Page 269 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha
“It is. If you’d like for it to be.” Threading my fingers between hers, I led her to the cabin.
There was no telling how old it was, but some logs had lightened with age. It was constructed with a timber frame, so the logs were squared off instead of round. Most of the planks were still in great condition, but others would need to be replaced. There were no solar panels on the roof, which meant it wouldn’t have electricity, but that was an easy fix.
The corners of the interior were home to cobwebs, and a fine layer of dust coated the floor except where Dom and I had done our walkthrough. The furniture—a dining table big enough for two, an ice box, cabinetry, and chairs—stood strong, only in need of washing, sanding, and re-staining. It wasn’t the prettiest sight, but it had a lot of potential, and the floorboards were largely intact as well.
“I know it doesn’t look like much,” I said, a flash of doubt hitting me as Bryn examined one of the cracked logs in the wall. “Butit could be something amazing if given time. I’ll make sure it’s perfect by the time our son or daughter is born, and?—”
“Hey, easy.” Bryn came to and took my face in her hands. “You’re my mate, Night. You think you need to go all out for me?”
My face warmed. “I want to impress you.”
She laughed. “The location is ideal since it puts us closer to Warg territory, and I can see the potential of this place already.” She stood on her tiptoes to kiss me. “It’s beautiful. Now, give me the rest of the tour.”
My wolf was grinning as wide as I was as I led her to the second floor. The cabin had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and one half-bath on the first floor. I showed her the master bedroom first, where an old king-sized bed frame and one or two chairs sat.
Bryn went to the window and gazed out at the sky. The sun had sunk lower by now, and the clouds were lined in gold.
“What a beautiful view,” she whispered. “And it’s in such a quiet spot.”
“Mmhm,” I wrapped my arms around her from behind, my hands pressing flat to her stomach. Eventually, it wouldn’t be so flat, and I couldn’t keep from smiling about it. “I thought it would be good because it’s not crazy far from the Warg territory.”
She leaned back against me. “That’s even better.”
We stood, watching the sunset a bit longer before I led her away. The other two rooms were smaller. Both were big enough for guests to stay over if we wanted…but one would work well as a nursery.
Bryn’s eyes went round the moment we went into the third bedroom. It was across from the master bedroom and had the same spectacular view of the skyline. She stepped into the room, the floor creaking under her. I reached for her, but she steadied herself right away. If she noticed the way the floor had dipped slightly, she didn’t seem to care.
“This one,” she said, looking from corner to corner. “This would be amazing for the baby. I could put a bookshelf there and fill it with all the baby’s favorites, and put a rocking chair under the window. The crib could go opposite that, and maybe a changing table here.”
I leaned against the door frame, watching her plan everything. I knew she’d had something of a mental block when it came to designing the space where the baby would stay, and it was such a treat to see her do it now.
“I take it this was a good choice, then?” I asked.
“Yes!” She whipped around and threw her arms around me. “It’s perfect. Thank you so much for this, Night.”
I lifted her and spun her once before setting her back down and pressing my forehead to hers. “That’s not the only surprise I have for you.”
“Oh, do you?” She kissed me. “Show me.”
It was outside in the backyard. There, I’d set up a table with candles and a woven basket sitting next to it.
I opened the basket, showing her the brisket sandwiches, chips, and chicken soup I’d packed earlier that day. Also in the basket were a couple of glasses and a bottle of some non-alcoholic cider I’d bought at the commons.
“Oh, Night, this is perfect.”
“It’s been too long since we had a date, and I wanted to make it up to you.”
“I had no idea you could be romantic.”
I laughed. “That’s my fault. Just consider this something new you learned about me today.”
“Hmm. This is lovely, but I won’t let you off that easily.” Her silvery-blue eyes glittered with mischief. “I think I’d like to hear more embarrassing stories.”
I snorted and started to unpack the basket. We sat next to each other, and I poured the cider.
“I had no idea this cabin was here,” she said. “How did you find it?”
“Dom and I found it while we were training the other day. We already know how we’re going to fix it up.” I explained how we would deconstruct it before rebuilding. We would replace the rotten and cracked logs. Bryn said she’d like the cabin to be updated, so we’d add the solar panels.
