Page 50 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Pilot

I laughed.“Now they’re practically finishing each other’s sentences.”

The sun was setting by the time we returned home, and Theo was drowsy in his car seat after an afternoon of playing with Sawyer.Tanner carried our sleepy boy to his room, his massive frame gentle as he tucked our son into bed.

“Tell the story, Daddy,” Theo mumbled, fighting to keep his eyes open.

Tanner sat on the edge of the bed, his hand smoothing Theo’s dark hair.“Which one, pup?”

“The plane crash!”Theo’s eyes opened a fraction wider.“When you rescued Mommy.”

I leaned against the doorframe, hiding my smile.“I think you mean when Mommy and Daddy rescued each other,” I corrected gently.

Tanner’s eyes found mine across the room, a wealth of meaning in that single glance.“That’s right,” he agreed, his voice softening.“Mommy was the bravest pilot I’d ever met, and she helped Daddy find his way home.”

As Tanner continued the bedtime story, a highly edited version of our wilderness survival and battle against Victoria, I slipped away to our bathroom, my heart pounding with anticipation.The small test sat on the counter, two pink lines confirming what my body had been telling me for weeks.

I placed a hand over my still-flat stomach as joy bubbled up inside me.Another little one to join our pack.When Tanner finally joined me in our bedroom, I was sitting on the edge of our bed, the pregnancy test in my hand.

“Theo’s finally—” He stopped mid-sentence, his nostrils flaring as he caught the subtle change in my scent.His eyes widened, gaze dropping to my hand.

“Surprise,” I whispered, holding up the test with trembling fingers.

In two strides, he crossed the room and swept me into his arms, lifting me off my feet in a careful embrace.His face buried in my neck, breathing deeply of my altered scent.

“Another pup,” he murmured against my skin, his voice rough with emotion.“Are you happy?”

I framed his face with my hands, seeing the vulnerable question in his eyes—the man who once believed himself incapable of love now overflowing with it.

“Deliriously,” I answered, kissing him softly.“Our family is growing, just like Angel Spring.”

The next morning dawned clear and crisp.It was the perfect weather for Angel Spring’s Winter Festival.The annual celebration had grown each year as the town flourished, drawing visitors from surrounding communities to celebrate the town’s rebirth.

I dressed Theo in his warm coat, his excitement palpable as he bounced by the door.“Festival!Wolf cookies!”

“Yes, wolf cookies,” I confirmed, recalling the shifter-shaped treats the bakery prepared specially for this event.“And ice sculptures and music.”

Tanner appeared, carrying a thermos of hot chocolate.Fatherhood had softened his edges but hadn’t diminished the power he radiated.He still commanded any room he entered, but now he also knew how to make building block towers and kiss scraped knees.

“Ready to show everyone how the Roberts pack celebrates?”he asked Theo, who responded with an enthusiastic baby howl that made both of us laugh.

The town square was humming with activity when we arrived.Colorful banners stretched between lamp posts, food stalls lined the perimeter, and an ice rink had been constructed in the center.Children darted between adults, their laughter carrying on the winter air.

We made our way through the crowd, stopping frequently to chat with neighbors and friends.So different from when we’d first arrived, back when the Roberts name had been whispered with fear and resentment.Now, people greeted Tanner with genuine warmth, asking about the mine’s expansion plans and thanking him for last month’s youth education initiative.

“Hard to believe this is the same town,” I murmured as we watched Theo join a group of shifter children building a snow fort.“Remember how everyone glared at you at that first town meeting?”

Tanner’s arm tightened around my waist.“They had good reason.My family had been poisoning their water for generations.”

As the afternoon progressed, I found myself seated beside Sabrina on a bench near the ice rink, watching our mates teach our sons to skate.The image of Tanner bent almost double to hold our son’s hands as tiny skate blades scratched uncertain patterns on the ice made my heart squeeze with joy.

“So,” Sabrina said, her keen doctor’s eyes missing nothing.“When are you due?”

I shot her a startled look, then smiled ruefully.“Is it that obvious already?”

“Only to someone who knows what to look for.”She bumped my shoulder companionably.“Congratulations.Theo will be a wonderful big brother.”

As twilight descended on Angel Spring, the festival lights came on, transforming the town square into a wonderland of twinkling colors.Theo had tired himself out playing with the other shifter children and now dozed in Tanner’s arms, his cheek pressed against his father’s shoulder.

As twilight descended on Angel Spring, the festival lights came on, transforming the town square into a wonderland of twinkling colors.Theo had tired himself out playing with the other shifter children and now dozed in Tanner’s arms, his cheek pressed against his father’s shoulder.

We strolled toward the center of the square, where a massive ice sculpture stood.A wolf and an eagle intertwined, symbols of the land and sky that had brought us together.

Standing beneath the sculpture, I looked up at my mate, once my grumpy boss, now the center of my universe, and felt our bond pulse between us, stronger than any turbulence life could throw our way.As Tanner’s eyes met mine, golden flecks catching the festival lights, I knew with absolute certainty that sometimes the most beautiful flight paths are the ones you never planned to take.