Apprehended Ch. 23

Oh Jesus.

It was heaven in my mouth.

I ate like a savage, inhaling at least six slices. Never had pizza tasted so delicious. When I was done, Gavin washed my plate and headed to the fridge to serve me cheesecake. I inhaled that too. The combined food rendered me a tired mess. My stomach was bloated and I sagged into the barstool wearily.

"How are you feeling now?" asked Gavin.

I took a sip of ginger ale. "Better actually." I tried to offer him a genuine smile. "Thank you. I honestly didn't feel hungry until I smelled the pizza."

"Of course you didn't," he said. "But a male makes it a point to know what his female needs even when she doesn't know it herself."

"True," I said, "but you're not my male."

He smiled again, gesturing to the pizza boxes. "You think I ordered this?"

I sat up straighter, no longer feeling tired, but very much aware. "You didn't?"

He snorted. "If I did this without Ethan's knowledge, he would've cut my balls off. You know I like my balls. This was actually his idea. He didn't know what sort of pizza you may be craving, so he ordered various types."

I frowned, my brows furrowing deeply. "How did he even know I would want it?"

He gave me a look. It was eerily similar to Ethan's. "He's a bonded male. It's his instinct to take care of you. In all the ways that matter."

I sat back in the barstool, releasing the tension in my shoulders...and a bit of the frustration.

He ordered food...for me. Despite being mad. I couldn't help but fall in love with him a little more every time he thought of me. Or did something nice for me.

The sound of someone coming inside the cabin had me turning in my seat.

And my mouth nearly opened on a gasp when I saw that it was Ethan...

Magnificently naked...

And glistening with a sheen of sweat, rendering his muscles more defined as he moved silently and lithely towards us.

Towards me.

Fucking. Hell.

He stared right at me, stopping so close, he invaded my space. He was so large and brimming with power, I looked away, unable to stare up at his looming size for longer than a few seconds. Strangely, I felt a little foolish now that we both cooled off.

And guilty.

Ethan had a right to his own emotions. Just because I didn't agree with it didn't mean he was wrong. It also didn't mean I was wrong either. To make matters worse, no matter how angry we were or what was said, he made certain I was taken care of.

He grabbed my chin and turned my head, lifting it to find my eyes. "You okay?" he asked, lowly.

"Mm-hmm." I tried to pull away but he didn't allow it, his hold on me unforgiving.

"Did you eat, baby?"

I bit my lower lip, feeling it tremble as my eyes instantly brimmed with tears. "Yes," I whispered.

He shifted his hold, cupping my cheek in his warm hand to run a gentle thumb underneath my right eye. "Don't cry, sweetheart. Please. I cannot bear it. Especially when I am the cause."

"You're not," I said, the first tear slipping free.

Ethan caught it with his thumb and brushed it away. "I am. And I am sorry, mon amour." He lowered his head and pressed a kiss against my lips. Once. Twice. A few more times.

Then he tossed in another one for good measure.

When he pulled away, he smiled a little, revealing only one of his dimples. "You ate cheesecake?"

I nodded. "Yes. Thank you for the pizza."

"Anything," he said.

He straightened and I realized that Gavin had left us alone, which I appreciated. I wanted to spend time with Ethan. Without arguing. "Did you eat?" I asked.

"No. I'm starving actually." He kissed my forehead before grabbing a plate and piling it with nearly ten slices.

I laughed.

He took a seat beside me and began eating, snarfing down more than half on a single bite. "You want tea?" he asked, chewing.

I crinkled my nose. "Not really."

"You need the milk," he pointed out.

"I ate cheese," I said, indicating the pizza.

"Not enough," he said, polishing the rest of the slice. He moved on to another. "Please, honey."

He sounded so genuine-without a hint of demand and only concern- that I immediately caved. "Alright."

He winked and got up to make it. I grabbed his shoulder to stop him. "I'll make it. You eat."

He shook his head. "I take care of you. Especially now that you're with my young."

I smiled and kissed his bearded cheek. "You can't take care of me if you have little or no energy. You need to take care of yourself too. Now eat. I can make my own tea."

He grumbled his disapproval but remained planted in his seat. I got up and stretched, which caused my hoodie to rise a bit. Ethan stared and reached out to wrap a thick arm around my waist to pull me in closer.

He lifted the hoodie a little higher and placed his other hand on my bare stomach, covering it with his long fingers. "I love this," he said lowly. He shook his head in what seemed like disbelief.

"What?"

