ALARIC POV
She said, don’t say it.
So I didn’t.
I swallowed the words.
The shout.
The laugh.
The f*****g tears.
I swallowed all of it until it cut all the way down.
My mate was pregnant with our pup.
Our pup.
Goddess.
I wanted to howl.
I wanted to throw my head back and let the whole damn world hear it. I wanted to open champagne, wake the kids, call everyone we loved, throw a party so loud even the council would feel it shaking through the walls.
I wanted to fall to my knees and press my forehead to her stomach.
I wanted to say thank you.
To her.
To the Goddess.
To every cruel twist of fate that had somehow still brought us here.
But Aria had said not here.
So I didn’t say any of it.
I only pulled her into my arms while she sat on the cold bathroom floor with one hand
