Sighs of relief sounded.
Lucian stepped farther inside the bedroom, his heart ticking like a stopwatch.“Why isn’t it crying?”
Melody jumped up and down as if she had springs on her feet, her pink hair flapping around like cotton candy.She clapped her hands on Lucian’s shoulders, and her elated scent was like flowers in his nose.“Alphas hardly ever cry at birth.Tak told me a month ago that he sensed an alpha, but he didn’t want to spoil the surprise for Hope.He said the energy difference between alpha girls and boys is stronger than regular babies, but he still wasn’t a hundred percent certain.”
Lucian’s eyebrows popped up.“And he entrustedyouwith that secret?”
She rocked on her heels.“Not exactly.I overheard him and Lakota talking one night, so he had no choice but to spill the beans.”
Alphas were a big deal.With Shifters, they had a higher probability of their first child being an alpha, but the odds went down dramatically with each subsequent birth.Lucian didn’t see what the big deal was, but to them, it was assurance that their child would have a future paved out for them.Alphas might one day take over the pack or form a secondary pack if the existing one outgrew itself.Regardless, they had more opportunities.
Catcher whined from the open bathroom door.His tail swished back and forth, and he hopped in a circle before rushing to Robyn and licking her arm.
A split second later, Lakota’s wolf bounded into the room and practically knocked over Melody.Joy rocked her baby, smiling warmly as everyone waited to see what would happen next.
They listened to the faint sound of splashing and laughter, and when the baby let out his first singular cry, everyone smiled and got teary-eyed.After what seemed like five or ten minutes, Tak emerged with the swaddled infant.
The expression on his face was one of great pride.“This is my firstborn.”His eyes glistened, and the emotions in the room smelled like a bouquet of love.“I have a son.”
Lakota’s wolf craned his neck and sniffed the baby.
Lucian observed the infant’s brown skin and dark hair as he tried to decide who it resembled more.Its eyes were closed, and it looked like it had a sideways smirk on its face.“He looks like you.”
“Tall, dark, and handsome,” Tak said with a cheerful smile.
Melody was the first to swoop in.After she kissed both Tak and the little one, she rushed into the bathroom to be with Hope.The pack filed in to greet the newest Arrowhead packmate.When Virgil entered the room, he shifted and submissively turned belly up at Tak’s feet.
“What’s the name?”Bear asked.
Tak kissed his son’s chubby cheek.“The naming ceremony is tonight.Don’t make plans.”
Chapter11
Lucian carried his beer bottle outside and breathed in the night air.The house had been buzzing all day with excitement, but he couldn’t join them for long since he had to review surveillance footage from the previous day and night.He also replied to a few emails requesting information on his services.Afterward, he napped with yesterday’s T-shirt balled up by his nose.
Lucian’s sleeping patterns had always been unpredictable, but for the first time in a long time, he’d slept for hours straight.Maybe it was exhaustion from all the sex, but Eden’s scent relaxed him.The serenity he felt in her presence was better than any sleep-inducing drug.
Tak, Lakota, and Hope’s father were still singing and beating the drums around the firepit while others mingled.Hope had shifted several times to heal herself, but that left her exhausted.Because they planned to hold the naming ceremony out back, Tak carried the heavy recliner out there for her to sit in.Bear spent all day cooking.Hope was eating strictly protein to regain her strength, so Bear made her bologna treats since that was her Shifter craving.
Lucian rested his arms on the railing while recounting all the events of the day.He felt left out since he hadn’t been there when it all started.Had he gone with Eden to Austin, or if they hadn’t found the key to unlock the chain, he would have missed the entire birth.Mating ceremonies and births were the two most important events in a family.
Montana eased up next to him and sipped his beer.“Hell of a day.”
“You’re telling me.Where’s Atticus?”
“He had an issue at the club, so he’s taking care of it.”
Lucian felt closer to Montana than anyone else in the house, including Lakota.To be fair, Lakota was his nephew, and while they had lived together for many years, Lakota had always been a child.They’d never bonded in the way adult males did, but that would come with time.Having his nephew in a power position over him was also… weird.
Montana was tough but also a mediator, proving that others could trust him.He was perceptive and paid attention to people.Lucian found him easy to talk to.
Montana rubbed the light dusting of whiskers on his face, his skin tan from working outside.“Damn.I can’t believe we’ve already got two babies in the pack.Not to mention the kid upstairs.”
Lucian glanced over his shoulder at the upstairs windows but didn’t see Cleo peering out.They had invited her to join them, but she stayed in her room.On more than one occasion, Lucian caught her browsing books in their private library late at night, but as soon as she spotted him, she would scamper back to her bedroom, leaving behind the scent of fear.One day, Krys came home with a TV and set it up in her bedroom so she wouldn’t be shut up in silence.He was the only one the young female trusted.
“So you were helping out the Councilwoman yesterday?”Montana began.“Seems like odd hours.”
Montana used to work as an undercover detective, so that wasn’t a casual question.
