Cali smiles when she sees us. “Hey,” she says weakly, and Clara and I both burst into tears.
Sunny's warm hand slips into mine. Rose's settles at the small of my back, grounding me.
“How are you?” I ask as we reach the end of the bed.
“Fucking awful,” she admits, smiling.
“We brought you lots of snacks,” Clara says, Victor lifting a bag behind her. “Hospital food is slow and disgusting.”
I kick myself for not bringing anything and vow to fix that next time. Cali doesn’t seem to care.
“Do you want to hold her?” she asks, eyes gleaming.
“It’s a girl?” I ask, elated. Not that boys aren’t wonderful, but the first baby in our omega group being a girl just hits differently.
She nods, and we’re all crying again. Seth steps forward, and the bundle becomes a tiny person. Her face is scrunched and lightly bruised. A small nose, light brown skin, and wisps of thin hair make it clear Bax is likely the biological father, though no one cares. As a pack, they’ll all be her fathers. It’s just an interesting fact some packs learn for medical reasons, while others never do.
Very carefully, like he’s afraid I might drop her, Seth places the baby in my arms. She’s warm and wiggles before settling. The girls gather close and sigh.
“She’s so calm. Must be tired,” I murmur.
“She’s been very chill,” Connor says. “We know we’re lucky.”
I bite my cheek, remembering my sisters’ babies being the same at first. Quiet before the storm.
“What did you name her?” Clara asks, practically vibrating.
“It’s Jane,” Cali says.
Everyone coos.
“LikeJaneEyre?” Sunny asks.
Cali smiles and squeezes Connor’s hand. “Yes.”Jane Eyreis Cali's favorite book and one of her first pack dates with Connor was watching the movie.
We fawn over the baby, talk through the birth, and try not to wince when Cali gives too many details. As I hold Jane, I catch my alphas watching me. Each expression is different, tender or heated, but none look afraid or unsure. And the bond, which I barely notice anymore unless I reach for it, lights up with something warm and soft and possessive.
Something I haven’t felt from Zeke before.
Something that feels unmistakably, beautifully like love.
Gage
Watching my mate hold a baby this morning was equal parts terrifying and exhilarating. I couldn’t stop my mind from wandering, from wondering what a pup of our own pack might look like someday.
Afterward, Cole, the alpha who owns the hotel, pulled us aside and asked how long we planned to keep occupying his suite. Corbin heard him, and a brief dominance contest followed. When it ended, Corbin announced that his pack would be moving into his cabin. I was ready to bark at him, but Winnie looked so damn happy that I managed to hold my tongue.
Things shifted after the spider incident and the pack activities last night. So here I am, standing in front of Corbin’s cabin with bags at my feet.
“Why’d you buy something this big if you didn’t have a pack?” I ask.
Corbin looks at the house, then down at Deputy, who’s sprawled on his back and soaking up belly rubs.
“It belonged to the last sheriff,” he says. “When I transferred in, it was the only place available. Figured it didn’t really matter.”
The image of Corbin rattling around this place alone hits harder than I expect. It almost makes me feel bad for him.
The bags get unpacked. Rooms get claimed. Corbin gives up the master and takes the second-largest room, leaving the master and theattached nest to Winnie. There are only three other rooms. To everyone’s surprise, including Eli’s, Rafe announces that he and Eli will share.
