Chapter 34

I started pacing as soon as I arrived home in the evening, trying to figure out what to do. I kicked off my high heels after the first two laps, and my heels started to ache as I went back and forth, back and forth.

But I couldn’t stop.

Not until I figured out what on earth I was going to do.

I’d have to start making some phone calls.

I tried first with my contact at the planning commission. He was higher up than any of the people who’d come to the meeting, so might have some pull over him. A deep voice answered.

“Kara, I wasn’t expecting you to call after what happened today. My team told me your request was denied, but we might hear from you at the end of next month.”

“I know,” I said slowly, “I’m wondering if you can waive the 30-day waiting period and take a look at my request on Monday. I’ve just got to finish getting some documents together over the weekend, but I know everything is in order. I just didn’t have the files I needed this morning. I’m sorry.”

“I can’t do it, Kara,” he said. “I’m sorry.” He sounded like he really was. I didn’t think there was any point in arguing with him, or staying on the phone any longer. I put my phone down on the table and started pacing again.

I called everyone I could think of. No one was any help.

I called everyone except for Adrian.

I didn’t see what he’d be able to do to fix this for me, and besides, I couldn’t stomach the idea of disappointing him with this. He’d put so much faith in me, and I’d completely wasted it.

He was going to be so angry that the first person he’d gotten Sean to collaborate with had screwed things up so drastically.

Now Sean was never going to work with any of the other packs again, and all Adrian’s plans for inter-pack relations improvements were going to come to nothing.

And all the kids who wouldn’t get the pack school.

I was going to just have to go back to the original plan. I hated the idea. The failure made me feel sick to my stomach.

Actually, I was nauseous again. I hadn’t noticed that I’d been walking so long that a sheen of sweat had broken out on the back of my neck, and my knees felt weak. I had to fix this.

I wasn’t going to ask Adrian for help.

But there was one more person I could try.

I held my breath as I knocked on the door.

There was nothing else I could do. I was going to have to ask Hunter to use his new Alpha Council position to pull some strings for me so that I could fix this. I hated the idea of doing it, but I knew I had to try something.

There was no answer, but the door was open a crack.

I took a deep breath and pushed it open.

There was a tangle of naked limbs on the sofa directly ahead of me. My brain couldn’t make sense of it at first, but I gasped when my mind finally caught up to what I was seeing.

So much for waiting until she was more mature to have sex or take their relationship public, I thought bitterly.

I tasted bile in the back of my throat, and choked down a sob.

My chest felt like it was opening up. Every time I thought I’d gotten past the worst of this, a new wound of grief and heartbreak overtook me.

Knowing they were fated mates were one thing. Knowing he loved her instead of me hurt, but that was a dull ache.

Seeing them actually having sex was something totally different. It was a fire that raked across every inch of my skin, threatening to swallow me whole.

I felt a cramp in my lower abdomen and a hint of wetness between my thighs. My breath quickened. I had to get out of here.

The cramping continued as I walked as quickly as I dared back to my room.

My eyes were dry, but I still felt dry sobs creeping up my throat every few steps.

I had to lie down. And now.

I made it just inside my door when the world went black.

I didn’t know how long had passed when I woke up, head pounding and eyes still swimming. I was flat on my back on the hard tile of my floor.

The baby.

I wrapped my hands quickly around my stomach. I felt a flutter. Had the pup started kicking now, just to reassure me that it was still there? I reached my hand lower, between my thighs.

My hand was shaking as I brought it up in front of my face to inspect it.

No blood. I must have just been sweating, perhaps my body’s first warning that I was about to faint.

I sighed in relief as I felt another flutter. This time I was sure.

The baby was moving.

We were okay.

I narrowed my eyes as I sat up cautiously. My head pounded, but my vision stayed steady. I bent and straightened both knees and both elbows. I was okay, I was pretty sure.

I had to get out of here. This had gone far enough.

I’d gotten lucky this time, but I might not the next time. I couldn’t risk letting myself get that distressed, risk seeing Hunter and Maya together like that again.

Besides, if they were having sex, it was only a matter of time before they went public. I needed to be gone when that happened.

If I timed it right, I could disguise the gossip about leaving the pack by letting the gossip about Hunter’s new fated mate overtake it.

I went to the pad by the phone. I’d make another prenatal appointment as soon as the hospital opened in the morning. I’d go to the one in town again, and make sure everything was okay. I’d tell the doctor my plans to leave, and check if she thought I had enough time to get my affairs in order with the pack first, or if I needed to leave immediately to avoid the serious complications she’d warned me about.

I started to tick through a mental to-do list of everything I needed to get done before I left the pack for real. I’d have to get the money I’d been saving out so I didn’t have to use Hunter’s debit card. He’d be able to track me if I did. Besides, I’d never used that money. I didn’t want to start now. I’d have to get a place to stay lined up. I wondered if Leo could be trusted to help me with that. He traveled more than anyone I knew, so would have ideas of where to set up by myself: where I was least likely to be found.

If I trusted him that much.

I should wrap up everything I could of the pack business, as well.

Then again, I thought bitterly, I’d already screwed things up with the school so much that there weren’t any loose ends to tie up there.

I’d already let the rope unravel in my hands.