Page 342 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

“I haven’t heard you play the flute in years, Mom.”

“That’s because I’m out of practice,” she said. “But give me a few months, and Violet and I could be the biggest thing this side of the Kootenai River. Maybe my music will be the first thing the baby hears.”

“I’m sure the infirmary would love that,” I snickered. “By the way, where’s Night? Did he go on a run?”

“Probably. He was gone when we got here.” Violet carried over the plate of pancakes, and I started reaching for one even before she set down the plate. That was how much I craved them.

“So, Bryn…” Mom smiled. “Notice anything different?”

“Something’s different?” I was already spooning blueberry jam and butter on my pancakes.

They shared another look, and Mom nodded to the living room behind me. I turned, my eyes widening. There were dozens of boxes of gifts wrapped in brown paper and tied in multicolored ribbons.

I gasped, dropping the little spoon I was using for the jam. “You didn’t…”

“Of course we did!” Mom grinned. “I told you we would!”

The sight of the packages was so absorbing that I completely forgot about breakfast. I got out of my seat and touched one of the smaller boxes.

“Can I open them?” I asked.

“Please do, honey! We’ve been waiting for this for weeks.”

I sat on the couch with the little gift. When I unwrapped it, I found it held several bibs embroidered with cute little designs—the careful, even stitches told me it was my mother’s work. The next held cloth diapers, and the one after that had some long-sleeved baby clothes. Everything was so small and cute, and it warmed me to think that my child would soon be wearing and using these items. I sniffed and wiped away a tear as I continued to unwrap them. Violet brought me my pancakes so I could eat before they got cold.

“You two went overboard,” I said. “But it’s all so perfect. Thank you so much.”

They engulfed me in a hug. “It’s what we’re here for,” Violet said. “But we weren’t able to handle everything, just the two of us. We’re thinking of asking the greater pack for help.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes! And we’ve already got volunteers. Cathy is planning on knitting some blankets and socks for your little one, Samara has started whittling something secret for you, and Mabel mentioned giving you a recipe book for baby food.”

“Oh!” Violet added, “And speaking of books, Claire and Lillian are putting one together with other mothers. I think they’re going to give you advice.”

My vision swam. It was becoming a pack-wide effort, with so many people coming together to see this through, and it just went to show how far Wargs and Kings had come. Just a year ago, a collaborative effort between the packs would have been unheard of. Now…I’d soon have handmade proof of their combined efforts on my shelf, available to read anytime. It was the perfect reward for all our hard work.

But my excitement and happiness about how far the packs had come dampened with the weight of this responsibility. I felt connected to the life growing inside me, but seeing all these tools and welcome advice from more experienced mothers made me wonder if I was truly ready for this.

“What’s wrong, Bryn?” Mom asked. “Did we go too far?”

“No, no, it’s not the gifts,” I rushed to assure them. “It’s just that…I’m starting to doubt myself a bit.”

“Oh.” Understanding settled over their faces at the same time. “The baby will be here in just a few more weeks, and it’s starting to hit you how real all this is.”

I nodded. “It’s not like I’ve been ignoring the fact that I’m having a baby. I’ve been thinking about it every day, but the longer I’ve been pregnant, the further away the due date felt.” I leaned back against the couch. The bibs were in my lap, and I held themgently between my fingers. “I want to be a good mom, and I want to raise my child to be strong and capable. But I want them to feel loved, too.”

“Ah, Bryn,” Violet said, squeezing my shoulder. “You’ve got such a big heart. Of course your little one will feel loved. It’s in your nature to make everyone feel at home.”

“With your baby, that will be especially true,” Mom added.

“Thanks. It means a lot to hear you say that, but I don’t know. I mean, what if I’m a better den mother than a mommy? What if my baby feels neglected because of my responsibilities?”

My mom pinned me with a reassuring look. “Well, I think it’s good that you’re thinking about this, Bryn. The fact that you have these worries already bodes well for your future as a mother. It’s important to think about these things; it’ll make it easier if and when those things come up.”

“I guess that’s true.”

“It’s normal to have these anxieties when your due date nears,” Violet said. “But if you find that they’re really gnawing at you, you should talk to Night about it. I know he was feeling a bit down, but I’m sure he’ll be open to hearing your worries.”