We Paid The Price (sequel to RPAP)

Chapter Eleven

CHAPTER ELEVEN

~Mark

I walked into the pack house and my senses were immediately on high alert. It was completely silent--something that never happened in the house I lived in.

Taking a brief stroll around the first floor, I found a note on the kitchen counter that Jordan had written, saying he and Josh had gone out for a run. Eric and Rosie were upstairs in their rooms. The note didn't say anything about Lizzie's location, but I assumed she was in our room.

Sure enough, I poked my head in the doorway and found her buried in a cocoon of blankets, nothing but her face and the edges of her toes showing.

Chuckling, I walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, unwrapping one the blankets so that I could see her more properly. She scowled at me.

"What are you doing?" Her voice was half demanding, half whining. I struggled against the urge not to kiss her.

"Why are you wrapped up like this?" I questioned, gesturing to the blanket-cave. "It's nearly eighty degrees outside."

Her scowl deepened. "I'm a pregnant werewolf. I don't know if you've ever had experience with one before, but if you did, then you would know that our body temperatures are completely out of whack. Right now, it feels like Antarctica in here. So kindly give me back my blanket." She huffed out the last sentence, snatching the edge of the blanket from me. Her cute tone and the adorable way she was wrinkling her nose in annoyance at me was just too much.

I leaned forward and gently molded my lips against hers. She melted into the kiss, the four layers of blankets around her falling off like skin shedding off a snake's back as she leaned into my embrace. I brought my hand up to cup her cheek as the kiss grew more passionate, Lizzie moving her mouth against mine ferociously. My hands roamed over her body with an untamable hunger. Breaking the kiss with a short growl, I moved my mouth down to her neck. She arched her back with pleasure, moaning.

"Would you guys kindly keep it down with the sex noises? I'm watching Gossip Girl and I can't have Chuck and Blair up here, and you two downstairs, too!" Rose's voice floated down from the stairs, surprising us into freezing just as I was about to take off my shirt. Lizzie laughed when she saw the frustrated expression on my face.

"You look like she just ate your firstborn child in front of you," she chuckled.

"I like being loud. I don't wanna keep it down," I muttered, pouting against her neck.

"Well then, don't," she responded, rolling her eyes. "What's she gonna do? Kick out her Alpha?"

A slow grin spread over my face as I realized she was right. With a sudden intensity, I ripped my shirt off over my head and moved my hands to Lizzie's button-up. The sounds of buttons skittering against a hardwood floor met my ears as I tore off her shirt. She groaned.

"I liked that blouse..." She gazed longingly at the remnants of the torn clothing. I grinned, ducking my head for a moment to kiss her chest.

"You're going to like this a lot better."

She smiled wickedly at my words, and we proceeded to basically shake the house for the rest of the night, we were so rough. Rosie's groans could be heard upstairs as she realized we were being purposely careless, but after a while I think she just put in headphones and began ignoring us.

It was after a few hours that we were laying down, Lizzie's head resting on my chest, my fingers curled in her hair, my other hand stroking her arm.

"Should we have done that?" she whispered suddenly.

I frowned, concerned at the way her voice sounded so small and shaky. "What do you mean?"

"I mean...the baby...it won't--" Her voice cracked, tears threatening to choke her.

"Lizzie, baby, it's fine," I reassured her softly, moving my hand to caress her cheek. "The baby is fine. Couples sleep together all the time when the woman is pregnant. You're only a few weeks in. Trust me, he's not even big enough to be hurt yet."

She sniffled. It was quiet for a moment before she asked, "How do you know it's a she?"

I smiled slightly. "I don't. I just feel strange calling him it."

"Yeah, me too," she agreed. "You know, that reminds me...speaking of strange, I walked into a pretty weird scene this morning."

I raised my eyebrows. "That so? What'd you walk into, Jordan crying over Pretty Women?"

She made a face. "Ugh, no, not that again. Thank God."

I laughed and pecked her on the nose. "Well, then what was it?"

She sighed. "It was....well, it looked like a fight between Josh and Jordan, and Eric."

I moved my head away from where it had been nuzzling her neck, staring at her in surprise. "What?"

She frowned. "I know. It's strange...but, I mean, think about it. They haven't left the house for a run since Eric was put in that wheelchair. They were worried they would hurt his feelings. Now, all of a sudden, they don't seem to care. They must be really pissed at him."

"No, no," I reassured her, half trying to convince myself. "Those three are best friends. They've never gotten into a serious fight. You must have misinterpreted."

Lizzie kissed the corner of my mouth, sending lightning through me. I gave her a half smile. I knew she was just trying to console me. For an Alpha, the thought of his pack members fighting was an extremely upsetting one.

"Why don't you just go ask Eric what's up?" she suggested gently.

I hesitated, and then nodded. "You know, I think I'm going to go do that."

She pouted. "Wait, now?"

I gave a wicked smile. "Why? What else did you have in mind?"

~*~

~Tamara Rose

I was sitting on my bed, my feet propped against a pile of dirty laundry and my head hanging upside down over the side of the bed. My phone was held above me, playing yet another reunion of Chuck and Blair's.

"Okay, so just kill your father and then go and get married," I muttered. "No no, really. No biggie. And I thought my life was messed up."

The sound of my bedroom door opening brought me hastily to an upright position. A blush crossed my cheeks when I saw it was Eric.

I turned my phone off, pressing my hands together between my thighs as I crossed my ankles uncomfortably. This was the first real fight I'd ever gotten into with Eric. I had no freaking clue what to say.

Luckily, he started. "Rosie...I just came in here to tell you that I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

I sighed in relief. I seriously thought he had come in here to shout about how I had gotten him into trouble with Jordan and Josh. I should have known better--Eric was too nice for that.

Climbing off my bed, I stood for a moment before seeing that he was rolling his way across the room. I quickly changed positions so I was perched on the edge of the bed, on a level plane as him in his chair. Locking eyes with him, I smiled and said, "Eric, you don't owe me an apology at all. That fight was not only stupid, but it was all my fault. I shouldn't have pressured you into telling me who you like. That's your business and I was being rude and nosy by pestering you--"

His eyes sparkled. "Rosie, shut up. A simple sorry would have done."

"I was being sensitive, you idiot!" I laughed, breaking off and hitting him on the arm.

He rolled his eyes. Abruptly, his expression turned serious. "Rosie, I've decided to tell you who I like."

~*~

A/N:

COMMENT. unedited.