Page 125 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

“They are.” He turned his head to me and gave me one of those rare, soft smiles. “I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to go down memory lane with you. I owe it to Lucian to think about him more often.”

“I’m sure you honor him by being an incredible alpha every day.” I propped myself on my elbow to kiss his cheek and settled back down again. “Do you think you would want to be a father one day?”

He chuckled. “I can’t believe you have to ask.

Yes, I’ve always wanted to have a huge family.

Growing up with Dom and, later, Tavi in my life was the best part of my childhood.

I’ve always wanted my future pup to have at least one sibling to form that same kind of bond with.

That kind of relationship is unbreakable… well, it’s supposed to be.”

Night rolled onto his side and pulled me against his chest. I rested my head on his arm and slid my hand under his shirt. His warm, muscular chest felt divine under my fingers. If I concentrated, I could remember the pattern of tattoos covering his shoulders. He shivered as I traced them.

“Maybe once all this shit with Troy and our packs blows over, we can try and have a pup. What do you think?”

A sliver of worry shot down my spine. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe the news would upset Night, and he wouldn’t want our baby right now…

My wolf barked, startling me. She ran back and forth, growling gently. I smiled to myself because I understood her well enough. She was trying to tell me not to be stupid, that Night loved me, that he would love our baby—no matter what.

“That sounds wonderful,” I replied, my face boiling. “Do you think nine months is long enough for everything to blow over?”

He paused, then looked down at me, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. His eyes had darkened from bright emerald to pine green. “Bryn, what are you talking about?”

I smiled hesitantly. “Well, I…I’m pregnant, Night.”

Another moment of silence passed, and then it finally hit him. His eyes widened, and a range of emotions passed through them: shock, followed swiftly by worry, fear, and then, finally—thankfully—joy!

He rolled me over on the grass and peppered my face with kisses.

I shrieked with giggles at the sudden onslaught of affection, my arms wrapping around his neck.

When his kisses finally slowed, I took his face between my hands and kissed him, tasting his happiness on his tongue.

As we kissed, his heart pounded quickly against my chest, matching the exact rhythm of mine.

He pressed his forehead to mine. “How long have you known, baby?”

“I found out while you were away,” I said. “I’m sorry I didn’t do something more spectacular to tell you. I wanted to do something special, but when you saw me being sick this morning, I knew you would figure it out soon enough.”

He laughed and kissed the tip of my nose. “Coming out here was more than special enough, sweet girl. I’m glad you shared this news—and this place—with me.”

I could have melted into a puddle of relief. Night was happy; he wasn’t angry or disappointed—just happy.

“Is there something you haven’t told me?” I said. “You seemed a little scared after I told you the news.”

“There’s a lot to be worried about with Troy still on the loose, but I swear to you, I am happy about this. I’ve always wanted children, and ever since the day we realized we were mates, I’ve imagined that future with you.”

I kissed him again. My heart was about ready to burst from my chest. Inside, my wolf purred, content that we had finally told him the news.

Later, when we finally pulled ourselves away from the wildflowers and the soft, sweet grass, Night and I walked back to the compound.

He was still grinning from ear to ear, and an answering joy bubbled inside me.

I had Night and my baby, and there was nothing else I needed.

Except…the conversation we’d had about Night’s father reminded me how little I knew about my parentage.

“Why so quiet? Something else on your mind?” Night asked.

I nodded. “I wish I knew more about my birth parents. I tried talking to my mom about it, but she didn’t know anything more than what I already knew. I’d really, really like to be able to tell our baby about who they were.”

“You want to know about them just for our baby’s sake?”

“Well, not just for them,” I admitted. “I also want to know more about who I am and where I come from. I mean, for all I know, I could have another family out there somewhere. What if they think I died with my mother?”

I was relieved when Night nodded. “I get where you’re coming from.

I don’t know if it’s possible to find any answers, but if they’re out there, I will help you find them.

” He paused, thinking a bit more. “My mother might be of use here. I’ll talk to her.

Perhaps she knows something more. I mean, we know you’re the daughter of a pack mother, so that’s already a starting point. ”

“Thank you, Night. Really, it means so much to me that you understand.”

He leaned down to kiss the top of my head. “I’m here for you, love. Don’t forget that.”

I smiled to myself. “I won’t.”

We walked a bit farther before slowing to a stop. “I wish I could spend all day with you, Bryn, but I should probably find Dom and let him know how things went with the council,” he said.

I shivered, remembering how heartless Night had told me they were. “I also have stuff to do today.” For one, I want to head back to the office to finally put a dent in that stupid mountain of paperwork. “We’ll reconnect later, okay?”

He kissed my forehead. “Don’t work too hard, okay? If you feel tired, please get some real rest, okay?”

“I will. And I’ll have Tavi with me—” I cut myself off with a gasp. “Tavi doesn’t know about the baby yet. Only you and my mom know, and that’s because Mom was with me when I found out.”

“I’m surprised you were able to keep it a secret for so long.” He laughed. “I’m glad you told me first.”

“Well, it’s only right that you’re one of the first to know,” I grinned. “Maybe we could have Tavi and Dom over for dinner? Then we could celebrate with both of them at the same time. And they’ll have the chance to talk to each other.”

“Are they still avoiding each other?”

I nodded. “More on Tavi’s side, I think. But she told me she wouldn’t mind having some excuse to reconnect with him.”

“Good, good. I’ll talk to Dom and see if he has time to come over. Do we want to do this tonight?”

“Yes, absolutely.” I stood on tiptoe and hugged Night tightly. “I’ll see you later, okay? I’ll be in the office.”

“I’ll find you.” He kissed me deeply and passionately, and then we parted ways.