"I look pregnant."
"Same thing."
I make a face at him in the mirror. "I'm supposed to be wearing this dress tonight. Jessica got it for my birthday specifically because she said it would make me look like a goddess."
"You already look like a goddess."
"Pine."
"Sharon." He says my name like it's an answer, his hands sliding around to rest on my stomach. "Wear something else. Wear nothing. I guarantee nobody's going to care."
"I care."
"Then wear the black dress. The one with the wrap." His fingers trace the edge of my bump, gentle and reverent. "That one always looks good on you."
He's right, of course. The black wrap dress is probably my best option at this point. It's flattering and comfortable, and most importantly, it actually fits over my growing stomach.
"Fine," I mutter. "Black dress it is."
Pine kisses my shoulder, then my neck, then that spot behind my ear that always makes me shiver. "You're going to have a good birthday."
"You can't promise that."
"I just did." He turns me around, hands cupping my face. "Stop worrying."
"That's like asking me to stop breathing."
"Then breathe and worry less." He kisses me, slow and deep, until my brain stops spiraling and all I can focus on is the taste of him, the feel of his hands in my hair, the way he grounds me without even trying.
When he pulls back, I'm breathless and warm and significantly less worried about the dress situation.
"Better?" he asks.
"Better," I admit.
An hour later, I'm in the black wrap dress, which does indeed make me look less like a stuffed sausage and more like an actual human person. My hair is down in loose waves, and I'm wearing the necklace all three of them gave me for our three-month anniversary, a delicate chain with three tiny charms, one from each of them.
The cabin's been transformed. String lights everywhere, candles on every surface, flowers in vases that Cassian definitely stress-bought from every florist in Pine Hollow. Our friends are starting to arrive, and the noise level is ramping up to a pleasant chaos.
Savannah and her pack show up first, her omega radiant and happy, her three alphas trailing behind with presents and wine. I hug her tight, breathing in her familiar vanilla scent, grateful all over again that she's the one who brought me to Pine Hollow in the first place.
"You look gorgeous," she says, pulling back to look at my stomach. "And pregnant."
"Little bit."
"It's a good look on you." She grins. "How are the alphas handling it?"
"Like insane people. Cassian tried to carry me down the stairs this morning because he's worried I'll trip. Pine won't let me lift anything heavier than a coffee mug. Jett's building furniture like a man possessed."
"Sounds about right." She laughs. "Enjoy it while it lasts. They're going to get worse."
"I don't think it's possible for them to get worse."
"Challenge accepted," one of her alphas says, and we all laugh.
More people arrive. Jessica, of course, wearing a red dress that makes her look like fire incarnate, bringing enough food to feed a small army. Some of Cassian's firefighter buddies. A few of Pine's artist friends. Jett's construction crew. The cabin fills with laughter and music and the kind of warmth that has nothing to do with the temperature.
I'm standing in the kitchen, watching everyone mingle, when Ben's name flashes on my phone.
