I grab his arm and rip him up to me, physically pulling him off his feet.
“If you harm him, you answer to me,” I say.
“He’s a danger to Clarissa. To all of us. If the Council comes after him, we’ll be exposed. And you promised us the safety of this village.”
“We promised you we wouldn't use it in battle. That’s it,” I say.
“Then maybe when I tell you he’s also a harm to Clarissa’s baby you’ll put me down.”
My brow furrows as I pull him closer to my face.
“What?” I ask.
“Clarissa’s pregnant. Josie swore me to s
ecrecy, but I don’t think it’s good for that kind of a secret to be kept. She’s pregnant, and him being here puts that unborn child in danger.”
I drop Joel to his feet and wipe his feeling off my hand.
Clarissa’s pregnant?
Chapter 21
Clarissa
It’s getting harder to hide my pregnancy. The nausea isn’t as bad as it used to be, but my stomach is beginning to protrude a bit. I’m going to have to tell the guys at some point in time if Josie hasn’t already opened her mouth and told them herself. I’m starting to think that’s why Sebastian’s being so possessive of me. So protective. And my swirling mind keeps me awake at night. The sun is beginning to rise, and I feel more stifled than ever, so I get up and get dressed to go for a walk.
I walk into the woods, trying to clear my head. Part of me wants to go in the direction I know Kyle is in, but the mere idea of it is forcing my body in the other direction. I don’t like it. I don’t like not having control over my own movements. I walk into the woods and breathe in the fresh air, allowing the cold snow to fall against my skin. It’s beautiful, the snow. I’ve never seen so much of it in one place at one time. It crunches beneath my feet in a satisfying way, and the sound is intoxicating.
But it’s the growl behind a tree that catches my attention.
My head whips around. I can see a dark shadow looming in the distance. Maybe ten feet from where I’m standing. I turn my body toward the growling sound and poise myself, ready to fight whoever’s there. I sniff the air and furrow my brow, then watch as the figure steps from behind the tree.
I thought I recognized the smell.
It’s Vlad.
And he’s naked.
Again.
I feel my claws already trying to protrude as our eyes connect. I squint, and I can feel a shift within my body. My eyes focus and the image becomes clearer, and I can see every detail of Vlad’s body. His taut muscles stretched around a lean frame. His broad shoulders and his large, dexterous hands. His throbbing thighs bulging with veins and sweat dripping from his brow.
I feel heat pooling between my legs, and I curse my pregnant figure.
I know that’s why I’m so turned on all the time. I know my hormones are running wild. I watch Vlad approach me, his eyes locking with mine as he trudges through the snow. I back myself into a tree, and my eyes settle into a normal mode of sight. My jaw is trembling, and my knees are growing weak with each step he takes toward me.
Then his eyes drop to my stomach.
Holy shit.
Does he know?
“What are you doing out here?” Vlad asks.
“Taking a walk. Clearing my head. You?”
“I’m on watch,” he says. “Relieved Sebastian a couple of hours ago.”