Page 26

Ivy

I walked through the pack house, heading to Briggs's office. My heart thudded in my chest. Three weeks ago, he had finally shared his deepest wound with me.

He’d taken me to a small, unmarked grave at the base of a towering oak, one I was well familiar with. Its branches stretched toward the sky as if cradling the precious life buried beneath.

"This is where I laid my son to rest," Briggs had said, his voice raw. "I knew that bitch would die, the prophecy foretold it. But I never imagined …"

His words cut off on a choked shudder. I pulled him close, tears streaming down my own face. In that moment, our souls bled into each other, pain and understanding flowing between.

"This tree," I whispered. "It’s always been my favorite.”

Briggs nodded against my hair. "I know. It’s why I chose this spot.”

I held him tighter. I had my own scars, but Briggs had more. All to protect me.

It was horribly unfair that fate had taken his son. An innocent life, snuffed out before it could truly begin. My heart shattered for Briggs, for the unfathomable loss he carried.

"I'm so sorry," I murmured into his chest. "I'm here now. You don't have to bear this alone anymore."

We wept together in that moment, under the sheltering oak, finding solace in each other.

As I entered the pack house, guilt gnawed at my insides. Briggs had endured so much pain, so much loss, and here I was, practically glowing with happiness.

It felt wrong somehow. But how could I deny the joy that Briggs brought me?

The way my heart soared every time he looked at me, touched me, claimed me as his own? I knew I was the light to his darkness, the balm to his battered heart.

And yet …

I paused outside his office door, my hand trembling as I reached for the handle. The news I carried weighed heavily on my tongue, desperate to be spoken.

How would he react? Would it be too much, too soon?

Quelling my concerns, I pushed the door open. Briggs stood behind his desk, his powerful frame rigid with tension as he yelled at two young wolves.

The Miller twins. The scent of their fear mingled with the heady aroma of pine and musk that always clung to Briggs.

"… and if I hear of either one you pulling a stupid stunt like that again, I'll personally beat you both like your father should have done years ago. Now get out."

The twins scrambled past me, their eyes wide with terror. But the moment Briggs's gaze landed on me, his demeanor shifted.

The hard lines of his face softened, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Ivy." My name was a reverent sigh on his kissable lips.

I shook my head, a laugh bubbling up my throat.

"You're going to give those poor boys a heart attack one of these days."

He closed the distance between us in two long strides, his hands already reaching for me. "They'll live. But you?"

Briggs hoisted up, holding me against his chest.

His mouth claimed mine, far too indecently for an afternoon office visit.

I loved it.

Melting into him, my fingers tangling in his hair as I poured all my love, all my devotion into the press of my lips.

When we finally broke apart, both panting for air, Briggs rested his forehead against mine.

"You make me forget myself, little wolf. One look from you, and all I want is to bend you over my desk and fuck you for hours."

I traced the stubble along his jaw, marveling at the way he leaned into my touch.

“I wouldn’t say no.”

He chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that set my blood on fire.

His nose rubbed mine.

“Cheeky mate.”

But even as I basked in his affection, the guilt crept back in, insidious and biting.

Briggs must have sensed the shift in my mood, because he pulled back, his brow furrowed with concern.

"What's wrong, love? I can practically hear your thoughts spinning."

I swallowed hard, my heart rabbiting in my chest. "I need to tell you something. Two things, actually."

Briggs carried me to the leather couch and set me on a cushion before sitting down beside me. His pale blue eyes searched mine.

"Ivy, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

I nodded, my fingers twisting together in my lap. "I know."

He reached out, covering my restless hands with his larger one. "Take your time, love. I'm not going anywhere."

I drew in a shaky breath, steeling myself.

"First, about the mating ceremony."

Briggs stiffened, his grip on my hands tightening.

“I know I keep bringing it up, but I need you to understand how much it means to me. How much I want to give you what I took away."

"I do understand, Briggs. But a ceremony isn't going to erase the past. It's not going to change what happened."

"I know that. Goddess, do I know that." He scrubbed a hand over his face, his expression pained.

“Briggs, listen to me. I don’t need to change it. I don’t need a do-over. I feel like we’re so far past that point I just want to live our lives.”

"But I want to start fresh, Ivy. I want to show everyone that you're my mate, my equal. That I choose you, above all others."

Tears pricked at my eyes, the sincerity in his words washing over me. "You already have, Briggs. Every day, in a thousand little ways, you show me how much you love me. How much you value me."

I reached up, cupping his face in my hands. "I don't need a ceremony to prove that. The marks we bear, the bond we share, those are what matters. Not some public display. I mean, you already announced me as Luna."

