Page 51
K NOX
I wandered home more slowly than usual, aware that once I arrived, I’d have to figure out how to break the news to Danny that he was pregnant.
It wasn’t fair of me to sit on the knowledge without informing him. My nose was far more sensitive than his, and as far as I could tell, other than a slight alteration to his scent, he wasn’t experiencing any other symptoms.
It didn’t seem right for me to tell him what was going on in his own body, but I couldn’t pretend not to know either. There was no way I could hide my excitement. He’d be able to tell I was hiding something, and he’d be angry when he learned the truth.
I had to do it.
I passed Aaron and Melinda’s house and raised my hand to Melinda, who was visible through the front window. She waved back.
Besides, it wasn’t as if this was bad news. We were mated. Our little pup or cub was growing inside him. He’d be thrilled. But I had no idea how to tell him.
Perhaps I should take him out to dinner. There weren’t any nice restaurants in town, but we could go to the diner or I could try my hand at making the meal myself, although I wasn’t about to win any prizes for my cooking.
It needed to be special.
The sun, which was already low on the horizon, slipped behind a cloud, and I shivered as the air temperature dipped. I arrived at the path to Danny’s house—our house—and drew in a deep breath. The faint scent of steak and vegetables greeted me. Danny must have already cooked for us. There would be no romantic dinner out tonight.
My gut twisting with a combination of apprehension and excitement, I headed to the front door, unlocked it, and let myself in. I followed the smell of food to the kitchen. It was empty, but Danny had dinner already served on the dining table, along with a tall, foamy glass of beer, condensation beading on the outside.
“What’s this?” I asked, arching my eyebrow at my mate, who was hovering behind the dining table, looking gorgeous in dark jeans and a pink button-up shirt.
“Our Valentine’s dinner.” He smiled, but his heart rate was elevated and the salty scent of his sweat would have been obvious to any shifter.
I rounded the table, drew him into my arms, and kissed him. “Smells delicious. But what’s going on, baby? Why are you nervous?”
He relaxed against my chest, melting into me in the way I so loved. He turned his face into the side of my neck and breathed me in, nuzzling the mating mark on my shoulder.
Finally, he drew back, his pulse steadier. He reached into his back pocket and drew something out. He passed it to me, and I stared.
A knitted bootie, with something poking out of it.
A pregnancy test.
One with two lines in the center .
My gaze flew to his. He knew.
Danny’s lower lip wobbled. “We’re going to be dads.”
Grinning, I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed. “Thank gods.”
He pushed at me. “What do you mean, ‘Thank gods’?”
I brushed his hair back from his face and kissed him, savoring the softness of his lips against mine. “I could smell it, but I didn’t know how to tell you. I was going to say something tonight, but I wasn’t sure how you’d react to me telling you about what was going on inside you, since you should have been the first one to know.”
Danny looped his arms around my neck and smiled at me warmly. “You silly wolf. You can’t help what you smell. Are you happy?”
My chest expanded with pride. “Beyond happy. This is amazing news. Having you is more than I ever imagined. You and a little one… that’s the stuff dreams are made of.”
“Good.” He pressed closer, his still-flat belly plastered to my abs. “Because I couldn’t be more pleased to make a family with you.”
Family .
I closed my eyes, touched my lips to his temple, and let the word soak in.
I’d found a home here with him in Grizzly Ridge, and I’d considered myself the luckiest bastard alive because of it.
But now, I’d have a family with him.
A family of my own.
A rumble of pleasure rippled through me. “I love you.”
Danny snuggled into the embrace. “I love you too, mate. Always.”
THE END
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51 (Reading here)