Chapter 34

“Guys.” Anastasia groaned aloud as she reached out for the latter of her two milkshakes, having ordered both strawberry and chocolate when she couldn’t decide. “I really don’t want to stay at the pack house, not after how rude Alpha Strom was to me.”

“I know. I get you.” Raphael frowned lightly as he wiped his mouth on a napkin, having already finished his meal. “But he asked us to pass on his apology to you.”

“Yes, but that’s only because he doesn’t want to look bad in front of the rest of the pack and you all think that he’s some rude dickhead.”

Justas frowned while a strained chuckle escaped Raphael.

“Please don’t talk about Alpha Marcellus that way.” Justas murmured quietly as he trailed his eyes away from her to stare at the table instead.

“I know he’s your Alpha and I used to respect for everything that you guys had to say about him, but I’m sorry that I don’t feel the same way.” She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “I’m also sorry for badmouthing him in front of you. I shouldn’t have done that.”

Justas visibly relaxed and glanced up at her again with a small smile on his face.

“There’s no need to apologise. We understand where you’re coming from.” He explained, reaching over to pat her hand in a friendly manner. “But if it helps, he’s been at one of the neighbouring packs all day so he won’t even be at the pack house tonight.”

“Really?” She asked quietly, her eyes flitting the mated pair in front of her.

“Really.” Raphael assured her. “We could put you up in one of the guest rooms on the ground floor so you won’t have to take the stairs.”

The news that the dreaded Alpha Storm wouldn’t be at the pack house tonight was enough to convince Anastasia to stay the night, especially since she really didn’t have the energy to get behind the wheel and drive all the way home. That, and there was also the fact that she both knew and understood that both Justas and Raphael were very anxious and on high-alert as she was so far into her pregnancy. And if sleeping under the same roof as them this one time was enough to make them happy, then she was more than willing to indulge them.

When she found herself snuggled under the sheets in the most comfortable that she ever had the pleasure of sleeping on, she couldn’t but thank herself for choosing to pick her battles.

When she felt her phone ping, Anastasia reached out blindly and grabbed the device from the bedside table, squinting slightly as she was met with the bright light.

A quiet laugh passed her lips as she was met with the sight of a meme that Harvey had sent her, this being the third one he had sent her today. Ever since he had rescued her when her car broke down a few weeks ago, they had become somewhat friends, even meeting up for lunch once since they worked so close by each other.

They had been exchanging funny memes back and forth these past few days and finally, it was taking a toll on her as she struggled to think of how to respond or rather, what meme she would be able to send back that would top his but when her mind ran black – no doubt from exhaustion – she put down her phone with the intention of one-upping him in the morning when she wasn’t so tired.

Closing her eyes, she snuggled further under the sheets, willing for sleep to take her but when it didn’t, she groaned and turned over to lay on her side in hopes of getting more comfortable. When that didn’t work, she squeezed her eyes shuts but quickly opened them when all she could see was a pair of hazel orbs with green flecks in them.

Anastasia gulped and turned back on her other side, afraid to close her eyes in fear that she would see him again. Not that this was the first time.

Ever since her argument with the Alpha a few weeks ago, she couldn’t get him off her mind.

At first, she had thought she couldn’t stop thinking about him as he had literally driven her off the pack grounds but that theory very quickly flew out the window when she begun to wonder if he would let her eat ice-cream off his toned, washboard abs. Just the thought of him had her pussy aching to be filled, and she hated him even more for prying such a reaction out of her.

Anastasia groaned in frustration, tempted by the idea of slipping a hand under the sheets and masturbating to the image of him in her mind – the one where he had been nothing but a jackass and demanding that she leave his territory – like she had done every night since she had the displeasure of meeting him. However, the fact that she knew she was in a house full of werewolves that would no doubt be able to hear her – probably smell her desire, too – was enough to keep her at bay.

Despite how much she told herself that she hated him, Anastasia wasn’t quite convinced.

And despite how comfortable and physically relaxed she was in the big bed and expensive sheets, she just couldn’t sleep or more specifically, she couldn’t stop thinking about the one man that she had sworn to forever loathe until the end of time. Yet somehow, she had managed to find herself back in the pack house outside of her doctor’s appointments.

With sleep evading her for what was far from the first time in the past few months, Anastasia sighed and flung the covers off of her before wriggling herself into a sitting position. She braced one hand on the bed frame which she used to leverage herself higher and pressing the second against her lower back in hopes of easing the discomfort there.

A light groan escaped her as she pulled herself off the bed and onto her feet, panting slightly as she still held onto the bedframe. Gulping down some water from her water bottle which she had left on her nightstand, she grabbed the blanket off the bed, wrapped it around her and turned around to head out of the room.

Perhaps some fresh air would do her good.