Page 22 of The Pregnant Wolf Omega Next Door

The alpha raked his gaze over Emre, from his face down to his belly, and back up. No one had ever looked at Emre that closely, with that much care. And yet here Zenith was, running his hands over Emre and his unborn pup like they were both something to be treasured.

For a moment, Emre couldn’t breathe.

What would it be like, if Zenith were his alpha?

I don’t even know what he is.

But maybe it didn’t matter.

“Beautiful,” Zenith growled, his hands so warm through Emre’s T-shirt. He watched Emre’s face closely and rubbed his belly several more times, before carefully pulling his hands away. “May I?”

He tugged on the hem of Emre’s T-shirt.

Emre blinked. “You want to touch my naked belly?”

Zenith nodded. “And see it with my own eyes.”

Emre hesitated. “My belly doesn’t look so great. I have stretchmarks.”

“Do they bother you?”

“They’re... not great to look at.”

Zenith frowned deeply. “Why would I think badly of your stretchmarks? They’re part of you.”

“Oh.” Emre twitched. “Some of the alphas I’ve been with... they made faces when they saw my post-birth belly.”

Zenith froze. For a moment, rage flickered across his face. He turned away and drew a few deep breaths, forcing his expression into something calmer.

Only then did he look back at Emre, his voice a low growl. “They shouldn’t have done that. You did an amazing thing. An incredible thing. You carried a pup and birthed her! And that’s how they reacted to your belly? Fucking snotbags.”

Emre jerked his shoulders, feeling better. “It’s not just the stretchmarks. I have scars too.”

Zenith growled. “Sweetheart.” There was that word again. “That shouldn’t have happened to you.”

Emre twitched, unable to control his reaction.

Immediately, Zenith took a step back, looking worried. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be angry in front of you.”

“It’s not you,” Emre said hurriedly. “I just... don’t like thinking about that time.”

“Sorry.” Zenith winced. “Should I change the subject?”

Emre hesitated. It felt as though they were on the edge of a cliff, a vast unexplored ocean before them, full of possibilities. “You can keep touching my belly, if you want. You like it.”

“I do,” Zenith rumbled. He cupped Emre’s belly reverently, his hands ever so gentle.

So Emre tugged up his shirt, showing Zenith his skin with all its imperfections.

He held his breath. He knew Zenith had seen him naked yesterday, but this was different. Zenith was looking closely at his belly now, seeing the scars for what they were: Long jaggedstretchmarks all over his chest, belly, and thighs, in addition to the silvery claw and bite scars from Ronald, and the patch of pink on his neck where he had cut off Ronald’s bonding mark.

Instead of recoiling, Zenith brushed his fingers over the scars, smoothing his hands over Emre’s belly.

“There’s a baby in here,” he whispered, looking awed. Then he listened and drew a sharp breath. “I hear that heartbeat. Faster than yours.”

“Yeah,” Emre said fondly. “That’s one of the first things I hear when I wake up. That heartbeat, and Abbie’s.”

“That’s amazing,” Zenith said. He was still staring at Emre’s belly. “Have you decided on a name yet?”