"Your stomach," he specified. Without warning, he closed his eyes and pressed a careful kiss on my flesh. He reopened them slowly to stare at my belly once more. As if he couldn't peel his gaze away. "It feels different," he said. He pressed into my stomach lightly. "A little firmer." He kissed me again. "You have a little bump, actually."

I glanced down. "That's fat, Ethan."

He wasn't amused. "Don't start, female."

I smiled when he didn't, running my fingers through his thick hair. I smoothed it out, watching it shine beautifully in the light. He pressed another kiss on my belly, drawing it out and kissing the entire surface area.

Which made me melt.

"That feels good," I admitted lowly.

"Does it?" he asked, looking at me. He kissed it once more. "I'll have to do it more then, won't I, ma cherie?"

I nodded. "Yes, please. If that's okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be okay?" he asked softly. "You want affection or attention from me, you will get it. It's that simple. Alright?"

"Mm-hmm."

He kissed me one last time and pulled my hoodie down, lightly patting my butt. "Tea. Put cream. I purchased some this week."

I made a face.

He chuckled. "Go."

I made my way into the kitchen, heating up black tea.

"No earl grey, dulzura?" he asked, eating another slice.

"Not really in the mood for it," I said. I moved to the fridge and found the cream. When the tea was done heating and steeping, I poured it and added sugar.

Okay.

A lot of sugar.

Ethan watched me, a smile playing on his lips. "Precious," he murmured.

I glanced at him. "Precious?" I laughed. "You've never called me that before."

"You're a lot of things," he said, chewing. "Including beautiful in my kitchen."

I felt heat rush to my face and I ducked my head, finishing my tea.

He reached out, offering me his hand. "Come here, my Luna. I want you next to me."

I almost ran but didn't want to appear too desperate for his touch. Even though I was. Our argument didn't bode well with me. Having him home made me feel better despite our differences. I sat beside him again and he moved my stool closer, our sides snug against each other. He placed an arm around my chair, still eating.

I drank my tea quietly.

"Did you take your prenatal vitamins?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No."

He got up, polishing off his last slice as he made his way to a kitchen cabinet...in his birthday suit.

"Do you want clothes?" I asked.

Jesus.

His body was even more beautiful upon assessment. Rigid lines and hard angles. Muscles and magnificent skin that seemed kissed by the sun. His legs were long and his thighs were thick. With his hair loose and his sparkling eyes, it was kind of difficult not to admire the whole male package and focus.

He turned. "Do you like what you see, my petal?"

I felt my face flush again. I didn't answer. If I did, I was liable to attack him and demand more than a mere kiss. He was that influential. One look was all it took.

Hmm.

That rhymed.

He smiled, revealing his pearly white fangs and interrupting my thoughts of his male perfection. "I like you watching me."

"Yeah, well, it's hard not to," I mumbled.

"I can say the same about you, love." He took out the appropriate vitamins and pills. "Here," he said, offering them to me with an open palm. "Take them all. I'll log in the time you took them for reference."

I took the pills with tea and grimaced. They resembled horse pills; traveling down my throat rather unceremoniously. "What were those exactly?"

He went through the pills. "This one is your common prenatal. This one is for nausea. This one is vitamin D, which requires vitamin K. This one is vitamin C and this one is Iron."

I glanced through the various bottles, noticing another he didn't mention. "What about that one?"

He picked it up and shook it. "This one is a little special."

"Okay. What is it?"

"Prenatal for female wolves."

I blinked.

And blinked some more.

"What?"

"Baldridge told you, Luna. Shifter young require alternative vitamins. All of which are common within a female wolf. But you require an introduction for your body to adjust to the vitamins. This it is. It will increase over time."

I guess that made sense. Honestly, the entire situation was a mind-fuck. Nothing about it could be processed scientifically with a realistic finality. I was begininning to compile a mental list of the abnormal. It seemed there was no end in sight.

A rough knock on the door had us whipping our heads around. I glanced at the time. "Are you expecting anyone?" I asked.

Ethan shook his head. "No. Go upstairs and lock the door."

"Can't I just stay with you?"

"Annie," he warned, heading for the door.

I sucked my teeth in irritation and went to the bathroom instead, locking the door and waiting impatiently for Ethan to come fetch me. Which was completely ridiculous.

When there was a soft rap, I opened things up with a glare.

"Do you take pleasure in going against what I ask of you?" he said.

"Who is it?" I snapped.

"Me."

