I groan as I rinse out my mouth and splash my face with water. “I feel terrible.”
Wobbling back to the bed, I nudge Galeia aside, but she climbs up onto my stomach, pressing her ear to it.
“Baby wolf,” she declares.
“What?” I’m so startled that I’m halfway up out of the bed again before Erik’s arms close around me, tugging me back down.
Galeia resettles herself on my chest while he makes a show of pressing his ear to my stomach like she did.
When he lifts his head to my questioning eyes, a smile tugs at the corners of his lips. “Baby wolf.”
My eyes are wide. “Really?”
“He has a strong heartbeat.”
“He?” I narrow my eyes. “Or are you guessing?”
Erik looks at Galeia, who nods in agreement before he confirms. “He.”
I sink back to the pillows, trying to process what this means. I’ve changed our surroundings little by little over the last month, adding the things we need: a big bed, a fireplace, and a bath with endless hot water.
Also a separate bedroom that Galeia doesn’t know about, since she insists on sleeping with us. She has a wolfish need for a pack that we won’t deny her, but there are times… quite a few times… when we need our own space.
I can’t stop my smile.
I guess a baby wolf isn’t so unexpected if I think about it.
But pregnancy also comes with questions for me.
Thaden was the first child born to parents who were not both Blacksmiths. What’s more, he was born aBlacksmith, not a human. I didn’t expect to have children of my own for the same reason. I believed I could only become pregnant by a male Blacksmith.
My happiness fades, and my worries rise.
Erik seems to sense the change in my mood immediately. “Asha?”
“You called him a baby wolf,” I say. “But could he be a Blacksmith?”
Within my question is a deeper fear.
Blacksmith magic can cause so much harm. Of course, my people are not alone in this. Every magic can cause harm. So can non-magical people. It’s all about choices.
But I formed an assumption many years ago that my siblings and I would be the last of our kind. Once we pass, Blacksmiths would no longer exist.
While Galeia nestles against my chest, Erik pulls me closer to his side.
“This child is pure wolf, Asha. I can sense it.” He nudges a kiss to my neck. “And since you’ve been wearing your medallion nearly constantly, I also sense he may be like Galeia.”
“Able to shift?” I ask.
Erik nods. “We’ll find out for sure when he’s born.”
I breathe out my tension. “Well. That’s a good thing.” I can’t stop my smile. “Imagine not being able to keep up with her.”
Erik chuckles. “I don’t have to imagine. She makes me feel old.”
Galeia’s response is a toothy grin, but her delight at the idea of a baby brother is unmistakable.
The next day, Erik heads out to ask Genova to come and see me. She was a midwife for the Blacksmiths, and while she left that profession behind her, she’s the only human I trust to help me through this.
