The Heir He Denied

The smell of cinnamon and yeast pulled me out of a deep sleep.

I blinked my eyes open. For a moment I did not know where I was. The ceiling was painted a soft lavender color. There were glow in the dark stars stuck to the plaster. A string of fairy lights twinkled above the window.

It was not the cold sterile servants quarters. It was warm. It smelled like a home.

I sat up slowly. I was on a pull out couch in the middle of a cluttered but cozy living room. A thick knitted blanket was wrapped around my shoulders.

"Morning sunshine," a voice called out.

I looked toward the kitchenette. Zoe was standing there wearing a silk robe with a tiger print. She was dancing slightly to music playing from her phone while she waited for the coffee pot to fill.

"Zoe," I croaked. My voice was thick with sleep. "What time is it?"

"Ten in the morning," she said cheerfully. "I let you sleep in. Sal knows you are starting the late shift today."

She walked over and handed me a mug. It had a cartoon cat on it that said Purrfect.

"Drink," she ordered. "It is herbal tea. Ginger and honey. Good for the stomach."

I took the mug. The warmth seeped into my cold hands. "Thank you. For everything. I do not know how to repay you."

Zoe waved a hand dismissively. "You can repay me by not passing out on my floor again. And by helping me eat the pastries Mrs. Higgins sent up."

She pointed to a pink box on the small coffee table.

"Mrs. Higgins?"

"The landlady," Zoe said. "She owns the bakery downstairs. She is basically my grandma. She adopts every stray cat and person who walks into this building."

Just then there was a rhythmic knocking on the front door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Come in!" Zoe yelled.

The door swung open. A young man walked in. He looked to be about twenty two. He had messy sandy blonde hair and kind brown eyes behind wire rimmed glasses. He wore scrubs that were a soft blue color.

"I smelled coffee," he said with a grin. He held up a carton of orange juice. "I come bearing gifts."

Zoe rolled her eyes but she was smiling. "Aria this is Liam. He lives in 4B. He is a nursing student and a general nuisance."

Liam laughed and set the juice on the counter. He looked at me and his expression softened.

"Hi," he said gently. "You must be the runaway Zoe texted me about."

I stiffened. "I am not..."

"Relax," Liam said. He sat in the armchair opposite me. "Zoe attracts strays. I was one of them two years ago when I moved here from Ohio. You are safe here."

His voice was calm and steady. It did not have the aggressive growl of the Alpha males I was used to. He was human. He felt safe.

"I am Aria," I said.

"Nice to meet you Aria," Liam said. He looked at me with a clinical eye. "Zoe said you got sick at work yesterday. How are you feeling?"

"Better," I lied.

As if to punish me for the lie my stomach gave a violent lurch. The smell of the coffee brewing was suddenly too strong. It was too acidic.

I slammed the mug down on the table and clamped a hand over my mouth.

"Bathroom," Zoe pointed. "Second door on the left."

I scrambled off the couch and ran. I barely made it to the toilet before my stomach emptied itself. I heaved until my throat burned.

I heard footsteps behind me. I expected Zoe. But it was Liam who knelt beside me. He gathered my hair back from my face with gentle hands.

"Breathe," he instructed softly. "In through the nose. Out through the mouth."

I did as he said. The nausea slowly receded leaving me shaking and weak.

Liam reached over and flushed the toilet for me. He wet a washcloth in the sink and handed it to me.

"Thanks," I whispered. I wiped my face. I felt humiliated.

"Do not be embarrassed," Liam said. "I am training to be a nurse. I have seen way worse than a little morning sickness."

I froze. The washcloth stopped halfway to my mouth.

"What did you say?" I asked.

Liam looked at me. His brown eyes were kind but serious. He sat back on his heels.

"Morning sickness," he repeated. "Nausea triggered by strong smells. Dizziness. Fatigue. And looking at your face you have the mask of pregnancy."

"No," I said quickly. "I am just tired. I have not eaten well."

Liam shook his head gently. "Aria I checked your pulse when I helped you up. It is racing. And Zoe told me you fainted yesterday. When was your last cycle?"

I opened my mouth to argue but the words died in my throat.

I counted back the weeks in my head.

The party. The heat. The blackout.

It had been six weeks.

My hand drifted to my stomach. The flutter. I had felt it twice now.

"It is not possible," I whispered. "I am... I am alone."

Zoe appeared in the doorway. She was not dancing anymore. Her face was serious. She held a small white box in her hand.

"I ran down to the pharmacy while you were sleeping," she said quietly. "I had a feeling."

She held out the box. It was a pregnancy test.

I stared at it. It looked like a weapon.

"Take it," Zoe said. "Better to know."

I took the box with trembling fingers. Liam and Zoe exchanged a look then they both stood up.

"We will be right outside," Liam said. "Take your time."

They closed the door.

I was alone in the small tiled bathroom. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird.

I opened the box. I followed the instructions.

The three minutes I waited were the longest of my life. I sat on the edge of the bathtub and stared at the white plastic stick sitting on the counter.

If it was positive my life was over. I was a teenager with no money and no home.

If it was positive I was carrying the child of the man who rejected me.

If it was positive I was carrying the heir to the Blood Moon Pack.

Damon had said he wanted a strong heir. He had said I was too weak to give him one.

I looked at the timer on my phone.

Zero.

I stood up. My legs felt like jelly. I walked to the counter and looked down.

Two pink lines.

They were bright. They were undeniable.

Positive.

The world tilted on its axis. I gripped the edge of the sink to keep from falling.

I was pregnant.

I was going to be a mother.

A sob tore from my throat. It was not a happy sound. It was a sound of pure terror.

The door opened instantly. Zoe and Liam were there.

They did not need to ask. They saw my face.

Zoe rushed forward and pulled me into a fierce hug. I buried my face in her shoulder and wept.

"It is okay," Zoe whispered fiercely. "We got you. You are not doing this alone."

Liam joined us. He placed a warm hand on my back.

"We will figure it out," he said. "There are clinics. There are programs."

I pulled back and looked at them. These two strangers who had known me for less than twenty four hours were showing me more love than my pack had shown me in years.

"I cannot go back," I choked out. "If the father finds out... he will take the baby. Or he will hurt us."

Zoe's eyes flashed with a dangerous light. She looked like a lioness protecting a cub.

"Then he never finds out," she stated firmly. "You are Aria now. Just Aria. The past does not exist."

Liam nodded. "We will help you hide. We will help you get medical care under the radar. I have friends at the free clinic who do not ask for ID."

I looked down at my stomach. I placed my hand over the tiny spark of life growing inside me.

Damon had rejected me. He had thrown me away.

But this baby? This baby was mine.

I wiped my tears. A new strength surged through me. It was the same cold fire I had felt in the Alpha's office.

"Okay," I said. My voice was shaky but sure. "I am keeping it."

Zoe smiled. It was a brilliant smile that lit up the room. "Then we are going to need more shifts at the diner. Babies are expensive."

Liam adjusted his glasses. "I will start bringing you vitamins. And protein shakes. You are too thin."

I looked between them. A waitress with purple hair and a nursing student with kind eyes.

They were not wolves. They were not powerful. They were not rich.

But standing there in that tiny bathroom I realized something profound.

I did not need a pack of wolves to survive.

I had found my own pack.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Zoe squeezed my hand. "Welcome to the family Aria."

I took a deep breath. The scent of cinnamon and friendship filled my lungs.

I was pregnant. I was broke. I was a runaway.

But for the first time in my life I was not alone.