As we walked back toward the dorms, I kept my distance from Conrad. He seemed unaffected, while I struggled with the growing pressure. The quiet night was broken only by the thumping music coming from the building ahead. The bass grew louder, each beat pulling me back to the mess I'd just left behind.Conrad picked up on the sound as well. "They're a disaster," he observed.I let out a sharp laugh. "They are because of me, and this baby."He glanced at me, his attention shifting. "Do you know who the father is?"I shook my head, feeling the uncertainty tighten around me. He placed a hand on my back, but instead of comfort, it made me more uneasy."I'm sorry, that's got to be tough," he added.I stepped away from his touch. "I'm not nauseated anymore. I don't need your help."He didn't back off. "I wasn't aiming to upset you. I just want to support you. You shouldn't have to handle this on your own."I studied him, searching for a reason to distrust him. But his offer seemed genuine,
"Well, now I know why you've been so nauseous lately," Kha said, looking down at the mess I'd just made all over his chest. His anger and panic evaporated when he saw me getting sick.I cringed. "I'm sorry," I mumbled, wiping at my mouth with the back of my hand.He didn't waste any time. He got up, stripping off his soiled clothes. "Don't worry about it. Let's get you cleaned up," he said as he tossed his shirt into the hamper and grabbed some fresh clothes. He quickly changed into a clean t-shirt and sweatpants, then turned his attention to me."Come on, let's get you out of those," he said, helping me peel off my clothes. I felt too weak to argue, too exhausted to resist as he guided me into thick, comfy pajama bottoms and a loose sweatshirt. The soft fabric felt nice as I wrapped myself in it.Kha cleaned up the rest of the mess with a towel, then tossed everything into the laundry basket. Once everything was clean, he returned to the bed, pulling back the covers. "Come on," he sa
DRAKE I left the room, my mind tangled in a mess of thoughts that wouldn't settle. Every step down the hall felt heavy like I was trudging through thick mud, but staying in my room was impossible. It was suffocating in there, too quiet, too empty. I needed to move, to do something that would help me make sense of this chaos. The door clicked shut behind me as I left, and I headed toward the RA's room. "What room is Conrad Ford in?" I demanded, barely holding it together. The RA barely looked up, but his expression said enough. "Second floor, directly above yours," they muttered, probably wondering why I cared. Of course it was. I clenched my fists at my sides as I turned on my heel. Conrad's decision to place himself above me wasn't a coincidence. It was a deliberate move, one meant to taunt me, to assert some twisted dominance. Each step toward Ford's room added fuel to the fire raging inside me. By the time I reached his door, I was on the edge, ready to explode. The door swu
CONRAD Drake stormed out of my room, slamming the door behind him with enough force to make the walls shake. I stood there for a moment, letting the silence settle back in, but my mind was anything but calm. I walked over to the door, pressing my ear against it, listening as his footsteps faded down the hall. A door creaked open downstairs, followed by the unmistakable sound of sobbing. I didn't realize he was in the room under me.It was surprising to hear him like this. The guy had always been a bull-headed jerk, the kind of guy who bulldozed through life without a care for anyone else. In school, he was a total dick, always throwing his weight around like he owned the place. But now? Now, he was whipped, completely unraveling over a girl. And not just any girl—a girl carrying a baby that may not be his.I leaned back against the doorframe, arms crossed as I processed what I'd just witnessed. That girl had the both of them wrapped around her little finger, and it was almost amu
KHA Stepping onto the field, I felt the familiar rush of adrenaline that came with practice. Football was one of the few things that allowed me to let loose, to release the aggression that constantly threatened to consume me. Out here, I didn't have to hold back.I could plow through anyone in my way, and it was expected, even encouraged. But today, there was something else, something that made it hard to focus.Conrad fucking Ford.I couldn't stand the guy. He was too calm, too composed, even though he was an Alpha like Drake and me. It was that witch blood running through his veins, making him unnervingly balanced, even when he had every reason to be pissed off. Eve had pointed it out once, saying he was more like her than either Drake or I could ever be. And damn it, she was right. That just made me hate him more.We'd been running drills for a while, and I was pushing myself harder with each play. I loved the impact, the way my body collided with others, the raw power of it a
( EVE POV ) The scent of sushi filled the car as we drove back to the dorms. My mouth watered at the thought of indulging.Being pregnant meant no raw fish, and the disappointment sucked. Something else I was being denied. I sighed, trying to push the craving aside, but it wasn't easy.Drake, who was driving, glanced over at me. "You okay?" he asked. "You've been quiet."I forced a smile. "Yeah, just wishing I could join you guys with the sushi. But, you know, baby rules."Kha, sitting in the back seat, leaned forward between the seats. "You can still watch us enjoy it," he teased. "We'll make sure to describe every delicious bite."I rolled my eyes, laughing despite the disappointment. "Thanks, Kha. You're really helping."Drake chuckled, reaching over to squeeze my hand. "Don't worry, we'll find something else for you. How about we stop somewhere and grab you something safe to eat?""That sounds good."We pulled into a small shop near the school, and I picked up some soup, which
