A Gift of Three(4)

His natural scent always grew muskier around this time of day, when he was due to turn. My hands roamed across his muscled back, sensing his increase in body temperature.

“So you really didn’t want to know what it was?” he asked, referring to the check-up I’d had in the Sanctuary earlier in the day.

“I’m going to be happy either way, so I don’t feel like I need to know. And Jovi’s going to be pleased if it’s a boy or girl. He keeps asking when it’s coming, like he’s waiting for a birthday present.”

Bastien laughed. “I know. He’s looking forward to having someone to play with. Personally though, I sense it’s a girl.”

“You do?” I asked in surprise. He hadn’t shared that theory with me before, and I kept changing my mind, one moment positive it was a girl, the next one hundred percent certain it was a boy.

“I do.” He nodded, running a hand down my back. “And she’s going to be just as incredible as her mother.”

My spine tingled as he drew closer and began to press slow kisses down my neck. I groaned softly, my arms draping over his shoulders.

“You’re teasing me too much, Bastien,” I breathed.

Gently he moved away, his hands resting on my hips. “I’m sorry,” he replied huskily. “I can’t help myself. Especially when your body looks like this.”

I rolled my eyes, laughing. My body had changed a lot—my usually slim frame had become more curvaceous, especially in the chest area. Thank goodness for Corrine and her seamstress skills.

I was about to reply when a knock came from the front door. “I’ll get it,” I said. “You finish up in here.”

I slipped away from Bastien and made my way to the door, greeting Micah, Kira, Saira and five other werewolves we’d invited for dinner, before they all went out for a run around the island together (an exercise routine some of the wolves had adopted recently). They piled into the kitchen, their eyes bulging in appreciation as they smelled the food.

“Leave some for my wife!” Bastien warned playfully as the pack descended on the food we’d laid out on the table.

I called for Jovi and he came toddling in from where he’d been playing in the living room, saying ‘hullo’ to the bump, as he did about three times a day. We all sat and ate around the table, our guests thoroughly enjoying themselves until their transformation time approached.

Then they piled out of the door, leaving just Bastien, our son and me.

“Don’t you dare clean up,” Bastien said. “I’ll do it when I get back.”

“I clean!” Jovi volunteered.

Bastien stooped to kiss our son’s rosy cheeks. “Thank you for offering, Jovi—that’s kind of you. But you know it’s your bath time now.”

Jovi was still far too young to actually help, though that didn’t stop him from trying…he would just sweetly make more mess until he felt he’d ‘finished’ the task.

“I’ll see you later,” I said, kissing my husband goodbye.

As our lips parted, instead of drawing away to leave, Bastien clutched my arms and held me closer. “Victoria,” he whispered in my ear, “I hope you’re prepared to make an entire pack with me.”

I burst out laughing before pushing him toward the door, half horrified and half delighted at the thought of more pregnancies.

“Go on!” I exclaimed. “Just run it out!”

He winked at me. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

I shut the door, still smiling to myself.

“Your father’s insane,” I told Jovi, before realizing the boy had slid out of his chair, leaving a trail of food smudges across the kitchen floor that led into the living room… where he would be hiding under the sofa to escape bath time.





River





I sat next to my daughter Grace, both of us looking out across The Shade, enjoying the still silence of the day coming to an end. Lawrence and Field would be arriving soon, back from training, and I wanted to be here when she told her husband the news of their baby girl. I still couldn’t believe that my daughter was starting her own family, but I supposed that was the way I’d felt at her wedding too. I was always stunned at how fast she had grown up—I wanted to hold on to every precious moment so that it lasted an eternity. I’d missed so much with Field as he’d grown up in the harpy orphanage, and I wanted to make sure that with Grace I paid particular attention to every passing moment, and no doubt I’d want to do the same when it came to her baby girl.

“I can hear them,” Grace murmured. I nodded. So could I. They were obviously still practicing their moves. I heard a thump and a grunt as Lawrence was thrown down by Field, and both Grace and I laughed. According to Tejus and Ben, Field was showing his true colors—a born warrior who would do the whole island proud. He already made me as proud as he possibly could, warrior or not.