I laughed. I know," I said before I walked up to her and hugged her. "I missed you," I said with my cheek against her shoulder.
Selena hugged me back just as tight. "We missed you too, Babe," she said.
I pulled away from her. "So, you think my guy is hot, huh?" I asked.
Selena blushed. "Well, yeah," she admitted. She recovered from her embarrassment and grabbed me by the shoulders. "Tell me he has a brother!" she begged. "Please?"
I laughed because she reminded me of how perfect I thought she'd be for Riley if only she had been Lycan. Now that she was, I grinned. "How about a cousin?" I asked. "He's fresh out of brothers."
"A cousin is good," she said. "Does he look half that good?" she asked, pointing in a direction she assumed Wolfgang would be.
"They could be brothers," I said, assuring her that I wouldn't be setting her up with someone who couldn't meet her standards. "I'm sure you'll meet him tomorrow."
Selena made an excited, giddy noise as she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, clapping her hands. I couldn't help but laugh at her before she kissed my cheek. We walked into Sophia's room and sat down on the bed. The twins were the only ones who had known my plans from the beginning. Now it was time for the Q and A I knew they were desperate to have.
Selena dragged me into Sophia's room because it was easier for the standing people to join the sitting person. As we walked, Selena's fingers brushed against the ring Wolfgang had given me. She grinned as she pulled me down onto the bed with her and then held my hand so that she could look at the ring. "Damn, he is good," she said. "When did he propose?"
I chuckled. "The third night we were together," I replied. "But he did it again last night."
Of course, they demanded the details. Of course, I gave them the full story. There was no way of getting around it.
"So, wait," Selena said, "he proposed to you and included the baby in it?" she asked.
I nodded. "Yeah," I said. "He's happy about it..."
"He's happy..." Selena repeated. She sighed. "He's happy but you're not?" she asked. "Why not?"
I shrugged. "I don't know," I replied. "I'm trying to be. I'm trying so hard to be happy about this. I mean, it was get pregnant or get dead. I wasn't ready to die, but I'm sure as hell not ready to be a mother either. We haven't even announced it yet. Everyone knows, of course, but you're the first people I've said anything to."
"Of course we are," Selena said with a grin. "We're the twins." They laughed. She sighed and her face turned serious again. "It's not that you're not happy about the baby," she said, "it's that you're not looking at it from the right angle. You said it was either 'get pregnant or get dead'. Well, that's the problem. You need to change the way you look at the situation. It wasn't pregnant or dead, it was 'I have ten minutes left to live and I want to join with my soul mate forever'."
I smiled at her. "That's a good way of looking at it," I agreed. I sighed and looked at my ring. Yes, I did want to join with my soul mate forever. Yes, we did feel like we may have only had ten minutes left to live.
Maybe she was right...
"You know, he's a hell of a lot better than Todd," Sophia said with a smile. Selena laughed. "But that may be because Wolfgang's Lycan and Todd was just a Witch bastard."
"Todd's a Witch?" I asked.
The twins nodded. "Oh yeah," Selena said. "We're talking head of the coven type, like your girl out here. We were all in a constant battle over you, but we couldn't ever let you know about it. Why else do you think we weren't around when you were going out with him? Whether you realize it or not, Babe, you've been a key player in this world for a long time and our two sides have wanted you for years."
"Why?" I asked. "What's so special about me?"
Selena shrugged. "No one knows," Sophia replied. "We just know you are. Vanilla Moon is lucky to have you."
"So, are you guys staying or were you just saying that?" I asked.
"We already talked to Riker," Sophia replied. "Nothing is official yet because we don't have your Enkidu's permission. To be honest though, there isn't anywhere that we'd rather be. You need us here, Sweetie," she said. "Besides, we don't trust anyone to be your Guardians when you do become the Skaapie. No one loves you like we do so no one will protect you like we will."
I smiled at her and felt tears burn at my eyes because of how touched I was by what she'd said. I leaned forward and hugged her before Selena hugged me from behind.
"So, let's plan this baby shower thing," Selena whispered in my ear, causing the tender moment to end with laughter. "Boy or girl?"
