(Katelyn's POV)I stared at the phone screen, Helen’s name glowing back at me like it was daring me to press the button. My finger hovered over “Call” for far longer than I cared to admit.Jesus Christ, just fucking do it, Kate! You're making this so much worse than it needs to be! I scolded myself.With a deep breath, I pressed the button and brought the phone to my ear. The dial tone stretched out endlessly before Helen’s familiar voice finally answered.“Katelyn. Thanks for calling,” she greeted warmly, but there was an underlying tension in her voice that made my chest tighten.“Hi, Helen,” I said, trying to keep my tone casual, even though my anxiety levels were well through the roof by this point. “You said I should call you?”“Yes,” she replied, her tone shifting to something more serious. “I... I wanted to give you a heads-up before anything official comes through. The Council has been deliberating, and… well, it’s looking more and more likely that they’re going to ask you to
(Katelyn's POV)Tyler had left the room to take a call from his dad about some pack stuff, leaving Ryder and me on our own.I was curled up on the sofa beside him, my mind still focused on my conversation with Helen as I wondered when they were going to call me in.One of Ryder's arms was wrapped around me, while his other hand held mine, his fingers gently stroking over my knuckles as they rested in my lap. Every now and again he would press a gentle kiss to my temple and whisper how much he loves me.I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying it. I felt loved and appreciated and important, but at the same time, there was absolutely no denying that he seemed to be a lot more affectionate than usual and I began to wonder what was going on. I wasn't sure whether I should say something about it or just let it play out.Eventually, my curiosity got the best of me."Not that I'm complaining, but you seem to be in a very loving mood today," I murmured softly after he trailed another volley o
(Ryder's POV)Tyler had disappeared, a serious look on his face as he spoke to Dad on the phone. A strange feeling settled in my chest as I watched him walk out of the room, realizing that soon that was going to be me. I was going to have to stop whatever I was busy with to attend to pack business.The thought filled me with dread, but at the same time, it didn't feel wrong.Kate leaned into me, her head resting on my shoulder, her hair brushing softly against my neck as I held her close. My perfect distraction.Something was different today. I don't think it was her who was different though, I think it was me... I couldn't seem to get enough of her. From the moment I opened my eyes, I just wanted to touch her, to hold her, to have her close to me.My arm was wrapped around her waist, and her hand rested lightly in mine. My fingers traced absent patterns over her skin, movements I barely registered but couldn’t seem to stop.She felt… fragile. Not in the way a porcelain doll does, but
(Tyler's POV)I hung up the phone and stared down at the screen with a sigh. There was nothing too pressing going on. Just the usual, a couple of disputes and disagreements within the pack, updates on border checks, that kind of thing.But still... I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.The sound of the TV show in the living room filtered down the hallway as I headed back, trying to come up with some reason for Kate not to go.As I entered, everything appeared normal. She was snuggled up against Ryder, her head tucked under his chin while his arm was draped around her, holding her protectively. The sight should have been reassuring, but for some reason, it wasn't."Everything okay?" she asked, straightening up a little as she saw me lingering in the doorway.I nodded absentmindedly, "Yeah. All fine," I replied, but I wasn't sure that it really was.With another sigh, I took a seat on the armrest of the sofa, watching her as I tried to make sense of my feelings."What?" s
(Katelyn's POV)I'd say that the drive to Ash's house was quiet, but I'd be lying. None of us were talking, but Ryder had the music cranked up, so the car was filled with the sound of guttural growls and double bass drums that made me question how a human being could possibly move their feet so fast.I loved it, but it was clear that Tyler was not having the best time.Ryder's fingers tapped against the steering wheel in rhythm with the beat, while Tyler stared out the passenger window, his jaw tight like he was still trying to convince himself that this wasn’t a terrible idea.I didn't hold it against him. I knew his protectiveness was coming from a good place, and honestly, it was kind of sweet to know that he cared about me so much. But I also knew that if I didn’t draw some lines now, I’d never be able to go anywhere without one or both of them hovering over me like a couple of bodyguards.The truck rumbled to a stop outside Ash’s place and Ryder turned the music down. I spotted J
(Katelyn's POV)Jenna and I sat side by side in the waiting room, the quiet murmur of conversation and the occasional rustle of magazine pages filling the space around us. The faint scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, and while it was familiar, it wasn't exactly comforting.Jenna leaned back in her chair, one leg crossed over the other as she looked around the room with an uncomfortable expression. She shifted in her seat as if she couldn't get comfortable, then blurted out, "God, this place reminds me of my old job,” with a frown."Oh, right. Dr Miller's office," I replied with a knowing smile.She had hated that job. She hadn't been doing it for long when I had left Colorado, but even in that short time, she had complained about it bitterly.Apparently, Dr Miller had been a pain in the ass and Jen would always complain about the fact that she had to wear long sleeves because he didn't approve of her tattoos.“It was honestly awful. People yelling at you because their insurance d
