Page 174 of Pack Plus One

Home. Our home. The pack house where I’ve lived for the past ten months, ever since the lease on my apartment expired and I realized I was spending every night there anyway. The transition had been surprisingly seamless, my fears about lost independence proving unfounded as the pack made space for me in their lives without trying to constrain mine.

My phone pings again. Zoe. Something about reminding me about that thing.

I frown at the cryptic message. What thing? Zoe and I had lunch three days ago, but I don’t remember her mentioning anything important enough to warrant a reminder.

Unless...

A sudden, wild suspicion takes root. I count backward in my head, trying to remember my last heat cycle. Six weeks? No, longer. Almost nine weeks.

Oh. Oh no.

Or...oh yes?

“I need to go,” I announce, pushing past Liam back into the kitchen. “Family emergency.”

“We’re your family,” Jude points out, looking confused. “And we’re all here.”

“Pack emergency,” I amend, already untying my apron. “Very urgent. Super critical. Can’t wait.”

Mason’s eyebrows rise toward his hairline. “Would this emergency happen to involve a certain pharmacy item Zoe mentioned purchasing for you yesterday?”

I freeze. “You knew?”

“Suspected,” he corrects gently. “Your scent has been... different. Sweeter.”

“And you’ve been avoiding coffee,” Liam adds. “You haven’t gone a morning without coffee since we met you.”

“And you cried when we ran out of raspberry jam last week,” Jude chimes in. “Like, actual tears. Over jam.”

“It was very good jam,” I mutter defensively.

“It was mediocre jam at best,” Jude counters. “Mason only bought it because it was on sale.”

I look between the three of them, these observant, irritating, wonderful men who apparently know my body better than I do. “So all of you suspected I might be...”

“Pregnant?” Liam supplies helpfully. “The probability…is rather high.”

“We were waiting for you to realize it yourself,” Mason explains. “Or to take the test Zoe bought you.”

“Which is currently burning a hole in your tote bag,” Jude adds, pointing to where my bag sits innocently by the door. “Unless you’ve already taken it?”

I shake my head, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. “I haven’t. I wasn’t sure. I’m not sure. I’m still not sure.”

“Only one way to find out,” Jude says, retrieving my bag and holding it out to me. “Want company for the big reveal?”

I take a deep breath, considering. “I should tell Caleb first. If there’s anything to tell. Which there might not be.”

“Of course,” Liam nods, though I don’t miss the flash of excitement in his eyes. “We’ll hold down the fort here.”

“And not call or text Caleb with cryptic hints,” I add sternly, looking directly at Jude.

He places a hand over his heart. “I would never.”

“You absolutely would,” Mason contradicts. “But you won’t, because we’re going to respect Leah’s process.”

Jude sighs dramatically. “Fine. No cryptic hints. But the moment it’s confirmed, I’m ordering ‘World’s Hottest Papa’ mugs for all of us.”

“Goodbye, Jude,” I say firmly, but I can’t help smiling as I grab my bag and head for the door.

---