Page 187 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha
“Oh, Bryn, he’s going to bethrilled!Most alphas want a child, though not all of them are the greatest with children.”
“He’s really good with them. You should see the way he walks around his compound and interacts with the families.”
She grinned. “Well, it sounds like you have your answer.”
“I guess that’s true.” I blushed as a grin spread across my face, my heart pounding. “I think I want to make the announcement really special for him. It’s our first child, and I want to do something romantic.”
“That’s a wonderful idea, but now that you two are together, he’ll be able to sense the change in you soon enough. If you want to go all out, you must do it quickly.”
That was good to know. I filed that information away in my brain. “Okay, I’ll make sure it’s soon.”I have so much paperwork to get through, but I should try to spend my free time planning something for him, I thought.I hope I can get something planned before he gets back from the Wargs. But what would Night like? Should I get some candles? Buy something for him at the market?
“Are you listening, Bryn?”
Mom’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Huh?”
She chuckled. “I was telling you that you shouldn’t lift anything too heavy, and you need to rest as much as you can.”
“Oh. Right. I hear you.”
“I’ll give you a few ounces of this tea.” She lifted her mug. “It ought to help with your aches and pains. But you must listen to your body and give it what it needs.”
I couldn’t help but smile. It would be difficult to pay attention to my body when so much needed to be done around the compound. I would try, for my baby’s sake, but I doubted I’d have the opportunity to take it easy in the near future.
Still, I said, “I will, Mom.”
“That’s my girl. Here, let me refill your tea.”
After the visit with Mom, I headed back to my cabin. I’d promised her I would get some rest, but I needed to return to the office to stay on top of things. I had a lot to do before the baby arrived. I needed to prove myself to the Kings and the council, get a handle on pack finances, and make sure that the Kings and the Wargs were in good places before the baby arrived.
I sighed. If nothing else, at least the nausea had disappeared, though in its place, I felt a slight headache building at the back of my skull. With more tea and a pill or two of ibuprofen, I was sure that the ache would vanish. Unfortunately, there was little I could do about the uncertainty swirling inside me.
75
NIGHT
After days of being unable to shift, I rejoiced in getting in touch with my wolf again. Paws digging into the ground, crunching leaves and twigs, the wind through my fur, each breath a silver fog in the cool pre-dawn morning…my wolf, naturally, had missed it even more than I did. It’d been too long since he had been let out. Getting to let loose after that recovery period was such a relief.
I reached my territory within a few hours. I shifted and changed into jeans and a T-shirt. As I tugged my shirt down over my stomach, I sensed some tension, a shift in the air.I’ve been gone too long.The thought echoed in my mind like a warning. My pack missed their leader. I had been focusing far too much on the Kings, and my people were suffering because of it. They needed to know I was there for them and would always protect them.
I was planning on meeting with the council first thing, but Wayne Hudson, the oldest member of the council, told me they wanted to meet in the evening. That worked out perfectly—I’dhave time to reconnect with my pack and meet with the council after.
I sent some wolves to gather all available bodies to the training grounds. It was the same place I’d spoken to them before, with Dom at my side, but that was when Troy abducted Bryn and Tavi. It was time to have another meeting.
It took about twenty minutes to get everyone together. Once they were all gathered, I climbed on top of the roof of the elders’ cabin. As I looked over the crowd, the chatter gradually died down.
“Thank you for coming,” I said, my voice resonating over the crowd. “It’s been too long since I’ve been home. I was injured and helping my mate settle into her role as alpha, but I should never have left you all for so long. I apologize for that, but I know apologies aren’t enough, so I’m here to reconnect with all of you and listen to what you need from me.”
My announcement was met with silent stares until a voice spoke up.
“Is Bryn all right?” Mabel asked. “And Tavi and Violet?” Mabel was an older woman who loved working in the mess hall. She and Bryn had really built a connection when Bryn first arrived in my territory.
Dozens of Wargs nodded. They, too, wanted to make sure Bryn was all right. I smiled. It was a relief to know that my pack cared about my mate’s well-being.
“Yes, they’re all doing great,” I said. “Bryn is settling into her alpha role well. As soon as we’re able, she’ll come round to see everyone.”
“Well, it’s nice to hearsomeone’sdoing their duty for their pack.”
I heard the words even though the speaker had muttered them under their breath. It had to be someone standing near the elders’ cabin.