Briggs leaned into my touch, his eyes fluttering closed. "I just want to give you everything, Ivy."

"You already have. I don't need anything else. Just you."

He nuzzled my temple. “We could do it privately. Just the two of us.”

“No, Briggs. It will never be just the two of us again.”

His eyes snapped open, a flicker of confusion darting across his face as he pulled back slightly. "What do you mean, it will never be just the two of us again?"

I bit my lip, realizing the implication of my words. Shit! I was messing this up.

Briggs searched my face, his brows furrowed as he tried to decipher my cryptic statement. "Ivy, what are you saying?"

I drew in a shaky breath, and climbed onto his lap. My hands slid down to rest on his broad chest. "Briggs …"

The words stuck in my throat, a mixture of nerves and excitement swirling in my gut. I could feel the rapid thud of his heartbeat beneath my palms, mirroring the frantic pace of my own.

Briggs gripped my shoulders, his fingers flexing as a hint of panic crept into his eyes. "Ivy, I don’t like this. What's going on?"

Here goes nothing.

"Briggs, our lives are about to change. In the most amazing, terrifying, wonderful way."

His jaw clenched, his body tensing as he processed my words. I could practically see the gears turning in his head, the pieces slowly falling into place.

“What?" His voice was a hoarse whisper, a mix of disbelief and dawning realization. "Are you …?”

I nodded, tears falling. "I'm pregnant."

The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the sound of his ragged intake of air. Briggs stared at me, his pale blue eyes wide and unblinking, as if he couldn't quite believe what he'd heard.

"Smell me," I said. "You'll know it's true."

Slowly, almost reverently, Briggs leaned in, his nose brushing the crook of my neck. He inhaled deeply, his eyes fluttering closed as he took in my scent.

When he pulled back, his gaze locked with mine, a myriad of emotions swirling in their depths. Shock, wonder, and a raw vulnerability I'd never seen before.

His hands cupped my face with a gentleness that made my heart ache. “You’re pregnant.”

My hands clasped over his as I nodded.

A single tear slipped down Briggs' cheek, and I reached up to brush it away with my thumb. His forehead pressed against mine.

More tears came and I shushed him gently, my fingers threading through his short black hair. "I know, Briggs. I know."

The joy, the fear, the overwhelming love, it was almost too much to bear.

His giant hand slid down to rest on my still-flat stomach, his touch both protective and reverent. "Our pup, our precious baby," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

"I love you," I told him.

He kissed me then, a kiss that held the promise of forever. "I love you too, Ivy. You and whatever babies we are blessed to have. Always."

Then my made gifted me with the biggest, broadest smile I had ever seen.

A howl burst from his chest, deep and proud. It echoed through the pack house, through the territory. A howl of pure, unbridled joy.

I felt it reverberate in my bones, my wolf stirring in response. She wanted to join him, to sing our happiness to the world.

Briggs pulled back, his eyes glowing with an inner fire. "They need to know, the pack.”

“I’m ready if you are.”

Hand in hand, we stepped out of the office, onto the balcony overlooking the great hall. Below us, pack members were gathering, drawn by the power of their Alpha's call.

Colton pushed his way to the front, his eyes wide with wonder. "What’s going on?" he asked, his voice carrying in the sudden hush.

I smiled down at him, at all of them, then up to mate. “Go on, Alpha.

”

“We’re pregnant!” he yelled into the rafters.

The cheers that erupted thundered through the air, a wave of love and support I’d never felt in my life.

Briggs pulled me into his side, his arm tight around my waist, anchoring me.

"The Moon Goddess has blessed us," he called out.

"Blessed our pack."

More cheers, more howls of celebration.

We went down the stairs and received their congratulations.

I leaned into Briggs, into the happiness of our life together.

As things died down and the pack began to disperse, I turned to Briggs.

“I love you.”

"And I love you, my fierce, beautiful mate." He leaned down for a kiss.

As we pulled apart, through the window, I caught sight of the tree in the distance, its branches swaying in the gentle breeze.

The tree where Briggs had buried his son, where he had shared his deepest pain with me.

But now, as I looked at it, I didn't feel the weight of that sorrow. Instead, I felt hope. Hope for the future we were building together.

Our child would know that tree, I realized. Would grow up playing in its shade, learning its stories.

He or she would be a part of our story, from their very first breath. Would Briggs be able to work through that pain?

As he led me back to his office, his hand never leaving mine, I knew he would. We would together.

As mates.

As a family.