Chapter 52: One year later

"Fine," Allan yelled. She gave him a look to tell him to try to be polite. The boy walked away, but he couldn't help but feel guilty. He smirked and pecked her lips again before taking his fork.

"You did it on purpose," she reprimanded, and he smiled innocently.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he shrugged, taking a bite of his steak.

"You kissed me because you knew he was watching us," she explained as she snatched a fry from her plate and popped it into her mouth. "I had no idea you were the jealous type," he growled, smirking.

"I wasn't jealous; I just wanted him to know you were mine," he said quietly. Allan had no reason to be concerned about her relationship with another man, but he'll never understand that. She didn't respond to him and began to eat her food.

The food was tasty, and they had a brief conversation with the restaurant's owner. Allan didn't say anything to him about his least favorite waiter. When they left, Allan gave their waiter a stern look before walking out the door. They got in their car and drove to the mall.

They were in the mall, looking for some clothes for her to wear. Humans were running around the mall like frantic puppies.

He stayed close to her the entire time, giving harsh glares to humans who looked at her for longer than necessary. Althea would rub his arm soothingly every time he did it. Under her touch, he would relax and pull her closer to his body.

~

They went shopping and found several outfits that she liked. She begged him to let her pay, but he refused to let her use any of her own money.

She was exhausted after they finished shopping. They shopped for hours, and when Allan noticed her yawning, he decided it was time to leave. She agreed quickly and walked to the car.

She must have dozed off on the way home because she felt herself being lifted out of the passenger seat. When she opened her eyes, Allan was carrying her into the house. She smiled at him and drew closer to him. He carried her up to the bedroom and placed her gently on the bed.

"Thank you, Allan, for everything," he said as he kissed her on the cheek.

"I would do anything for you," she said, ignoring how corny it sounded and falling asleep.

~

When she began to wake up, she felt someone massaging her shoulders. She was still tired and refused to get up.

She opened one of her sleepy eyes to his chest.

"Good morning, sweetie," Allan said with a smile. She, too, smiled and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. She reclined on his chest and closed her eyes.

"Hello," she mumbled sheepishly. He and she were both still hot under the sheets.

Last night was ideal. He was so gentle and sweet. It could not have been more ideal. She had no regrets about anything.

"How are you, umm, feeling today?" he asked awkwardly. She erupted in laughter.

She could tell he was nervous about asking about what they did the night before. But it was so adorable that he didn't mind.

"Well, I know it's not our first time doing that thing, but I still get sore every time we do it, but I'm fine now. How are you, umm, feeling today?" she mocked.

him. He growled and grabbed her shoulders.

"Don't mock me," she said again, pecking his chest.

"What time is it?" she inquired.

"It's only half past eleven. We stayed up pretty late last night or this morning, whatever you want to call it." He seductively bit her shoulder.

Althea tried to stand up, but he wouldn't let her. "I need to take a shower," she begged.

"Of course, let me assist you with that," he smirked as he led her into the bathroom.

~

One year later

"Allan, we're supposed to be getting ready, and I need to take a shower," she grumbled. His lips bit her skin as they trailed up her neck.

She wanted to stay in Allan's bed and do exactly what he wanted. Her wolf adored the concept, and she could tell Allan's wolf did as well. Their wolves were calling out to each other, making it difficult to stop them.

He's been insatiable lately, and she's struggling to keep up. Althea, on the other hand, adores it. She appreciates it when he spends more time with her.

Because she was tired and had an early morning, they went to bed early last night. Allan had other plans, and he kept her awake for hours. They didn't go to bed until very late at night.

She needed to get up early because their pack was celebrating today. Oliver's birthday was being celebrated.

By kissing her lips, Allan brought her out of her thoughts. His lips pressed against hers, sending a delicious tingle down her spine. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back.

Her fingers ran through his silky hair, yanking on the ends. His hands were all over her body.

His hands slid across her waist, sending shivers up and down my spine. Allan became aware and began tickling her waist. She laughed and tried to push him away from her. As his fingers danced over her belly, he laughed with her.

He was aware that she was extremely ticklish on her stomach. He enjoys tickling her because he knows she despises it.

He finally came to a halt when he realized she had had enough. She growled and pushed him away from her.

When he was done tickling her, she felt a little queasy. She tried not to think about it and just breathed through it. Her stomach felt as if it had flipped over. She was desperate not to vomit.

Thankfully, it went away after a few moments, and Allan didn't notice. She was starting to feel better.

"I have to help set up for the party, Allan," she reminded him. He sighed and rested his head on her chest. She massaged his scalp and ran her fingers through his hair.

"How do you feel this morning?" he inquired.

"I'm fine; I'm just tired from staying up all night," she chastised him. He smirked briefly before becoming solemn.

"I think you should stay at home and rest; you haven't been feeling well lately, and I don't want you to overwork yourself; I can tell how tired you are," he said, running his fingers over the dark circles under her eyes.

She hasn't been feeling herself lately. She was exhausted and slept all the time. The most unpleasant aspect has been the vomiting. For the past few weeks, she has been sick every day.

She's been miserable, with mood swings all over the place. When she smells certain foods, the aroma upsets her stomach and she becomes ill. Burger, in particular, has been the absolute worst thing. Even though it's her favorite food, she can't bear the thought of it.

She had always been someone who got her period on time every month, so missing it almost confirmed her theory.

She was aware that all of these signs pointed to pregnancy. If she was pregnant, she was overjoyed.

She and Allan had previously discussed getting a puppy. He desired children in the future but assumed that whatever happened would happen.

She knew it was bound to happen because they weren't using any protection.

Allan got along so well with the other kids in the pack. He was always talking to them and playing games with them. He'd pick them up and throw them up in the air.

Every time she saw him with children, her heart melted. He was smitten by them.

Althea had always imagined herself with at least a few children running around.

Allan felt the same way about having more children. She knew he wanted them, but telling someone was terrifying. He'd make an excellent father. He would be extremely protective, and she knows he would unconditionally love their children.

Oliver, Allan's younger brother, persisted in pestering them about having children.

past year. Every time he saw her, he'd ask her about it. She was relieved that he no longer had to inquire.

Althea didn't blame him because she knew she was just happy to be an uncle.

She had been suspecting for a few days that she was pregnant, so when she went to the store, she secretly bought a few pregnancy tests. She wasn't sure which ones were the best, so she grabbed a few.

She took the tests when she got home, and it turns out she was correct. She was indeed pregnant.

She wanted to surprise Allan with something exciting, but she wasn't sure how long she could keep it a secret. He was constantly concerned about her, which she despised.

She's been sick for a few weeks, but Allan only found out a few days ago. Althea usually wakes up after he has already left, so he is unaware that she is ill.

He decided to take the day off and stay with her the other day, so he saw her get sick in the morning.

He's been checking in on her more recently to make sure she's okay. And even when he's not at home, he never leaves her alone.

It was also difficult not to tell him. She was ecstatic, and she hoped he would be as well.

Nausea from earlier returned, but she tried to suppress it. She didn't want him to witness her get sick.

Althea fought through it, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.

"We can't keep messing around; Oliver is coming, and we need to get ready for the party; I have to finish getting everything set up and make sure everything is perfect," she sat up in bed, waves of nausea washing over her. She closed her eyes and put her hand over her mouth.

"Babe, what's wrong?" she asked, waving her hand in front of his face to silence him.

She fought the desire to vomit. She was sick and tired of puking and feeling bad. Her mind was racing as the urge to vomit became overwhelming.

"Althea?" Allan said.