Chapter 15: No Touching

Joanna's POV

I woke to white walls and a warm weight on my stomach.

It was my own hand, and under it my son was kicking.

"Mom," the pup said in my head. "You scared me."

"I scared myself," I whispered.

"He carried you the whole way. He growled at Aunt Hazel."

I turned my head.

Torin sat in the chair by the bed with his coat off and his elbows on his knees.

He looked as if he had not moved in hours.

He stood the moment I opened my eyes.

"Don't," I said.

He stopped.

"You caught me," I said. "In front of the whole Council."

"You were falling."

"You put your hands on me."

"I did."

"Witness only," I said, and my voice came out thin and hard. "No touching until the pup is born. Isn't that what you told me?"

His jaw moved.

"That was your rule. I agreed to it."

"Then you broke it in the first minute."

"Yes."

"Is that how it works, Alpha Mercer? Your word is good until a woman faints?"

He took it.

He stood there with his hands open at his sides and let me throw it at him.

"My word is good," he said. "I'll go stand by the door."

He did.

He went all the way across the room and stood with his back against the wall, so far away I almost wanted to take it back.

I didn't.

I was angry at the whole world, and he was the only one standing in range.

The pack doctor came in with his leather bag and looked between us.

"Good, you're awake," he said. "Luna Joanna, I need to say something you won't like."

"I'm not a Luna anymore."

"That is exactly the problem."

He set the bag on the bed.

"Pack law protects every pregnant female of a pack. You have no pack. The Rowland line is cut, and you have no pack of your own."

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