Page 372 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

“Yes,” I replied, my voice cracking.

“You want to hold her?”

“Yes.” I couldn’t refuse, couldn’t even shape my mouth to say “no.”

Mom was at my side then. She carefully lifted the baby from Bryn’s arms and counseled me on how to properly cradle the baby’s head.

My pup had no weight to her. I might as well have been holding warm air. It terrified me how easily I could crush her, but when I got more used to her, holding her was second nature.

The baby passed hands. Even the grim Samara cooed and fawned over our baby. Bryn wore a tired, grateful smile, but when she started to nod off, it was time for everyone to leave and give us some privacy. Tavi and Mom gave us teary kisses and hugs, and Dom, Lance, Samara, and Doc congratulated us as they filed out.

The last one to leave was Ellen. She stopped and turned to us. Whatever our disagreements had been, she still had my respect. When we cut the meeting short because Bryn was going into labor, Ellen was one of the first ones to head to the infirmary. She’d shown no reservations about the fact that this was a Kings’ facility. She’d stood beside Doc, her second cousin, and kept Bryn and my baby safe.

“I know the other council members and I gave you a lot of hell, Night,” she said. “But I respect you and Bryn for giving it right back.” She smiled. “I don’t think Wayne would ever say this himself because of his pride, but I know I speak for him and my cohorts when I say: we were wrong about you.”

I blinked at her, too stunned to speak.

She laughed at my expression. “I don’t blame you for looking so surprised. It’s not like we made this clear, but I’m telling you that we’re on your side for the foreseeable future—and not just because we could be voted out.”

That surprised a chuckle out of me. “Thanks, Ellen. That’s a relief to hear.”

She nodded. “We can talk more some other time. For now, I’ll leave you to your beautiful family. Congratulations to you and Bryn. I hope only the best for you two and your daughter.”

She left, closing the door softly behind her. I turned to Bryn, nearly jumping when I saw her eyes were open.

“I didn’t expect her to say that,” she whispered.

“You heard all of it?”

She gave a sleepy nod. “I was falling asleep, but when I heard her talking, I forced myself to stay awake because I wanted to know what she was going to say.”

To be honest, part of me had wished that there was another witness to what Ellen had said, because she’d said things I thought she’d never say. But I’d thought Bryn was asleep.

“I’m glad you were awake.” I smiled. “But you need to get some rest.”

“I know.” She turned her head toward me. Our baby was nestled between us, sleeping soundly, her little fists balled. “And it’ll be so much easier knowing that we’ve got the full support of the Wargs Council.”

“I agree.” I kissed her forehead and then our daughter’s. I could hardly believe that something so little and beautiful and perfect could be mine. Never in my life had I felt happier or more complete than when I had my girls in my arms.

132

BRYN

In the morning, Night wasn’t in bed with me. His absence didn’t alarm or bother me as much as it used to because that usually meant he was with our daughter. My suspicions were confirmed when I got up to brush my teeth and heard shrieking giggles coming from her room.

I walked into our daughter’s room to see her cracking up as Night lifted her in the air. I leaned against the doorframe, watching them. Her face was red and still wet with tears, but she’d already forgotten about whatever had upset her. She, I already knew, was going to be a daddy’s girl. I used to be a bit jealous, but now I was happy about it. Given how much Night had fretted over me during my pregnancy and how he fawned over Ember now that she was here, he’d earned that.

We named her Ember, in honor of all of the grit and fire it took to bring her here, as well as the fierce love we had for her. I’d thought about naming her Blossom after my mother, but it didn’t feel necessary. I didn’t feel that my mother’s spirit wanted that from me, and besides, I wasn’t sure if Blossom was even her real name. It was better to give our baby a name that wascompletely her own so she could make herself into the person she wanted to be.

That’s not to say that little Ember didn’t love me. When she noticed I was standing in the doorway, she squealed with delight and reached her pudgy hands for me. And when Night looked my way, his face lit up with so much love, my heart swelled.

“Come here, love,” he said. “Let us hold you.”

He didn’t need to tell me twice. I went to my family and took our bundle of joy into my arms while Night held us against his chest. I buried my nose into Ember’s soft, curly hair and took a deep whiff of her sweet smell. She was ours, and everything about her, from her raven-black hair to her bright aquamarine eyes, said as much.

Eight months had passed in a blink. Ember was already trying to walk and talk. It seemed like it had just been the other day that Night and I were bickering about the stress of moving our things into our new cabin. We moved within hours of my being discharged from the hospital because I refused to let my baby sleep under the alpha cabin’s roof. Thankfully, everything in the house had been ready for us: linens on the bed and cribs, cookware and dinnerware, and a stocked fridge.

Night and I spent the first month of Ember’s life just figuring things out. It was harder back then to predict her mood and when she was hungry or tired. After those first weeks, however, we got the hang of it.