The day was warm and the sun bright. She wore a dark blue summer dress that flowed around her ankles and she carried a blanket. She often did this. She’d sit in the grass and watch as Lothar and the crew worked on the addition. Three more bedrooms were being added to the original two-bedroom house. The crew had felled the trees deep in the forest to match the existing log cabin feel.
Ceva spread out the blanket and sat in a spot of sunshine between two trees. She watched as Lothar’s muscles moved. He was working shirtless, as well as the rest of the crew. She’d never had so many women stop by to say hello in one day. She didn’t mind; she knew Lothar was hers. Plus the surprise she had for him would strengthen their connection further.
He saw her sitting there and worked his way down from the roof, grabbed his shirt, and used it to rub the sweat from his chest. By the time he reached her, she was nearly drooling.
“Hello, beautiful, how’re you feeling?”
“Perfect, absolutely perfect.”
“True, so very true.” Lothar laughed as he sat beside her on the blanket.
“The house is coming along great. How much longer do you think?”
“Well, we need take our time and get it right.”
“Yes of course, but how long?”
“Why, what’s the big hurry?”
She took his big hand and placed it over her stomach but didn’t say a word as she waited.
His eyes got big and a smile broke out across his face. “Really?”
“Really, really.”
“You’re pregnant? We’re having a pup?”
“We’re having a baby. He or she won’t wolf out until puberty.” They already knew from their mating tattoo that they’d be having wolves. The only question was whether their children would have a portion of their parents’ magic.
Before she even had a chance to react, she found herself being spun around off the ground in Lothar’s strong arms. He was whooping and hollering, getting just about everyone’s attention.
Rowl walked over and asked, “Good news?”
Lothar didn’t hesitate. “We’re having a baby.”
Clapping and cheering broke out as he let Ceva slide to the ground, but he didn’t release her. He held her close, kissing her and nuzzling her neck.
She felt loved and cherished in her mate’s arms, their pup growing inside her, and all because she’d taken a chance. This new life was Ceva’s chance, and she was going to make the most of it.
“So, about the timeline for the house.”
“I’ll bring on more men. It’ll be ready long before the baby’s due.”
“Witches gestate for only seven months, Wolfie.”
Lothar’s eyes got wide again. He lifted Ceva and placed her back on her blanket in the sun.
“Then I better get back to work. Seven months. I’m going to be a dad in less than seven months.”
Lothar gathered all the men around him and explained the reason for the new timeline. Phone calls were made, and men and women began showing up. It turned into a gathering of sorts, and soon barbeques were dragged over from their neighbors’ yards and food was everywhere. Karli, Joseph, and Rowl came over holding hands. The poor triad had to put their mating on hold until she met with the King’s order. She had to meet three eligible Alphas before she made her final choice to be with Joseph and Rowl. She had a chaperone, Laura, so there wouldn’t be any hanky-panky, and she slept in the Alpha’s house where they could keep an eye on her. Ceva would be keeping a close watch when these Alphas arrived. Nothing would happen to that sweet-hearted Omega, even if Ceva had to chaperone every meeting.
When the sun began to get low in the sky, Lothar and his crew came down from the new roof and joined the party. There were lots of back slaps for Lothar and hugs for Ceva. The entire evening was a blur of well wishes. After supper had been cleaned up, everyone returned to their homes, and Lothar and Ceva went inside theirs.
While the outside of the building looked rustic, the inside was contemporary and modern. The wood beams were still the highlight throughout the home, but the furniture wasn’t woodsy in the least. They had straight lines and bright colors filling their spaces. They had created a cheerful, comfortable, welcoming space.
“I’m going to take a shower. Would you like to join me?” Lothar asked.
“I’d be happy to, my mate.”
He took her hand and led her to their large bathroom. The only time he let go was to start the water. He seemed to need to touch her. She began to unbutton her dress, but he stopped her.
“Let me do that, beautiful.”
With steady hands, he undid her buttons, and her dress slipped to the floor. His warm lips nuzzled the side of her neck as he undid her bra. He leaned over and captured one of her nipples in his warm, wet mouth. A rush of excitement slid through her body like a wave while he lavished her with attention she so badly wanted. He slid his hands down her sides and removed her panties.
“Let’s get in the shower before I take you right here,” he groaned as he backed away and removed his own clothing. He took her hand again and helped her into the shower. The shower was huge. It could fit three people and had dual showerheads and wall sprayers. It was like a car wash for people.
He parked her under one showerhead and picked up the shampoo. He began to lather it in her hair, his fingers working their magic on her scalp and neck. Neither spoke; there didn’t seem to be a need. He put her head back under the showerhead and rinsed out her hair. She’d never had anyone do this for her before him. A sudsy loofah was next with cherry blossom body soap. At first when she bought it, she thought maybe it was too feminine, considering she’d been fighting most of her life, but the way he loved rubbing it all over her body made the decision easy. She had a three-month supply in the closet.
