Page 371 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

“Well, you had every right to be.”

“But you know what? Bryn wasn’t. She explained the situation to us, and she advocated for you. It was clear to us that it was silly to be angry at you when she had already forgiven you. Night, your soulmate’s acceptance is more important than anything else. You should have faith in her because she’ll be your biggest advocate. Even more than your mother or beta could ever be.” She sighed. “Remember always, Night, that you are not your father. You are a good man, a strong man. I tried to raise you to be, but all I did was keep you fed and housed and point you in the right direction. You did all the actual work, and look at what you’ve become. Look at what you’ve accomplished. You’ve come a long, long way from the little boy who had a lot to prove.”

I smiled as she tugged my ear.

“It’s normal to worry about following in your father’s footsteps, but you’re so much better than he was. And even if you started going down the wrong path, you have more than enough people to bring you back. That’s something Gregor never had.”

I leaned my head on her shoulder as her words sank deep into my heart. She was right; if I couldn’t have faith in myself, I could have faith in Bryn. I trusted her with my very soul, and if she saw the good in me despite all my flaws, maybe I could try to do the same.

A short while later, Dom and Lance came back with food from the dining hall. My stomach grumbled again when I smelled it, but I wasn’t so embarrassed about it this time.

“Glad to see you’ve been on your best behavior, Night,” Dom said as he handed me the to-go plate. “You were good enough that Violet let you free.”

I flipped him off without looking at him, my eyes on the generous helping of roast beef, potatoes, and carrots. I pulled off the plastic cover and dug in. By the time the door to Bryn’s room opened a second time, I’d inhaled half of it. This time, it was Tavi who stepped outside.

“Violet, we need you. It’s almost time—” she paused, her nostrils flaring as she smelled the food. She covered her mouth with her hand, turning a faint shade of green.

I frowned, confused by her response, but Mom gasped.

“Octavia Black!” she exclaimed. “Is it true?”

Tavi nodded, her face reddening.

I glanced at Lance and Dom, but they seemed just as confused as me.

“Iswhattrue?” Dom demanded. “What’s going on?”

Mom stood, her arms crossed even though she was smiling. “Octavia, you had better tell him yourself.”

Tavi sighed and turned to Dom. “I…I’m pregnant.”

There was silence, and then I gasped, sucking food down my windpipe. I started choking, and Lance slapped my back hard enough to dislodge the food. Dom hopped to his feet and took Tavi’s shoulders. Over the sound of my coughing, I heard them talking.

“Tavi, for real? How far along are you? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well, I-I suspected it for a week or so, but I wasn’t sure until I took the test last night. I was going to tell you today, but I didn’t want to bring it up before the meeting, and then Bryn went into labor, and…and…”

Samara appeared in the doorway behind her. Her expression was serious. “I really hate to interrupt, but the baby is about to start crowning. We don’t have time to wait.”

“Crowning already?” Mom asked, rushing past her. “Goodness me.”

Tavi promised Dom that they’d talk more, and she kissed him before heading inside. Samara closed the door after her. Still coughing, I stumbled to my feet to walk in after them, but Lance held me back again.

For a while, all I heard was Bryn’s grunts and cries, the sounds putting me and my wolf on edge. When I glanced at the clock, I saw that the months I felt had passed were only minutes.

And then, after another eternity, the sweetest, tiniest cry I’d ever heard in my life came from the room. Instead of pulling me back, Dom and Lance followed me inside. At first, I saw nothing, but in another minute, they cleaned the baby and Doc handed the baby carefully back to Bryn.

I was treated to the most beautiful sight in the world: an exhausted, lovely Bryn whose face shone with tears and sweat, holding a small bundle swaddled in a pink blanket. Every other person in the room disappeared.

Bryn had given birth to a girl. I had a daughter.

She looked at me, a tired smile on her face. “Night, come and see her.”

For all my eagerness to get in here, now that it was over and it was time for me to meet my daughter face to face, my legs moved like they were weighed down with steel. When I made it to the bed, Bryn moved the blanket so I could see her face.

I’d seen brand-new babies before—when I was a teenager, I helped my mom midwife for pregnant mothers in the infirmary. Back then, I’d thought the newborns were so small as to be alien, but the moment I set eyes on my baby girl, all I could think about was how perfect, how lovelyshe was. Her skin was so delicate, and she seemed to be crafted from pink parchment. Her tufts of soft, black hair shone in the room, and her itty bitty mouth revealed an itty bitty tongue when she gave a tiny yawn. I fell in love with her immediately.

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Bryn asked in a whisper.