(Katelyn's POV)"Grey!" the receptionist's voice called out, clear as a bell.My stomach twisted into a tight knot.“You’ve got this, babe,” Jenna said, giving my arm a reassuring squeeze. "I don't mind waiting out here if you'd be more comfortable," she offered with a smile that told me there would be no hard feelings if that's what I wanted."I... I..." I stammered, standing up and looking between her and the long hallway that led to the doctor's office.I felt sweaty and clammy, my stomach threatening to lose its contents as my anxiety reached critical levels. "Come with me," I blurted, the words sounding more like a desperate plea than a simple request."Of course," she replied with a gentle smile, standing up and linking her arm with mine. "I've got your back."I nodded, taking a deep breath as I forced myself to put one foot in front of the other, making my way down the long, white hallway with Jenna at my side.There were a number of names on the doors as we passed them by. "Wh
(Katelyn's POV)The silence in the room was unbearable as Dr. Connors studied the test. My heart pounded, each beat feeling sharper than the last and I could feel sweat beginning to pool at the base of my spine.“It’s positive,” Dr. Connors said, looking down at the test on the desk in front of her.My stomach flipped violently. “What?!” I blurted, my voice echoing in the hollow room.“It’s positive,” she repeated, looking at me with a measured expression.I blinked at her, my mind scrambling to process the information. “No, no, no,” I stammered, shaking my head furiously. “That can’t be right. How many stripes should it have?" I demanded to know, certain that she must be mistaken."One stripe is negative, two is positive," she explained, pushing the test toward me for verification."Well then you're wrong, when I—" The words died on my lips as I looked down at the test in front of me. Two stripes. One was faint, but very clearly a stripe.My mouth went dry, my lungs forgot how to wo
(Katelyn's POV)"You're okay," Tyler whispered over and over again, but I wasn't sure whether he was talking to me or to himself.“What the fuck was that, Kate?!” Ryder's voice demanded.I shook my head, against Tyler's chest, still trying to come to terms with where I was and what was going on here."I... I just..." I tried to reply, but my voice was weak and hoarse.Tyler kissed the top of my head, his own breathing uneven as he gently stroked my hair, still holding me against him in a death grip. "Sshhh... Sshhh..." he hushed me, shaking his head as he rocked me back and forth."Never again. Never a-fucking-gain. Okay? You're never doing that again, Katelyn," Ryder's voice was sharp and firm, leaving no room for argument or debate. "Never again..." he repeated, sounding more exhausted now.It took a few minutes for me to regain my bearings as Tyler continued to whisper soft reassurances in my ear, rocking me back and forth against his chest like a child.I heard the sound of footst
(Katelyn's POV)The airplane’s engines droned softly as I stared out the window, the world below reduced to quilted patches of green and brown earth divided by winding roads.New Haven, Connecticut... The Council Headquarters. We were still a few hours away, but the gravity of what awaited me felt like a noose around my neck.I adjusted my seatbelt for what felt like the hundredth time and closed my eyes, leaning back into my seat and letting my thoughts drift back over the last two days at home. The two days I’d spent trying, and failing, to harness my telekinesis. The two days that had left me feeling more exhausted, more frustrated, and more anxious than before.I’d wanted so badly to figure it all out before I faced The Council. I’d tried everything I could think of. At first, I tried to recreate the conditions of those emotional surges, thinking maybe I could trick my mind into somehow flipping that internal switch. I thought about arguments. About fear. About sadness. But nothin
(Katelyn's POV)The next day started off like any other, but with the new weight and responsibility of pregnancy pressing down on me. I'd made a call to Dr Connors's offices to try and get a better idea of how far along I was and we managed to gauge that I was about three weeks in. She said they would be able to confirm by checking measurements and all that stuff at my first scan, but for now, I was three weeks in. Three out of forty. It somehow felt like too much and not enough at the same time.Shortly after the call, Alpha David's voice called from upstairs. My blood went cold and the twins and I exchanged worried glances."Jesus, do you think he overheard that?" I asked, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights.Tyler shook his head. "I doubt it..." but still, he looked as concerned as I felt.The fact that David had bothered to call us upstairs personally, rather than sending Tyler a message like he usually did, didn’t escape me. This time, he’d taken the effort to personally
