MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION

37. DAVID: OUR MATE NEED US

The snow was starting to melt. In a few weeks, it would be gone completely.

I scratched my chin as I turned away from the window. Anticipation filled me. In a few minutes, Val would be calling. It became a routine for her to call every night at eight. We talked for at least an hour before she fell asleep. I fucking missed her so much.

We had hoped that things would have been solved by now, but it wasn't. It seemed to have gotten worse. Pack members were rebelling against us. They wanted Devon's father to take back the Alpha position. We had the young members who stood by our side, but they were easily influenced by the elders.

Having Val call me was the highlight of my day.

The phone rang, making my heartbeat increase. I hurried over to the phone and picked it up. But it wasn't Val's voice on the other side of the receiver. My shoulders sagged and the excitement died down. I glanced behind me and then sunk down into the chair.

"I know you don't want to talk to me," Alark said. "Your mate is asleep."

I glanced at the clock. "So early?"

"The pregnancy is taking a toll on her, David. Mel convinced her to go to the doctor this morning."

My stomach rolled. "Is she okay?"

"I talked to Devon this morning to have her file send over, but the doctor told me that he hasn't received anything yet."

"I haven't seen him all day," I muttered. "What did the doctor say? Is Val okay?"

His silence worried me. I gripped my thigh tightly as I tried to calm my breathing. Panic hit me hard. If they wanted her to see a doctor then something was wrong. I thought back to yesterday when I talked to her. She sounded tired but she had assured me that she and the baby were doing fine. She would've told me if something was wrong, right?

"Alark?" The silence was killing me.

He sucked in a breath and blew it out. "I think the distance is getting to her."

"What do you mean?"

"Some females formed a bond to the males that were in charge of caring for them in the facility. When they were rescued those males were killed. The females didn't survive long after they were freed." He paused. "The elders call it a mate-bond. The bond could be formed by simply spending time together. It gets stronger the further you take things."

"I've ever heard of a mate-bond before."

"Neither have I until now." Alark shuffled through some papers. "I guess that when you first met the bond was already forming. Your wolf instantly recognized her as your mate. The more time you spend with her, the stronger the bond became."

"What are you saying Alark?" I asked impatiently.

As interesting as I found this mate-bond thing, I was worried about Val. There would be time to learn more about everything.

"Shit man. I don't know how to explain this to you so it would make sense." He sucked in a breath. "The distance you put between the three of you is slowly killing her."

My frown deepened but then it cleared a second later. Was she feeling the same pain as me? "Alark—"

"I didn't call you to just tell you this. I called you to tell you that I'm bringing her back tomorrow. She can't stay here any longer, David. It's not good for her or the baby."

I pursed my lips. He wanted to bring her home. A home that was far from safe. Nobody in the pack knew that Val was pregnant. We made sure that the doctor and those who had run the test kept their mouths shut. Nobody could find out about the pregnancy. If she returned it would be obvious. We couldn't keep her locked up inside all day.