"We don't know yet," I replied as we let each other go. "The baby's only three weeks. Its heart just started beating and you can't even hear it in an ultrasound yet. You're jumping the gun a little bit."
"I bet you guys have a name and a preference," Selena said with a grin. Had she somehow talked to Wolfgang in the last two hours that I didn't know about?"
"Boy and after his dad," I said. "Am I that predictable?" I asked.
"Well, I was hoping you were going to say girl and after me, of course," Selena replied. We chuckled. "If you're three weeks now, then you're looking at another thirty-three weeks until birth. We should schedule your baby shower for about twenty-six weeks, just to make sure you don't pop in the middle of it. You know, we should do little cupcakes with wolf cubs on them," she said with a grin. "If you don't want people knowing what you're having, we can have some with pink frosting and some with blue." She gasped, "Or we could even do a pink and blue tie-dye thing." She grinned.
I laughed. "You're very excited about this," I said.
She nodded. "Of course I am!" she cried. "We get another you!"
I smiled and realized that she was right. I had a reason to get excited about this baby. This wasn't a desperate situation, this was a 'desperate to be with Wolfgang' situation. That was the only thing that mattered, right?
It was the only thing that mattered to me.
We spent a few hours talking, about Adamsville and the things that were going on around here. We also talked a little about New York. They caught me up on the friends that I had left behind and clued me in on just who was what. It surprised me to find out that most of the student body at Walton had been either Witch or Lycan. It was as if our preternatural powers enabled us to acquire money, which meant our children went to the best possible schools. I wondered how many teachers were in the same position. After all, Abigail couldn't be the only preschool teacher who wasn't human....
It was great catching up with them. I almost started to feel like we were at home again, before things had turned inside out and upside-down. It was a good feeling, even though part of me didn't quite relax completely. I couldn't, not when it felt as though every time I let my guard down something bad happened to us.
Wolfgang came knocking on the door sometime around midnight. Both twins smiled up at him and he told me that he was going to bed. I recognized his desire to have me with him, so I smiled at the twins and stood up. There wasn't going to be much time for us in the near future, so I felt determined to get in as much as I could now.
Chapter 29 ~Ceres~
The next morning, we gathered at the dining room table. Leon sat at the head of the table with Ravyn on his right, indicating that he didn't think that my father was a threat. He didn't need to protect her. On his left side sat Mira, indicating that he would protect her at all costs. Wolfgang and I sat to the right of Ravyn, with the twins across from us. My mother sat next to Sophia and Derek sat opposite Leon. Which indicated that he felt safe enough that he didn't have to protect his woman even though they were in a new territory. I had a strong suspicion that if any one person sat in the wrong spot, tensions would have risen, and blood would be ready to spill.
The conversation remained light and stayed away from anything Lycan. This was breakfast. There would be time for business later. Mom and Ravyn got to know each other and had a lot in common, despite how little they had a shared interest in.
They told all our embarrassing childhood anecdotes, most of which Derek was hearing for the first time. Mom told everyone about the time ducks chased me in the park (which was even more funny and embarrassing now... all things considered). Ravyn told us about a time when Wolfgang was five and pretending to be a wolf so that he could jump off the staircase and break his arm. Needless to say, he and I were both horrified and tried to hide our shame.
To break the endless cycle of Tales from the Past, Wolfgang grinned at me and stood up. "Everyone," he said, calling their attention. "While I appreciate the stories of the trouble Ceres and I encountered as children," he said with a half-hearted glare. "Ceres and I would like to announce that we do have a baby on the way." Everyone clapped and I couldn't help but smile. They were all happy about this. They were happy for this. It made it a lot easier to be happy about it myself. Wolfgang cleared his throat and gestured for me to stand. "I would also like to announce that we are going to get married."
More clapping. More happiness. I looked at Wolfgang and met his eyes, smiling. I love you, I mouthed to him. He winked at me before he gave me a kiss.
"I love you too, Baby," he whispered in my ear.