EVE Physics was supposed to be the easy part of my day, but lately, even sitting through a lecture felt like a monumental task. The room spun slightly as I tried to focus on the equations on the board. The nausea was back, creeping up on me with a vengeance. I had popped my last lemon drop about twenty minutes ago, and the temporary relief it provided was fading fast.I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, feeling the queasiness grow stronger with each passing minute. I wasn't going to make it through the rest of the lecture.No way. I quickly stood up, drawing a few curious glances from the other students. Turning to Marissa, I whispered, "Can you bring my stuff? I need to go."Marissa nodded, her eyes wide with understanding. She knew I was pregnant. I had told her earlier when I realized there was no hiding it anymore. I didn't wait for her response, bolting from the room as quickly as I could without drawing more attention to myself. But I wasn't fast enough. The nausea overflowe
DRAKE POVSomething ate at me during class, a feeling I couldn't shake. I tried to focus on the lecture, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Eve. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something told me I needed to leave. To go find her.Without overthinking it, I packed up my stuff and ducked out early, ignoring the professor's glare as I slipped out the door.The walk back to the dorm felt longer than usual, the sense of urgency growing with each step. When I finally reached my room, Eve was lying on my bed curled up under the blanket. I was flooded with relief, but it quickly gave way to another emotion. The air in the room was thick with the scent of another Alpha.Conrad.I dropped my bag on the floor and sat beside her, the mattress dipping slightly under my weight. Before I could even ask, she turned her head toward me."He was here," she said quietly. "Con. He walked me back after I got sick. I didn't want to go to his room, so I came here."My stomach twisted at the thought of
DRAKE The stadium roared with energy, the stands packed with students, parents, and alumni, ready for the season's first game. Eve and I sat near the middle. I glanced at her, her bright blue eyes fixed on the field, her lips tight as she scanned the players."Kha's still safety, right?" she asked, her voice quieter than usual, her nerves showing."Yeah, and Con's the quarterback this year," I confirmed. "Con played well last season, so he'll probably dominate. I was watching his highlight reels, and I'm impressed."Eve bit her lip, her hands gripping the edge of the seat. Her anxiety was obvious. Every time Con or Kha got the ball, her whole body stiffened like she was bracing for impact herself."Are they always this intense?" she asked, her eyes following Kha as he positioned himself for the next play."Yeah," I shrugged, glancing at her. "You'll get used to it. Con especially. He lives for this stuff."Just as I spoke, Con took the snap, dropping back to pass. Kha darted across t
EVE He pulled the towel off of my body as he positioned me on the bed. He got up to lock the door, and I couldn't help but watch him, appreciating how much care he took in everything he did these days. He may have been rubbing off on Drake, but Drake was doing the same in return. When he closed his eyes briefly, I spoke up, "Rissa won't come back anytime soon. She's in class." He looked back at me with a small smile. "I just wanted to make sure," he replied before returning to the bed. As he climbed back onto the bed, the playfulness in his eyes was unmistakable. It reminded me of the first time we were together, how he both treated me with gentleness and teased me throughout. He started tracing my breast, circling my nipple before lightly tugging on the ring. The sensation made me arch my back slightly, pressing into his touch. He smiled at me, and then he leaned down, kissing my nipple before looping his tongue through the ring. I couldn't hold back the loud moan, my hips i
EVE I saw Kha lingering outside the locker room and pulled him aside. His posture was tense, and his usual confidence was absent. I didn't want him to go back in there, not after everything that had happened."Kha, let's just go," I urged. "I don't want to wait for you to change."He looked down at me, the stress in his shoulders easing slightly. "Sure," he agreed, though I sensed some hesitation. "What about Drake? I drove here with him in his truck."I frowned, realizing this could complicate things. Drake and I already had our moment. It was Kha's turn now. I needed some time alone with Kha, away from all the tension building up. "Let him know we're leaving. I'll call for an Uber."Kha nodded and jogged over to Drake, who was sitting nearby. I watched as they exchanged a few words, with Kha gesturing in my direction. Drake looked concerned but didn't argue. He just nodded, and Kha headed back to me.While waiting for the car, I decided to text Con. I didn't want him worrying or wo