While he placed her back under the water, he turned to wash himself. Now where’s the fun in that? Ceva took the soap from his hand and worked up a big lather on his chest. His eyes started to glow, a sign his wolf was close to the surface. She caressed and rubbed every muscle and inch of skin from the top of his head down to his feet, but she left out that special needy place in between. After she’d made sure she’d cleaned almost his whole body, she went back and used the slippery soap to gently rub and clean his balls. His swollen, jutting cock kept poking her in the belly, and she thought how wonderful it was to know their baby was growing inside her.
She soaped up her hands some more and began pumping his cock, making him moan. His strong arms caged her in on both sides as she leaned back against the shower wall. His swift intake of breath was like music to her ears. She loved knowing she could make this big, strong man cry out for her. The water eventually washed away her bubbles, and Lothar went to his knees in front of her.
He lifted one of her legs and put it on his shoulder before he dove into her neatly trimmed mound. Her soft moans joined his as his tongue flicked her bud relentlessly before driving inside her. The sensations sent her soaring, and she found herself ready to let go, but he was tenacious and Ceva knew he wanted her right on the edge, ready to plunge into pleasure. He flicked at her a few more times then drove his tongue deep inside her, and she came with a scream of passion.
Ceva was still floating when he stood and wrapped his hands around her ass and lifted her up to straddle his waist. In one fluid movement, he lined himself up and impaled her with a deep thrust. The pleasure was exquisite as he raised and lowered her over and over again on his cock. His strong arms supported her effortlessly. Even though she’d come only a few minutes ago, she knew she wouldn’t last much longer and held on tighter, trying to hold off her impending orgasm. But there was no stopping it. She screamed her release again, knowing half the community must have heard them but not really caring. Lothar came seconds later with a loud groan then a howl. It wasn’t like they hadn’t heard the same on many nights coming from the other houses in the area.
Ceva lowered her legs and held on to Lothar to keep herself from falling. He scoope
d her up, and they both got back under the running water to finish rinsing off. Once they were done, he wrapped her in a fluffy towel, took her to their bedroom, and laid her gently on the bed.
“You know I can walk, my love,” she teased as she removed her towel and beckoned for him to join her.
“Why bother when I’m around?” He laughed and joined her on the bed, pulling her close as he placed his hand on her flat belly. “You’ll be thanking me when you’re seven months pregnant and your ankles swell up.”
“Hey, I’m going to be a spectacular pregnant woman, gorgeous and fabulous to the end.” She laughed.
“You will always be stunning and gorgeous to me. You’re carrying our baby. What could be more amazing than that?”
Lothar grew quiet for a moment as held her even tighter to his body. “I don’t like thinking about how close I came to losing you, mate. I never want to go through anything like that again.”
“Wait until your daughter starts dating, or your son asks for the keys to the truck. You’re going to have a lot of gray hair.”
“Hey, gray hair?”
“I happen to think gray is distinguished.”
“Yeah right, I’m not the one who’s going to get gray hair.”
“Even if I did, I’d still be fabulous.”
Lothar smiled. “Yes you would be.”
Lothar stood staring at the addition that would hold his children’s bedrooms. The pride he felt at being able to provide this for his family was immeasurable. The sun was just coming up over the tree line as he ran his hands across the timbers. This was where he and Ceva would raise their family.
“It’s coming along nicely.”
He didn’t need to turn around to know who stood behind him. He’d know the voice of his oldest friend anywhere. Aldric.
“What’s got you up so early this morning?”
“My son has his nights and days mixed up.” Aldric chuckled. “He just went down.”
“Ouch.”
“Well, you better get used to the idea of missing a lot of sleep when your pup arrives.”
“Yep, I can’t wait.”
“You’ve finally gotten everything you ever wanted. I’m happy for you, my friend.”
“Thank you, Aldric.”
“Now for the bad news.”
That had Lothar spinning around to face Aldric. “What’s wrong?”
“Ferone and Atilia, Karli’s parents, have selected the first of three Alphas to court their daughter.”
“So, in other words, all hell is about to break loose.”
“Yep. That sounds about right.”
“What do you need me to do?” Lothar offered.
“I need you to make sure Joseph and Rowl stay out of this. It’s the King’s order to make sure the little Omega has the choice of mating an Alpha or not.”
“I’ll keep an eye on them while the Alphas are here, but you know this is going to stir up the pack as well. We have eligible Omegas that have come to us from destroyed towns and villages that would love to meet Alphas. The only Omega who doesn’t want this option is the one forced into doing it.” Lothar scrubbed the back of his neck.
“You’re right. This is going to stir up trouble one way or another.” Aldric sighed.
“I need to speak frankly.” Lothar looked his friend in the eye.
“You know you always can with me. I may be your Alpha, but we are still close friends.”
“I don’t trust Ferone and Atilia. They’re power hungry and see their daughter as a direct line to an Alpha’s ear. They would be given preferential standing in any pack she mated into, and I believe that is what’s driving them, not the need to see their daughter happy.”
