Anxiety buzzed through the house these days, everyone’s breath collectively held. Nine months had gone by in a blur, plus some. I was a week overdue, and despite her best attempts at hiding it, El was worried. I was on bed rest nearly twenty-four seven now, having moved into my own little wing of the house a month ago. Two small rooms had been added onto the back of the house, as well as custom made furniture for me. Mitch was a skilled carpenter, and so was Zack and Easton I had discovered. Zack had made me two beautiful bassinets, matching cribs and a rocking chair, all carved with intricate designs by Easton. The latter had warmed up to me a lot, as much as he tried to act like he didn’t want me around, his affection was shown in the carvings around my room and the new nursery. Each bassinet had vines and roses carved along the headboard, surrounding the triple moon. Matching cribs were in the nursery for when the twins were old enough to sleep through the night. The rocking chair was carved with a sun, rays radiating outwards to the edge of the back. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxHr0bl8I8
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYl4BMUDzv
My hand was running over the carvings for what was probably the hundredth time today, the other cradling my stomach. I was huge, concerningly so if Lorrie’s whispers said anything. I had always been petite, and despite the huge amounts of food El had me eating, I couldn’t keep any substantial weight. While I had to push the fear back during each check up, deep down I knew it would be okay. Every full moon, every shift, my wolf was there, comforting me, filling me with serenity. If something was wrong, she’d know. I idly hummed a lullaby, one my mother had sung me when I was young. I had forgotten about it until a dream a few weeks ago. The tune was familiar, the words foreign. A language my mother never taught me. More of the past she kept hidden. More and more each day, I wondered what she had left, what she had hid from me. I wanted to know my heritage, but I didn’t know where to look. Was Tanya even her name, or had she made it up when she returned to my father pregnant with me? 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlnyhY45ed4
A knock at my door had me looking up, the song dying in my throat. For some reason, I didn’t want anyone to hear me. I wasn’t embarrassed, per se, but it was something personal that I wasn’t ready to share yet. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjmx2WhFLg
“Come in.” I’d call out, voice soft. I noticed over the past few months my voice had grown softer, my movements more fluid. El said it was because my body recognized I no longer had to fight for my survival, it recognized I was safe. Beau said it was because I had access to my wolf, and she was giving me inner peace now that I was complete. I decided it was a bit of both. I did feel complete now, but I was also calmer. I didn’t have to be ready to fight anymore, my father wasn’t here, a breath away from going off. I was safe for once.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexFklkUJbD
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfwNX3P1mwi
To my surprise, it was Cam who walked in, carrying a steaming mug. By scent, it was tea. El had been making me tea about four times a day, each one her own herbal blend to keep me healthy. I glanced over at the small writing desk Mitch had built me, the mug from earlier still half full and cold. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL5P7ntBYeT
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMP0JYypt4v
“Hey, how you feeling?” Cam would ask, each step slow as he tried not to spill the full mug on his way to the desk. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGWb76pQif
“I feel fine…no change.” I’d tell him, the same thing I told them all when they came to check on me.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTHJNp1ave
“You’re supposed to be laying down.” He’d comment, the ceramic making a soft clink as it was set on the wood. I watched him pick up the old cup, his movements seeming unnatural. He wasn’t built for mundane housework or care, his large stature filled the room and he had to duck through the doorway. He would have been a warrior if this was an official pack, and a damn good one. His protective nature extended to everyone in his family, including me. I offered him a small smile as he turned towards me, the mug dwarfed in his hands.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1srs4Z2Vhe
“I needed to stretch my legs.” I’d say, walking over to the desk and picking up the mug. I took a tentative sip, the water scalding. It tasted of berries, and the spring aroma filled my room. It was pleasant, but out of season. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiy5XJfvLJt
“You should lay down again. Mom said you needed to rest until the pups come.” He said, eyes darting down to my stomach before back to my face quickly. Everyone was worried, it seemed. I offered him a small smile, trying to portray my appreciation through my gaze. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbi88pjbeD
“Could I walk around outside a bit? El said fresh air was good for me.” I’d ask, hoping that would sway him. I knew I’d never make it out of the house unaccompanied, but maybe I could convince Cam to bring me outside. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgNLqpZ2h2
“It's cold, the wind is bad too.” He’d state, setting the half filled mug down and walking over to the small corner fireplace Mitch had installed for me. He had said it gets real cold in the winter, and with my due date so close to snowfall, I’d need it to keep the pups warm. Another one was in the nursery, for when they got older. One was in each room of the house, actually. A fact I hadn’t noticed until they started to light them each morning, and let the embers smoulder at night. It was comfortable in the house, so much so I hadn’t even noticed the wind whipping outside my window. I watched him stoke the embers, adding another log and some kindling, feeding the coals into a fire again for me. I could have easily done that myself, but I noticed whenever someone came to check on me, they wanted to do everything for me. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAXjAHRKHu
I let out a sigh, letting my eyes return to the window. I was going stir crazy, a wolf was not made to be locked inside. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6jcGeR5q0
“You can come sit in the kitchen though.” He’d offer. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjzBebMRYg
