Chapter 43

Her mouth fell open as those words sank in, mind reeling. How did he know? Was her round belly that evident? On a whim, she stared down at her tummy, which was hidden by a layer of clothes. There's no way anyone could have known without Allie telling them.

Most werewolf pregnancies don't start to show till they are two months. The omegas scent becomes thicker and sweeter, alerting the people of their condition. Maybe with the mixed species baby, it's different. Her hand immediately came around her stomach.

Sam made a sound in the back of his throat. "Leader! You must be mistaken. She's unmated."

Allie clenched her eyes shut, breathing accelerated. Her brother was defending her when he had no idea about her condition. This was not how she planned on telling him. Tears blurred her vision as she glared at the Pack Alpha.

Harold darkly chuckled. "Oh, you sweet naive boy! Your sister is pregnant and by a Hellhound at that."

The omega shrunk into herself, tears dribbling down her cheeks as she heard Sam gasp. Allie didn't have any courage to lift her head and meet his eyes. She should have told him sooner, saved him a lot of embarrassment.

Sam hated Hellhounds with a burning passion. He never tried to hide it. That's why when she mentioned having a Hellhound friend, he got nervous. Her brother still believed that they all are the same killing machines. Of course, losing your parents to their kind does that to you. She never tried to talk him out of it, blinded by it herself. One weekend at Nates house changed her perspective. And also, being with him, she got to witness that not all of them are alike.

"No..."

"Allie, is that true?" Sam croaked, his footsteps inching closer to her. Her heart thudded in her chest at the finality in his voice. Raising her head, she met his eyes and immediately regretted it.

Her brother looked crushed, eyes red with tears and a scowl on his face.

"I..."

Harold clicked his tongue, interrupting her in the middle. The Alpha had an amused look on his face. "As much as I find this interesting, I have to stop it. Now Allie, do you realise that you cant walk away from this deal? Or do I have to pursue some more?"

She froze at that.

The Alpha did all of that so that she couldn't walk out? So disgusting.

"I'm still not doing it."

Sam didn't utter a word, his face grim, hands wrapped around himself. Her brother was mulling over something, maybe the groundbreaking news he heard earlier. Allie wanted nothing more than to explain to him in detail, but Harold didn't give her the opportunity.

"It's funny you think you have a choice here, Pure Omega."

Harold cackled like a mad man, rushing to his desk to extract the papers. She stared at his retreating back with curiosity. What was he up to now? A few seconds later, the Alpha pushed the stack of papers in her hand.

"What's this?"

"Read for yourself."

The Omega opened the file and browsed through the papers, cringing at the gruesome killings picture. Many graphs and some numbers came into view, which she didn't bother paying attention to. "What's all this?"

"We are going extinct, Omega", Harold sighed. "Werewolves are always at risk of being killed by hunters and Hellhounds. Humans cannot be eliminated without arising suspicion and creating controversy. Hellhounds are our targets. They have killed our kind pack by pack. I'm sure I don't need to tell you of all people."

The last part stung. A flash of hurt crossed Sam's face as if he remembered the memory as well. Harold knew what he was doing, showing those pictures to them.

She grinds her molars together. "Not all Hellhound are alike."

Harold pressed his lips together. "Is that a werewolf talking or mother of a Hellhound?"

"It doesn't—"

"Yes, it makes all the difference, Omega. We need wolves on our side when the great battle comes. Wolves such as yourself and your brother. You both managed to make it this far all on your own and killed several of our enemies."

Allie exhaled a breath. Now she was cursing herself for taking up the job of killing Hellhounds and being so skilful doing it.

"That was before..."

"Before you got knocked up?" The Pack Alpha snorted. "Oh, don't tell me the motherhood has changed you."

Red hot fury bubbled in her stomach. She clenched her hands into fists, aware of the guards standing behind the Alpha. There was no way she could get away with punching Harold. That explained why he had guards with him.

Allie licked her lips. "I don't want to put my baby in harm."

"Don't worry. We won't throw you in the playground in your state. Still, we want you to be on our side. If not..."

She challengingly raised her brow. "If not, then what?"

The Alpha chuckled, gathering the file in his hands. "You don't need me to elaborate. Sam here knows all about the consequences. Think

about it"

With that, Harold walked out of the room, his two guards trailing after him.

As soon as he was gone, Allie turned to her brother, who still hadn't said anything. Was he still in shock? Taking a deep breath, she took his hand in his. Her brother immediately jerked away from her touch. That stung.

"Sam..."

"How could you do this, Allie?" He gritted his teeth together. "You know their kind...what they are capable of doing. Still, you went ahead and...I can't believe this."

She screwed her eyes shut. "Sam...listen to me. They are not all alike. I met some of them—"

"You met them?! Are you crazy? Why would you do that? They could have seriously harmed you" His eyes widened, hands tugging at the loose strands of his hair.

"But they didn't"

Her brother sighed. "What do you want me to say, Allie? You know I can't forget what they did to our parents..."

The omega bobbed her head. She understood alright. His trauma was holding him back from trusting them again. Also, it didn't help that Sam did not have contact with any Hellhound after that. Except for killing them, of course. At least Allie was friendly with them and managed to see their other side.

"I know", She sighed. "And I don't want you to do anything out of your element. Can you please think about it? Your niece or nephew needs their uncle."

He looked conflicted, staring at her for few seconds before blinking away. "I-I need some time."

She had to go back to the apartment on her own after that. The omega had more significant problems to worry about. Harold let it slip that there may be a greater war, and she had to warn Nate.

***

Allie was on her way to the frat house, where she had the opportunity to tell Nate everything. Meeting Harold and knowing the kind of information he had against her was scary. She never thought they would get tangled up with that Alpha in this manner.

The omega should have known the type of risks her job could bring. Being an assassin was not very easy, taking extra measures to conceal her true identity while also not letting it affect her mental health. Somehow she managed to do it all these years in the name of her parents but not anymore.

Why could the Pack Alpha not understand her situation? Even after knowing she's pregnant, he wanted her to continue.

The day was cold and misty, a possibility of storms rolling in, the dirty ground more muddy than firm. Her boots sank with every step forward. Wrapping her arms around herself, she shivered fiercely as an early spring breeze rolled off. The closer she got to the frat house, the faster she walked, her eyes glued to the entrance door.

She didn't care for the view of the waterfront just to her immediate right, people gawking at her. Maybe it's her scent or the determined look on her face. The moment she found that Nate was back in the packhouse, the omega had to see him.

The past two days have been hell. She wouldn't get out of her bed, forcing herself to hide under the covers. Fortunate for her, Rachel kept on pampering her, urging that everything will be fine in the end. The last part almost made her scoff, but Allie wanted to believe her friend.

Sam, on the other hand, wanted some space. Her brother couldn't wrap his head around the fact that she would hide something so huge from him. They shared everything, so his hurt and pain were justified.

The sight of seeing Nate and being surrounded by his scent usually caused her to perk up. But Allie couldn't find the energy in herself after two restless nights to be in a glorious mood.

She just wanted to get this over with.

***