A tiny impact somewhere just below her navel made her laugh. “She’s kicking again.” Guiding Cade’s hand to her stomach, she only had to wait a few seconds for the baby to recognize his presence and push against his palm.
“That will never not be amazing.” Cade nuzzled her neck and bit down lightly, sending need arcing through her. “I love you, honey. Always and no matter what.”
Tears stung her eyes.No matter what. Like what if I wander so far, the Thirteen can find me? What if they take the baby? What if I get hit by a car and lose her that way? What if—
The second bite was harder, and he held on until she took a deep breath. “Stop worrying. We’ll figure this out. I promise.”
“You can’t promise.” She turned in his arms, the apples forgotten, and rested her forehead against his. “If whatever’s taking control of me gets strong enough, it could hurt you. Kill you.”
“Won’t happen. I’m tougher than I look.”
Her laugh escaped despite her fears. “You look pretty tough, shaggy man. All those muscles.”
Cade stood up a little straighter, prouder, and the raw desire, the desperate need to possess her and claim her again and again churned in his ice blue eyes. “All those muscles aren’t half as strong as my love, Mara. You have to know that.”
“I do.”
If only she knewanythingelse.
“It’s almost time,” Liam said as he set up his laptop on the table and Caitlin brought chairs around for everyone. “Livie should be callin’ any moment.”
From where she was sitting, she could see the screen, so she continued peeling and chopping the apples while Cade took a seat next to Liam. As if by tacit agreement—or maybe they had worked all of this out ahead of time—Tierney ambled into the kitchen and leaned against the counter across from her, and Ewan braced himself along the wall by the back door.
Just in case I wander off.
She hated that they were so concerned, but had to admit they were simply being careful. And no matter how much it stung not to be trusted to be alone for even a few minutes outside of the bathroom, she knew she needed their protection. More and more each day.
* * *
The video call connected,and Livie and Shawn’s faces filled one half of the screen with the top of Serena’s head bobbing in and out of focus. Her blond hair had started to curl, and Mara’s eyes stung, yet again. She’d already missed almost two months of the baby’s life, and she covered her mouth with her hand and blinked back tears. Damn emotions. Pregnancy made them so much worse. She wasn’t a crier. Or…hadn’t been. Now, it was all she did. That and make Cade worry.
The other half of the screen blinked to life, and Christine and Ollie sat at the pack’s kitchen table. Ollie’s lips moved, but no sound came from the computer, and Cade and Livie said in tandem, “Ollie, you’re muted.”
The older werewolf’s cheeks flushed bright red, and he tapped his screen. “I hate this stupid computer.”
Shawn said something Mara couldn’t hear, and Livie elbowed him in the side. “Shut it. Like you’re much better with the TV remote.”
God, Mara had missed this. The banter. Family. Peter mostly kept to himself, and though she’d become close with Caitlin, the poor air elemental spent most of her time either trying to translate Diedre’s book or working her charms to keep Mara stable. Though Mara and Liam had forgiven one another for the rocky introduction they’d had, she wasn’t sure they’d ever be quite comfortable around each other.
“Livie,” Mara said, sliding off the stool. “Hold Serena a little higher? I need to see those cheeks.”
The blond werewolf grinned and helped Serena balance on chubby little legs. “She’s finally sleeping through the night. And she got her first tooth!” Shawn leaned closer and skimmed his finger along Serena’s chin to make the baby laugh. The tooth peeked out for just a second, and Mara’s heart melted.
She rested her hand on Cade’s shoulder, and he reached back to squeeze her fingers. “Kiss her for me, Liv.”
“Wait. I need to see the bump!” Livie called out when Mara tried to withdraw silently and return to the apples. Of all the members of the pack, Livie had taken to Mara the fastest, and the two had bonded over Livie’s pregnancy. It didn’t hurt that Serena never cried in Mara’s arms. The pup already recognized Cade as the pack’s alpha, and with his scent all over Mara, she always behaved when Mara watched her.
As Livie squealed and gushed over how great Mara looked, how she couldn’t wait until the two pups could play together, Mara realized what she’d been missing since they’d left Seattle. Since the elementals in Oregon had tried to drug her and take her from Cade, since they’d fled to Ireland. Her friends. Livie, Jen, Adam and his wife, Lisa. Her Aunt Lillian.
But it was more than that. She ached to be…normalagain. As normal as she could be, at least with two elements inside of her and mated to a werewolf.
“I wish I could be there,” Livie said as she touched her screen. “I miss you.”
“Miss you too.” Mara could barely get the words out over the lump in her throat. God, she wanted a hug. Girl talk. To curl up on the couch and talk about nothing important. And everything. All at the same time.
The next few minutes were pure chaos, everyone talking at once, just like pack meals had been back home. It was too much. Too hard to know she might never be with them all again. Mara returned to the apples, determined not to let this deep, abiding sadness win. For Cade’s sake, at least.
“Bossman?” Livie asked when the conversation started to wane. “When can we all go home?”
