Chapter 16

(Julia’s POV)

“Thank you,” I said quietly as the car door shut behind me and the driver got back behind the wheel. “For coming so quickly, I mean.” Ronan just nodded, looking out the tinted window at the house I was leaving behind.

We drove quickly and quietly to his house. I was too tired to try and make casual conversation, and Ronan didn’t seem to want to talk, either. I followed him up the driveway and into the house, where I was surprised to see a crowd of people lined up in the entryway.

“This is Julia,” Ronan said shortly. “She’s my Luna, so please show her the respect that position affords her.” I barely had time to wave to the collection of house staff before he took my hand and led me upstairs.

Once again, I found myself feeling warm and soothed by Ronan’s attitude towards me. Whenever I was with him, I knew he would take care of everything, and protect me — and my pup.

I was surprised when he stopped in front of the door I knew led to his bedroom. Before I could say anything, Ronan said, “You’ll be staying in my room.” I shook my head. “No, no, I’m not. This place is huge! There must be another room I can sleep in.”

Ronan sighed, shooting me an irritated look. “Remember our contract, Julia. Think of how it would look if we weren’t sharing a room. The staff are discrete, but they still talk, and that talk could turn into city-wide gossip in no time.”

He stepped closer and I suppressed a shudder at his new proximity. “It’s all clearly stated in our agreement, Beta. Read the fine print if you don’t believe me.” I wanted to keep fighting, but it was late and I was exhausted, and besides, I knew he was right.

I let out a shaky breath and took a small step back, trying to use the distance to clear my head. “Fine. Fine. We’ll share the room.” To his credit, Ronan didn’t gloat. He just opened the door and waited for me to go inside before following after.

I stopped short at the sight of the bed. It wasn’t just that the last time I was here, I fell into bed with my boss (although that certainly wasn’t helping matters). It was that there was just the one bed, which meant Ronan and I would have to share.

I was already in my pajamas, so I sat awkwardly on the edge of the bed. Ronan went to the bathroom, emerging in gray sweatpants and a faded blue t-shirt. He settled in on the other side of the bed.

Even though it was large, the bed suddenly felt entirely too small. What if we touched during the night? What if, while unconscious and half-asleep, my body reacted the way it always did when I got near Ronan?

I couldn’t risk the possibility that I would slip into heat again once I was laying next to Ronan. I grabbed a long pillow that was propped up against the headboard and slotted it between us. Ronan raised an eyebrow. “Really? You trust me that little?”

“No, I just—” I stopped, not sure of what excuse I would give that wouldn’t sound stupid or crazy. “I, uh, I kick a lot. In my sleep. I don’t want to kick you accidentally, or something.” Ronan shot me an unreadable look, but didn’t say anything else.

He waited until I was settled under the covers, then turned the lamp off. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping sleep would come quickly. It didn’t — from the unfamiliar sound of Ronan’s air conditioning unit, to the strange feel of his expensive sheets.

I tried to do it quietly, but my tossing and turning must’ve been louder than I thought because Ronan’s gruff voice came from the other side of the pillow. “Do you feel alright? Or is this restlessness part of your pregnancy symptoms?”

I stilled instantly. “Um, I don’t…” I trailed off, not sure of how to nicely tell him that his house was making me feel strange. “I can call my doctor,” Ronan said, and I was struck by the note of concern in his voice. “It’s really no trouble.”

And with those words, the awkwardness I had felt before disappeared. I sat up and Ronan followed suit, his dark eyes glittering as they watched me in the dark. “It’s not because of the pregnancy,” I said slowly. “It’s just…well, your house is new to me, and I have trouble falling asleep in unfamiliar places.”

“I’ll get used to it in time,” I continued. There was another long pause, and I almost let it go. However, I couldn’t let an opportunity like this slip past. “Ronan?” He hummed in response, still watching me.

“Why are you so worried about me? I mean, I know I’m pregnant, and that can lead to some difficult situations, but you just seem so concerned about every little thing. I mean, you rushed me to the hospital over a little rash on my arm.”

Ronan didn’t answer right away, and I braced myself for his anger at my asking such a personal question. I was surprised when I heard him take a deep breath, then say, “My mother…she got pregnant when I was a child.”

“Everything was fine. There were just a few more weeks until the baby was due.” He sounded distracted, like he was reliving the memories as he spoke. “And then…there were complications. Some sort of issue with her blood pressure.”

I fought the urge to reach across the pillow barrier and take his hand. “She died,” Ronan finished. “And I guess I never really got over it. Pregnancies make me nervous, no matter who it is, but you…something about you makes me crazy with worry.”

“I’m sorry if I’ve been overbearing.” Ronan was looking at me again, his eyes piercing mine, and I was touched by the note of genuine remorse in his voice. “I’ll try to get a handle on my emotions in the future.”

“No, Ronan, it’s okay.” Without thinking too much about it, I finally did reach over and put my hand on his arm. “Now that I know why…” I smiled. “But if you could be a little less crazy worried from now on, that would be great.”

He returned my smile, and I removed my hand. We both laid back down, but I couldn’t go to sleep. I was consumed with thoughts of Ronan and his dead mother. Suddenly, so much about my cold and emotionless Alpha was making sense, and I felt sorry for him that he still grieved his mother so strongly.

At some point, I must’ve drifted off. I woke up the next morning feeling strangely safe and warm. I shifted slightly, but froze once I realized why I felt so peaceful. I was wrapped in Ronan’s arms, my face pressed into the space between his shoulder and neck.

“Good morning.” I almost jumped out of my skin. I looked up to see Ronan’s eyes on mine. There was a small smile on his face, and he made no moves to release his hold on me. Before I could apologize, he said, “You rolled over after you fell asleep, and you were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to move you.”

My face felt like it was one fire. I tried to push back from him and sit up, but my arms were weak with sleep, and I fell forward — right back onto his chest. My face was right up against his now, his warm breath creating goosebumps on my skin.

His eyes searched mine before flicking down to my lips, then back up to meet my gaze. My heart raced and I tried to control my shallow breaths. All it would take was one little move, and our lips would meet.

Just one little push… I closed my eyes as I felt Ronan shift, coming impossibly closer while still not kissing me, and waited to feel the heavenly touch of his lips on mine.