Riley came in shortly before we were finishing with the meal. He kissed Ravyn's cheek before he scanned the rest of us. His eyes widened when he saw the twins sitting at the table and he faltered when his eyes met Selena's.
He didn't sit down. He didn't get food. Instead, he walked up to Selena and pulled her out of the chair. They locked eyes and I saw that they were both looking out at the world through amber. None of us said anything. I met Sophia's eyes across the table and nodded. She agreed with me. Two mates had just found each other.
They left the dining room without a word.
"Well, that was interesting," Ravyn said with a smile. "I think we may have another new wolf."
I looked at Sophia and wondered if there was a mate for her here as well. Sophia met my gaze and I saw sadness in hers. For their entire lives, they've done everything together. This one moment separated them. I gave her a sympathetic smile and wondered what would happen next.
I turned back to my eggs and finished them before I got up and took my plate to the kitchen. I stopped once I opened the dishwasher and stared at my plate in shock. I haven't been able to stomach eating eggs since I was a little girl. I had the flu once when I ate an omelet. It wasn't pretty.
Wolfgang came in behind me. "Well, it looks like Riley's going to be settling down after all," he said. He stopped and watched me for a moment. "Are you okay?" he asked.
I cleared my throat and looked up at him. "I hate eggs," I said. "I can't stand eating them—they make me sick to my stomach."
"You ate them all," he replied.
I nodded and smiled. "This pregnancy thing is getting a little more real every day," I said.
Wolfgang smiled before he pulled me into the circle of his arms. He kissed me. "I guess we should go to the clinic then," he said with a smile.
I nodded. "I guess so," I said.
We went to the clinic that afternoon. While we were there, Selena spent time getting to know Riley, Mom and Ravyn got to know each other, and Derek and Leon talked shop. Sophia, the odd one out, came with us for support.
The girl behind the counter, Bree, looked up at us in surprise when we walked in. "You're not bleeding?" she asked. Wolfgang shook his head. "Silver?" she asked. I shook my head. "You're fine?" she asked. We nodded. She let out a relieved sigh. "Thank the gods, because Charity doesn't want you guys coming in here near death again for months." She chuckled. "What can we do for you today?"
"I'm pregnant," I said. "We need to figure out all the ins and outs and everything else in between."
Bree stared at us in shock for a moment. "You mated?" she asked. Wolfgang nodded. "Wow," she whispered. "Okay," she said as she shuffled for some paperwork. She affixed a few sheets of paper to a clipboard. "Fill that out and Charity will call you back when she's ready for you," she promised.
Fifteen minutes later, I sat on the exam table in the office with Wolfgang and Sophia sitting in comfortable chairs. I felt like I was on display.
Dr. Cyrus came in a few minutes later. She looked at my chart before she smiled at me. "Nice to see you as a conscious patient," she said. I chuckled and tried to be humorous about it. Unfortunately, she had a point. "So," she said, "are you excited about the baby?"
I smiled and nodded. "I am now," I replied, smiling at Wolfgang. "It took a little bit."
Dr. Cyrus smiled. "I'm sure it took some adjusting. How long ago did you take the pregnancy test?" she asked.
"Two weeks ago?" I asked, looking at Wolfgang. He nodded with a shrug. "We've been busy preparing for my family to come into town, otherwise we would have been here sooner."
"Not to worry," Dr. Cyrus said. "Go ahead and lay back and we'll get started," she added with a smile.
When we got back to the house a few hours later, there was another car in the driveway. Wolfgang stared at it as he shut off the car. "What is he doing here?" he muttered before he opened the door. Sophia got out on the other side of me and I followed her. Since the snow had melted a little and there hadn't been another huge storm, there was a clear path to the door that made for easy access. We followed that path and shed our coats in the mudroom, before walking into the house.
When we entered, balloons fell from the ceiling and people threw streamers at us. Wolfgang caught one right before it found my face, and we stared at everyone. They even surprised Sophia.
Riley grinned at us amidst the chaos. "You've announced a baby and an engagement this morning," he said. "I wasn't here for that part, but it's cause for a good party, so that's what we're going to do. It's not much, but all of the people you both care about most in the world are in this house, so I figured that this was the best time to do it."
