Page 190

5

M y best friend was about to lose her shit, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stop her or not.

“Calm down, baby,” Maren whispered, pressing a hand against Katy’s thigh as her leg bounced up and down. Maren shot me a concerned look from across the table in the cafe where I’d met my friends for lunch three days after my heat cycle had ended.

I loved this cafe; my Aunt Zara worked here alongside her sister, Zoe. My mom had run it when we first came to Blackwater. The cafe was one of my favorite places.

When I wasn’t dealing with a bunch of people shooting smiles and knowing stares at me.

I grumbled and took a massive bite of my burger, pointedly ignoring them.

Even Larkin seemed annoyed from where she sat next to me, and it took a lot to annoy her.

“They need to all fuck off,” Tate muttered, rounding out our group of five. Her dark eyes glared around the room, making several people turn away and start whispering.

I dropped my half-eaten burger. “Maybe we should’ve just stayed at my place and ordered in.”

Katy snorted. “And eat my meal with the aroma of my brother’s and bestie’s sex juice everywhere? Hard pass.”

“Ew,” I laughed, throwing a french fry at her face.

She stuck her tongue out at me as something clattered from the kitchen. We all turned and saw Zoe’s almost-three-year-old son, Zane, running from the back of the cafe with a grin. He giggled as he ran toward our table, tripping on his unsteady toddler feet when he got close to us.

I jumped up and caught him, setting him on his feet as Zoe ran from behind the counter, looking flustered. “Zane!”

He turned, all smiles. “Mama!” He held his arms up for her to pick him up.

With an exasperated sigh, Zoe bent and grabbed her son, shaking her head. “I swear, he gets faster every single day,” she told me. Her eyes moved around the table. “Do you need anything else, ladies?”

“We’re fine,” I assured her, smiling at Zane when he gave me a toothy grin. “You need to listen to your mama, mister.”

“No,” he declared with a gleeful giggle.

Zoe winced. “His new favorite word. I swear, his father taught him how to say it to pis— tick me off.” She gave me an exhausted smile and turned away with Zane, who waved a chubby hand at me as they went back behind the counter.

I turned to sit down when a voice spoke to me.

“You’re a natural.”

I glanced over and saw a table of older women looking at me. The same women who had been staring and whispering since I’d walked in to join my friends.

“You’ll be a wonderful mother,” the same woman added, giving my stomach a glance. “We’re so happy for you and our Alpha. A new baby will be welcome in Blackwater.” The women around her all chirped their agreement.

I could feel Katy’s fury at my back, and ignored it as I addressed the woman. “Thank you, but there isn’t going to be a baby yet.”

Her knowing smile melted into a look of confusion. “Of course there is.” She looked at the women around her and then made a soft sound before getting up and approaching me with a lowered voice. “I know that your birth was… complicated—”

My brows shot up. Was she seriously going to tell me about my own legacy?

“—but when a shifter female goes into heat and she’s with her true mate, a pregnancy is practically a guarantee.” She winked at me, and it just felt creepy instead of like we were friends. “You’ll see. In a few weeks—”

No, time to shut this shit down now.

“Remy and I aren’t having a child because we made a decision to not have one,” I informed her, my tone cool.

She blinked at me like I’d started speaking another language. “What?”

I didn’t owe this woman an explanation, but maybe if I told her, she’d gossip about it to the rest of the town and we could shut down all the speculation.

“My mate and I made a choice to take preventative measures so I would not become pregnant at this time.”

The cafe was silent as people watched us, using their shifter hearing to listen in on what we were saying.

Fine by me. I stood by my decision, and I knew Remy supported me in it.

“W-why would you do that?” She pressed a hand to her chest, aghast as she stared at me. “A child would be a blessing.”

“Yes, it will be. When Remy and I are ready to welcome children into our family.” I kept my voice hard, firm. As the mate of the Alpha, I knew I was watched almost as much as he was, and while I loved our pack, some of them almost seemed to think that their opinions were an entitlement. That Remy and I would live our lives just for them.

And, yeah, to an extent we did. Being the Alpha couple meant we were always looking out for our pack’s best interests, but this? This had nothing to do with the pack or anyone except me and Remy.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing.” She was still staring at me .

Enough of this.

I met her gaze and leveled her with a glare of my own, inwardly smirking when she looked away, unable to maintain eye contact with me.

My wolf huffed, pleased with her submission.

“I don’t care if you’ve heard of it.” I barely raised my voice, but I knew I had everyone’s attention. “This is my body, my choice. My mate and I made this decision, and it has nothing to do with the pack. When we’re ready to have children, we will.” My gaze swept the table and then the room before landing back on the woman who’d started this all. “Any questions?”

She shook her head and quickly sat back down.

I turned back to my own seat and caught Zoe’s approving nod from behind the counter.

“That’s our girl!” Katy cheered, grinning.

Tate smiled at me. “Well said, girl.”

“Are you okay?” Larkin pressed, always concerned.

“Yeah.” I smiled, meaning it. “I feel great.”

I stood by my words and my choice because it was my choice.

It always would be.