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I smiled, remembering how far we'd come. "Some things are worth trusting again," I quoted from last year's note. "And you've proven that every day since."
SIX YEARS LATER
"Daddy! Wake up! It's Valentine's Day!"
The sound of tiny feet pounding against the hardwood floor was followed by the sudden weight of our four-year-old daughter, Luna, launching herself onto the bed. Her tawny hair was a wild mess, a bird’s nest of curls that bounced with every movement. The wolf pup in her gave her a supernatural energy and speed compared to normal children. She almost shot up to the ceiling as she jumped on the bed. Behind her, two-year-old Emery toddled determinedly forward, clutching a slightly crushed cut out of a paper heart in his chubby hands. His face was a picture of concentration, his little brow furrowed as he focused on not falling over.
Reeve caught them both, growling playfully as he pulled them close. I sat up and rested against the headboard. A laughed bubbled out of my throat as he rough-housed with the children. His heart overflowed with love for our little pack. His wolf basked in the contentment of family, so different from the lonely alpha I first met years ago.
"What's this?" He examined Emery's crumpled creation with exaggerated seriousness. "Did you make this yourself, son?"
"Mommy helped!" Emery beamed. "Happy Vala-times!" His words were still soft and sweet, not quite fully formed.
"Valentine's," Luna corrected primly, ever the big sister. Like her father, she strived for perfection in everything. She produced her own gift, a carefully crocheted heart that showed hours of patient practice. "I made this all by myself!"
Reeve's face beamed with pride as he took the heart. His fingers traced each neat stitch. I'd taught her the basics of crochet last month, and she'd thrown herself into learning with the same determination she inherited from her father. She wouldn’t rest until she’d mastered it, just like him.
"Mommy has the best surprise," Luna stage-whispered. "Right, Mommy?" Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she waited for me to reveal the big secret I held for weeks.
I touched my slightly rounded stomach, feeling our third child's steady presence. "That's right, baby. Should we tell Daddy now?"
Reeve's head snapped up. His eyes darting to the hand on my stomach. "Katie?"
Luna and Emery bounced with barely contained excitement as I retrieved this year's crocheted family from my nightstand, four wolves now. I placed them gently in his hands, watching as amazement filled his eyes.
"Happy Valentine's Day," I whispered.
His kiss was gentle but fierce, pouring all his love through our bond. The children giggled and made exaggerated kissy sounds, but their joy in the news was clear.
"I'm going to have a sister!" Luna cheered.
"Nu-uh, a bwother," Emery retorted.
Later, I watched my family demolish heart-shaped pancakes around our kitchen island. I marveled at how perfectly everything had fallen into place. Our home hummed with life and laughter. It was so different from the cold formality of the Song pack house. Through the windows, I could see the garden where Luna practiced her jumping and dashing skills under Reeve's patient guidance. She wouldn't shift until she reached her teenage years, but her father was already preparing her for the change.
Our lives were going to keep changing, but whatever came next, we'd face it together, not just as mates, but as a family.
SIX YEARS LATER
"Daddy! Wake up! It's Valentine's Day!"
The sound of tiny feet pounding against the hardwood floor was followed by the sudden weight of our four-year-old daughter, Luna, launching herself onto the bed. Her tawny hair was a wild mess, a bird’s nest of curls that bounced with every movement. The wolf pup in her gave her a supernatural energy and speed compared to normal children. She almost shot up to the ceiling as she jumped on the bed. Behind her, two-year-old Emery toddled determinedly forward, clutching a slightly crushed cut out of a paper heart in his chubby hands. His face was a picture of concentration, his little brow furrowed as he focused on not falling over.
Reeve caught them both, growling playfully as he pulled them close. I sat up and rested against the headboard. A laughed bubbled out of my throat as he rough-housed with the children. His heart overflowed with love for our little pack. His wolf basked in the contentment of family, so different from the lonely alpha I first met years ago.
"What's this?" He examined Emery's crumpled creation with exaggerated seriousness. "Did you make this yourself, son?"
"Mommy helped!" Emery beamed. "Happy Vala-times!" His words were still soft and sweet, not quite fully formed.
"Valentine's," Luna corrected primly, ever the big sister. Like her father, she strived for perfection in everything. She produced her own gift, a carefully crocheted heart that showed hours of patient practice. "I made this all by myself!"
Reeve's face beamed with pride as he took the heart. His fingers traced each neat stitch. I'd taught her the basics of crochet last month, and she'd thrown herself into learning with the same determination she inherited from her father. She wouldn’t rest until she’d mastered it, just like him.
"Mommy has the best surprise," Luna stage-whispered. "Right, Mommy?" Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she waited for me to reveal the big secret I held for weeks.
I touched my slightly rounded stomach, feeling our third child's steady presence. "That's right, baby. Should we tell Daddy now?"
Reeve's head snapped up. His eyes darting to the hand on my stomach. "Katie?"
Luna and Emery bounced with barely contained excitement as I retrieved this year's crocheted family from my nightstand, four wolves now. I placed them gently in his hands, watching as amazement filled his eyes.
"Happy Valentine's Day," I whispered.
His kiss was gentle but fierce, pouring all his love through our bond. The children giggled and made exaggerated kissy sounds, but their joy in the news was clear.
"I'm going to have a sister!" Luna cheered.
"Nu-uh, a bwother," Emery retorted.
Later, I watched my family demolish heart-shaped pancakes around our kitchen island. I marveled at how perfectly everything had fallen into place. Our home hummed with life and laughter. It was so different from the cold formality of the Song pack house. Through the windows, I could see the garden where Luna practiced her jumping and dashing skills under Reeve's patient guidance. She wouldn't shift until she reached her teenage years, but her father was already preparing her for the change.
Our lives were going to keep changing, but whatever came next, we'd face it together, not just as mates, but as a family.