“Aha, here she is.”
“Okay, good, everybody’s here.”
Willow wasn’t included ineverybody. She was only a guest. Except Ember clearly didn’t think so. She looked around the group; every adult female was present and accounted for, while Lucy’s two youngest girls played in the middle of the circle. Before now the pack hadn’t split up by gender, but maybe this was typical after lunch. Not awesome, not for a chick like Willow. Depending on individuals of course, women could be freaking hard to converse with, interested only in dishing dirt and spilling tea. But, well, here she was. These women were Ezra’s pack too.
And Willow might be one of them, someday soon. Kelsey sat to her right, Sydney and Ann to her left. That was nice. A Sterling inclusion. She straightened her spine and prepared her brain for girl talk.
Before she had to say anything, Ember stood up and blurted, “I’m pregnant.”
The surprised hush lasted for mere seconds. Then Kelsey was up out of her chair, bouncing in place like a toddler on Christmas morning, squealing with glee. Then Ann and Lucy plowed through the center of the circle, somehow not stepping on Tori and Gigi though neither of them looked, and threw their arms around Ember. Nicole shouted, “Congratulations!” Elder Rebecca clapped her wrinkled hands. Sydney smiled quietly.
When the celebrating faded and the women sat down, Ember still stood beside her chair. “Thanks. I’m still in shock, but I had to tell you, of course, because…” She motioned toward the group of wolves, who had started a new game, something that looked from a distance like hot potato with a heavier ball.
Lucy laughed. “Oh no. Did he prepare you first?”
“N-no,” Ember said, and her smile wobbled.
“You mean, nobody prepared you?” Kelsey said.
“No.”
“Oh, Ember!”
The women looked chagrined, one and all. Willow held back her questions. This was Ember’s moment.
“WhatdidAaron do?” Ann said, her voice gentle.
“Well, I woke up before he did this morning, for whatever reason. Maybe the kindness of fate.” Ember bit her lip despite her smile. “I was in the kitchen, setting out breakfast fixings, and he barreled in and swept me into his arms and roared loud enough to bring the roof down.”
Lucy brought her palm up to her face. “Oh, Ember.”
“Fortunately I wasn’t holding the carton of eggs. I did drop the toast.”
“What did he say?”
“Nothing for a few seconds. I mean—don’t get the wrong idea. I knew he was happy. I just didn’t know why. He couldn’t speak. All he could do was roar.”
“And then?” Kelsey leaned forward in her chair.
“I said, ‘Aaron, for the last time, tell me what’s got you so overjoyed,’ and he shouted at the top of his voice, ‘Our own pup!’”
The women all burst out laughing, even Ember. Lucy drew her chair close to Ember’s other side and put an arm around her. “Oh, Ember. Oh, Aaron.”
“I still didn’t understand,” Ember said as their laughter faded. “I said, ‘What?’ and he went so quiet and gentle, the way he does sometimes, and kissed my hair and said, ‘You’re having my pup.’ I said, ‘Since when?’ and he said, ‘Since last night.’”
Willow gasped. As one the women turned to her.
Kelsey grimaced, put her hand on Willow’s knee. “So…this is awkward. You came today expecting to acclimate to the guys and learn about pack life, and instead we’ve smacked you with…well.” She shrugged, brightened. “Info about pack life.”
“Yeah,” Ember said. “So now you know what I didn’t, Willow. A wolf can smell pregnancy within the first twelve hours after conception.”
“That’s…” Willow shook her head.
“No test needed for a wolf’s mate,” Rebecca said with a low chuckle. “You don’t break the news. He does.”
“It would’ve been really helpful to know that before this morning,” Ember said.
“I’m so sorry, Ember,” Lucy said. “Everything we’ve talked about, and that one never occurred to me. I mean—I didn’t know y’all were trying so soon.”
