I nodded like I knew what “onesies” were.
Footsteps outside made Everett and me turn. A second later, Skyler heard them, too, and the three of us watched as the door opened and Cal strode inside.
Snow dusted his blond hair, and his blue eyes were bright. Whatever troubles had plagued him since he left Margot Sutton in Seattle appeared to be long gone.
Shaking the snow from his hair, he crossed to Skyler and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Morning, beautiful.”
She gave him an assessing look. “Everything go okay in Seattle?”
Cal grinned. “Even better than I hoped.”
Skyler and Everett exchanged a glance, unspoken communication passing between them. Then Skyler turned back to Cal, eyebrows raised. “I want a full report when you three are done gossiping.”
The three of us laughed. Everett moved to his mate and kissed the baby’s head, then slid his mouth to Skyler’s in a brief but tender kiss. “You got it.”
An ache formed in my chest. They made it look so easy, the life they’d built full of joy and intimacy. What would it be like to have that with Charlotte? To wake up next to her every morning? To watch our cubs grow?
If she chose me. If I didn’t mess things up.
Skyler carried Wyatt to the stairs. “I’m putting him down for his nap.” She swept a look over the three of us. “Try not to destroy the kitchen while I’m gone.”
“It was just the one time,” Everett protested.
Cal rubbed a hand over his mouth, a meek expression on his rugged face. “Twice if you count the microwave.”
“I count it!” Skyler called from the top of the stairs.
Cal looked at me. “Burritos. How was I supposed to know the wrappers had foil in them?”
Skyler’s footsteps faded, and Everett waved us toward the kitchen. Cal and I settled around the table, and Everett slid steaming mugs of coffee in front of us before taking his seat.
“What happened in Seattle?” I asked Cal.
His features softened, and unmistakable joy danced in his eyes. “I reconciled with Margot.”
Relief flooded me. Cal was indispensable around Bear Cove, his gift of speed making him the top member of our search and rescue team. But he was also my friend. “That’s good,” I said. “Really good.”
“It gets better.” He leaned back in his chair, looking more relaxed than I’d seen him in months. “She’s pregnant.”
My breath left my lungs. Across from me, Everett’s jaw dropped. For a second, I was sure my expression was the same.
“You’re certain?” I asked. It was impossible, wasn’t it? Bear shifters could only mate with humans. Margot was a werewolf.
Cal’s tone went hushed, almost reverent. “The line on the pregnancy test was unmistakable. And we both sensed the little guy’s heartbeat. Margot’s mother is half-human. From what we can piece together, that human blood was enough to make her compatible.”
I reached across the table and took his wrist. “Congratulations, Brother. This is the best news.”
Everett leaned over and clapped Cal on the shoulder, a smile twinkling in his hazel eyes. “I’ve got an embarrassing amount of baby gear to give you when you’re ready.”
Cal’s throat bobbed, but his smile stayed steady. “I’m not sure I’m ready.”
“You will be,” Everett said. He gave a low whistle. “Two cubs in one year? The clan is going to lose its collective shit. This is a miracle.”
It was. For years, we’d watched our numbers dwindle as fewer bears found a match among the human women whovisited Alaska. The elders among us had given up hope of ever having families. Now, in the span of a year, we’d have two children in Bear Cove.
Everett caught my eye. His face went serious as he pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and slid it across the table. “Here are those results, Alpha.”
Nerves tightened my gut as I picked up the paper and scanned it. Numbers marched in a column that meant nothing to my untrained eyes. But Everett had written something at the bottom:
