[THE NEXT DAY...]

Malik's POV

I wish I could say it's good to be back home, but the truth is, I would have left this pack years ago if I could only bring myself to walk away from the one person I actually cared about.

Forcing a mask of composure over my features, I tried to seem as pleased as possible as the people celebrated our return. My men walked proudly as they cheered for us. They praised me the loudest, which wasn't a surprise.

I was known as The Pack Aegis (Protector) for leading the elimination of more than half of the rogues that tormented us for decades. However, being their protector didn't dilute the absolute terror they felt toward me, which is exactly why they all called me Alpha Malice. To everyone else, I was a monster, but Nathaniel was the only person who still called me Malik.

"Alpha Malice is back! The Pack Aegis returns!" someone bellowed from the crowd. Cheers erupted louder. I lifted a hand in acknowledgment, my expression unreadable. Beneath my cold, detached exterior, my wolf was clawing at me, completely out of my control.

My muscles were wound so tight they were ready to snap, my entire body throbbing with a desperate, heavy sexual hunger that had been building since the day I left. I needed to breathe him in. I needed his touch to quiet the raging beast in my blood.

But the worst part was the bitter reminder that I never get to touch him the way I want to.

Nathaniel was my best friend. My only friend. He didn't see me the way I saw him, and I couldn't risk breaking the only pure, untainted thing left in my miserable life by letting my cock take control of me.

At the top of the wide stone steps, Alpha Brandon waited with his usual calculating smile, his Beta guards by his side. His dark eyes scanned our group before locking onto me.

"Malice," he called out. "You and your warriors have made Stonehaven proud once again. The rogue threat is nearly eradicated because of you. The pack owes you a great debt."

I met his gaze evenly, my voice flat. "Thank you, Alpha." I wasn't in the mood to stroke his ego or say anything else to the pretentious bastard.

Brandon's fake smile tightened just slightly at the corners once he realized I wasn't going to say anything else. The silence stretched, tension thickening the air between us, and a few of his Betas shifted uncomfortably.

Jax stepped forward smoothly, clapping a hand on my shoulder.

"Forgive us, Alpha Brandon," Jax said with an easy grin, trying to cut through the tension between us. "The journey back was brutal. Alpha Malice has been pushing himself harder than any of us so he's exhausted."

Brandon studied me for another moment before nodding. "Of course. You've all earned your rest." He spread his arms theatrically. "Join me tonight for a feast in the pack house. We'll celebrate your victory properly with food, wine, and women. The whole pack will be there."

My jaw clenched. The thought of sitting across from him for hours, watching him play the generous leader turned my stomach.

"No," I said flatly. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm too tired for a feast tonight. It's a great honor, Alpha, but I'll have to pass."

Without waiting for a response, I turned on my heel. My men immediately fell in behind me as I descended the steps and cut through the cheering crowd. I could feel Brandon's eyes burning into my back, but I didn't care.

Once we were a safe distance from the pack house, Jax quickened his pace to match mine. The easy grin he had worn for the Alpha was gone, replaced by a tense, worried line.

"I understand how you feel about him, Alpha Malice," Jax muttered, his voice low so the other warriors wouldn't overhear. "But he's the Pack's Alpha. You can't just openly disrespect him like that. You'll get on his bad side."

I rolled my eyes, not even slowing my stride. "He can be the Moon Goddess for all I care. I don't give a fuck." Jax just let out a heavy, defeated sigh, knowing there was no point arguing with me.

Stopping at the edge of the town gates, I turned to the rest of my men. My face remained a mask of indifference, but I owed them my respect. "I'm proud of you all," I said, my voice instantly making them straighten up. "You fought well. Feel free to enjoy yourselves tonight-go to the Alpha's party. You've earned it."

My warriors didn't cheer or shout; instead, they all placed their hands over their chests and respectfully bowed their heads to me. I was truly proud to be their commander, to be a leader they respected.

As I turned to leave them, heading down the path that deviated completely from the warrior quarters, Jax called out after me.

