"Oh, no. No, no, no," I said as the nurse came in with a wheelchair. "I can walk just fine."

"Protocol, honey." She blew a minty bubble with her ever-present green gum. "You gonna sit down or am I gonna have to call in your scary boyfriend?"

I chuckled. The hospital staff quickly learned who I was—and exactly who I was mated to—when they took me to another wing of the hospital for x-rays one morning and didn't tell Gabriel, who had gone to the pack house for a meeting and returned to find my room empty. As they were wheeling me back to my room, I felt a inkling of his panic through our damaged bond. I rounded the corner just as he was growling at the nurses who were at the nurses' station down the hall from my room. John was with him and looked as though he wanted to pull his Alpha away from the scared humans, but didn't want to lose an arm in the process. Spencer—who was apparently stationed as my guard while I was in the hospital—was walking beside the nurse who was pushing the wheelchair and, when he saw his Alpha, said under his breath, "Dear God, he looks pissed."

Ever since that little incident, it was "Can I get you anything, Alpha?" or "Are you comfortable, Alpha?" and even "I stole an extra puddin' cup for you, honey." The last one was from Stella, the only nurse who wasn't intimidated by Gabriel's growls and the only nurse who actually called me by my name, or simply "honey."

Stella patted the seat of the wheelchair. "Climb on, honey. We're goin' for a ride."

I ran a hand through my hair. "Stella, I really don't need—"

"Sit. Down." She raised a dark eyebrow. "Now."

I sighed and dramatically dropped my body into the wheelchair. "This is so unnecessary."

Stella didn't respond as she wheeled me out of my room and to the nurses' station, where my mate was signing forms. He turned to me as we approached. "I can take her from here."

"Protocol, honey," she repeated. "I gotta escort her out of the buildin'."

He just nodded and pressed the down button for the elevator. The journey out of the hospital was silent and when Stella stopped the wheelchair outside of the hospital doors, she gave me a soft hug and told me to take care of myself. I hugged her back more tightly and thanked her for taking care of me and keeping me company when Gabriel was busy with pack business and couldn't stay at the hospital with me. I was only there for a few days, but I grew to like the woman who was a mother of three and who offered to steal food for me because I didn't like what they gave me for lunch. She listened to me and offered her own funny commentary on my life the past couple of months. My mother really enjoyed her company, especially because her and Dad couldn't get as much time off work as they would have liked. Mom appreciated Stella just as much as I did.

When she retreated back into the hospital, I turned to the truck parked directly in front of the hospital. Gabriel tentatively reached his arms out and I briefly entertained the idea of trying to climb into the car on my own, but my bruised ribs hummed with pain, so I allowed Gabriel to gently wrap his arms around me and pull me into his chest, my knees bent over his left forearm. He silently placed me in his truck, trying not to shake me too much or accidentally touch the many bruises dotted around my body. He shut the door and slid into the driver's seat beside me. Without a speaking a word, I slid over the bench seat and tucked my battered body around his.

He didn't bother scolding me about my seatbelt. Instead, he simply wrapped his arm around my body, like he did on the night of my birthday, and started the drive home.

We were silent most of the ride. Then I saw the sign for one of my favorite fast food restaurants. I pointed and screamed, "TAKE THIS EXIT."

He flinched at my loud voice, but took the exit unhesitatingly. I pointed at the drive-thru and lunged over his lap—half out the driver's window, ignoring the throbbing bruises on my torso—to place my order. I looked back at him, "What do you want?"

He shook his head, but his lips were curved in an amused smile. I was all too aware of his hand resting on the back of my thigh.

"I'm not sharing my fries, Gabriel. If you want something, you better order it."

He rolled his eyes and ordered two deluxe cheeseburgers, a large curly fry, and chicken nuggets. After paying, the employee handed Gabriel my Oreo milkshake and I squealed with delight as he passed it to me. Gabriel watched as I excitedly stuck a straw into the cold yumminess and swallowed three large gulps. I grimaced and pressed my fingers to my temple. "Brain freeze."

I ate as we drove, my body back in the passenger seat with my seatbelt on. My mate inhaled the two cheese burgers and I stared as he opened the chicken nugget box one-handed and silently passed it to me.

"I've trained you well," I giggled, taking a nugget. Gabriel ate faster than I did and by the time we neared the pack house, all that I had left were half of my curly fries. I fed a couple to Gabriel and he quirked his eyebrow up.

"I thought you said you weren't sharing."

I shrugged. "I guess I like you or something."

He chuckled. "Or something."

