My skin crawled at his touch. The hands that had murdered my pups were now holding me, comforting me. My wolf growled.
I wanted to scream. I wanted to shift and tear his throat out.
But I forced myself to stay still, to let him hold me.
"James?" Mia's voice called from the doorway.
James's body tensed up. He pulled away immediately and rushed to Mia's side, his wolf instantly responding to her.
"Are you okay?" he asked her with genuine concern, not the fake concern he had just given me.
Mia nodded, smiling, one hand on her barely visible bump. "Yes, I just wanted to know if you've told Olivia yet."
James turned to me, and suddenly his entire demeanor changed. His voice was vibrating with excitement.
"Olivia, Mia has good news."
I lifted an eyebrow. "Good news?"
He nodded. "Yes. And I would be hosting a pack gathering next week for a big celebration. I'm inviting all our business partners, the pack members, the Alpha Council, other pack alphas—everyone important."
I knew what the good news was. The pregnancy. My mate's pup growing inside my sister. And I knew the plans he had for me at that gathering.
I stared at him. "All this for the 'good news'?"