The Alpha's Breeder
Forty Two : Liar Liar Pants On Fire

“Eros, what do you think about this?” I pointed at an image of some cute baby clothes on the screen of the laptop. Since Eros didn’t want me to get kidnapped again, I have to do all of the baby shopping on the web.

Albeit there are more selection and variety online, I wish that I could see and feel them myself. The softness of the texture, the size, and even the threading is impossible to gauge just by looking at the pictures. I’ve made impulse purchases online before that don’t look anything like the picture provided, so it makes me a little wary.

But beggars can’t be choosers, I guess.

“It’s cute,” he says after glancing over my shoulder and away from the documents on his desk.

“You say that about everything!” I protest, a pout forming on my lips at his lack of response.

“Aren’t all baby clothes cute?” Eros’ comment made me think that he probably had no knowledge whatsoever on babies.

I don’t doubt it.

Out of the 900 years of his life, Eros has never had the opportunity to take care of a baby.

“I’ve seen some hideous ones,” I reply. With my fingers on the keyboard, I quickly did a search and showed him some rather ugly baby clothes I saw earlier. Some had too many polka-dots and others with far too many bows. There was one I saw that looked like a disco ball with all the sequins and rhinestones attached on it.

What kind of imagination does one need to create such works of...art?

His nose wrinkled at some of them, and a confident smirk blossomed on my lips.

“See? How would you feel if I had terrible taste like this? Do you want our pups to be wearing that?” My smirk widens when he sends me this worried look.

I ignore it and start adding ridiculously ugly outfits into the cart. Eventually, Eros had to remove the laptop from my hands before I stopped my immature behavior.

I blame it on the pregnancy because it made all of my usually non-existent emotions come to life. And I replace myself not that bothered by it since I couldn’t really control the sudden outbursts. At this point, everything is being blamed on the pregnancy, and Eros can’t do anything about it.

That is one of the many perks of being pregnant.

Other than being over emotional, food is one of the other important perks that I take full advantage of. I can eat to my heart’s content, blame the weight gain on the babies and continue to stuff my face. No one can say otherwise.

Now that I am pregnant, Eros treats me like a queen 100% of the time, not that he doesn’t already. But all of my absurd requests are fulfilled, like eating mangoes at 3 in the morning or getting a massage late at night due to the cramps I get in my legs.

Eros has to accompany me through it all because I feel lonely when he’s not there.

Regardless of the time of day or the oddity of my request, Eros never complains about anything, and there is always a soft smile on his lips. It could be late at night and he would still put his clothes on and go get me ice-cream. If the packhouse didn’t have it, he would go to town and buy it for me.

Anything I wanted, he granted.

Just like what he promised.

Because I knew that Eros wouldn’t deny me of anything, I couldn’t help but become greedy for his attention and his love.

I think he’s become my only pillar of support, and the sole person who I can’t live without.

I’ve also failed to mention this, but Eros is fairly ‘rich’. He started a construction company with a lot of the pack members some time ago. With their fast pace, the jobs were done extremely quick and his companies have expanded across the states with both werewolf and human workers.

He had been racking up the ‘dough’ these last few decades. So that means we are set for life. Without a worry for money, I guess that means I will be a stay-at-home mom soon.

I still have mixed feelings about this.

A part of me, that is slightly feminist, wants to replace a job and be independent, while the logical part of me realizes how stupid that is. I am given several scenarios of what would happen if I decide to do something stupid like that.

The sequence goes like this: get a job, get found out by the government, get captured, die.

Okay.

That’s fairly morose, but it’s true.

Climbing off of the recliner, I noted how my stomach protrudes to the front even more now. It’s been a little over a month and I am already starting to show.

A lot.

It’s kind of overwhelming at the speed of this pregnancy.

At the rate things are going, I might even give birth by the fourth or fifth month. I pray that that would not be the case because I’m not prepared for anything at this point.

“Is anyone ever ready for this kind of thing?” I voiced, pursing my lips in thought.

“Of course not. We can learn and prepare, but I don’t think anyone’s ever really ready.” Eros reached his hand out to me, a warm smile curling on his lips that I couldn’t help but reciprocate. Clumsily, I clambered onto his lap, trying to avoid my baby bump as best I could. After replaceing a comfortable position, I set my temple against his collarbone and took a deep breath. Eros’ warm familiar scent wrapped around me like a fleece blanket until I felt secured and at ease again.