Ethan scowled and stepped to the side, revealing a disgruntled and large Tony. It was such a relief to have another human-besides Lily-in the cabin, that I found myself smiling. "Hey, Tony. What brings you here?"

He looked me over, taking off his thick red parka and planting it across the couch in a heap. "Cupcake. You look...bright."

My brows shot up as I left the bathroom. "Ummm...thank you?"

He winked.

Ethan growled.

"Dune," he said. "You're naked." He made it a point to look away from Ethan's lower body.

I almost laughed but forced myself not to.

Ethan folded his arms across his chest. "My mate doesn't have a problem with it. That's good enough for me. Besides, I'm a wolf. Being naked is required for a shift. Which you know. Now, what do you want?"

Tony made his way into the kitchen, opening up the fridge to take a look inside. Ethan looked rather annoyed. Tony grabbed a beer and popped it open roughly, taking a long swig.

"By all means," Ethan said, dryly. "Have a drink."

I covered my mouth with my hands to hide a smile and moved to stand next to Ethan.

"Again, what are you doing here?" asked Ethan.

"Is that the way you greet your former best friend?" said Tony.

"Former," Ethan pointed out. "Not current."

Tony smiled, revealing straight, white-and fangless- teeth. "Nonetheless, I am a guest, Dom."

"Well, which is it?" snapped Ethan. "Are you a guest or my former bestie?"

I swear the laugh came out without warning. It burst through my lips before I could hide it; causing both males to stare at me.

I glanced at Ethan in mirth. "You've never said the word, 'bestie,' before," I pointed out.

Ethan wasn't amused. "Anthony. What do you want?"

Tony finished off his beer and went for another, making his way back into the living room and plopping on the couch in obvious weariness. "I went looking for Rodina," he said. "Based off the picture, I had some fliers printed. No one has seen her."

Ethan muttered a juicy curse. "I forgot to call you."

Tony cocked a brow. "Okay..."

"We have her."

Tony ran a hand through his hair. "And you didn't think to check in with me? I've had my boys working on this, Ethan. For days."

"I apologize," said Ethan, sounding genuinely sorry. "I've been busy." He glanced at me, a smile playing on his lips. "My Luna...she's with young."

Tony froze. "I'm sorry...what?"

I wanted to hurl. Why did he have to tell him? He didn't need to know.

"My mate is with child," Ethan repeated. He made his way to the closet in the living room at a slow pace, grabbing a pair of sweats and a tee shirt to slip on.

Tony looked at me. "You're pregnant, Annie?"

"That's what I just said," said Ethan.

"Well...that's interestin'," said Tony.

I didn't know how to interpret that. "We just found out," I said.

Tony ran a hand over his face, his beard growing in and rasping against his palm. "So quickly?"

Ethan pegged him with a glare. "Not your place, Anthony."

Tony lifted a hand in mock surrender. "Hey, I'm not judging." He took a swig of his beer, his eyes never leaving mine. "I guess I should say congratulations."

"Uhhhh...thank you?" I said in confusion. I wasn't sure if that was a compliment or him being polite for my sake.

He chuckled. "You're welcome, darlin,'" he drawled. He shifted to Ethan. "I'm tired, Dune. It took me over an hour to get up here. The snow's fallin' a bit harder now."

Ethan took a seat on a recliner chair by the couch. He patted his thigh for me. "Come sit with me, baby."

I felt my face flush and moved to sit on his lap. It felt a little weird having Tony's eyes on us, but I did my best to ignore it.

Ethan shifted me until I was settled comfortably across his lap, tucking me into his body. He wrapped an arm around my waist to hold me in place steadily as he spoke. "You can stay in one of the cabin's if that is what you're asking."

Tony inclined his head, taking another sip. "Actually, I was. Thanks, Dune."

Ethan nodded tightly.

Tony went silent for a few minutes, simply drinking the rest of his beer with a grim expression.

"Ummm...Tony...is everything okay?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Oh no, everything is fine...only that a couple of wolves came into town yesterday and are taking residence in the local motel. That wouldn't normally bother me, but considering that there are ten of them, I thought I'd make the trip up here to let you know. I tried calling you, Dune."

I stared at Ethan. "What is he talking about?"

Ethan cursed. "The elders," he said. "They're here for Rodina, no doubt. I contacted them when she attacked us."

"Attacked you?" asked Tony.

"Unfortunately. She nearly succeeded in killing my mate." Ethan brushed some of my hair behind my ear affectionately. "It is a crime to attempt to kill the mate of any wolf; let alone, an Alpha. I had no choice."

