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He knew immediately what I meant and shook his head. "Esther said she needed time." He sighed. "Esther said she wasn't blaming me but blaming herself."

I couldn't conceive of everything Estrelle had gone through, but it didn't seem fair to me that she was punishing herself.

"Thanks, Ben," I said as we wrapped up. "For everything."

He shrugged, but I could see he was pleased. "That's what family does, right?"

"Right," I agreed, the word settling comfortably in my chest, and before I changed my mind, I drew Ben in for a hug. We stayed tight for several heartbeats.

The picnic was set for Saturday afternoon, giving us plenty of time to prepare. When the day arrived, I was more nervous than I'd expected. I'd faced down territorial challenges and revenants with less anxiety than I felt about this simple romantic gesture.

"Relax," Emery whispered as he helped me load the last of the supplies into my truck. "He's going to love it."

"I hope so," I muttered, checking the basket for the fifth time.

"He's worried about his mom," Emery reminded me. "And adjusting to the pregnancy. But trust me, this is exactly what he needs."

I nodded, taking a deep breath. "Alright. Operation Picnic is a go."

Emery rolled his eyes. "Please don't actually call it that in front of him."

Getting Danny to the picnic spot proved easier than I'd anticipated. He was suspicious when I asked him to come for a drive with me, but his curiosity won out over his skepticism."Where are we going?" he asked as we drove through the woods.

"It's a surprise," I replied, trying to keep my voice casual. "But I promise it's nothing strenuous."

He eyed me dubiously. "The last time someone said that to me, I ended up pregnant with triplets."

I nearly choked. "This is definitely not that kind of surprise." Danny laughed, and the sound warmed me from the inside out.

When we reached the clearing, I watched Danny's face carefully. His eyes widened as he took in the scene—a red-checkered blanket spread beneath a massive oak tree, cushions arranged in a comfortable nest, and tiny lanterns hanging from the lower branches, ready to light as evening approached. Ben and Rhys had set everything up for me.

"You did all this?" he asked, his voice soft with surprise.

"Ben and Rhys helped," I admitted, taking his hand as I led him toward the blanket. "And Emery. And Simeon with the food."

Danny laughed, the sound making my chest warm. "So basically, you had an entire pack conspiracy going."

"For you? Absolutely." I helped him settle onto the cushions, making sure he was comfortable before sitting beside him. "You deserve to be spoiled a little."

He ran his fingers over the edge of the blanket, his expression unreadable. "I don't know about that."

I caught his hand, bringing it to my lips. "I do."

The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves above us, dappling his skin with golden light. He looked beautiful—tired, yes, and still occasionally pale from morning sickness—but beautiful in a way that made my bear rumble with contentment.

"You're staring," he murmured, a flush creeping up his neck.

"Can't help it," I replied honestly. "You're worth staring at."

He rolled his eyes, but I could tell he was pleased. "Smooth talker. Now feed me before these three monsters make me eat the basket too."

I laughed and began unpacking our feast. Ben and Simeon had outdone themselves—there were small pastries filled with mild cheese and herbs that Danny could stomach, fresh berries, cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off, and sparkling juice in real glasses.

"Very fancy," he approved.

"This is amazing," Danny said after his first bite of pastry. "I might actually keep this down."

"That was the goal," I admitted. "Ben did research on what pregnant people can tolerate."