Chapter 20

Elena

Two months later

Jake has a friend in the city who is an obstetrician and owes him a favor. So, for a check-up, we go to see her. She is a little quirky, but nice, as she checks me over before doing the ultrasound. I can’t wipe the smile off my face as I stare down at the ultrasound picture in my hand: two identical twin boys. Both are healthy and seemingly okay despite everything we have endured.

“I can’t wait to get home to show Alisha,” I tell Jake. “Thank you.”

He stares out the windshield, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly, the skin looks on the verge of splitting across his knuckles.

“You’re welcome, Elena,” Jake tells me, turning his head to smile at me.

I stare down at the picture in my hand. Werewolf pregnancies are only six months long, and time flies by; each day, my belly grows larger and rounder as they grow inside me.

Sighing, I stare out the window; I have been with Jake for two months now, and things are going great between us. Alisha has moved in with us after word got out that things were uneasy in the city. Mooncrest City has become a prison for everyone trapped there. Axton rules it with an iron fist. And it has been weeks since Alisha has heard from her parents, which means it’s unsafe for them to contact her and also dangerous for her to return.

“We just need to stop by the rogue settlement first,” Jake tells me.

My brows furrow. He only went out there two days ago.

“But you just dropped supplies off. You said not until next week?”

“I will be quick,” he tells me.

I sigh and nod slowly.

“You’re not seriously mad right now. I just drove you two hours to see a doctor for kids that aren’t even fucking mine. You can’t wait an extra thirty minutes to see Alisha, for fuck’s sake?” Jake snaps, and I look at him. His jaw is clenched, and Lexa stirs uncomfortably within me.

“Jake?” I ask, wondering where his sudden outburst of anger has come from.

“You two are too dependent on each other. It’s fucking annoying.”

I look out the window. I don’t get what he is so angry about. Everything was fine a few seconds ago. I go over everything I’ve said, trying to work out what I did or said that angered him. And he has never expressed anything bad about me being pregnant. He has never spoken to me like this before.

I say nothing on the drive to the settlement, and Lexa is just as confused.

“What did you say?” she asks me, but I have no idea what I’ve done to deserve his sudden anger.

“I don’t like him getting angry. I can almost smell his anger,” she says, and my brows furrow at her words when we suddenly pull up at the settlement.

Jake hops out, slamming the door a little hard and making me jump. He is gone for about twenty minutes while I sit in the car. This is only the second time I have come out here, and seeing one of the women by the clothesline, I hop out, figuring I would say hello. However, when I climb out of the car, she looks over at me, waving me away.

“Hi, I am Elena.”

“Get in the car! Go before he sees me speaking to you!”

“Huh, before who sees me?” I ask her while glancing around, and she quickly turns back to the clothesline. I am about to walk over to her when Jake comes out.

“Ready?” he says, jogging over to me. He drapes his arm across my shoulders and kisses my forehead.

“Yeah, I…” I glance at the girl with wavy dark hair, pegging up baby clothes.

“What’s wrong? Did Selia say something to upset you?” he asks.

“What? No, nevermind. I was about to come looking for you.”

“Well, here I am,” he says with a laugh before kissing my temple. He reeks of the women here, almost as if he rolled around in their clothes or they scented him. He always comes back reeking of them, but never this strongly.

Jake opens my door. “Come on, I bet Alisha can’t wait to see the ultrasounds,” he says, closing it.

I glance out the window at the girl, who doesn’t even glance in our direction until Jake starts reversing out before turning the car around.

“Is everything okay?” I ask him.

“Of course, why wouldn’t it be?” he tells me, smiling sweetly.

I begin wondering if I’m imagining his odd behavior. Something is nagging at Lexa and me. Once we get home, everything is forgotten as excitement takes over, and I rush into the store where Alisha is covering for Jake.

I show her the picture and let her know I am having two boys. She bounces on her feet, clutching the small film in her hands.

“I’m going to be an aunty. Oh, now we can start picking out names,” she tells me excitedly when Jake walks in behind me.

“How did it go? Was everything fine here?” he asks her.

“Yes, quiet day,” she tells him, and he wanders off when she calls out to him.

“Oh, your delivery came. I had to stack it in the fridge. You forgot to leave the keys to the basement. I am hoping nothing defrosted.”

“I will move it down there now.”

“Want some help?” I offer him.

“Nah, you two talk babies or whatever it is you are talking about,” he says, waving me off, and I turn my attention back to Alisha, who is gushing excitedly.

I tell her about the girl at the settlement, which she thinks is odd, but I don’t tell her about Jake yelling at me in the car, convinced I must have imagined it. It is so unlike him that even Lexa is questioning if it’s all in our head.

“Maybe tell Jake about what she said. You should have told him. What if some creeper has been out there?” Alisha says.

“Tell me what?” Jake asks, walking past with a box headed toward the basement.

“Nothing, just what the girl at the settlement said to her.”

Jake tilts his head to the side before setting the box down. “Why? What did she say?”

“Nothing, I must have misheard her,” I lie. I barely know the girl, but something is telling me not to tell Jake.

Alisha sighs. “She told her to get back in the car before she was seen talking to her or something. You should check that out, Jake. What if some creep was out there? I can go with you. I haven’t been for a run in ages,” Alisha offers.

“That is odd. I will speak with them tomorrow and find out what is going on. Might install some cameras for peace of mind.”

“You’re going back tomorrow?” I ask him.

He rummages in his pocket, pulling out a piece of paper and handing it to me. I take it and find a list of supplies.

“Grab a box while you’re down there. I will help Elena find all this stuff,” Alisha sings out after him.

“Yep, will do,” he calls out, walking down to the basement.