"Alpha! Where are you going?"

I didn't stop walking. I just looked back over my shoulder, the coldness in my gaze vanishing for the first time in four months.

"To find the reason I always come back to this shitty place."

>>>•>>>•>>>

The walk to Nathaniel's apartment took me past the edge of the main town, away from the neat stone houses of the upper ranks and down into the neglected lower sector. The further I walked, the tighter my chest became. Just looking at the cracked pavements and the broken streetlamps made irritation prickle beneath my skin.

Nat shouldn't have been living down here. A male Omega with a heart as fragile as his deserved a secure home, not this shitty corner of the pack territory, but he adamantly refused to move in with me, no matter how many times I offered.

When I finally reached his building, my wolf paced restlessly behind my ribs. The structure was an absolute eyesore but I hurried up the concrete stairs, my heart doing a strange thud against my ribs. I couldn't wait to see his brown eyes, to hear his soft voice tell me he was glad I was back.

Reaching his door, I knocked.

"Nat?" I called out, my tone softer than the harsh bark I used with everyone else. "Nat, it's Malik. I'm back."

I was met with silence.

I frowned, leaning my ear against the cheap wood. I couldn't hear any movement inside. I knocked again, harder this time. "Nat? You in there?"

Still nothing. A dark prickle of unease twisted in my gut. Nat was a homebody; if he wasn't at the healer's clinic, he was here. I reached up, my fingers searching the dusty ledge above the doorframe until they brushed against the spare key he always kept hidden. I slotted it into the lock, turned it, and pushed the door open.

"Nat!" I called out, my voice dropping its gentle edge as panic flicked through me. "Nathaniel!"

I closed the door behind me and moved through the small space, my eyes adjusting instantly to the dark. I bypassed the cramped kitchen, and headed straight down the short hallway toward his bedroom.

The door was half-open so I shoved it the rest of the way.

"Nat-"

My voice died in my throat, my heart pounding furiously against my ribs as a sudden wave of fear took absolute hold of me.

Nat was curled on his side in the middle of the flat mattress, tangled in a thin, worn blanket. Even in the dim light, I could see his pale skin was glistening, completely drenched in sweat. His dark hair was plastered to his forehead, and his breathing came in short, ragged gasps.

"Fuck," I swore under my breath, rushing to the side of the bed.

I dropped to my knees, instantly reaching out to press the back of my hand against his cheek. The moment my skin met his, I flinched. He was burning up.

"Nat, hey, look at me," I pleaded, gently cupping his face, my thumb wiping away a bead of sweat. His eyelids fluttered, but his eyes remained rolled back, completely unresponsive to my touch.

He let out a low, weak whine that vibrated right through my chest, tearing at my wolf.

My mind raced. I was a commander, trained to make split-second decisions in the middle of a bloodbath, but looking at him like this, I was completely paralyzed. I didn't know what was wrong with him. I didn't know how to fix a fever this severe.

'But the healer did.'

Yes. I had to rush him to Agatha's clinic immediately.

"I've got you, Nat. Hold on," I whispered fiercely, shedding my heavy leather jacket and tossing it onto the floor.

I reached down, carefully sliding one arm beneath his knees and the other behind his shoulders. I lifted him with ease, but the sheer lack of weight in his body made my jaw tighten in anger. He felt lighter than he had four months ago. Why the fuck was he starving himself??

I adjusted his limp body, carefully shifting him until he was secure across my back, his arms draped over my shoulders. Just as I turned to sprint out of the bedroom, a sudden, furious pounding echoed from the front door.

"Hey, Omega!" a harsh voice bellowed from the hallway. "Open the damn door! I've changed my mind. I want my money by tonight, or your shit is on the curb right now!"

A dark spike of protective rage surged through me, my wolf baring its fangs at the disruption. Holding Nat tightly against my back, I strode out of the bedroom and ripped the front door open.

Standing on the threshold was a fat, balding Beta, his face flushed red. He had his fist raised to pound on the door again, but the moment his eyes landed on me, he froze entirely.

