Claimed by the Alpha's Love (Tori and Lucas) novel Chapter 189

Claimed by the Alpha’s Love

Chapter 189

Tori’s POV:

The grandfather clock in Lucas’s study chimed three times as I heard his car pull into the driveway.

I’d been waiting in the main estate’s guest room, trying to read the same page of a pregnancy guide for the past hour.

My lower back had been aching since dinner, a dull throb that made it impossible to find a comfortable position.

Tracy stirred restlessly in my mind, equally uncomfortable with the changes our body was undergoing.

He’s home, she murmured, relief evident in her tone.

The door opened quietly, and Lucas appeared, still in his formal dinner attire from the Elder Council meeting.

His hair was slightly disheveled, and there was a tension in his shoulders that hadn’t been there this morning.

“You’re still awake,” he said softly, crossing the room to where I sat propped against the headboard. His eyes swept over me with that careful

assessment I’d grown accustomed to-checking for any sign of discomfort or distress.

“Couldn’t sleep,” I admitted. “My back has been bothering me.”

Lucas’s expression shifted immediately from tired to concerned. He shrugged off his jacket, draping it over a chair, and rolled up his sleeves.

“Turn around.”

I shifted carefully, presenting my back to him. His hands settled on my shoulders, warm and steady, before beginning a slow, methodical

massage down my spine.

“How was the dinner?” I asked, trying to keep my voice casual even as his skilled fingers found a particularly tight knot.

“Political theater, as always.” His tone was deliberately light, but I could hear the edge beneath it. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

His hands moved lower, applying gentle pressure to my lower back. The reef was immediate and profound. I couldn’t help the small sound of contentment that escaped me.

“That bad?” I murmured, my eyes drifting closed.

“Dylan made his usual inappropriate jokes. Charlotte Shepherd looked like a nervous rabbit. The food was acceptable.” His thumbs worked in circular motions along my spine. “The company was tedious.”

I smiled slightly.

Lucas had a way of dismissing the complex politics of Pack leadership with a few dry observations.

“You’re worried about something,” I said quietly.

His hands stilled for a moment before resuming their massage. “I’m always worried about something. It’s an occupational hazard of being an Alpha.”

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10:21 Wed, Feb 25 MO

Chapter 189

“Lucas.”

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He sighed, his breath warm against the back of my neck. “Nothing that cant wait until morning. Right now, I’m more concerned about you and our pup.

Our pup. The words still sent a thrill through me every time he said them Ten weeks pregnant, and it still felt surreal.

“The ache is better,” I told him, leaning back slightly into his touch. “Thank you.”

“You should have called me if you were uncomfortable. His voice held a note of reproach. “I would have come back earlier.”

“You had important Pack business.”

“You and our child are more important than any Pack business.” He said it with such absolute certainty that my chest tightened. “Always.”

His arms came around me, pulling me back against his chest. I could feel his heartbeat, steady and strong, and the familiar scent of him-pine and winter frost-wrapped around me like a blanket.

“How are you feeling otherwise?” he asked, his lips brushing my temple.

“Tired. A little queasy in the mornings still. But Martha’s ginger tea helps. I paused, then added, “I have a checkup at Moontouch Medical Center tomorrow afternoon.”

I’ll take you.”

I nodded, too exhausted to argue. The warmth of his embrace and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat were already pulling me under.

I burrowed deeper into his arms, letting his familiar scent-pine and winter frost-wrap around me like a blanket.

*Sleep, little wolf,” he murmured against my hair, his hand moving in slow soothing circles on my back.

Within moments, I was drifting, the ache in my lower back finally easing as I sank into the comfort of his presence.

The next morning, Lucas drove me to Moontouch Medical Center for my checkup.

The building gleamed in the sunlight, all glass and steel designed to catch and reflect the moon’s phases even during the day.

‘I’ll go take care of the payment,” Lucas said after we checked in, pressing kiss to my forehead. “Wait here. I won’t be long.”

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10:21 Wed, Feb 25 M

Claimed by the Alpha’s Love