I glanced back quickly towards Cam, realizing his eyes were on me again. He must have seen the forlorn look in my eyes and took some pity on me. Well, the kitchen was better than being locked in the same room for more endless hours. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAOFSmOJkNy
“Okay.” I agreed.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyt3U33qw1K
Cam picked up the mug again, heading for the door. He let me go first, shutting my door behind him. Mitch had added an entire wing for me, shifting the bathroom slightly to make the hall bigger, and he built two rooms on the new hall extension, both on the same side. A door connected the two rooms, allowing me to access the nursery from my own room, and also from the hallway. It was beautifully made, the additions seamlessly added so no heat escaped. His skills would be useful in the packs, but it was coveted here. He had made most of the small houses around the village, and maintained them with repairs when needed. His kindness extended to the entire village, and I was a little envious. Had my father been that kind of an alpha…my life would have been a lot different.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ec31PHbU5
I turned down the hall, continuing past the other bedrooms until I ended up in the kitchen. El was puttering around, grinding up more herbs to make into tea later. The aroma was mouth watering, and I realized I had left my tea in my room. I turned to go back and get it, and was met with the warm mug being pressed softly into my hands. Cam had grabbed it for me. I gave him another small, sheepish smile and muttered a thanks before sitting down at the table. My memory had been shot recently, my thoughts scattered. I was leaving things behind that I meant to grab all the time.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSbKmpATUE
8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvhB8Hfl7DN
“You’re up.” El would comment, that warm smile in her voice. It had become comforting, her voice putting me at ease instantly. “I hope Cameron didn’t disturb you.” 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzOLnaUfmx
“No, he didn’t. I was actually looking at the bassinets again.” I admitted. “They’re beautiful.”8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdSzFWi34l
“Easton is skilled, isn’t he? He’s glad you like them.” She’d say, chuckling softly. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8F5EoTxhF
I took another sip of my tea, thankful it had cooled slightly in the time spent walking down the hall. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBp820sZgQ0
“Any change?” El would ask, taking a break from what she was doing and sitting down at the table next to me. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GwQ5yf81C
“No…not yet.” I’d reply, the same answer I had been giving her for the past week. That same worried expression flashed across her face again, before vanishing behind a thin smile. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hIyMlfxfT
“It's the full moon tonight, maybe shifting will help induce labor.” El would muse, more to herself than to me. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTBWORWvJg
I looked down at the dark liquid in my mug, watching the ripples as I moved it slightly. I hated worrying everyone like this, and I appreciated El more than ever. Every time we had some fair weather, she’d have me walk around the village for some air, holding the hope the activity would induce me. Nothing yet, and the past three days had been bitter cold and windy. I would only get to go out tonight because of the shift, and even then I could feel the wolves of the others stirring around me. They were becoming protective, unwilling to leave my side for long. Even Mari had been snuggling with me, reading to me her little books the village women had made her. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywUznf2HuR
The door opened, a gust of wind blowing through the house and nearly putting the fire out. Easton walked in, shaking off the cold. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡko7ZlXquKC
“A tree fell in the clearing, Dad needs you.” He’d say the moment his eyes landed on Cam. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgGbhq7b17
I watched in silence as Cam nodded and threw on his jacket before shoving his way out into the wind. Easton’s eyes grazed over me for a moment, his gaze seeming to flicker into something darker. I wasn’t sure if it was the mysterious bloodline of my mother, or my alpha blood, but I felt his wolf stirring by the surface, wolfish presence brushing against my skin like static electricity. My own wolf responded, I could only tell by the way Easton looked away and how El took a sharper intake of breath. My eyes had turned wolfish and my alpha aura surged. I blinked away the change, looking down at my cup again and imagining the waves of power being sucked back into my soul. I hated this, the natural power I held. I didn’t want to be different, forcing others to submit. I wanted to be equal. Most seemed to understand, but Easton always took it personally. As much progress as we had made, things were still tense between us when our wolves were involved. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2LoTZg8Ch
“I’m going to help.” He’d state to the room, turning around and heading back outside quickly.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmbxVdt9mK
I sighed, gently pushing my mug out of the way and laying my head on the table in defeat.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMyLTsXNiZa
“Don’t let him discourage you dear.” 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNDxz4pKGu
“It’s hard not to.” I’d admit with another sigh. “Every time we make progress and I think he might be starting to like me, something stirs the pot again. I don’t mean to-” I paused. I didn’t mean to what? Be an alpha? That was out of my control.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWCSCsmpFL
“I know. We all know.” El would reassure me.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbwn00D5NG
“Doesn’t mean I don’t feel bad when it happens. I don’t know how to stop it.” I’d tell her, fighting tears again. It wasn’t fair, I just wanted to peacefully fit in.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzSBwuwFlw
“You’ll learn how to control it, Cheyanne. You haven’t even had your wolf for a year. These things take time.” 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lqMVMVTGR
“I hope you’re right.” I’d pout. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxs3eirEDW
“Trust me, sweetheart. When it comes to our wolves, time is all we need.” She’d hum, pushing my tea closer to me. “Now drink. You’ll need your strength for tonight.”8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw91F0uYF2n
