Page 7 of His Treasured Mate

“I'm sorry she kept that from you.”

“It was her burden to bear. I do understand it. When she finally cracked and told me she was pregnant, I couldn’t understand why she would keep it to herself like that. I knew Patrick would be fine. He'll make a great father. But I didn't know she'd had multiple miscarriages. How could I not have known that about my own sister?”

“Elise has always been more private when it comes to big stuff. You know that, and you love her through it. That's all you can do.”

“How did I get so lucky to have such a smart mate?”

He leaned down and kissed me.

“Does that officially mean I am no longer the biggest douchebag on the planet?”

I grimaced. I hated the old nickname I'd once given him. He was none of the things I'd thought him to be. He'd proved that over and over again every single day for the last decade of our lives together.

“You know, the girls aren't here, and we have the house to ourselves.”

He wrapped his arms around me and nuzzled the mating mark I proudly bore. His mark.

Mine, my wolf growled.

“What exactly are you thinking?”

“I'm thinking there's no way you can possibly get me any more pregnant, so we might as well take advantage of it.”

I gasped when he picked me up into his arms. I'd never been this big before, but he carried me with ease as if I hadn't gained a single ounce this pregnancy.

“I like how you think, Slugger.”

He walked us down the hall and right into our bedroom.

Thomas

Chapter 2

“You're an Alpha. Just tell her no,” James said.

“I can't believe you're going out of territory when she's this pregnant,” Wyatt said.

“Says the man whose mate delivered four pups at once. Of course you're going to lean on the side of paranoia. Look, Lily has successfully delivered four perfect children for you. She knows what the hell she's doing. Plus, you're taking Sam with you. I'm not thrilled with that part since that means you're screwing the rest of us, but whatever. Just go and get back quickly,” Austin said.

“It'll be fine,” Clay insisted.

“I agree. You're all freaking out over nothing. It's only a week,” Emmett added.

Austin's mate is in her third trimester with their first child, so I knew he was a nervous first-time papa. I didn't love the idea of taking my Pack's physician away either, especially with Angel so far along, but her due date isn’t until after we’re set to be back, and what else could I do?

I was Alpha, and it was well within my jurisdiction to do so. If I couldn't protect my mate and my unborn pup above all else, then what good was I?

My father always told me that my mate would be both my biggest weakness and my greatest strength. He told me that she had to come first. Her safety was of the utmost importance to the Pack.

Dad had stepped down as Alpha shortly after Lily and I had mated. My wolf had always been strong, but after a threat to our mate's life he'd become impossibly stronger. She tamed him. Without Lily, I'd be a loose cannon, borderline feral. It was probably pathetic just how much I needed that woman.

Just the thought of losing her caused the hair on my arms to stand up. I knew I was going to have to go for a run to calm him or find her and let her soothe away that wild side of me like only she could do.

I checked the time and frowned.

“I have to run,” I told my friends. “I have a meeting in half an hour and need to check on a few things first.”

We said goodbye and I left as they all headed over to Kate's Diner to have lunch together.