“But I don’t know how to be a good mother,” I admitted worriedly. My own mother was no role model. I resented her for most of my childhood, hoping that she would change, but that wish never came true. No matter how much I begged for her love, she still chose to abandon me over her drugs.

She was one of the reasons that made me so uneasy about handing my heart to anyone.

Although I am at peace with that part of my past and no longer hate her, I only prayed that I would be nothing like her in terms of raising a child.

It still haunts me at the idea of walking the same road she has.

“No one is born with the knowledge, Emira,” he assured, pressing a soft kiss against the center of my brows. “We can learn together as we go.”

I sighed dejectedly before saying, “But what if I’m terrible at it?”

“You won’t. I think you will be a great mother. Your past experience will only help you to become even better,” he said. “How do you know that you’ll fail if you don’t try?”

I have so many doubts about this, but what Eros said is true.

If I don’t try, how would I know?

Unlike my own mother, I was willing to try and that should count for something.

“Regardless of what happens, I will always be here to support you.” His encouraging words were enough to make me feel completely different about the matter and I can’t help but feel thankful.

Eros’ arms tightened around my waist, and I curled deeper into his embrace, replaceing myself grinning widely at the thought of being ‘stuck’ with Eros forever. I can’t help but anticipate the rest of our lives.

“Rora invited me over to her room to watch a movie later with Brandy and her,” I absently told Eros, reaching upwards to peck the corner of his jaw in reward for his awesomeness.

“Okay. I have to go see Toren in a bit so it will work out,” Eros replied, leaning forward to make it less straining for me to reach his face.

Mischievously, I pressed a wet kiss against his right cheek and kissed a trail from his Adam’s apple to his chin.

And before he could capture my lips with his, I hopped off of his lap and grinned.

“I’m going to go change real quick,” I told him, slyly glancing at his heated face before leaving his workroom. After we’ve mated, it’s getting easier and easier for me to tease Eros like he keeps teasing me. Sometimes he lets me win but, most of the time, Eros gets his way.

You would think that having sex too often is dangerous when you are pregnant, but Eros assured me that it is not the case for werewolves. He says that it helps strengthen the bond between the father and the pups, and is very necessary for the development of our children.

Although I replace myself not really believing him, I chose to ignore it and indulge him.

Humming a happy tune, I quickly made it back to our room before noticing the boxes sitting outside.

I can’t believe that my orders from last week already made it!

After opening the door, I carefully carried all 8 boxes inside, careful not to stumble or fall in fear of hurting myself and the pups.

Why does it feel like Christmas already, and it’s not?

I have always loved the feeling of receiving things, small or big, at my doorstep. It makes me excited to go through everything, even if I’m the one who ordered them.

Taking a pair of scissors from a drawer, I opened the boxes and started sorting through everything.

My fingers grazed a cotton onesie, and I became rather amazed at how tiny they were. Are babies this small?

Little feet.

Little hands.

Little body.

It makes me wonder how big werewolf babies are going to be.

Will they be larger in size than a regular baby or are they going to be about the same? Should I buy bigger sizes just in case?

Wait a minute.

I got sidetracked again.

The time was flying by and I didn’t even notice.

It’s already 8 and I still haven’t gotten comfortable pajamas on to go to Rora’s room. I calculated the time again and decided to look at one more box before I go.

As I picked up the box, the door suddenly burst open. It slammed roughly against the back wall when Brandy came running in. I jumped almost a foot into the air at her abrupt appearance.

With one hand against my chest, I tried to calm the rapid pounding of my heart, while giving her an inquisitive gaze.

Why is Brandy always so dramatic? Did she come to collect me for the movie?

At her grave and panicked expression, I had a feeling otherwise.

Brandy usually knocks before entering. For her to burst in like this, it was a first. And I’m quite worried about what that implied.

“What’s wrong?” I voiced, dropping a box of baby clothes onto the floor. There was this bad feeling in my gut at the suddenness of the situation.

“There’s a fire!” Brandy exclaimed loudly, sweat dripped down from the top of her temple to streak across her cheeks. At the word fire, I am quickly reminded of when the lab was burnt down by Jared’s pack members.