The landlord's mouth dropped wide open, his chest heaving as the color completely drained from his face. He looked at my massive frame, took in the lethal aura radiating off me, and looked down at Nat passed out on my back.

"Alpha... Alpha Malice," the man whispered, his voice trembling in absolute awe and terror.

I didn't pay the pathetic bastard another glance. I didn't have a single second to waste on him.

Brushing past him so hard my shoulder sent him stumbling against the hallway wall, I bolted down the stairs, dashing toward the healer's clinic as fast as my legs could carry us.

Malik's POV

I'm a second away from completely losing my mind. For fuck's sake, I don't even understand how any of this happened, but one thing is certain-Nathaniel is pregnant. I wasn't sure when I rushed him over here, thinking it was my own heart racing.

But looking at him now, softly breathing on the healer's bed, I can clearly hear the second heartbeat. The one inside him. Agatha softly moved around, doing one thing or the other. She'd brought down his fever but hadn't said a single word to me.

"Are you planning on speaking to me, Aggie? Maybe telling me what the fuck is going on with Nathaniel, right now?" I knew how disrespectful I sounded, but I couldn't see anything past my own rage.

"I know you're not talking to me like that," she said, her voice dropping coldly. "You might be the big bad Malice out there in the woods, but in here, you're just Malik. So you need to lower your damn voice before you wake my patient."

I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I tasted copper, forcing the feral growl rising in my chest back down where it belonged. "Is he pregnant?" I asked spitefully, forcing the words past my lips.

I got my answer when Agatha immediately broke eye contact. I couldn't stop the dark chuckle that came out.

"Of course." I let out a harsh laugh. "Of fucking course."

I shook my head and looked away.

"He spends years chasing Brandon and the second I leave, he gets knocked up. Guess he finally got his fairy tale after all."

Despite my tough words, I could feel my heart shattering. It already hurt that the man I've always wanted had loved someone else who didn't deserve him. And now I had to watch them get to be together, when that was all I ever dreamed of.

It had always been Brandon. No matter how hard I tried, Nathaniel had never looked at me the way he looked at him.

"Don't say that, Malik. You know he needs you," Agatha said softly.

That was the last fucking thing I needed to hear. "He needs me!? He didn't need me when he was fucking Brandon. He didn't even have the common sense to use a fucking condom. I've loved him my entire life, Agatha!!"

"I know," she whispered. Her admission made something in me break, and tears escaped before I could stop them.

"Nathaniel doesn't need me. He never did. Just tell him I wish them all the fucking best."

I turned to leave but her next words instantly made me freeze. "Brandon rejected the pup. He told Nathaniel to abort it."

The pain in my chest instantly turned to rage. "That fucking bastard did what?"

"You heard me, Malik. I'm not telling you this to make you mad or so you'll target Brandon. I'm telling you this so you'll understand Nathaniel. He's always thought Brandon was the one for him. Getting abandoned like this broke him. You are his best friend-"

My bitter scoff broke her speech. "I want to be more than Nathaniel's friend."

"So, show him that," she finishes before turning to her table full of herbs and busying herself once more.

I rubbed my palms across my face as I released a deep sigh. 'What the fuck have I gotten myself into?'

>>>•>>>•>>>

Nathaniel's POV

Pain was the first thing that greeted me as I dragged myself back to consciousness. A dull, heavy ache pulsed through every single inch of my body, making even breathing hurt.

My head throbbed in time with my racing heart, and my throat felt like sandpaper.

But just as the discomfort threatened to pull me back into sleep, a rich, spicy leather scent flooded my senses. It was familiar, warm, and deeply comforting.

It couldn't possibly be-

I forced my heavy eyelids open, turning my head slowly to the side.

Standing by the window, silhouetted against the dim light, was Malik Banks. It was impossible not to stare, even when it felt like I was dying.

Malik was a god wrapped in dark skin, his gorgeous locs framing a face that could make any person drop to their knees. He was built broad and thick, a towering wall of muscle and effortless sexiness that filled the room without him even trying. He was the kind of man who commanded attention just by existing.

