by T. S. Joyce
Morgan wanted to celebrate. Wave to the people cheering, and feel good walking out of here as Summit’s female champion, but what Alexis said stuck with her.
Grey pulled her out of it though. He couldn’t stop smiling.
“What?” she asked.
“I’m just proud you’re my mate,” Grey said against her ear as he pulled her against his side.
Marissa and Rachel followed close behind as the crowd dissipated to their cabins.
Morgan inhaled a long, steadying breath as her wolf settled again. “Grey?”
“Mmmm?”
“I’m ready to go home.”
He kissed the side of her head and murmured, “Me too.”
Chapter Thirteen
Nail biting was never an attractive habit on anyone. That’s what Morgan’s mother, Hannah, had told her growing up. She didn’t care about that now. Her stomach fluttered. Nerves? She put a lead foot down on the gas and hoped Marissa wouldn’t hear her racing heartbeat from the passenger seat where she sat. Lana sat in the back seat of the truck, humming along to the radio, and thankfully oblivious to Morgan’s racing thoughts.
Her wolf urged her to speed up with the quiet need to be close to her mate. Although life had changed so much in the five months since Summit, her connection to Grey hadn’t faltered. She loved him more with every passing day.
The packs had gone through some growing. Dean’s had expanded with the new addition of Levi to the ranks after his three-month trial period. He still had a lot to learn, as most men, werewolves or human, his age did, but he was reliable and loyal.
Grey had hired him part-time to help with their business, which was threatening to become overwhelming due to the sheer volume of orders for their recipe boxes, garden boxes, and dining sets. Levi and Marissa were both turning out to be badass apprentices in the woodshop, even if they still avoided each other when possible. Sarah had travelled from Michigan to visit as often as she was able to get off work and would be a permanent member in Dean’s pack soon. She and Brent were still going strong, and by month’s end, she would be transferring to a job in Dallas and going through the pack branding ceremony. She had become a fast friend and easy confidant, and she often stayed at the Crawford Cabin when she came to visit. Between Dean and Grey, they would now have the monopoly on the pack with the most females, which Logan still jokingly complained about.
In an utterly shocking announcement, Wade had admitted he was dating a human. He said it was easier navigating that territory after seeing Grey go through it, and he asked for his advice often. Brent and Grey were becoming closer, but at a cost. Brent spent a lot of time at their cabin, and it caused some unwarranted tension between the alphas of the two packs. Despite this strain, Grey had created a gap in the fence between their properties, and full moon hunts were now something the growing packs could do over both pieces of land. Wade’s too, if they felt inclined to hunt farther out.
When they had arrived back at the cabin after Summit, there had been a package waiting for Morgan. It was a belated wedding gift from her mate. Grey had seen how comfortable she was wielding the set of silver blades in the pack war and had ordered a set just like them. He had them engraved to read, Silver Wolf, may my body provide the protection you need so you never have to use these. It was written in script down the curve of the large blade, and the pack emblem was etched into the hilt of both in the set. They were perfect. A good man knew the way to his woman’s heart, and he had fortunately caught on early that the way to hers was through gifting weapons.
Frantically, they had been trying for a baby, but months with no results had them panicked and dreading the future. Grey never talked about it. Quite the opposite. He hunched into himself as if he could protect her from his fears. It wasn’t fair to put such a time constraint on something that should happen naturally. Wolf pushed heavily for control, but whether it was from Grey escaping his perceived failures, or from Wolf seeing the necessity to prepare for formal challenges again, she couldn’t be certain. Helplessly watching her mate struggle for control over his animal was awful.
Morgan pulled the truck down the long drive to Dean’s house. “Did you do your work for that online midterm?” she asked Marissa. “You know that is the first thing Rachel is going to ask.”
“I finished everything but a public speaking assignment, and I’ll have to do that one when I get home.” She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Are you feeling alright?”
Morgan calmed her fidgety leg that was pumping in rhythm to the pop song on the radio. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Rein it in. Too shrill. “Why?”
“Because you’ve been acting like a weirdo for the past week.” She leaned deeper into the passenger seat and muttered, “You are making everyone jumpy.”
“I’m just stressed. I’m fine though.”. Morgan put the truck in park, but a crashing noise sounded from the house. “Are you freaking kidding me? Again?”
She pulled Lana from her car seat and hurried up the front porch. Dean and Grey had been going at it lately. Brent had been over to Grey’s cabin often and was doing a lot of running on his property. Dean’s wolf was doing a damned fine job of convincing Dean that Brent would switch packs eventually, and if he switched, he would take Sarah with him. His wolf was having a hard time with all the loss lately. First with Alexis going to Denver, and then Marissa switching to Grey’s pack, and then Brandon’s death, and he wasn’t handling the thought of losing two more wolves very well. Something sounding very glasslike crashed inside the house, and she threw open the front door.