“I feel the same way. They may be trouble when this all comes to a head.” Aldric crossed his arms, a move that always signaled he was thinking. “We’ll have to keep an eye on them as well. Assign them a guard, and I don’t care if they refuse. If they intend to stay here while their daughter makes her choice, it’s mandatory.”
“They won’t like that in the least…. It’s perfect.” Lothar laughed.
“How’s Ceva?”
“She’s doing great. The morning sickness has begun to let up.” It had been a little over three weeks since Ceva told him she was pregnant. The addition was half completed and should only take a few more weeks to have the outside sealed tight, then they could start work on the inside.
“Good, it will be nice that our children will be growing up together like we did,” Aldric said.
“Yeah, it will.”
“Oh, Helena had a dream and wanted me to tell you that Ceva should go to the medical building and have an ultrasound.”
“Is something wrong with our baby?” Lothar’s heart began beating wildly.
“No…but you may need more than one crib.”
“Twins.”
Aldric smiled wide and nodded. “But you should still go have the ultrasound just to be sure.”
“Twins. We’re having twins.” Lothar stood there in shock. “Two.”
“Two what?” Ceva asked as she joined the men.
All Lothar could think to do was run up and hug her tight. She had given him so much, he shouldn’t be surprised she gave him two children at once.
“Two what?” she asked again.
Lothar turned to Aldric, but he was already gone, giving them the privacy they needed.
“We need to schedule an ultrasound.”
“Why?” Her voice was thick with worry. “Is there something wrong with the baby? Did Helena have a vision?”
“Helena had a dream that we were having two babies. Twins.”
Ceva put her hand over the small bump on her stomach. “That would explain why I’m showing so soon.”
Lothar was so excited he couldn’t help but lift her in the air and spin around.
“This is not going to help my morning sickness.”
He stopped immediately. The last thing he wanted to do was make his mate sick.
“How about we go in and call the clinic for an appointment?” he suggested.
“I have a better idea. Why don’t we go in and celebrate all by ourselves, and then we call the clinic.”
Lothar held her to his chest and began walking toward the front door. “I like the way your mind works, mate. Celebrations first.”
“Definitely.” Ceva laughed as she snuggled into his chest.
Lothar held everything that was important in his arms and he would never let them go.
Enjoy This Sneak Peek at Karli’s Resolve
Karli walked down the trail with her chaperone, Laura, one of the Omegas who had come to Black Ridge from the King’s palace with her princess, Helena. Ogres had destroyed Laura’s home, and she now lived with the pack as one of their own. She had been Karli’s chaperone for four weeks now, and they had become close in that time, displaced sisters of sorts. They would be attached at the hip until Karli made her choice. But in her mind, she’d already made that choice. It was, and would always be, Joseph and Rowl.
Believe it or not, what was causing all the uproar wasn’t that she wanted two men; that was fairly common. It was the fact that she was an Omega and by tradition she should be mated to an Alpha, but she’d chosen two warriors instead. Two strong men whom she’d known since childhood. Or at least she would be choosing them once her promise to the King was satisfied.
The forest was beautiful with its canopy of green and the sun shining through, dotting the forest floor with pockets of sunshine. Creatures big and small came and went as they walked. The shade was refreshing and cool on this hot August day, and the forest felt like their own little piece of heaven.
“So, are you ready to meet these Alphas?”
“No. But if this is the only way to keep my promise and get my parents off my back, I’ll take it.”
“Still planning to choose Joseph and Rowl?”
“Yes, with every fiber of my being.”
“What if one of the Alphas sweeps you
off your feet and wins your heart?”
“He won’t be able to because my heart already belongs to Joseph and Rowl.”
Laura smiled wide. “I’m so happy for you, finding the ones you want to spend the rest of your life with. I’ve been to the Omega celebration and didn’t find a soul I was interested in.”
Just then, Alpha Dedric walked past, waving hello to them before moving on through the woods. Karli watched as Laura perked up, her eyes following Dedric until he was out of sight.
“I thought you said you met all the eligible Alphas and none appealed to you?”
“He wasn’t at last year’s celebration,” Laura explained. “Who is he?”
“Alpha Dedric. He has a small pack a little west of here. He helped us defeat the ogres, but part of his town was destroyed during one of the battles. He and his people are staying here until they can send construction crews to set the town to rights again.”
Karli could tell Laura was interested in Dedric even after she mentioned he had a small pack. It was a good sign. Lots of Omegas steered clear of Alphas with smaller packs. It meant less money and power. Maybe Karli could do a little matchmaking of her own. Her heart lightened a little with that thought, but when she turned around, it fell just as quickly. He parents were heading their way, which was never good.
Laura saw them and immediately edged in front of Karli, but it was too late, they’d already seen her.
“Incoming,” Laura warned.
“Yep, seen them.”
“Karli… Karli. We’ve been looking for you everywhere, young lady.”
“Here we go again,” Karli whispered to Laura.
“What was that, Karli?” Atilia, her mother, asked.
“Hello once again, Mother. How may we help you?”
Karli wished it could be different between her and her parents. Every day she’d wake up hoping they’d realize what they were doing, but that never happened.
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