(Katelyn's POV)Ryder's hand lingered on my stomach for a moment, but then he sighed and dropped it."So... What do we do now? I mean, I guess this thing is happening. Do we have to start picking names and shit?" he asked, his eyes filled with fear and uncertainty.I shook my head. "I don't really know. Can't say this has ever happened to me before. I don't even know how far along I am... I kinda freaked out and left the doctor's office before she got to tell me..." I admitted."Well, you should probably find out," Tyler suggested, slipping his hand into mine and giving it a squeeze. "A timeline might be helpful here."I shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll try get hold of the doctor's office tomorrow to see if she can give me more details. She said something about an OBGYN. I think she gave me a referral or something. Maybe Jen knows more of the details. My brain was all over the place," I explained, feeling a little stupid for not paying more attention to something so fucking
(Katelyn's POV)Ryder fell into silence, not finishing his thought as his jaw tightened and his hands balled into fists.Tyler’s hand rested reassuringly on mine, his presence a steadying force, but Ryder’s tense silence was killing me. He looked like a caged animal, his eyes filled with fear and uncertainty.“I…” Ryder started, but his voice faltered. He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as frustration flashed across his face. “How am I supposed to do this?!” he suddenly blurted, his voice sharp and rising with each word. “For fuck’s sake! I’ve just agreed to take on the role of Alpha! Now I need to play dad too?! When is it going to stop?! When is it going to be enough?!”He stood up again and began pacing, his movements erratic and tense. “I can’t! I can’t do all of this at the same time! It’s too much! How the fuck am I supposed to deal with this?!”His words hit me like a slap, leaving me momentarily stunned. The fear and uncertainty I had been feeling all day were
(Katelyn's POV)The drive home had felt too short. Jenna and I had spent lunch talking in circles, and I knew she was just trying to distract me, to lighten the load, but there was no amount of banter or brainstorming that could make this easier.When she’d suggested checking out some stores for the twins’ birthday gifts, I’d briefly considered it, but ultimately, I'd ended up saying no. I was way too distracted to focus and it felt like it would be a total waste of time. So, instead, she called the Uber, and we headed home.The drive was quiet, my thoughts too loud to leave room for conversation. All I could think about the entire way was what I was going to say, rehearsing it in my mind and trying to come up with the right words, but I guess there are only so many ways you can say, 'I'm pregnant', right?When the Uber pulled up outside the house, Jenna gave me a tight hug. “You’ll be fine,” she murmured, her hands gripping my shoulders as she looked me in the eye. “You’re going to t
(Katelyn's POV)"You can tell them the truth, babe," Jenna said with a reassuring smile. "I mean, that's what I'd recommend.""What if... What if I can't do this? What if... What if I don't want this life?" I whispered softly, ashamed to be saying the words out loud.Jenna squeezed my hand. "Well, that's something you need to think about. It's not a decision to make on a whim. But if that's what you decide, I'll be there for you every step of the way. I'll hold your hand in the appointment and tell you that everything is going to be okay. I would never let you do this on your own, okay? Never," she assured me, looking into my eyes with a fierceness that told me she wasn't kidding."Do you want to think it over for a while before you talk to the twins about it?" she suggested, her hand still clutching mine across the table.I shook my head. "No. I can't keep this from them. Even if I wanted to, I know I wouldn't be able to.""Babe, I'm sure they're going to be super supportive," she ins
(Katelyn's POV)The words echoed in my ears, bouncing around my skull but refusing to settle into anything coherent.“No,” I whispered, shaking my head as tears began to well up in my eyes. “I can't... That can't... This wasn’t...” but the words evaporated into thin air as I tried to reason this out.Dr Connors watched me carefully. “I know this might be a lot to take in,” she said, keeping her tone professional but supportive. “But you have options, Katelyn. You don’t need to make any decisions right now. Perhaps you should just take some time to process this.”“Options?” I repeated numbly, the word tasting foreign on my tongue.Her meaning was clear, but I couldn’t focus on it. I couldn’t focus on anything. The tears spilled over, sliding down my cheeks as my chest heaved with quiet sobs.Jenna was at my side instantly, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. “It’s okay, babe,” she murmured. “We’ll figure this out, okay? You’re not alone in this. I'm here with you.”I couldn’t even bri
(Katelyn's POV)The silence in the room was unbearable as Dr. Connors studied the test. My heart pounded, each beat feeling sharper than the last and I could feel sweat beginning to pool at the base of my spine.“It’s positive,” Dr. Connors said, looking down at the test on the desk in front of her.My stomach flipped violently. “What?!” I blurted, my voice echoing in the hollow room.“It’s positive,” she repeated, looking at me with a measured expression.I blinked at her, my mind scrambling to process the information. “No, no, no,” I stammered, shaking my head furiously. “That can’t be right. How many stripes should it have?" I demanded to know, certain that she must be mistaken."One stripe is negative, two is positive," she explained, pushing the test toward me for verification."Well then you're wrong, when I—" The words died on my lips as I looked down at the test in front of me. Two stripes. One was faint, but very clearly a stripe.My mouth went dry, my lungs forgot how to wo