Page 200 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha
I almost hated to ask, but I needed to know Lucian’s fate. “What happened to him?”
He let out a sigh. “He was killed twenty years ago. His body was never found, but according to Mom, there was enough of his blood around the area that he couldn’t have survived.”
“Goodness,” I breathed. “It sounded like it must have been a huge battle.”
He nodded. “Must have been. We did find the bodies of the wolves he fought and killed. Lucian would never have gone out without putting up a fight.”
“I’m sorry you lost him, that both you and Dom lost him.”
“It was hard,” he admitted. “But we managed to get through it somehow.” He squeezed my hand again and sighed. “Wow. I haven’t thought about these things in years.”
“I’m happy you revisited some of those memories. They sound like good ones.”
“They are.” He turned his head to me and gave me one of those rare, soft smiles. “I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to go down memory lane with you. I owe it to Lucian to think about him more often.”
“I’m sure you honor him by being an incredible alpha every day.” I propped myself on my elbow to kiss his cheek and settled back down again. “Do you think you would want to be a father one day?”
He chuckled. “I can’t believe you have to ask. Yes, I’ve always wanted to have a huge family. Growing up with Dom and, later, Tavi in my life was the best part of my childhood. I’ve always wanted my future pup to have at least one sibling toform that same kind of bond with. That kind of relationship is unbreakable…well, it’s supposed to be.”
Night rolled onto his side and pulled me against his chest. I rested my head on his arm and slid my hand under his shirt. His warm, muscular chest felt divine under my fingers. If I concentrated, I could remember the pattern of tattoos covering his shoulders. He shivered as I traced them.
“Maybe once all this shit with Troy and our packs blows over, we can try and have a pup. What do you think?”
A sliver of worry shot down my spine. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe the news would upset Night, and he wouldn’t want our baby right now…
My wolf barked, startling me. She ran back and forth, growling gently. I smiled to myself because I understood her well enough. She was trying to tell me not to be stupid, that Night loved me, that he would love our baby—no matter what.
“That sounds wonderful,” I replied, my face boiling. “Do you think nine months is long enough for everything to blow over?”
He paused, then looked down at me, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. His eyes had darkened from bright emerald to pine green. “Bryn, what are you talking about?”
I smiled hesitantly. “Well, I…I’m pregnant, Night.”
Another moment of silence passed, and then it finally hit him. His eyes widened, and a range of emotions passed through them: shock, followed swiftly by worry, fear, and then, finally—thankfully—joy!
He rolled me over on the grass and peppered my face with kisses. I shrieked with giggles at the sudden onslaught ofaffection, my arms wrapping around his neck. When his kisses finally slowed, I took his face between my hands and kissed him, tasting his happiness on his tongue. As we kissed, his heart pounded quickly against my chest, matching the exact rhythm of mine.
He pressed his forehead to mine. “How long have you known, baby?”
“I found out while you were away,” I said. “I’m sorry I didn’t do something more spectacular to tell you. I wanted to do something special, but when you saw me being sick this morning, I knew you would figure it out soon enough.”
He laughed and kissed the tip of my nose. “Coming out here was more than special enough, sweet girl. I’m glad you shared this news—and this place—with me.”
I could have melted into a puddle of relief. Night was happy; he wasn’t angry or disappointed—just happy.
“Is there something you haven’t told me?” I said. “You seemed a little scared after I told you the news.”
“There’s a lot to be worried about with Troy still on the loose, but I swear to you, I am happy about this. I’ve always wanted children, and ever since the day we realized we were mates, I’ve imagined that future with you.”
I kissed him again. My heart was about ready to burst from my chest. Inside, my wolf purred, content that we had finally told him the news.
Later, when we finally pulled ourselves away from the wildflowers and the soft, sweet grass, Night and I walked back to the compound. He was still grinning from ear to ear, and ananswering joy bubbled inside me. I had Night and my baby, and there was nothing else I needed. Except…the conversation we’d had about Night’s father reminded me how little I knew about my parentage.
“Why so quiet? Something else on your mind?” Night asked.
I nodded. “I wish I knew more about my birth parents. I tried talking to my mom about it, but she didn’t know anything more than what I already knew. I’d really, really like to be able to tell our baby about who they were.”
“You want to know about them just for our baby’s sake?”
