18 A Walk In The Garden

I can't go anywhere alone now. I love my mate but he has to be the most crazy, paranoid, overprotective male in the world!

"I'm going for a walk." I tell Alic from the doorway of his office.

"Five guards. Have fun." He says like I will agree to his craziness.

"Nope, I am going to walk through our territory on my own for one hour then I will come back and you can be crazy again." I respond.

"Four guards and Ruby goes with you." He counters. That's basically five guards and a baby sence Ruby will bring Felice .

"No Alic. I'm not negotiating. I am one month pregnant not an invalid. I'm not leaving our territory. Heck I'll agree to stay in the garden to get one hour to myself! I need time alone. This is suffocating. I was raised with no human interaction and now I have people hovering over me every minute! I can't handle this!" I rant.

"One hour. You stay in the garden and the guards stay around the parameter in case you need them. No one will bother you." He says then hangs his head. "I'm sorry, Bella... I know I'm overbearing it's just... I'm afraid of losing you... and the pup. Adding him in the mix makes me think you guys will be taken from me even more."

"So it's a him now?" I ask smiling at my mate.

"I think so and I'm not calling out pup an it so I'm going with him until proven otherwise... honestly that makes it even harder. What if something happens and he ends up in foster care like I did? What if he dies? What if you die? My dad stayed strong for Ruby when he lost mom but I don't have anyone else. I need you." He whispers by the end.

"Okay... One, he isn't even born yet so he won't be taken away. Two, if he ever is you will get him back. Three, I'm not going to die just because you can't see me. Four, I Love you and if you outlive me I will be ticked off if you don't stay strong for our people. You are the King, Alaric. Even without me you are needed, wanted, and loved." I tell him wrapping my arms around my mate. He kisses my head.

"I love you too." Alic whispers. "Now go for your walk I'm already anxious about you going so hurry up."

I smile up at him and with a quick kiss I run off to the garden. As promised I am on my own for the first time in forever.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°

"Hello Luna." I sickening voice rings through the garden.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, startled, as I stand up from my peaceful place in the grass.

"Here's the thing little Luna. You've been watching me and its only a matter of time until you spill to your mate about what I've done." The man says leaning against the hedge maze that makes up the center of the garden. "So I have two options. Leave and find another pack to sucker or end up having your mate make me one of those 'king's Rouges'. That doesn't sound fun and I don't want to be the first one. But then I found a third option. You see the rouge that wanted you all those years ago is still kicking around. He'd pay good money for you. So I was thinking..."

"I could pay you and you can find another pack. Live in peace. That's what you want right?" I offer. I don't want to support the man that killed my poppa but I don't want him to hurt the ones I love now even more.

"Aww honey, there's no way you can match his offer without alerting your mate. I think I'll just turn you over to him. It's in my best interest." He tells me as approaches. I step away before responding.

"I can! I promise you. Alic will give me anything. I won't say a word about you as long as you leave my family alone. You can have a good life somewhere else. I don't even know your name and its not like I want to chase you down. Just leave."

"Transfer this amount to this account number and I'm gone." He says with a smirk handing me a card. "You have one week then, if you haven't transferred the funds, when I feel like it, I will whisk you away and no one will ever find you. Then when you push out that pup it will be mine. Wonder how much a royal pup will go for on the black market?... and the first born? It may be worth more than you."

The fact that he already had the card is unsettling but I can't risk my pup.

"You'll have your money." I growl at him.

"Pleasure doin' business with ya, little Luna." He smirks tipping an invisible hat on his head, the cocky jerk!

I watch the man run off. Once he is gone I no longer have the desire to be alone and head back inside. Now how do I get massive amounts of money from my mate without drawing suspicion?

°•°•°•°•°•°

"You're back early." Alic says as I enter his office after only a half hour.

"Well I had missed my mate but clearly you don't want me here..." I joke as I turn to walk out. I need to seem casual and him trying to make it up to me can help in my fund acquisition.

"No! Please you know better than that. My beautiful Bell. Come sit with me." He says walking towards me.

"Nope! You don't want me here." I dramatically turn away from him and he chuckles.

"Of course I do. I want you with me always. That way I can do this!" He says before pouncing on me and covering my face and neck with kisses. I laugh as his frantic movements tickle my shoulder. He laughs with me as he leads me back to his desk where he sits pulling me into his lap and delivering a sweet kiss to my lips. He breaks the kiss with a sigh.

"Bella, my love, do you really think I don't want you?" He asks some insecurity shining through. It breaks my heart to see him like this.

"I know you love me, Alic." I assure him. "Tho you have been a tad..." I trail off not sure what word to use.

"Overbearing? Psychotic? Possessive? Obsessed? Panicked? Crazy? Demandi..." he begins to list before I stop him.

"Who put all that in your head?" I ask. I'm not disagreeing but I'd like to know where he got all this.

"Malakai and Ruby may have mentioned that my behavior has resembled that of a "crazed lunatic stalker" I believe is what Ruby said." He tells me with a chuckle. "And Malak added that I am "killing my mate with my overbearing antics and he wouldn't be surprised if she ran." It makes you think when those closest to you call you out... please don't leave me. I'm so sorry." He bows his head and I can feel his pain. He is so stressed about everything from the pup and me to the kingdom he is ment to build. I need to solve this thing with the man and I can't burden him with it.

"I'm not going anywhere, mate." I tell him as I lift his head. "You are stressed out. I get it." I see him smile like I lifted some of the weight that is crushing him. "How about you give me access to the accounts and I can get the pups room ready? That way I am safely tucked away at home and you have one less thing to worry about?" And I can pay off a crazy man who wants to kidnap me and my pup, I add in my head. He laughs pulling up something on the computer.

"Here's all the information you need." He says as he opens up his account information. "Just how much is this nursery renovation gonna cost me?"

"Millions." I say with a laugh. He laughs too thinking I'm joking.

"Anything for you Bella." Alic tells me with a kiss to my forehead.

I smile and take the laptop. With a kiss on the cheek I stand up and head out the door. That was easier than I thought. Now to get the scum out of my pack!