Chapter 14

Kara's POV

I froze.

My feverish brain wasn’t working quick enough to come up with a reason I should be here.

I stood and composed myself, clearing my throat.

“I wasn’t feeling well, and—"

“She’s just here to deliver some documents,” Hunter interrupted coldly.

I didn’t know why he thought she was going to believe that. But he spoke in the deep melodious Alpha voice that always sent the pack members running to do what he commanded.

My heart clenched and I tasted bile. This was practically my home. I’d spent more time in it than my quarters for years.

And I was sick and had wanted to be where I was most comfortable.

But now it was reduced to an errand. An awkward mistake.

I took a deep breath and told myself to play along.

I had to.

“Yes, I’m so sorry,” I said softly. “I had to deliver some urgent files about the school funding, but I started to feel ill. I had a high fever, but I’ll get out of your way now.”

Maya didn’t look convinced, but didn’t speak.

I moved awkwardly to the door.

“So you were—?” Maya started, but Hunter cut her off.

“Kara, Maya needs to go shopping for the new member initiation ceremony this afternoon. You’ll take over her tasks for the rest of the day.”

I noticed that he didn’t use the Alpha voice with me, even though he was making a command. He expected I’d just do whatever he asked, whether compelled by his werewolf leader powers or not.

I guessed he was right.

Maya looked pleased, but stuttered as she started talking.

“That—that would be great, but—” She paused and looked down at her feet. “If Kara’s ill, she might not want to—”

“She’ll be compensated,” Hunter said, waving a hand casually. “I’m not stingy with overtime pay, am I?”

It seemed to be a rhetorical question. I didn’t reply, but he moved on.

Hunter walked to the desk, shuffling the papers there.

I wondered if he was trying to make the “I was just there to deliver documents” story seem more compelling, or if he actually needed to review those.

“Keep the arrangement confidential, Kara,” he snapped, looking over his shoulder at me. “I don’t want any more chatter about special treatment, or for anyone to form bias against Maya because she’s being allowed to spend the afternoon shopping.”

I nodded and moved toward the door.

The fever had broken, but I still felt weak and shaky. And underneath the illness, the worsening pregnancy symptoms.

I felt heavy, with painful cramping, constant headaches, and desperate nausea.

I was also starting to notice that the symptoms worsened any time I had an interaction like this with Hunter.

When my heart was breaking, my body reacted.

Hunter and Maya moved to leave the room as well.

“Just finish organizing the documents and let yourself out, Kara,” Hunter said brusquely. He turned to Maya. “Do you have what you need for the shopping trip?”

His tone changed completely from his brisk command to me to his soft query about what she needed.

I guessed he was going to escort her. So not just a practical shopping trip, but a date, then.

Maya grabbed a jacket and waved to me over her shoulder. Her eyes were still slightly narrowed with suspicion, but she walked in her usual bouncy manner. I guessed the prospect of an afternoon shopping with Hunter, and whatever else they would be doing, had perked her up.

Hunter didn’t look at me as he opened the door for Maya and closed it behind them.

Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, then started to run down my still fever-flushed cheeks.

---

I shifted at my desk, trying to get comfortable.

My hips felt loose and achy. I had to keep moving to avoid discomfort, but every time I jostled, I could practically feel my stomach acid swirling around, bringing up another wave of nausea.

The headache was constant, settling over my left eye. There was constant pressure in my head.

And in my pelvis.

I’d stood naked in front of the mirror after getting home from the Alpha suite. I’d stripped, my clothes still slightly damp with the fever sweat, and caught a glimpse of my profile.

I wasn’t showing yet, not so anyone would notice. But there was a slight hard bump above my pubic bone, ridges where my uterus was starting to expand.

I didn’t have much more time before someone noticed.

Especially if Hunter still expected sex.

I was exhausted, too, having spent the rest of yesterday doing both my own work and Maya’s. None of the work itself was a challenge to me. I knew how to do it all well. But I’d kept getting distracted by thoughts of where Hunter and Maya were, what they were doing.

I imagined her giggling as she twirled for him in front of a dressing room mirror in a tight dress that showed off her curves perfectly.

Imagined him smiling back, with an expression that was playful adoration mixed with deep desire.

A way he’d never looked at me.

I jumped as the door opened and Maya breezed into the office.

I slunk down in my seat slightly, trying to turn my attention back to my work.

She walked straight to me, greeting me with a too-loud “good morning, Kara.”

She set a large gift bag proudly on my desk, smiling.

“What’s that?” I asked quietly.

“Just a little gift to show my appreciation,” she said excitedly. “Open it.”

I wanted to tell her that it was unnecessary and that she should just take it away. But I couldn’t do that. I noticed all the other deltas watching us.

I lifted out the tissue paper and grasped a large object. I pulled it from the bag.

She bounced on her heels as I looked at it, running my fingers over the leather.

It was a briefcase, with buttery, cognac colored leather and rose gold accents. It was beautiful. And very expensive.

“I can’t accept this,” I said.

“You have to. It’s just something to thank you for your help yesterday, and for all you’ve done getting me settled in the pack. Do you like it?”

I did like it. It was beautiful. Exactly what I would have picked out myself, if I ever spent that kind of money on things I didn’t really need.

But I hated it, too. It seemed to suggest that I was no more than my job. It felt like a pitiful consolation prize from the woman Hunter really loved.

And probably bought with his money, too. I didn’t think she had the funds for something this expensive.

“I do, but—”

“Good,” she cut me off. “Anyway, you have to check out the place Hunter and I went for dinner. Slate, I think it was called? Have you been? They brought the food out on these sizzling stone trays, and it was so quiet and intimate. Perfect for dates. You and Leo could go there sometime.”

I exhaled sharply through my nose.

“Office relationships are prohibited within the pack, Maya,” I said coldly. “As you know. Leo and I are just colleagues and old friends. Nothing more.” I stood and plopped the briefcase back in the gift bag on top of the tissue paper. I handed the bag to her.

“Thank you, but I really can’t accept this.”

Maya’s eyes darkened.

“What’s going on here,” Hunter demanded as he emerged from his office and made his way to mine.

“She says she can’t accept my gift,” Maya said in a small voice.

“Kara,” he said sharply, “it’s a thoughtful gesture. Don’t be difficult about it.”

I nodded and thanked Maya in a small voice.

Hunter left quickly, heading out the door to take a meeting.

I thought I saw him graze his fingertips along Maya’s lower back as he passed by her.

“Kara,” Maya started, hesitantly. “Were you really only at the Alpha suite to deliver documents? I’m just hoping that’s true, otherwise—”