“Boss?” Hugh asked, looking concerned. “You okay?”
I waved him off, but another wave of nausea rolled through me. Oh no. I bolted for the bathroom, barely making it before my breakfast made a reappearance.
“Boss?” Mika knocked on the door. “Everything alright in there?”
“Fine,” I lied, splashing cold water on my face. My reflection looked pale, and when another wave hit, I gripped the sink hard.
No. It couldn’t be.
We’d been careful. Sort of. Sometimes. When I could think straight around my mate, which admittedly wasn’t often. Knox had this way of making me forget everything except how much I wanted him, protection included.
“I need to run to my apartment,” I told Mika when I finally emerged, trying to look normal.
She eyed me suspiciously, taking in my pale face and shaky hands. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Just need a minute. You’ve got this covered, right?”
“Of course, but-”
I was already heading for the back stairs. My old apartment above the shop was still mine, a quiet retreat when I neededspace. Everything was exactly as I’d left it, frozen in time from before my life exploded into werewolves and pack politics.
The pharmacy was two blocks away. I bought three tests because apparently I needed triple confirmation for life-changing events. The cashier, thankfully, was a teenager who didn’t know my history and didn’t care about my purchase.
Back in my apartment, I sat on my old couch staring at the tests. This was different from the twins. Then, I’d been terrified and alone, unsure what the future held. Now I knew exactly what this meant. I had Knox to share it with, a pack that would celebrate, a family already built.
The first test turned positive before I’d even finished washing my hands.
The second confirmed it.
The third made it undeniable.
I sat in my familiar surroundings, hand automatically going to my still-flat stomach. Joy bloomed in my chest, unexpected and overwhelming. Another baby. Another little wolf to add to our chaos.
“Hi, little one,” I whispered to the life growing inside me. “Daddy’s going to lose his mind.”
The drive home to Ravenshollow felt different knowing I carried new life. I kept touching the tests in my pocket, making sure they were real, that this wasn’t some dream. The pack house buzzed with normal afternoon activity - wolves coming and going, dealing with territory business, living their lives.
I navigated through the familiar chaos to Knox’s office. He’d be there, I knew, buried in paperwork he hated but took seriously. The door was cracked open, and I could see him at his desk, hair mussed from running his hands through it in frustration.
He was frowning at some report, so focused he didn’t hear me enter. For a moment, I just watched him. My husband. My mate. The father of my children who’d missed so much the first time.
“Busy?” I asked softly.
His head snapped up, and the frown instantly transformed into that smile that still made my knees weak. “Never too busy for you.”
He was already rising, coming around the desk to pull me into his arms. His face went immediately to my neck, nuzzling against his mark. “You smell happy. And...”
He froze, pulling back to study me. His nostrils flared, taking in my scent more carefully. Werewolf senses were inconvenient sometimes.
“Lina?”
“I need to tell you something.” I took his hand, placed it carefully on my stomach. His eyes went wide, understanding dawning.
“Remember how much you wanted to be there from the beginning?” I asked, watching emotions flicker across his face.
“Lina.” His voice broke on my name. “Are you...?”
I pulled out the tests, all three positive marks clear and undeniable. “From the very beginning this time. Doctor’s appointments, morning sickness, weird cravings, all of it.”
