Kane has to help me in and out of the tub, which makes me feel helpless. Maybe if I could remember the last three weeks, could remember the pregnancy and my changing body, I wouldn't feel quit so inadequate. It all feels so surreal, almost like it’s happening to someone else.Nothing fits, so I find a pair of Kane’s boxers and one of his sweaters. I like the way his smell envelopes me, as if the soft shirt is hugging me with his scent. It’s comforting in a weird way, and I don’t want to take it off.He looks up and smiles at me when I walk into the living room. “Here,” he pats his knee.I don’t wait or argue with him. I waddle across the room and melt into his lap, sighing contently when he put his arms around me. I crave his closeness and protection, and for some unknown reason, I start rubbing against him, covering myself in his scent. I blush and stop. “Sorry,” I mumble.He wipes messy, wet hair from my face and pulls me in for a kiss. “It’s okay. It’s normal. You are, well, for la
“Willow,” Kane whispers in my ear. “You have to wake up now, my love.”“Hm,” I moan into the pillow. “Do I have to?”“Yes, our mothers are here to do the thing.”My eyes fly open, and I frantically look around the room, but it’s just Kane and me. “Where are they?”“In the living room still. I wanted to wake you myself.”Groaning loudly, I grab my stomach and sit up, swinging my legs off the bed. I feel sick and weak again, my head throbbing to the beat of my heart. “Gods, I thought this is over. Why do I feel so bad?”“Your mother said this would happen, that’s why we have to do the ritual every day.”I look over my shoulder at Kane. He is pale and shaky, sweat beads on his brow and his breathing is ragged. I wonder just how much of his life force I drain from him every day. “You don’t look so hot yourself.”“No, and I feel way fucking worse than I look.”I’ll allow my mother to come in here and do her magic if only to spare Kane the agony. He’s been through a lot and doesn’t deserve
Kane's POV I never thought something as simple as a walk could give me so much joy, but it does. Every morning after the ritual, Willow and I go downstairs where Tessa dutifully waits for us with a prepared basket. Having breakfast outside in the crisp, early morning, is becoming our own, private ritual, and we have already decided that we’ll continue doing it after the baby’s birth. After breakfast, I take Willow back to the apartment, then go down to the office to work. I am trying to get as much done as I can before she starts nesting. By that point, I won’t be able to leave her by herself anymore. “All the Alphas in your new kingdom have sworn fealty,” Jackson says. “What? I ask. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.” Jackson shakes his head and laughs at me. “The last two weeks are the worst.” “Yeah,” I agree. “Did any Alphas abstain?” “No, my king. We’ll arrange a ceremony so they can swear their oaths in person after your son’s birth.” I nod in agreement. “What about Richar
Kane's POV Kaylee and Ashley give me huge, conspiratorial grins when I walk up to the apartment. “What’s with you two?” I ask. “Nothing, my king, but we think we’ll have a little prince soon,” Kaylee says. “Or a princess, maybe?” Ashley offers. “It’s a prince for sure,” I say. “I take it the queen started nesting.” “And how. We heard a commotion and went to check on her…your closet is no longer a closet, my king.” Laughing and shaking my head, I step into the apartment. A low, warning growl emanates from the direction of the bedroom. No one but me can be near her now. It’s going to make the daily ritual a bit of a challenge. “It’s me, Willow,” I say and throw my briefcase on the couch. I follow a trail of shoes and clothes that she had thrown out of the closet and find her in the corner of the walk-in, tucked in under a shelf. She had gathered every blanket and pillow she could find, and made herself a cosy little nest. I crawl to her on my hands and knees and sit next to her on
I wake in pain. It feels like I went ten rounds with an MMC fighter and then went for a day-long workout in the gym. What happened? And how much time did I lose this time around?I look around the room, trying to figure out where I am. Kane is sitting in a chair next to the bed, his long legs stretched out before him, arms crossed over his chest, head drooping forward. I can’t help but smile at him.Still looking around the clinical room, I bring my hand up to feel for the baby and touch nothing but my soft, empty belly. No. No no no no. This can’t be. I didn’t go through all that hell just to lose him. Gathering my courage, I look down and stare at my deflated stomach. I gasp and try to hold back the tears. “Kane. Kane, wake up.” I have to stop myself from screaming.Kane snorts, inhales sharply, and snaps his head up. “I’m here, it’s fine, everything’s okay.”“No, it’s not. Where’s my baby?” I am frantic, and all I can think about is my baby. “I have to find him. What did you do to
The best thing about being a werewolf is the fact that I heal fast. A day after Adare’s birth, the incision in my stomach is healed, and the doctor can take out the stitches. I can move around easier, and my body doesn’t ache as much as it did in the hours after Adare’s birth. “That doesn’t mean you’re ready to run a marathon,” the doctor says sternly. “It will take a few weeks for you to heal properly, so take it easy.” I nod, barely listening to the doctor. I’m eager to get back up to the apartment so I can be alone with my pup and mate. Kane stands off to the side, cradling the baby in his arms while the doctor examines me. He only has eyes for his son and isn’t paying much attention to the doctor either. “I want you to come and see me next week,” the doctor goes on and lowers my gown. “No sex for at least three weeks.” I didn’t even think about sex, and judging by the surprise on my mate’s face, neither did Kane, but he smiles and winks at me. “Not every werewolf is a sex maniac,
Kane’s POV:I can feel Willow’s apprehension. She’s not in the mood for my mother, or anyone else for that matter, and the right thing to do would be to kick my mother out and be done with it. “Mother,” I say. “Willow is tired. You know better than anyone else how difficult the pregnancy was. Come back some other time. You’ve met the pup, now give us some time to settle in.”“After everything I’ve done to get her through the pregnancy, she can give me ten minutes of her time.”Helpless, I look at Willow, who just shrugs and nods. “Fine. Say what you want to say, mother.”“He can’t stay up here with you. It’s…unseemly,” Erica starts.I narrow my eyes at my mother. “That’s an old custom, mother. No one cares anymore.”She huffs and stares daggers at me. “That’s our family’s tradition.”“I’m not letting a bunch of strange she-wolves raise my baby,” Willow says.My mother’s mouth pulls down in disgust. “I am not a stranger.”Willow’s eyes flit to me then back to my mother. “What do you me
Kane's POV“Do you know what’s great about being a werewolf?” Willow asks four days after we came home with Adare.“Literally everything?”She snorts. “No, not everything. Werewolves are too emotional, and our hearts rule our heads all the time. No, the fast healing.”“Aren’t you used to that?” I ask. “Didn’t the witches instantly heal you when you were hurt or sick?”Willow shakes her head. “Depended on how long my father wanted me to suffer.”She says it matter of factly, like the thought doesn’t hurt, but I can feel it. I choose to ignore it because she’s trying to hide it from me. She jumps out of bed and stretches. I cringe inwardly. I want her to rest. After the difficult pregnancy and the C-section, all I want to do is wrap her up in cotton wool and stick her in a glass case to keep her safe.She leans over the cot and lifts Adare into her arms, walking back to the bed to nurse him. No one has been able to come near our apartment. Willow is easily the most protective she-wolf I