The long awaited chapter...



Amanda and I would be making dinner for everyone tonight, which meant we needed to get started. We had a lot of food to make.

She was lying in bed, her hands on her belly.

“What are you doing?”

“The baby’s moving.”

“I want to feel.”

She smiled and ushered me over. I had my hands on Amanda’s growing baby bump, trying to feel any signs of life, when it hit me.

I was late. I’d been puking. My back hurt. I couldn’t be around cooking meat at the BBQ.

Oh god…

“I’ll be back.” I grabbed my purse before bolting out the door, still in my pajamas.

I went to drug store on the other side of town. It was out of the way, but I didn’t want to run into one of the pack members. They usually stopped by to buy junk food since most of it was out of the main house. Amanda wanted Matt to have good eating habits, which meant no junk food.

I grabbed 3 boxes of pregnancy tests and a huge bottle of water.

The lady at the register just smiled at me knowingly. Apparently my mass panic at the fact that I might be pregnant was entertainment worthy.

I wanted to slap that smile right off her face, but I refrained from doing so.

I took the tests out of the boxes and shoved them in my purse. I threw all the evidence away in a trashcan outside of the pharmacy before leaving. I didn’t want those nosey guys to figure out that I was pregnant because they found the boxes, or the receipt.

I chugged half the water bottle. I knew I couldn’t drink too much or it would dilute my damn pee.

This couldn’t be happening. I couldn’t have a baby. I wanted one, eventually, but not now.

I crept up to my room. Brian and Amanda would probably be wondering what I was up to. Amanda would definitely check up on me. I didn’t want her to catch me taking a pregnancy test.

I took all the tests out of my purse before throwing it on my bed. Nothing in there was important right now.

5 minutes later I was sitting on toilet, too coward to walk to the sink where the tests were waiting for me. They had been done for maybe a minute now.

I gathered what little bravery I had left in me and walked over to the tests. Of course I didn’t look at them. I had my eyes closed shut, arms wailing in the air so I didn’t run into anything.

I took a very deep breath. These tests had caused me so much anxiety and I hadn’t even looked at them. I looked at those stupid pieces of plastic.

They all said the same thing. Their answer flipped my stomach. Good thing I was near the toilet anyway.

This ‘morning sickness’, which happened to attack at random times of the day, was going to really suck.

--------------------

I sat on the cold tiled floor while I let it all sink in. I was having a baby. I was having a werewolf’s baby. I was having Grayson’s baby.

The jerk that had a girlfriend and managed to knock me up before I even knew about said girlfriend.

In anger, I threw all the tests into my mirror without touching them. The mirror shattered from the force. The glass sprinkled to the ground, 3 feet away from me.

I groaned. Now I was going to have to explain myself to Connor. I didn’t usually break mirrors when I was having a bad day.

I scooped up the debris of the pregnancy tests, careful not to get any glass in my fingers. I threw them into my laundry hamper. I’d have to throw those clothes away just because they might have glass in them now. All I needed was to be pokes in the butt because I missed a piece of glass.

“Casey!” Amanda hollered just as I closed the hamper. She was in my doorway in seconds. “What happened?” She said as she looked at the glass. “What are you doing in here?”

I shrugged, “Bad news.”

“What could be so bad that you’d break your mirror?” Her concern made my heart break. I wanted to tell her. She’d let me cry on her shoulder. But I didn’t want to attract too much attention right now.

I looked down at the mess. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

She looked sad, disappointed, that I wouldn’t confide my problems with her. “I’ll get the broom.”

I sighed as she left. I knew she was just trying to help. I’d have to make a special effort to tell her. I definitely wouldn’t let Brian be the one who told her.

I picked up the huge pieces of glass and put them in a pile.

Brian started sweeping up the mess.

“Where’s Amanda?” She was supposed to get the broom. Brian’s nose was sensitive enough to pick up pregnancy hormones. He could excuse weak smells because of Amanda’s pregnancy, but if he got a good, close whiff of me he’d know.

He shrugged, “She’s crying.” My heart dropped and went right to hell, where it belonged for making the pregnant woman cry. “Don’t worry, she’ll get over it in 5 minutes. She’s just extra moody today.”

“I should say sorry to her.”

Brian shook his head, “It’s easier to just let her ride it out, trust me.”

I was so glad I hadn’t taken off my flats when I got home. Normally I would have, but I was too preoccupied.

He threw a second broom. “Work your way towards me.”

I nodded and started sweeping. “So why hasn’t Connor come stick his nose in my business?”

“They’re getting some groceries. Apparently our first big thanksgiving feast means Amanda needs special food.”

