Alpha Nocturne's Contracted Mate

CHAPTER 302 A Puppuccino As their convoy of cars and moving vans rolled up the driveway, Ann's stomach twisted uncomfortably as her anxiety set in.

Regardless of what her babies were doing to her insides, the effects that her heightened emotions were having on her far eclipsed any discomfort that her pups were causing. She took a deep breath as she tried to calm the anxiety that knotted her insides and made her heart ache painfully.

As far as she knew, her father was still living within the palace and she still wasn't sure that she could forgive him for everything that she had been put through because of his choices.

In the worst-case scenario, she could

always extend the palace to encompass two main living areas so that she wouldn't have to deal with tolerating his presence. She didn't even want to think about how she would explain to her children that they couldn't ever meet the incredible woman that her mother was because her father had an affair, broke the mating bond, and allowed his mistress and her daughter to murder their grandmother...and very nearly succeeded in taking Ann's life also.

She sighed heavily as she stepped out of the car, smiling tightly at Adam who stood holding the door open for her.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly, his brows creasing in concern as he looked down at her and reached out to stroke her cheek fondly.

"It's nothing that won't wait. Just a whole lot of unwanted thoughts about future conversations that I'm inevitably going to be forced to have." She grimaced as she reached up and took his hand in her own.

Adam smiled sympathetically as he shut the car door and wrapped his arm around her, both of them ascending the steps together.

"You're not alone though Ann, remember that." He said as he squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

Just then Coral came rushing out of the doors and down the steps towards them with a steady stream of the palace staff following behind her.

"Oh, my days! I am so sorry, your highness!" She rushed out

apologetically as she checked her watch, "I hadn't been expecting you for another twenty minutes, what with the morning traffic through the city.

We should have been out here waiting for you!" Ann chuckled and waved her hand dismissively at Coral's agitated appearance.

"It's fine, Coral, really. Honestly. It makes a nice change for me not to have to arrive anywhere with a whole entourage of people waiting expectantly for me, and then having to greet them individually," Ann said good-naturedly as she leaned in a little closer, "If anything, you've done me a favour." Coral's shoulders sagged gratefully at her words and she beamed happily

back at her.

"Still, I promise that it won't happen again...not unless you want it to of course," she added with a wink.

"Come on, let's get you inside, your highness," The head cook said as she bustled forwards with an excited glance down to Ann's pregnant belly, "Let's get you something to drink and I'll make you something to eat that will nourish you and that pup that you're carrying." "Pups." Adam corrected as his chest seemed to puff out proudly in front of him and Ann had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at him.

"Awww look at the big bad Alpha, all proud that his penis works effectively, "Maeve snorted, "Shall we make hima little poster that he can carry around

with him?" &» "I don't even know how to respond to that Maeve," Ann snorted internally, "What would you even put on it?" "On the poster? Hmmm," She paused for a moment and scratched behind her ears before sniggering lightly, "How about 'Rejoice peasants! For my wife is with child and my penis works as the Goddess intended!'... something along those lines anyway..." "Feeling a little salty are we today Maeve?" Ann snorted, unable to contain herself any longer.

"No. It's not that. It's just that it doesn't seem to really matter that the fact we have three pups growing inside of us, is mostly down to our incredibly fertile womb. All he had to do was pump and dump his load and then roll

over and fall asleep. It's us that's growing and carrying." : "You have to give his little swimmers | some credit Maeve... if they're non- identical triplets and he somehow managed to fertilize all three of them, the odds of that are pretty impressive." "He's an Alpha, he's supposed to be impressive. He doesn't need to get all proud about it." She grumbled sulkily as Ann sighed, trying to think of a way to cheer her moody wolf up.

It was tough on Maeve most of all because they couldn't risk a shift into their wolf form due to the multiple pups. Neither of them wanted to risk their babies, but it meant that Maeve had to stay cooped up inside Ann's head, without having the chance to run

free and let a little steam off.

The best that they could do together was to share Ann's body and allow her to sit side by side with her when she did things, just to give her a bit of a change of scenery.

"Do you want some steak?" Ann asked with a soothing tone as MAeve's ears picked up and she lifted her head.

"Steak would be good." she pouted as her tail swayed from side to side half- heartedly.

"Is there anything else you want that might help to cheer you up?" Maeve's tail began to move a little faster as her eyes lit up, but she seemed almost hesitant to say it.

"Maeve, come on, I need to know what you fancy eating..."

"Promise not to laugh?" "I mean, you know I can't promise that... not with you and your penchant for asking for insane things just lately, as well as your snarky comments." "This is true," Maeve grinned and licked her paw in a self-satisfied manner.

""So come on, out with it. What do you want?" After a second's hesitation, Maeve sighed and hung her head.

"A puppuccino." She said softly as Ann blinked in surprise.

"A what?" "A fucking puppuccino! A big one! Bucket Sized if possible! They're so damn creamy..."

Ann stood rooted to the ground as a laugh escaped her lips that had Adam look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Never did I think I was going to have to ask for one of these..." Ann said between laughs as she gasped for air.

"I'm confused..." Adam said with a frown, "But whatever is going on at least seems to have put a genuine smile on your face. Maeve, I assume?" "She wants a fucking puppuccino!" Ann forced out between peals of laughter as she gripped onto Adam for support with one hand, and cradled her belly with the other.

"THE PUPPIES DEMAND IT!" Maeve yelled defensively from inside Ann's head as Adam looked down at them with a raised eyebrow.

He patted Ann on the shoulder soothingly as she laughed helplessly into his chest and he gestured for Coral to come over.

"Is... everything okay?" Coral asked, eyeing Ann warily.

"Yeah, can you take her inside? It looks like I'm going to need to drive out to satisfy my pregnant mate's cravings." Adam answered with a grin.

"Oh! No, it's fine, I'll send one of our staff..." "I appreciate it, Coral, really. But after seeing her laid up in hospital once already thanks to a poisoning attempt, I'd rather make sure that it's made properly myself." Adam said firmly as a look of understanding dawned on Coral's face and she nodded solemnly.

"Understood. I'll ask them to wait with the drinks and food preparation until you get back then." 5 "Wait!" Ann yelled after Adam's retreating form, "But I'm hungry too! Why do I have to wait!" she pouted.

"Because your wolf will never let me, nor Baldur, hear the end of it if we don't see to it now," Adam shouted over his shoulder with a wave, "She's already listing the instructions off and he's relaying them in a panic-stricken voice, so it's better that I go now." Ann huffed loudly, the laughter erased now that she realized she would have to wait for her own needs to be satisfied.

"Not so funny now, is it Queenie?" Maeve sniggered.

"Let's see how funny you find it when I'm eating steak by myself and you're sulking in the corner of my mind.." "You wouldn't!" Maeve gasped in horror.

"I guess you'll have to find out," Ann replied smugly as she ascended the steps with Coral's help, entering the palace for the first time in what felt like forever.

Only this time, she really was coming home.