I swallowed hard, the sight of him making my chest tighten, and forced myself to look away.

My thoughts instantly began to race. Why was I in Agatha's clinic? Was something wrong with me? Or worse, with my-

Panic gripped me, and my hand instinctively flew to my flat stomach.

"Were you even going to tell me, Nathaniel?"

Malik's voice was cold, cutting through the quiet room. I winced, a knot forming in my throat. He only ever called me Nathaniel when I had messed up big time. To him, I was always Nat.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and murmured, "Tell you what, Miko?"

He let out a dark, humorless chuckle and stood up from the window, his intense eyes locking onto mine as he walked toward the bed. "Don't call me that if you're going to keep lying, Nathaniel."

My courage failed, and my eyes darted away from his suffocating gaze. "I... I don't know what I did, Ma-"

"You're pregnant!" Malik spat, the words exploding from him, raw and full of rage.

My stomach dropped the second he said it, and my eyes instantly filled with hot tears. The dam broke, and I started sobbing, the terror and misery of the last few weeks finally spilling over.

"I didn't know what to do, Malik! I didn't want to drag you into my mess," I choked out between heavy sobs, the words rushing out of me in a desperate panic. "They'll say I'm just a loose Omega. And I'm going to lose my house. Mr. Harlan gave me three days, and I can't even work here with Agatha anymore because the smell of the herbs keeps making me so sick. I don't have anything, Malik. I have nowhere to go."

I buried my face in my hands, crying so hard my chest heaved.

Malik closed his eyes, taking a deep, steadying breath to rein in his fury. I heard his heavy footsteps close the distance between us, and a second later, he was sitting on the edge of the mattress, pulling me into a tight hug.

"You haven't been eating, and you've been living in that shitty house, yet you couldn't tell me," Malik muttered into my hair, his grip almost bruising. "Does being your best friend mean nothing?"

The sting of his words made me pull back, rising up slightly to look at him. "No! It-I just didn't want to bother you, Malik." Unable to hold his gaze, I looked down at the sheets.

Malik reached out, his fingers firm under my chin as he raised my jaw, forcing my eyes back to his. He searched my face, his expression tight. "No one is allowed to send me letters when I'm out on a mission except you, Nat. I wait almost every single day to hear from you, and you barely send me three a week."

I stared into his eyes, completely paralyzed. For some reason, in all the years we had spent together, I had never realized just how mesmerizingly gorgeous his eyes actually were. Trapped in his hold, I suddenly became hyper-aware of our proximity.

We were so close. Our breath mingled in the space between us, and it would be so incredibly easy for Malik to lean down and slam his perfect lips against mine.

As the realization hit, a sudden warmth flared deep in my core, and my face flushed a brilliant crimson.

What the hell am I thinking?!

Malik was my best friend. Disgusted with my own fleeting thoughts, I carried my eyes away in shame. "I just didn't want to bother you," I whispered, repeating the only defense I had.

Malik let out a long sigh and let go of my chin, standing up to his full, imposing height. He pointed at a tray of food resting on the table beside the bed.

"Eat the food," he commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument. "I already have my men packing your things from that shithole, and I've settled your previous rent. You're moving in with me."

My heart stopped. I instantly objected. "I can't do that!"

Malik's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "Why can't you?" he asked, his voice dropping to a deadly, quiet cold.

"Because..." I hesitated, my hand trembling over my stomach as I thought about the baby. "People... they'll think... they'll think it's yours," I whispered, the sheer shame of the situation making my eyes divert to the floor.

I knew how powerful Malik was. People aren't going to like it if a rumor spreads that he impregnated a useless orphaned Omega. And what about Brandon who'd told me to abort it...?

Before I could sink further into my despair, Malik stepped closer.

"Never bow your head to anyone again," he said, his voice ringing with absolute authority. He waited until I looked up, his gaze fiercer than I had ever seen it. "And from today onwards, that pup growing in your belly is mine."