“That was my grandmother’s vase!” Ooooh, Rachel sounded pissed.
Both Dean and Grey were holding each other’s shirts and yelling. Grey wouldn’t normally give into pointless fighting, but he wasn’t the one running the show anymore. With each day they’d ticked off into their six-month deadline, he’d grown more agitated. With everything. Now, he snapped at anything that dared to breathe around him. She understood. How could she not? Through their mated bond, she could feel his constant worry that he would lose her forever. She could feel his continual struggle not to let Wolf consume him completely.
Rachel threw up her arms in exasperation and took Lana from her arms. “I can’t get them to stop. They won’t listen to me!”
Brent sat at the breakfast bar watching their scuffle with an amused look on his face.
“That is enough. This is getting ridiculous!” Morgan yelled over the shouting.
She advanced on Brent and smacked him in the back of the head before she rounded on Grey and Dean. They were directly in front of him, providing a free show. She was surprised Brent hadn’t busted out the extra-butter popcorn yet. She stuck her fingers in her mouth and gave an ear-splitting whistle. The room of werewolves hunched and held their ears in pain. Such an unkind trick to play on a house full of people with exceptional hearing, but desperate times… Grey and Dean’s eerie, wolf-bright eyes found her.
“Have you even asked Brent what his plans are? Even once?” So, she was yelling. She was also past caring. Everything was probably fine.
The two alphas were still holding each other by the shirts, but slowly, they looked to Brent, who gave them a little wave. “And you,” she pointed an accusing finger at Brent. “You should have never let it escalate to this.”
Dean frowned. “What is she talking about? What are your plans?”
Brent sighed dramatically. “Grey is my friend, but it doesn’t mean I would ever want to take orders from him. Ever. Plus, I’m in no hurry to get another brand. Those things hurt like a motherfucker. Sorry Dean. You are stuck with me.”
Fury radiated off Dean’s skin, and he smelled more animal than human. “You couldn’t tell me that before? Or at any time during the fifty arguments Grey and I have had?”
Grey cut in. “I tried to tell you that! You worry over nothing.”
“Oh, don’t defend Brent,” Dean demanded. “He could have stopped this at any time.”
“So could you, if you just ask
ed him,” Grey retorted.
They were definitely yelling at each other again.
Deep breath. “I’m pregnant,” Morgan said softly.
Everyone stared at her as if she had sprouted cheese puff antlers.
“What?” Grey asked, releasing Dean’s shirt from his clenched fists.
“You heard me.” She bathed in the happy warmth of his golden yellow eyes.
He smoothed a strand of hair out of her face and cupped her cheeks. “Are you sure?”
Morgan nodded, and now she couldn’t help the tears that filled her eyes. There was so much hope written into his baffled smile. “Listen for yourself.”
Grey kissed her tenderly and slid his hands down her waist. He rubbed the pads of his thumbs over her stomach. Slowly, he lowered himself until he was on his knees and pressed his ear to her belly. His hands reached around her back and pulled her body gently closer. She closed her eyes and tapped into the binding tendrils of their unbreakable connection. His overwhelming joy hummed across the bond as she experienced his realization with him.
He heard the slow steady rhythm of Morgan’s heartbeat, so beautiful and vital to his existence. He pressed his ear more firmly against her belly. The faint, quick heartbeat of his child growing in her was his salvation. Little Silver Wolf cub. He leaned his forehead against her stomach and let out a sigh that seemed to release a hundred pounds of weight from his shoulders.
His family was safe.
His pack was safe.
His friends were safe.
That tiny flutter signified not only that she carried a precious piece of him, but that against all odds and despite their rocky journey to this moment…the Silver Wolf Clan would be reborn.
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About the Author
T.S. Joyce is an 80-time bestselling author devoted to bringing hot shifter romances to readers. Hungry alpha males are her calling card, and the wilder the men, the more she'll make them pour their hearts out. She lives in a tiny town, outside of a tiny city, and devotes her life to writing big stories. Foodie, bear whisperer, ninja, thief of tiny bottles of awesome smelling hotel shampoo, nap connoisseur, movie fanatic, and zombie slayer, and most of this bio is true.
Bear Shifters? Check
Smoldering Alpha Hotness? Double Check
Sexy Scenes? Fasten up your girdles, ladies and gents, it’s gonna to be a wild ride.
For more information about T. S. Joyce and her work, visit her website here.