"Wow..." Wolfgang and I whispered as we looked around.
"What are cousins for?" Riley asked before he and Wolfgang did the manly shoulder-bump-hug thing.
I smiled at them as Selena peeked her head out around Riley. I looked for a bite scar and didn't see it. "You're welcome!" she said with a grin.
I laughed as I hugged her. "You're the best," I said.
"Anything for you, Babe," she replied.
That was when a blonde man wearing a high school Letterman’s jacket stepped up to Wolfgang. "Hey," Wolfgang said with a smile before they did the same shoulder-bump-hug. They turned toward us. "Luke, you haven't met Ceres yet," he said, gesturing to me. I held my hand out to Luke, but his eyes were on the woman to my left.
"Hello, earth to Luke?" Wolfgang asked. He waved his hand in front of Luke's face before we looked at Sophia. She was just as entranced as he was. Wolfgang and I met each other's gazes and smiled. I grabbed Sophia by the shoulders and moved her to stand in front of Luke.
"Soph, this is Luke," I said. "Luke, meet Sophia."
"Hi," they whispered to each other.
Wolfgang and I laughed. He took Luke's arm and I took Sophia's. We pressed their hands together and it seemed to be the electrical shock needed to make them connect. They converged on each other and kissed. Wolfgang and I stepped back and I noticed Selena staring at her twin in shock.
Leon came up behind us a moment later. "That's two new pack members then?" he asked.
Wolfgang and I chuckled. "Yes," I said with a nod. "It just needs confirming."
The party was fun. There was plenty of food for the simple gathering. Someone had even gone out to get cupcakes for everyone. True to Selena's suggestion, the cupcakes had pink and blue tie-dye frosting. It was fantastic.
A short time later, the twins approached Wolfgang and me. "We want to ask your father to join the pack," Sophia said. They glanced at their respective mates. "Please?"
Wolfgang nodded. "He's already expecting the request," he said before he guided them to Leon. I watched as I licked the frosting off my cupcake. Leon nodded to them and said something I didn't hear over the music. I smiled bec
ause I knew that my sisters would finally be here with me.
The week blew by in a blur. We showed everyone the town the next day, acquainting them with our tiny little niche in the world. Sophia requested to stop by the clinic once more to talk to Dr. Cyrus about joining her practice. Selena found an old building that she thought would be the perfect location for a veterinary clinic. She looked at me, and I knew that even if I didn't want to be a lawyer anymore, I was going to use those skills a few more times in my lifetime. Though, of course, if I was representing the clients I wanted to represent, I had a feeling that being a lawyer would be a lot more enjoyable.
The twins also tried to talk me into looking at wedding dresses while we were out. I managed to refrain, but only on the promise that they could help me plan the whole wedding—starting as soon as we got back to the house. Not even Wolfgang could save me from their excitement.
And then the full moon arrived. February was a cold month, but it wasn't as cold as January. Still, even with sub-zero temperatures, many people still gathered for the hunt nude. I stood next to Wolfgang and looked out at the crowd. With us were the twins and a young girl who looked apprehensive and nervous. She looked to be about only nine, so I knew that this would be her first full moon.
Leon introduced the three of them to the pack. As he had with me, he had them drink blood from a cut on his arm to bond them to both his line and this pack.
When they finished, Leon thrust his fist into the air. "RUN FAST!" he shouted.
"RUN FREE!" we responded.
Wolfgang looked at me with a grin before he kissed me farewell. He turned and ran with the rest of the pack while I stayed behind and watched them move farther away from me. I sighed, wishing that I could go with them. I closed my eyes and listened to them howl with the joy of the hunt and move through the trees like whispers through the wind.
And then, the voice of my baby brother cried out and I looked at the very pregnant woman who held him. "Come here, Killian," I said as I stepped down from the stone. I took him from her and followed the rest of them back to the house. In the morning, we would be waiting for the pack at the resting grounds with clothes and breakfast.
Vanilla Moon: Awakening Page 27