EVE The day with Conrad was easy, almost too easy. After the morning's chaos, it was strange how simple everything felt when just the two of us were in his room. We didn't do much. We just hung out, letting the hours slip away without worrying about what was happening outside those walls. He was easy to be around, and the stress that usually came with Kha and Drake was nowhere to be found. It was a relief, even if I felt guilty for enjoying it.As the afternoon crept closer to practice time, I realized I needed to change clothes. My usual routine of heading to my room was out of the question. I couldn't bear the thought of running into Kha or Drake or them getting updates from pack members after everything that had happened. They were probably still fuming, and I wasn't ready to face that just yet."I need to change," I said, glancing at the time. "But I don't want to go to my room."Con nodded, understanding immediately. He got up from where he was sitting and rummaged through a d
DRAKE Kha and I sat in silence, both of us trying to calm down after the near fight that had driven Eve away. My chest still burned with frustration, and I could see the strain in Kha's every movement. We'd almost come to blows, and the close we'd come to tearing each other apart made me sick. We both knew better. But knowing better hadn't stopped us. "She's not in her room," Kha muttered. "How do you know?" I asked. After everything that just happened, the thought of her being alone right now was agonizing. I was about to chase her down if we didn't figure out where she was. Command be damned. "Rissa just told me," he replied through gritted teeth. "She checked. Eve didn't go back to her room." It hit me. I knew where she had gone. There was only one place she would feel safe after what had happened. "She's with Ford." Kha didn't say anything at first, but I could see the fear in his eyes. "Of course she is," he finally said. "Why wouldn't she go to him? He's perfect fo
CONI couldn't believe she was here, lounging on my bed like it was the most natural thing in the world. After breakfast, I thought she'd stick with Kha and Drake, but she came to my room instead. She didn't hesitate, didn't second-guess it. Once I got her to calm down, she just walked in and made herself comfortable. Now, she was stretched across my bed, propped up on her elbows, watching me work on her bracelet. I wasn't even trying, yet she seemed drawn to me, like some invisible force kept pulling us together. She looked so calm and at ease in my room, and I wondered how she fit here so perfectly.I focused on weaving together a couple of leather bands with orange glittery strings. I laid the materials on the desk.She tilted her head. "Where do you keep orange glitter clothing?" she teased.I smiled. "They're from my old jersey from my last college. It became my good luck charm after a while, and I thought it might also bring you some luck."She narrowed her eyes slightly, not
EVE We headed to Kha's room after breakfast, and I knew why. Because Drake's room was directly beneath Con's.As soon as we entered the room, I sighed heavily, knowing what was coming."Just get it out," I said, bracing myself.Kha and Drake exchanged a look, biting back their words. I could see the storm brewing in their eyes, but they were holding back. I wasn't going to let them stew in their frustrations all day, not when I could feel their emotions swirling around us, threatening to suffocate me."No," I insisted. "You're not stewing in this all day. Get it out. Now."That was all it took. The dam broke, and it all came pouring out. Drake started. "We're upset, Eve. This whole thing with Ford... it's driving us crazy. We're jealous, okay? We don't like the way he looks at you, the way he's always there, always perfect. It's like he's this perfect guy for you, and we're scared. We're scared you'll want him more than us."Kha jumped in, his emotions even more raw than expected. "
EVE I woke up feeling queasy, but I pushed through it, determined to start the day on a good note. Kha, Drake, and I headed to the dining hall for breakfast. The usual smells hit me like a freight train, and I had to swallow hard to keep the nausea at bay. I tried to focus on the conversation with Kha and Drake, but ignoring the churning in my stomach was hard.I was picking at my food when I saw Conrad walk in. My stomach clenched harder, but it wasn't just the nausea this time. Something compelled me to move, to go to him. I stood up, ignoring the questioning looks from Kha and Drake, and walked over to Conrad.Before I could even speak, Conrad's hand found my arm, his touch steadying me almost instantaneously. The nausea vanished, and I felt clear-headed for the first time that morning. Without thinking, I invited him to join us once he got his food. But it wasn't just an invitation. It was a command. I realized what I'd done the moment the words left my mouth, but it was too
CONRAD I didn't plan on kissing her. Hell, I wasn't even sure how we ended up so close that it happened. But when it did, everything changed. The moment our lips touched, it was like something inside me shifted. I finally understood why those two guys were so damn obsessed with her. The connection between us was intense and something I couldn't shake even after it ended.I would do anything to kiss her again. The spark, the way it made me feel...I couldn't even put it into words. It was more than just a physical connection. It was like a piece of her had lodged itself inside me, and I didn't want to let it go.The fact that she was pregnant, something that had always made me hesitant, suddenly didn't matter. The baby was a part of her, and that was enough for me. Realizing that what had kept me from taking things further with her was now irrelevant should have been unsettling. But it wasn't.Instead, it felt like everything was falling into place, like this was where I was supposed