“Where?” My eyebrows wrinkled in worry. I don’t smell any smoke so I don’t think the fire is in the packhouse.

“To the north of the packhouse,” Brandy explained, ushering me with several exaggerated waves of her hands. “Alpha Eros ordered me to take you to a safe place in case the fire reaches here.”

I really don’t want to leave, but I knew that I would be more of a hindrance than a help to Eros. I doubt that I would be able to do anything other than stand there and watch everyone work. I might even endanger myself by putting myself in harm’s way, making Eros work harder in order to ensure my safety.

And I have a feeling that if I was there, close to the fire, the wind would blow it towards my direction anyway.

Because that’s the severity of my bad luck.

“Where is Eros right now?” I kicked off my slippers, grabbed a pair of running shoes from the shoe rack, and slid them on.

“Alpha Eros is helping put out the fire with everyone else. We have to hurry,” she says, urging me forward as I followed her through the empty pack house. “Granny Ada and Rora are waiting for us ahead.”

My eyes followed Brandy’s finger when she pointed towards the dark forest before us.

I hesitated initially at going into the dark forest, until I spotted Rora running into the line of trees, her hair fluttering wildly in the night.

If Rora was going into the forest than it should be okay, I told myself. Granny Ada’s probably waiting for her.

Right now, I was so relieved to know that Rora and Granny Ada are okay.

Traversing from the back door, Brandy led us towards the dark and creepy forest to the right of the packhouse. Turning my head back, I could see the bright light of the fire and smell the smoke in the air. It looked like a really bad forest fire, spanning for miles on end from where I stood. An uneasy feeling settled in my abdomen as I worried for the pack and Eros.

“How in the world are they going to put that out?” I exclaimed.

“Alpha Eros and the pack will be able to control the fire soon. Don’t worry,” Brandy explained when we broke into the forest.

The sun was already down and the creepy forest started to look even scarier. I was starting to have a hard time seeing in front of me when Brandy reached out her hand, holding my arm as she helped me forward.

I licked my dry lips and glanced ahead in hopes of seeing Rora or Granny Ada, but it was too hard to make out anything in front of me. Even the sound of the forest life was making me uneasy while this intense feeling of dread settled in my chest like a heavy anchor.

“Where did Rora run to?” I nervously asked to fill the awry silence. I don’t know why but my heart was picking up in speed and the urge to flee was hard to control. I didn’t have any reason to be suspicious of Brandy, but there was this instinctive warning that flashed in my head.

It was telling me not to go any further.

I am not a person that will ignore this gut feeling my instinct was giving me, especially since that whole kidnapping incident before.

“Just a little further and we can stop,” Brandy informed, picking up in speed and literally dragging me by the arm.

Brandy was being odd.

“I want to go back. I want to go replace Eros,” I worriedly stated, stopping in my tracks.

Since it was so dark, I couldn’t see her expression. But, from the way her fingers flexed and clenched tightly onto my arm, I could feel that there was something wrong.

I didn’t question Brandy at all and I am starting to regret it now.

“What are you scared of, Emira? I’m only trying to help you,” Brandy suddenly turns to me. From the dim lighting of the moon, I could see a wry smile stretch upon her lips and a hint of sharp canines.

My stomach turns revoltingly.

Why did Eros choose to send Brandy instead of Rora? Why was Brandy leading me into the black forest, where I was told that dangerous creatures roamed? Was that really Rora that I saw running into the forest?

My mind was whirling rapidly before a thought clicked in my head.

Brandy wasn’t leading me to safety, she was leading me into a trap.

And because I was so stupid and trusting of her, she had managed to fool me.

“What are you trying to achieve by luring me out here, Brandy?” I choked out, trying to buy time by questioning her motives.

“You’re not as dumb as I thought you were,” she said, grinning wickedly for the first time since I met her. The panic was setting in when I felt angry tears prick my eyes.

How stupid can I be?

“And you’re not as nice as I thought you were,” I replied venomously. “How dare you pretend to be my friend and then stab me in the back.”

“Friends? With someone as gullible and stupid as you?” She smirked darkly. “Don’t make me laugh.”

This is one of the many reasons why I have trust issues.