My stomach growled at the fact that I hadn’t eaten yet today. “I thought Amanda had it all covered.”

He nodded, “She did, until she wanted to make a few more things.”

I sighed. “We can’t clean up all this glass.” I felt absolutely defeated.

He nodded, “Sure we can.”

“Step back.” I said as I threw the broom he gave me.

He nodded. I gathered all the shattered glass into the trash can. I couldn’t lift the larger pieces, but that was fine, since Brian would just pick them up anyway.

“You should clean up Matt’s mess like this.” Brian said with a smile. I knew that he knew that something as up. He just wasn’t going to confront me about it yet.

“Maybe I could someday.” I offered.

Brian just smiled at me as he looked over. “You sure you got it all? I don’t want you to cut yourself.”

I shrugged, “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“Your finger Casey.”

I looked at my fingers and noticed the small cut. The glimmer told me I had stuck myself with glass. Probably when I was picking up those damn tests.

“Let me look.” Brian offered.

I shook my head and pinched my finger drawing a small droplet of blood to the surface. “It’s ok. It’s little.”

“Let me see.”

“No.” I didn’t want him near my blood. He’d know.

“Why so defensive? It’s just a cut?” He was suspicious now. Great.

“It’s just a cut, that’s why. Why do you need to see my finger so badly?” I retorted, very immaturely.

“Because I’ve been trying to get at your blood for a week now.” Brian said matter-of-factly.

“And why would you need my blood? Last time I checked you weren’t a vampire.”

He nodded, “But you don’t smell the same. If you’re developing some disease, I need to interfere quickly.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes, “I’m not diseased.”

“Just let me check.” He did the puppy eyes that made he do whatever he wanted, just so he’d stop.

“Don’t do the eye thing. That’s so cheating.”

He smiled, “Let me see. It could be a long glass shard. You had glass flying everywhere.”

I sighed and held my hand out. At least if Brian knew the truth he wouldn’t go blabbing to Connor that he thought I had some disease. If I asked him to keep the baby a secret, I knew he would, at least until Connor asked him about it.

He pulled the glass out with my tweezers. I’m not even too sure when he grabbed them.

He put his nose to my wrist and took a deep breath. He sighed at his results. “You’ve been hanging out with Amanda too much. All I can smell is pregnancy hormones. I’ll need to do a blood test.”

I shook my head, “I’ll just tell you.” I muttered as I took my hand away from him. “I’m not diseased. I’m not getting sick.” I grabbed a band aid from my medicine cabinet. “It’s not Amanda’s hormones you’re sniffing out.”

“Then who’s?” He was joking. I could hear it in his voice.

“There are no other women in this house Brian.” I said irritated. “They’re my pregnancy hormones.”

His jaw dropped, apparently it was shocking news that I could get pregnant. I watched his eyes as the moved from side to side, thinking of what this meant for the pack, before he looked into my eyes. “Whose is it?”

“Who do you think?” I wanted to yell at him, but I barely kept it together.

“You're old enough to decide if you want to have a one night stand. You slept with Phillip. Who's to say you haven't slept with anyone else?" I laughed at the thought. What kind of hell could I bring home if I started bringing dozens of random guys to the house? "What am I supposed to think?”

“I didn’t sleep with Philip.” I admitted. At least now I know that our little trick worked.

“Yes you did. We all heard it through your broken door.”

I smiled. “That was a trick.” I felt so triumphant now. "And I haven't been sleeping around with a bunch of guys."

Brian groaned. “Why would you do that to us?”

“I wanted to get some payback on Grayson. He deserved it after the whole girlfriend stunt.”

Brian’s forehead creased. “You slept with Grayson like once, when we first got back.”

I looked away. “Yea, well, that’s not exactly accurate.”

“It’s Grayson’s?” As I nodded, I saw the relief flood through him. “Thank god.” He muttered.

“Why are you so relieved it’s his?”

“Do you know how big of a fit Grayson would throw if he thought you were having another man’s child?” Brian laughed nervously. “We’d probably have to switch states.”

“Grayson shouldn’t care. He has his little slut.” I said spitefully.

Brian sighed. “I guess that’s your drama. You know Grayson loves you. You’re just too stubborn to admit it.” Brian walked out of the bathroom.

“You better not tell a soul what you know!” I yelled at him.

“You better tell Amanda now then. You know I can’t keep secrets from her.” I heard him shut my door gently behind himself.

“Crap…” I muttered. I had to start curbing my cursing. I didn’t want my unborn child’s first word to be a swear word.