Forbidden

Compromised

Luca

"What's got you in such a good mood?"

The contents in the refrigerator door jostled as Luca pulled back to find his sister, Mickey, watching him from the entryway to the kitchen. Her t-shirt pulled tight over her round stomach, and as was usual these days, she pressed both hands into her lower back. She tapped her foot and shrugged.

"What makes you think I'm in a good mood?"

He poured the milk he'd been after and waited for her reply. He and Mickey had the most volatile relationship among the siblings. Just two years older than him, she tried to act like his mother more than his sister, and it rarely went over well. Pregnancy hormones hadn't helped the situation.

"You're humming that Ed Sheeran song."

"I was not."

"Incessantly," she continued, reaching around him to pull a glass out of the cabinet. She and Kade had their own house, but with him out hunting Rosita, she spent her nights here.

Rolling his eyes, he downed the rest of his drink and rinsed the cup. When he danced with Van at the Riviere, he had paid little attention to the song the string quartet played, but now that Mickey pointed out his humming, he was sure it was the same song. He wasn't surprised it had seeped into his subconscious, taking root there as easily as the girl in his arms had taken root in his heart.

"It's a girl, right?"

"Shut up."

"Come on, Luca," she whined and rubbed her belly. "I have to live vicariously through someone."

He grinned at her slyly. "Living vicarious is not what put you in that position."

She had the good grace to blush, but she stiffened. "Is that why you're in a good mood? Did you have sex? Oh, my god. My baby brother had sex."

"Shit, Mickey!" He slapped his hands over her mouth. "Are you trying to wake the dead? If Mama hears you say that, there will be no convincing her it isn't true. I already sat through the birth control talk when you got caught with Kade, but we see how well that turned out."

Sharp fangs pierced his palm, and he yanked his hand back. Mickey pointed at the ring on her finger. "We got pregnant on purpose you ass, and you didn't answer the question."

"Because you answered it for me. Incorrectly, I might add. No, I haven't had sex. I haven't even kissed her. Good grief. I swear this is the same conversation I had with Livy."

"But there is a girl." She preened when he didn't deny it. "I was beginning to think you might prefer men since you never showed interest in anyone."

Luca' s body was very interested in Van, especially after his sister put the idea of sex in his mind. Not that he needed her to put it there... After that dance the other night, he'd had more than one steamy dream, but he really wished he wasn't dealing with that interest while standing in the kitchen with his sister.

"Why are you buying into the stereotype? Not all teenage boys are horn dogs 24/7."

"Sure, sure," she waved away his protests as she waddled to the living room. "But Luca, be careful, okay. If she's not pack, then you're just gonna end up hurt because you know it doesn't work."

"Who said she wasn't pack?" His family was aware of his connection to Van, but they didn't know how close they'd become.

"Come on, brother. You know every shifter female around your age, and you want me to think you just suddenly woke up one day and realized you liked one of them?"