Page 53 of The Pregnant Wolf Omega Next Door

“Hux will come back for the perishables. I have a full closet and kitchen back at my lair.”

Emre tried to imagine having so many clothes and appliances that you could leave entire rooms behind, and still have a full set of things waiting for you in the next place. It was insane.

How much larger was Zenith’s lair? Twice the size of this apartment? Three times?

Abbie still hadn’t shifted back by the time they were ready to leave. Zenith fashioned a bed sheet nest in Buttwheel’s cargobasket and tucked Abbie under the sheets. Then he lifted Buttwheel with one strong arm, going down the stairs with Emre at his side.

“I’d much rather carry you down the stairs too,” Zenith said apologetically. “But I can’t do it comfortably with one arm, with your belly as round as it is.”

“This is fine,” Emre said. “I move a lot easier as a wolf, anyway.”

At least he was climbing down four flights of stairs while heavily pregnant, instead of climbingup.

Hux scouted ahead of them. When he gave the all clear signal, Zenith walked Emre through the parking lot to his car, tucking Abbie and her sheet nest into his back seat. He scooped Emre up and deposited him in the back seat too, and slid behind the wheel.

Emre had another contraction.

“Feels like a cramp,” he whimpered when it was over.

“Fuck. Hang in there, we’ll be home soon.” Zenith’s forehead was creased; he kept sneaking peeks at Emre on the drive over.

Emre hiccupped. This time, five bubbles floated into the backseat.

“Damn it! I haven’t had time to look up what species that belongs to,” Zenith muttered. “What if we need special prep for the birth?”

Emre groaned. He hadn’t even considered that. “I think it has something to do with water. Because bubbles.”

“I think you’re right.” Zenith was driving them through a fancy neighborhood, with sprawling, beautiful buildings tucked awaybehind tall fences. “Hey, my brother Griff is mated to a merman. Do you think...?”

Emre frowned, picking through the hazy memories of his latest heat. It had happened after he’d left Ronald, barely after his injuries had healed. At that point, he had been sore all over, but he’d needed an alpha to help take the edge off his need.

The alpha had been... okay. He hadn’t aggravated Emre’s newly healed wounds, but he hadn’t taken special care with them, either.

“He smelled like the sea,” Emre said.

“Hmm. Sea lion shifter? Octopus shifter? Maybe Griff’s omega might know more.”

They pulled up to a set of iron gates that was part of a tall, imposing hedge. As the car slowed down, the gates rolled open. Zenith drove right through. Did he live in a gated community?

Behind the hedge was a small forest. They followed a winding road through the forest to a majestic building, with wide front steps leading up to a set of huge wooden doors. Picture windows dotted the two-story building, framed by brightly colored curtains.

It blew Emre’s mind. The forest dulled the sounds beyond the hedge; it felt as though they were in the middle of nowhere, instead of a town with tall buildings and countless people.

“Welcome to my lair,” Zenith said warmly.

“This is an amazing place,” Emre said, shifting back into a human. He gathered Abbie and her blanket nest into his arms.

Zenith jogged around the car, opening the door for him. “Here, let me carry Abbie. I have some baby things gathered, but I wasn’t expecting to set up a nursery yet.”

Emre frowned. “You have space for a nursery?”

Zenith gestured vaguely at the building. “Plenty of space.”

“Is your apartment in the front?”

“My... apartment?”

“This is a gated community, right? Although I was expecting more buildings.” Emre looked around, but he didn’t see any others.