Tony placed the empty bottle on the coffee table, resting his elbows on his jean-clad knees. "You didn't tell me that either, Dom."

"It escaped my mind," said Ethan. "Forgive me, but I've been a bit preoccupied after my brother's death, Dina nearly killing my mate and my Luna's pregnancy."

"I understand that, but-"

"No," Ethan interjected. "You don't."

"Nonetheless," snapped Tony, growing a little irritated. "Shoot me a quick text, for fuck's sake. We're in this together."

"Are we?" spat Ethan.

Okayyyyyyyyy. This was definitely not going well.

I cleared my throat. "Um, guys, how about we take a moment to-"

"Don't hold back, Dom," Tony interrupted. "By all means. Let it out."

"This is my home, Tony. Don't disrespect my hospitality. You're lucky you're still breathing."

Tony laughed but it held no mirth. "Threatening me now, are you?"

I raised my hands to cool the obvious testosterone-fueled, biggest-and-baddest-male-machismo showdown. "Guys...can we just stop?"

"No!" they both snarled simultaneously.

Jesus.

The two of them in the same room were the equivalent of a nuclear power plant on the verge of a motherfucking meltdown.

With me in the middle...taking the brunt force of explosive radiation.

"Look," said Ethan. "I get where you're at."

"Do you?" said Tony.

"Yeah. I do. And I respect your position, Tony. Whether you agree or not. But this is my clan. Not yours. Your life is in town. Protecting what you know."

"My life is protecting people in general, Dom. Not in a specified zone of your choosing. That's not the way the world fucking operates. And my town is currently full of shifters whom I do not know or trust." Tony leaned into his knees, lowering his head and pointing a firm finger at Ethan. "Need I remind you of the innocents who know nothing of your world. Bringing unwanted attention to my town in broad daylight causes a fucking shit storm that I have to clean up, Dom."

"They are elders," Ethan grit out. "Not savages. Jesus. Do you even hear yourself? Just because we eat meat doesn't mean I want to sink my fangs into the nearest human within fifty feet, you little prick. My mate is human for fuck's sake."

"You think so little of me," said Tony. "Your problem is that you never listen."

"And your problem is that you don't know when to shut the fuck up," barked Ethan.

I stood up abruptly and moved to stand in between them. Though it did little good considering how large they both were. And their scowls were strong enough to penetrate even the strongest of metals known to man.

"That's enough," I said, staring between the two. "This is getting out of hand. The both of you in a room together is basically disastrous." I focused on Tony. "I'm sorry Ethan didn't tell you. But-"

"Don't you dare apologize to him," interrupted Ethan. He rose from the chair and approached at the speed of light; looking feral and on-edge.

Despite his excessive height and extreme build compared to my smaller frame, I lifted my head and pointed my own finger at him. "I wasn't done, Ethan. Can you just sit down and be quiet?"

He froze.

I pointed to the chair he previously occupied. "Now."

Shockingly, it worked.

I was momentarily surprised but hindered it quickly. I was making some progress. At least...I thought I was. I wasn't sure. But somebody had to step in. They were liable to start a fire of their own making, burning everything in their wake until ashes consumed the air and they died from their own fumes.

Ugh.

Men.

He gave in and muttered under his breath as he obeyed; for the first time expressing the true amount of power I had over him. And it had nothing to do with strength or size.

I refocused on Tony, who was smiling widely. "I love her," he said, pointing at me. "She's perfect for you, Dom."

"Oh, shut u-"

"Ethan!" I all but shouted.

Once more...he stitched his lip, his jaw working overtime as he gritted his teeth.

"As I was saying," I continued to Tony. "We're sorry. I'm sure Ethan meant to tell you. But, here we are. I'm not familiar with the elders he speaks of. However, I'm certain that everything will be okay. Ethan may be a lot of things-"

"You got that right," Tony grumbled.

I glared. "If either one of you interrupts me one more time, I'm leaving." They both made a move to get up and argue, but I stopped them with a hand. "I have civil rights above all else. And I will not allow the two of you to not only destroy each other based off of your past, but take me along for the ride. I don't give a shit what happened. Let's focus on the present. The here and now. Understand that the one thing I haven't experienced from either one of you are lies. You may not like each other or get along, but you haven't lied to one another yet. I doubt you'd start this late into the game. So, how about we cool off for tonight.

"I'm bone-tired. I'm moody. I'm now nauseous and currently rocking one hell of a thunder-headache," I said at last.