Samson lifted his head and looked down at me. “Did I hurt you? I’m sorry, I— It was just you were—”
“No.” I patted his chest, trying to get him off me enough I could get rid of whatever was stabbing me in the back. “There’s something here, and it’s poking me.”
He went up on his knees, taking me with him, and reached behind me. “I think we found a clue.” Samson showed me what was in his hand. “Unless this is your pendant?”
A silver star—the rays of which had been jabbing me—with a wolf engraved in the center. “Not mine, and look how shiny it is. If it had been here for long, wouldn’t it be tarnished?” I studied it. “I am almost sure I saw Virginia wearing something similar recently. I think you’re right, and we’re onto something.”
Just not lovemaking. Which, while it might have been foolish, in the moment I’d have sold my soul for. But the alpha’s duty was clear. So, we marked the spot with a strip of flannel torn from his shirt and headed back for yet another meeting.
Chapter Fifteen
“Back in my day, you just told everyone at the breakfast table. How things have changed,” Gigi ruminated out loud, taking in the scene. With all the hustle and bustle of our pack being under attack, Wendi and I hadn’t planned the extravaganza we’d wanted, but this was cute all the same.
And private and small and absolutely perfect. Gigi had come with me, but we had already talked about heading out of the party as soon as the cake was eaten. With Wendi having four mates and their happiness that would be overflowing shortly, I was sure they would need their private time.
Samson was going to Virginia’s house right after we found the necklace and told me he would keep me informed, but I had to be here though my thoughts kept straying back to the necklace and to what Samson and I had almost done right there in the forest. Yeah, we needed the clue, and it was welcome, but damn it all if I cursed it for interrupting me and him.
Gods, just thinking about it made my thighs go up in flames. I needed him so badly I felt like I might snap at any moment.
“What are you blushing about?” Gigi whispered into my ear while Wendi paced the kitchen. Her big announcement had been scaled down to me and Gigi helping her decorate the kitchen in various shades of pale balloons and picking up the cake while she made a buffet of all the foods her mates loved, which was a whole hell of a lot of food.
“Nothing.”
“Oh, it’s something. You’re all squirrelly. Something you want to tell me? Samson?” Leave it to Gigi to guess what was happening, but also what didn’t happen.
“I’m just thinking.”
She scoffed and straightened the strap on her overalls. Yeah, Gigi wore overalls. “That kind of thinking is called fantasizing, my dear girl. Now, give me the details.”
“Oh! Here they come!” Wendi yelled and then stopped dead in her tracks. Her face went completely white, and I thought for a minute I might have to rush over there and catch her.
Escher, Cash, Brandon and Moss walked in, already in some kind of rowdy debate about pack business, but when they realized what was going on, it all came to a halt. Brandon sucked in a breath, and Cash looked like he might be the next to keel over.
“Wendi?” Escher asked his mate in his flat but deep tone. All business.
“I…we put this together as a surprise. Um, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Boys were so damned daft when it came to these things. As soon as she said she needed to tell them something, they all rushed over to her and asked about sickness or school. They thought something was wrong. Yeah, because we decorate the house with pastel yellow balloons when she gets a bad grade.
Men, I swear.
“Christie, help!” Wendi laughed, but her eyes widened. She was having trouble and called for me to help. Always did, and I was more than glad to come to her rescue.
“Boys, please. Give the girl a minute and space to breathe. She has something really important to tell you, and she can’t if you are smothering her to death.
Each mate of hers chuckled but heeded my words, backing up and giving her a chance to take a deep breath.
“Okay. Go on, Wendi. You’ve got this.” All of a sudden, I was a pregnancy announcement cheerleader.
“I’ve actually known for a few weeks now, but I wanted to make sure everything was fine before I told you.”
Escher was balling his fists like he was going to throttle someone if she didn’t tell him quickly.
“I’m pregnant.”
As though she were a queen, her four mates rushed to her, but this time, like they had rehearsed the entire thing, they kneeled before her like knights. They sang her praises and told her how much they loved her, all of it coming out like a bass song, deep and low and almost tear jerking.
“Now, where is my hanky?” Gigi fiddled in her purse, her threshold for crying clearly breached. She finally pulled the white cloth from her purse before dabbing at her eyes.
It was beautiful. Not the overdone thing we’d planned, but simple and lovely in its own way. She didn’t need to announce it to the whole pack. Her men would do that on their own. After all, males were twice the gossips females were, though rumor said the opposite.
I stepped toward the window and looked outside to give Wendi and her mates
