Page 152 of Bred

A flicker of excitement bloomed inside my chest, making my heart quicken. I always wanted to be a mother, and Rowan was a good, honorable alpha. For the longest time, I had only known him by reputation, but since he started courting me, I had learned all the rumors of his kindness and patience were true. He was going to be an amazing father.

"Stop staring at my stomach." Mina glared playfully at me. My eyes snapped to her annoyed pout. "I amnotwith child."

I pressed my lips together, a little embarrassed at being caught staring. "Sorry," I mouthed.

"Besides," she said, returning to her work. "Ivor only wants one, and I am more than okay with that. We're taking our time. Enjoying one another."

"Agreed," Summer nodded fiercely. "One.Ifthat."

My mind wandered as I traced the soft lace around my middle. What if Rowan only wanted one pup? What if he didn't want any? It was rare for an alpha not to want a mess of pups, but it did happen.

I suddenly felt stupid for not having such an important conversation with him. He had been courting me for only a few months—which was typical for our kind—but our families didn't move in the same circles. We didn’t have much of an opportunity to get to know each other as well as we probably should.

"Why do you want pups so bad?" Summer asked, fanning herself with one of my notebooks. I snatched it from her, thankful she hadn't opened it. It was filled with little sketches of Rowan's name surrounded by poorly drawn flowers.Greatlyembarrassing given my age.

"I'm an only child," I said simply, tucking my notebook securely inside a drawer. "It gets lonely sometimes." I wanted to add that it didn't help that both my parents were betas, but I kept my mouth shut. Their status didn't bother me, but the uncommon occurrence of betas birthing anything other than more betas meant they had no idea what to do with me.

Summer secured a barrette in her hair, pinning her wild mane out of her face. "I wish I had the chance to be lonely. There is never a moment of silence in my house. With seven kids, it's impossible even to think sometimes."

"I just want a house full of young," I said. "I want my kids to have someone that understands them and can help them…in case…."

"Should they be born different from you or Rowan?" Mina asked, giving me an understanding look.

I sighed hard, twisting my fingers together. "My mother has tried so hard to guide me. She really has," I added quickly, not wanting to seem ungrateful for everything my parents had done for me. "But betas are so different from omegas. We have very different needs and expectations within the pack."

Mina channeled her fingers through my hair, soothing me. Even Summer went quiet.

Lowering my voice, I whispered, "She tried to talk to me about what to expect when mating an alpha." I grimaced at the memory.

Summer laughed loudly, leaning in. "Please, oh, please tell me what she said."

"It was horrible," I groaned, my eyes cutting nervously to the bedroom door. "She sat me at the kitchen table then rambled on about knots and ruts and heats. All I could do was stare at her forehead as her whole face went beet red."

Mina snorted loudly, then covered her mouth with her hands. "The very idea of your wildly conservative mother saying the word 'knot' makes me want to gag."

"You and me both," I shot. "I barely listened. I just nodded and prayed it would be over quickly. It was so much worse than when she told me where pups came from."

"You know," Summer said, trying to contain her giggle, "you have to respect her for trying to warn you."

"I guess." I shook my head, trying to shove away the image of my mother making a fist and stuttering wildly while trying to explain a knot. I knew what a knot was. I had friends who were mated and had a good understanding of the basics. And honestly, that was enough for me.

"Will you and Rowan try for a pup immediately?" Mina asked.

"We haven't talked about it yet," I admitted. "But I hope so. I want a dozen fat babes. I just adore their squishy cheeks and little chubby hands."

"More like snotty noses and sticky hands," Summer said flatly.

Mina held a needle up to her face, carefully threading it. "I take it your sisters have been making you babysit again?"

"I come from a big family," Summer said as if we didn't already know, "and between my sisters and me and the twins, my mother's hair has gone white, and my father doesn't have a stitch on his head to call his own. He's been bald since he was twenty-five. So be careful what you wish for, Lily."

"Don't pretend that has anything to do with your kin," I snorted. "Everyone knows what a hard time you give your mother."

"That's true." Mina fussed with the buttons along the back of my dress. "You need to settle, or you'll ruin your reputation before you're even old enough to have one."

"Who needs a reputation when you can have fun?" Summer laughed, not bothered in the least. I loved how carefree she was, and I couldn't wait to meet the alpha that could handle her.

Mina pulled at the material along my back, securing it into place. The whole dress suddenly fit like a dream—snug in all the right places. "Are your parents excited for tomorrow?"