Page 68 of His Bullied Fated Mate

I couldn’t believe how stupid I’d been, how we hadn’t thought about this. Jesus, this was terrible timing. We couldn't have a baby right now. Riley and I were dealing with the pack issue, and throwing a baby into this equation was not smart.

I opened my eyes and looked down at the test. There was a little plus sign. My stomach sank, and my heart stopped beating. I was pregnant.

I went home with my mind blank. I couldn’t think. Couldn’t form words. Just clung to that stick.

I unlocked the front door and found Riley cooking at the stove. I could smell French toast and cinnamon. I held my breath, trying not to unsettle my stomach anymore.

“Hey, I’m making French toast for dinner. I figured breakfast sounded good.” He wiped his hands on a rag as he rounded the island

I nodded, still feeling my hand tighten around the test in my pocket. I should tell him. I needed to tell him. But how could I when we had so much going on?

He moved closer and reached up, cupping my face. “How was your day? I missed you at the infirmary. The girls were asking about you.”

I stared into his eyes, taking in the softness. He looked so happy, and I melted against his hands.

“I was out looking. I still didn't find anything.”

He leaned closer, kissing my nose before he pulled me in a hug. “You’ll find it. I feel it. Things are going to start looking up.”

I tightened my hold around the test and swallowed. This was the moment to tell him. I just needed to take it out of my pocket and show him. It would click in his mind.

I had several thoughts of how this would go down. He would remain calm and accept it. Or he would get angry. He might panic as I did and question why we didn't think about this possibility. He might have thought I was on birth control.

But I couldn’t. I couldn't tell him. I was so scared of how this was all going to play out.

“I missed you.”

My heart skipped a beat at his words.

He leaned down, giving me a soft kiss on the lips. I found myself leaning against him, suddenly wanting more. He cupped the back of my head, his tongue sliding over mine, and I moaned.

My mind seemed to glitch as I leaned against him, deepening the kiss. He pulled me tighter against him, his lips harsh against mine. It was hot, and I grabbed at his shirt.

We both leaned back and were panting for air. He chuckled as he rubbed his nose against mine. “God, you know how to wind a man up.”

I stared into his brown eyes, seeing that spark of happiness. I didn’t want to ruin this closeness. I couldn’t put more weight on him than he was already carrying.

But how could I keep this from him? We had no idea how long this was all going to take. The pack was crumbling, and I would start to show in a few months. I needed to tell him. He deserved to know.

I swallowed and tried to form the words. “Riley…”

He cupped my face. “So, I was thinking. In the effort of us moving forward and getting along. How would you like it if we redecorated?”

“What?”

He leaned back and nodded his head towards the living room. “Well, I was thinking about how I decorated this place for myself. And honestly, it doesn’t feel like home. I don’t even think I was paying attention when I bought half of this stuff.”

“You want to redecorate?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I mean…I want this to feel like home. I want it to feel like it’s our space. We can paint and hang up artwork. Buy new furniture, and I’ll even remodel if you want. I have the money to do whatever we want in this house. We could extend, and I could build you an actual office. Or we redo the basement.”

I just stared at him in shock. He was serious. He was actually thinking about our future here. I let go of the test and smiled at him. “I think I could get on board with that idea.”

“Great. How does tomorrow sound? I heard they have a big sale at Mel’s Furniture. We could snag some stuff there. We could stop and pick out paint samples if you want. I can take the entire day off tomorrow.”

He pulled free, stepping back into the kitchen, and I rubbed my hands together. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted, but I knew I wanted this.

I couldn’t tell him now, but in a couple of days I could. I just needed to figure out how.