I stood in front of the fridge for a full minute trying to decide between actual food or just coffee.

Vaelor cooked too well to ruin my appetite before dinner.

In the end, I made a simple sandwich with cheese and bread, poured myself coffee, and called it survival. Enough to stop my stomach from growling. Not enough to waste room for whatever he planned later.

After eating, I finally headed to Alina's clinic.

I'd meant to visit sooner. Something always got in the way.

Now I had a reason.

The clinic was smaller than the ones back in Seattle, but organized. Efficient. Modern equipment where it mattered.

Claire moved toward the medicine cabinet automatically, scanning labels until she found a healing cream.

A few minutes later she was rubbing it carefully over the bruises on her stomach and the scratches along her thighs.

The cuts on her face were already healing, so she left those alone.

Then curiosity got the better of her.

She started opening files.

Injuries. Treatments. Pack illnesses. Pregnancy reports.

That one stopped her cold.

She sat down and read the entire thing. Then read it again slower.

Five months.

Wolf pregnancies lasted five months instead of nine.

Claire stared at the notes, fascinated.

Then her hand drifted unconsciously to her stomach.

A baby. Vaelor's baby.

"A kiss for your thoughts."

She nearly jumped out of her skin.

Vaelor leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed, watching her hand resting over her stomach.

"Vaelor."

She laughed softly and crossed the room fast enough to throw herself into his arms.

"I was reading Alina's notes about wolf pregnancies."

His hands settled immediately at her waist while hers looped around his neck.

"It's fascinating."

"That all?"

One dark eyebrow lifted slowly.

Claire bit her lip.

"I was also wondering…"

She hesitated.

"If I got pregnant someday… it'd probably help to know what to expect."

Vaelor kissed her hard enough to steal the rest of the sentence from her mouth.

A low sound rumbled in his chest. Satisfaction. Hunger. Something possessive.

"Our baby would be beautiful," he murmured against her lips.

Then his eyes darkened completely.

"We can start practicing whenever you want."

Claire burst out laughing—right up until he locked the clinic door behind him.

"Oh my God, you're serious."

"Very."

The next few minutes disappeared into heat and kisses and his hands everywhere at once. Clothes abandoned. Her back against the exam table. Vaelor growling against her throat every time she made another sound for him.

By the time they finally slowed down, Claire was half sprawled across his chest trying to remember how breathing worked.

"I want you so much, Claire."

The raw honesty in his voice hit harder than anything else.

She touched his face carefully.

"It's mutual."

Vaelor kissed her palm.

Then quieter—

"I'm sorry it took me so long to realize you were the one thing I actually needed."

Claire shook her head immediately.

"It's okay."

And it was.

She understood now.

The confusion. The distance. The way he kept fighting himself every time he looked at her.

"I wasn't exactly handling it well either," she admitted. "Half the time I wanted to punch you."

Vaelor barked out a laugh.

"Good. Because I spent most of that week wanting to throw you over my knee."

Claire stared at him.

"You did not."

"Oh, sweetheart." His hands slid down her hips lazily. "You have no idea."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Well, for the record, I had fantasies too."

That got his full attention immediately.

"What kind of fantasies?"

Claire leaned closer deliberately.

"The kind where I tie you to a bed and remind you you're not the only dominant person in this relationship."

Vaelor went completely still.

Then harder against her instantly.

"Interesting," he said roughly. "We're definitely trying that someday."

Claire almost choked laughing.

"Not here."

"That’s cruel, sweetheart."

He kissed her again anyway before finally helping her get dressed.

The second they stepped back into the house, Kaelen appeared from the kitchen.

"They heard about the human mate."

The mood shifted instantly.

Claire felt it before either wolf said another word.

Vaelor's arm tightened around her waist.

"Relax," he said quietly against her temple. "None of that changes anything."

Claire nodded.

Didn't mean she believed it completely yet.

"If they want to question me," Vaelor continued, voice turning colder now, "they can come here and do it to my face."

A growl followed the words. Pure Alpha.

"No one challenges my authority."

Kaelen sat down at the table like this was all perfectly normal.

Claire wasn't nearly that calm.

Vaelor noticed immediately. Of course he did.

He tilted her chin up.

"No more doubting."

His thumb brushed slowly across her bottom lip.

"Or I'll have to punish you."

Claire blinked at him.

"Horrifying."

"You should be scared."

The look in his eyes said the exact opposite.

"And if I get that close to you," he murmured, "I'm not stopping at spanking."

Heat exploded through her instantly.

Across the room, Kaelen very politely focused on his food and absolutely nowhere else.

Claire glared at Vaelor while he sat there looking unbearably pleased with himself.

God.

How could one man make her burn alive with nothing but a smile and a few words?