, and I don’t want to be alone for it. I told myself I was strong enough to manage, but the first glimmer of kindness someone shows, and it’s like I want to latch on with both hands and not let them get away.

I stretch up, burying my nose in Arden’s throat. His facial hair scratches against my skin, but I don’t mind. As angry as I was with Clark, I do really miss him. More than anything, I’m sad that he won’t get to meet his daughter. And all these thoughts remind me just how little I can control in the grand scheme of things.

“Thank you,” I whisper, exhaling a puff of warm breath against his skin.

“You’re welcome,” he murmurs, kissing the side of my head.

Pregnancy makes my emotions feel like tidal waves that I see coming but have to ride out before I feel like myself again. It’s frustrating, but having Arden so close makes it tolerable. With his arms wrapped firmly around me, I snuggle closer with no shame.

My self-worth took a solid beating when Clark disappeared on me. Not to mention, he was the first alpha I got close to after the few years I spent actively trying to find a pack.

Is it really possible that I stumbled into the perfect pack at nine months pregnant?

That would be almost too good to believe.