Page 117 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

The more I drank, the better my stomach started to feel. I wasn’t sure if the tea, the walk, or just my mother’s presence helped. Maybe Tavi was right, and my nausea was stress-induced. If so, a few minutes of relaxing with my mother was exactly what I needed to refresh.

“I wanted to ask if you might have some tinctures or herbs that would help with stress,” I said. “This tea is already working wonders.”

“I’m glad it’s helping, but I’m sorry you’ve been uncomfortable, honey. What’s been going on?”

“I feel okay usually, but in the mornings, I get headaches and nausea that last until lunchtime. I thought it might be something I ate, but it’s been days now, and it’s making it harder to get work done.”

“Describe the headaches for me?”

“Okay,” I lifted a hand and touched my forehead. “The pain kind of wraps around here, if that makes sense? Like a rope that’s tightening around my forehead.”

She nodded. “Hmm. And the nausea? Is it more of a dizziness?”

“Well, I do feel dizzy, but I also get sick. After I get out of bed, I have to rush to the bathroom.”

Mom pursed her lips in thought for a few seconds, running her thumb back and forth over the handle of her mug, then she pushed her chair back and got to her feet.

“I’ll be right back,” she said, heading toward the bathroom. When she came back, she had a small box in her hand. “I like to keep one of these in my medical kit just in case someone comes to me with symptoms like yours.”

“Oh?” I took the box, and immediately, my eyes went to the words PREGNANCY TEST typed in purple lettering across the box. The sight of it confused me, and if I was being honest, it also scared me a little.

“Mom, why did you bring this to me?” I demanded, my face flaming.

“I’m not pregnant, just stressed out. Probably.

And…and anyway, Night and I have only been having sex for a few weeks or so.

” It was hard to believe that Night and I had met only a few months ago.

It felt like an era had passed between the day he’d kidnapped me and now.

“I’ve never been pregnant myself,” she said, easing into her chair again. “But I know the signs. Go on and take it. What’s the harm in being sure?”

She made a good point, but the walk to the bathroom seemed to go on forever.

My hands trembled as I held the box up to read the instructions.

I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience as I went through the motions of taking the test—I had no idea how to feel about this.

Never once had I thought about having a baby.

I’d spent my life believing I was human.

I never thought I’d find a mate or a lover, let alone have children.

With Night, everything changed, and now it seemed there was a chance I could be pregnant.

I sat on the toilet and waited for the test. The box told me I would only have to wait a few minutes, but each second felt like an hour.

If I was pregnant, what would that mean?

The timing wasn’t exactly ideal. Troy was out there planning something with who knew how many ferals at his command, and my position as alpha would only last for another couple of weeks, at which point the alpha ceremony would determine the new leader.

There were so many unknowns, and the certainty of having a baby wouldn’t clear any of them up…though I had to acknowledge that the thought of having a baby with Night electrified me. What if our child had his gorgeous emerald eyes? His smile or my hair? I became giddy just at the thought of it.

But what about Night? He had so much going on—a baby would just be one more thing for him to stress about. I also had no idea how he felt about children. He was good with them, but did he want them? Did he want them with me?

I looked at the sink where I’d left the plastic stick and took a few deep breaths before getting to my feet. It was time to see the truth with my own eyes. The too-small rectangular screen revealed two vertical red bars. My stomach flipped.

I double-checked the box to make sure I wasn’t misinterpreting the results, but no. The truth was right in front of me. Those two bars meant that the test was positive.

“I’m pregnant,” I breathed in the quiet of the bathroom. There’s a life growing inside me right now…

An overwhelming dizziness settled over me.

I pressed my back to the wall. Bubbles filled my stomach, bubbles that could have carried me away to a level of happiness I’d never known before.

The dark questions plaguing my mind vanished in the wake of the two red bars.

My body felt warm, light. I’ve got to tell my mom and Tavi and Night…

But as soon as I thought about all the people who would need to know, the weight of those worries began to creep back in.

I ran a hand through my hair. Night and I hadn’t been together very long, and with everything going on, we hadn’t really gotten to know each other. I mean, I should know if Night—my mate—even wanted children, shouldn’t I?

I dragged in a deep breath and tried to get my thoughts together. Mom would be worried if I spent too much longer in the bathroom, so I knew I might as well head out now.

In the kitchen, she took one look at me, then let out a cheer and got up from the table. She pulled me in for a tight hug, and I laughed and embraced her.

“Congratulations, love!”

“Thanks, Mom. It doesn’t feel real.”

“That’s not surprising. But you should know that everything will be fine.” She kissed the top of my head, then pulled back and took my face in her hands. “As exciting as this news is…how do you feel?”

“Happy! Well, mostly happy.”

“Only mostly?”

“I mean, it’s just a lot right now.” I pulled away and sat at the table. She scooted her chair to sit next to me. “Night and I…our claiming ceremony was only a few days ago. I thought we’d have more time together before we had a baby.”

