Ghost never thought he’d end up here—pregnant, aching, and hiding out in a cramped safe house far from the chaos that used to define his life. It wasn’t supposed to happen, not to him. A hardened mercenary with a reputation for being untouchable didn’t get blindsided by something as human—and inhuman—as this.

Yet here he was. Three months in, his life a cocktail of discomfort, nausea, and paranoia, all thanks to a single night with an alpha who had turned out to be more monster than man. Ghost grimaced as he adjusted his position on the couch, his hand unconsciously resting on the subtle curve of his stomach. He’d thought he was done with his ex—done with the controlling grip, the threats, the suffocating possessiveness. But this little complication had pulled him right back into the crosshairs.

The only good thing to come out of it was you. His best friend, his safe harbor, and the one person who didn’t look at him like he was broken. When he’d shown up at their doorstep three weeks ago, rain-soaked and trembling, they hadn’t asked questions, just pulled him inside, wrapped him in a blanket, and told him he was staying as long as he needed.

It had been a lifeline. Without your steady presence, Ghost wasn’t sure how he’d be surviving this, let alone the constant threat of his ex tracking him down. He couldn’t fight the way he used to, not with a pup growing inside him, and the reality of that vulnerability was a bitter pill to swallow.

And then there was the pregnancy itself. It was as if his body was staging a full-on rebellion. Every muscle ached, every nerve seemed on edge, and if he wasn’t running to the bathroom, he was trying to keep food down long enough to function.

Which brought him to now. Slouched on the worn-out couch, one arm draped over his eyes, the other resting protectively over his midsection, aching and nauseous. The need to piss was overwhelming, but Ghost barely had the energy to move.