He pulled into the garage and put the car in park. He turned to look at me and I froze, mid-shoving a fry in my mouth. He chuckled. "They want to see you."

I ate the fry and swallowed around the nervous lump in my throat. "I know."

"They know what happened. They know not to ask questions."

I nodded, suddenly not so happy. "Do they hate me? You know, because I left without telling anyone?"

"No, Phoebe. They could never hate you."

"Okay."I picked at my fraying denim shorts. When Stella helped me change out of my super sexy hospital gown—which they forced me into for x-rays and testing because hospital policy didn't allow me to wear Gabriel's t-shirt for my entire stay—and into the shorts and loose t-shirt, Gabriel nearly had a coronary. When Stella saw his face, she snapped at him that he could be possessive all he wants, but trying to put on real pants, like jeans or even leggings, would have been too difficult and too painful for me. She also gave him an earful about letting me independent and to loosen the leash he had around me, but when he gave a low growl directed at Stella, I told him he could leave the hospital or he could stay and play nice; he chose to stay and apologized to Stella, explaining that he is still getting accustomed to having a mate. Stella grinned and said to me, "Guess I was wrong. You got the leash wrapped around your little pinky, honey, amen!"

Gabriel cupped my cheek. "I haven't told them about the baby."

I grinned, my mood swinging back toward happiness. "They don't know?"

"Seth knows," he said. He chuckled, "And Julia beat it out of him."

I laughed. "Are they waiting for us?"

Gabriel nodded. "I can ask them to leave. We can wait to address them."

I shook my head. "No. I don't want to hide from them."

We sat in silence for a minute. He opened the car door. "Are you ready?"

I sighed, shoveling the last of my fries into my mouth. "Now I am."

He stepped out of the truck and came around to my door to help me out.

"Turn around," I ordered, pushing his shoulders. He didn't budge.

He frowned. "Phoebe, I am not letting you—"

"Turn around, Gabriel." I twirled my finger in the universal sign for "turn the fuck around now."

He hesitated, but slowly turned. I put my milkshake on the dash and grabbed both of his shoulders. I wrapped my legs around his torso and climbed on his back. He instinctively wrapped his arms around my knees and started moving away from the truck.

"Wait, my milkshake!" I shouted with a soft laugh. I grabbed it from the dash and he shut the door with his foot. He carried me on his back to the front door of the pack house. Nearly our entire pack was outside the house. They grinned at the sight of their Alpha carrying me, his mate, who was happily sipping an Oreo milkshake.

I was greeted with enthusiasm and offers to help me if I needed it. I felt a few tears well up but I managed to hold off the water works and grinned at every pack member, thanking them and promising to call on them if I needed help. My closest friends stood on the porch. Julie smiled widely at the sight of me. Kellan groaned, "Where's my milkshake?" And Jason just shook his head, amused. "Only you would return from battle with food."

I grinned. "I've been craving curly fries and a milkshake for days."

Julie squealed and whispered lowly, "I know why!"

I kissed Gabriel's cheek and told him to drop me. He carefully bent until my feet touched the ground and gently released me. Jason caught my shoulders carefully when I stumbled back a bit. I turned to my mate and grabbed his offered forearm. Kellan snatched my milkshake as the pair of us turned to the gathered pack members. I shot him a playful glare as he moved to take a sip. When he frowned because the straw didn't produce anything, I giggled and stuck out my tongue. Kellan glared at me and tossed the empty cup.

Gabriel addressed the crowd, "Luna Nova and welcomed guests, your Alpha Female has returned and is recovering."

The crowd cheered and I blushed.

"With the danger behind us, we now look to the future. In fact," he turned to me, his lips split open in a wide grin, his hand splaying on my stomach, "we look nine months into the future."

Some surprised sounds emitted from the pack. I heard someone whisper, "No freaking way!"

"Luna Nova, your queen is with child!"

A roar of congratulations and screams of happiness echoed around the compound. My cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. Gabriel pulled me into his side and surprised the entire pack, myself included, by kissing me passionately. Kellan shouted from behind us, "Get a room!" I could hear Julie laughing and the applause and merriment surrounding me nearly deafened me.

Two months. Less than two months have passed and suddenly I was mated to the king of werewolves in North America, I was an Alpha of a rogue pack, and queen of a continent, and I was pregnant.

All before I even graduated high school.

Whoa.

———

Author's Note:

Ugh so much cheese. I love it.

Feedback? Too fast? Too cheesy? Let me know!

More to come, and SOON!

Xo -Willow