My mother rubbed soothing circles on my back. “I understand where you’re coming from, honey, and I’m sorry the universe doesn’t work that way. The Fates want you to have a baby right now, and you’ll have to embrace it to see what destiny has in store for you.”

I nodded. It was exactly the kind of thing Mom would say.

On one hand, it was comforting to hear things were proceeding exactly as they were meant to, but on the other, it felt like my life was no longer in my control—if it ever had been.

Things were progressing quickly, and there were still so many things I didn’t understand about myself.

Could I really bring a baby into the world when I was still so uncertain about myself?

“What’s wrong, honey? Aren’t you happy?”

“I am, but…I guess I wish I had more insight into what fate has planned for me—or my baby. I mean, there’s so much to worry about, and knowing that there’s more in store, I can’t help but worry about it.”

She nodded. “After the things you’ve endured, Bryn, I don’t blame you for worrying.

But you need to remember that you’ve come out on the other side of your hardship a stronger, savvier woman.

No matter what destiny has in store for you, you’ve proven again and again that you’re strong enough to survive it. ”

“But I’d like to have some comfort in knowing that.”

“I think we’d all like that, honey. It would be wonderful if we could have some sign that everything will work out, but that isn’t how fate works.

” She had stopped rubbing my back as she talked about fate, but now she resumed.

“Is there anything that might ease your worries a bit? Something else you could focus on for now?”

“I mean, there’s still tons and tons of paperwork I haven’t had the chance to—”

She poked the back of my neck. “No, silly—something other than work. Something that makes you happy or gives some respite to your soul.”

“Oh.” I mulled that over. Something that would give “respite to my soul?” I enjoyed reading and cooking and taking care of children, but I didn’t think those things would take my mind off my work or worries about the future.

I had other questions about myself, things I’d never been able to answer. I had no idea what fate had planned for me. With so many unknowns, I wished I had more control over my life—and I wished I understood myself a bit more.

“I think…” I began slowly. “I’d like to know more about my birth parents.”

Her soothing strokes slowed on my back. Fearing I’d hurt her feelings, I turned to her.

“Oh, Mom, you’ve been wonderful and amazing. Believe me. It’s just that…now that I’ve got my own baby on the way, I wish I knew more about who I am. I want to be able to tell my baby about its biological grandparents and the kind of people they were.”

Mom nodded and gave me a small smile. “Don’t worry, Bryn, I’m not taking any offense. I understand where you’re coming from. I don’t have answers for you; the heavens only know how badly I wish I did have them. But, honey, I’m committed to helping you in whatever way I can.”

I smiled, relieved that I hadn’t hurt her feelings and she would help me. “Thanks, Mom. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, sweetheart. But I want to add one thing.”

“Yes?”

“You don’t need to know your biological parents to be a good mother. You have plenty of experience watching pups, and you’re a very patient and nurturing young woman. You’re going to be a great mother. I know it.”

“I hope that’s true, but I can’t seem to stop doubting myself.” I forced a laugh, but it sounded fake even to me. To break the awkwardness, I asked, “Do you think Night will be happy to hear the news?”

“Oh, Bryn, he’s going to be thrilled! Most alphas want a child, though not all of them are the greatest with children.”

“He’s really good with them. You should see the way he walks around his compound and interacts with the families.”

She grinned. “Well, it sounds like you have your answer.”

“I guess that’s true.” I blushed as a grin spread across my face, my heart pounding. “I think I want to make the announcement really special for him. It’s our first child, and I want to do something romantic.”

“That’s a wonderful idea, but now that you two are together, he’ll be able to sense the change in you soon enough. If you want to go all out, you must do it quickly.”

That was good to know. I filed that information away in my brain.

“Okay, I’ll make sure it’s soon.” I have so much paperwork to get through, but I should try to spend my free time planning something for him, I thought.

I hope I can get something planned before he gets back from the Wargs.

But what would Night like? Should I get some candles? Buy something for him at the market?

“Are you listening, Bryn?”

Mom’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Huh?”

She chuckled. “I was telling you that you shouldn’t lift anything too heavy, and you need to rest as much as you can.”

“Oh. Right. I hear you.”

“I’ll give you a few ounces of this tea.” She lifted her mug. “It ought to help with your aches and pains. But you must listen to your body and give it what it needs.”

I couldn’t help but smile. It would be difficult to pay attention to my body when so much needed to be done around the compound. I would try, for my baby’s sake, but I doubted I’d have the opportunity to take it easy in the near future.

Still, I said, “I will, Mom.”

“That’s my girl. Here, let me refill your tea.”

After the visit with Mom, I headed back to my cabin.

I’d promised her I would get some rest, but I needed to return to the office to stay on top of things.

I had a lot to do before the baby arrived.

I needed to prove myself to the Kings and the council, get a handle on pack finances, and make sure that the Kings and the Wargs were in good places before the baby arrived.

I sighed. If nothing else, at least the nausea had disappeared, though in its place, I felt a slight headache building at the back of my skull.

With more tea and a pill or two of ibuprofen, I was sure that the ache would vanish.

Unfortunately, there was little I could do about the uncertainty swirling inside me.