Morgan
Havingmy every whim and need catered to was wholly novel to me, but something I quickly got used to.
Honestly? It was awesome.
As the hot summer months passed, my belly swelled. Dax was just as fascinated by the change as I was. My whole life I’d dreamt of becoming a parent and having little ones of my own, and now it was really happening. My dream wasn’t a dream anymore—it was reality.
“Want some dandelion flowers, Morgan?” Len asked. “They’re fresh. Me and the kids just picked them ourselves.”
I was laying in a warm patch of grass in the grove when he approached me. It wasn’t just my mate Dax taking care of me, but the whole pack. They all pitched in, which was kind of them. It wasn’t the treatment I was used to after being chased out of my herd.
Yes, after a few months of living here, I’d definitely concluded that a mixed-species pack was better than a herd any day.
Dax was nearby sitting with Remington, who was teaching him how to sew. Since my belly was growing so quickly, I’d popped a few buttons on my shirts by accident. We had a steady supply of clothes from the nearby village, where Remington still owned an old property, but it was easier to fix the ones that needed fixing.
Dax leapt at the opportunity to sew for my sake, but first he had to learn how. Thankfully Remington was helpful with that sort of thing. I still didn’t know his whole story, but I was aware that he lived alone before joining the pack. He must have learned a bunch of handy skills during that time.
“Sure, Len,” I said. “Thanks.”
At my voice, Dax perked up. He abandoned his sewing (at which Remington let out an exasperated sigh) and ran over.
“What’s wrong, Morgan? Is everything okay? Do you need something?” he asked, his questions as rapid as a flash flood.
“Nothing’s wrong. You can calm down,” I said with a laugh. “You almost sound like Sage when you talk like that.”
That made Dax zip up. “The horror,” he muttered.
“Len was just asking if I wanted a snack,” I told him.
“Snacks will make you thirsty,” Dax said with a serious frown. “I’ll bring you water.”
“Dax, a dandelion flower is like, half water.”
He grunted. “Let me go get some.”
He ran off, completely abandoning his sewing project. Remington groaned, threw his hands in the air and walked away since his student had ditched.
Dax returned with a wooden carved cup filled with water from the nearby stream. “Drink.”
“Bossy alpha,” I teased, but drank anyway.
Dax’s eyes were glued to my growing belly. He gently ran his hands over it, marvelling at my size. At first, I’d been a little embarrassed, but with how often Dax did this, I quickly grew used to the attention.
I smiled and tipped his chin so he’d look at me. “Do I ever tell you how sweet you are?”
He brushed his lips against mine, letting out a possessive growl. “You could stand to tell me a little more.”
His hand stroked my belly while we kissed and I sighed contentedly into his mouth. A deep sense of peace came over me. I had everything I ever wanted, and so far the pregnancy hadn’t been too difficult. There remained a nagging voice in the back of my mind reminding me that life was never perfect and that I should remain realistic.
“Uncle Morgan is big.”
Dax and I fumbled apart and I let out a surprised squeak. There was a wolf cub staring at me with her big eyes. Behind her hopped a young hare with ears too big for his little body.
Dax sighed and sat back. He was always happy to see his niece and nephew, but I had a feeling he would have preferred their company at a time when weweren’tmaking out.
“Yes, Lupa, I’m getting big,” I told her.
She stared at my body in wonder and Leveret did the same. They both popped into their human forms, balling up their fists with restrained curiosity. I knew they wanted to reach out and touch my belly the same way they enjoyed touching my antlers—it was a new experience they wanted to explore.
