Page 77 of The Right to Bear Claws
Kaia felt her heart skip a beat. She'd been waiting for the right moment to share her news, wanting to be absolutely certain before she said anything. But looking into Elias's concerned silver eyes, she realized there would never be a more perfect moment than this one.
"Everything's perfect," she said softly, taking his hands and placing them over her still-flat stomach. "We're going to have a baby."
For a moment, Elias went completely still, his expression cycling through shock, wonder, and pure joy in rapid succession. Then he was lifting her off her feet, spinning her around the small office while his bear's roar of triumph echoed through their bond.
"A baby," he breathed against her hair when he finally set her down. "We're having a baby."
"In about seven months, according to Dr. Martinez. Right around Halloween, actually." Kaia laughed at the irony. "Our child will be born on the anniversary of the night we defeated Tobias."
"Perfect timing," he said, his hands still pressed protectively over her stomach. "How are you feeling? Are you sick? Tired? Do you need to sit down?"
"I'm fine," she assured him, touched by his immediate shift into protective mode. "A little nauseous in the mornings, but Dr. Martinez says that's completely normal. The baby's healthy, I'm healthy, everything's progressing exactly as it should."
"A baby," he repeated, as if he couldn't quite believe it. "We're going to be parents."
"The best parents," she confirmed, rising on her toes to kiss him again. "Our child is going to grow up surrounded by love, protected by an entire community of people who will spoil them absolutely rotten."
"Dad's going to lose his mind with joy," Elias said with a grin. "His first grandchild. He'll probably start building a crib tonight."
"Let's wait a few days before we tell everyone," Kaia suggested. "I want to savor this moment, just the three of us."
"Three of us," he said wonderingly, his hand moving in gentle circles over her stomach. "I can't wait to meet them."
Through the window, Hollow Oak basked in the warm spring afternoon, its streets alive with the bustle of a community at peace. Children played in the town square while their parents chatted on nearby benches. Shopkeepers swept their stoops and arranged colorful displays in their windows. The scent of fresh bread from the bakery mingled with cherry blossoms and the promise of summer warmth.
"This is where our child will grow up," Kaia said softly, leaning back against Elias's chest as they watched their town goabout its daily business. "Safe, loved, surrounded by magic and wonder and people who will teach them to use whatever gifts they inherit responsibly."
"They'll have the best possible life," Elias agreed, his arms tightening around her. "Everything we never had—unquestioned belonging, a community that celebrates differences instead of fearing them, parents who will love them unconditionally."
"And if they inherit my dreamwalking abilities?"
"Then they'll have the best teacher in three states to help them understand and control their gift." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "They'll never have to feel lost or alone or like their abilities are something to hide from."
As the afternoon light shifted toward evening, painting everything in gold and amber hues, Kaia felt a deep sense of completion settle in her chest. Six months ago, she'd been a lost soul running from nightmares she didn't understand. Now she was a respected member of a supernatural community, a gifted counselor helping others find peace, and a woman preparing to bring new life into the world with the man she loved more than her own existence.
"I love you," she said quietly, the words carrying the weight of everything they'd overcome to get to this moment.
"I love you too," he replied, his voice rough with emotion. "Both of you. All of us. This whole impossible life we've built together."
Outside their window, Hollow Oak continued its ancient rhythm of protection and community, a sanctuary where the different and gifted could find not just acceptance but genuine love. And somewhere in the distance, Moonmirror Lake reflected the first stars of evening, still and peaceful and full of promise for all the adventures yet to come.
Their greatest adventure was just beginning, and Kaia had never been more ready for whatever came next.
ELIAS
One year to the day after pulling a stranger from Moonmirror Lake, Elias stood in Hollow Oak's town square watching his very pregnant wife direct the annual Halloween celebration with the kind of gentle authority that made his bear purr with satisfaction.
"No, no," Kaia called to Finn, who was attempting to hang a particularly elaborate ghost decoration from the old oak tree. "That one goes by the children's craft station. We want friendly spooks there, not the scary ones."
"Since when are there friendly ghosts?" Finn called back, but he was grinning as he moved the decoration to its proper location.
"Since I decided this town needed Halloween to be about community protection instead of manufactured fear," Kaia replied, one hand resting on her rounded belly as she consulted the clipboard in her other hand. "Mrs. Peterson, those jack-o'-lanterns look perfect by the fountain. The protection runes you carved into them are beautifully subtle."
Elias marveled at the transformation she'd wrought, both in herself and in Hollow Oak's approach to its most supernaturallysignificant holiday. Where once Halloween had been a night of heightened security and barely controlled anxiety, this year's celebration buzzed with excitement and joy. Children ran between the decorating stations, their laughter mixing with the cheerful chatter of adults who no longer feared what might emerge from the shadows.
"She's incredible," Magnus said, appearing at Elias's elbow with two steaming cups of cider from Twyla's booth. "Look how naturally everyone defers to her judgment. It's like she was born to lead this community."
"She was," Elias said with quiet certainty, accepting the warm cup gratefully. "Just took her a while to realize it."
