Claudia

“I do,” he nod patting my hand as he smooths the blankets on my bed. “Did you sleep alright?” he asks, his voice soft as he looks my way. “No, but I never sleep well without you,” he gives me a knowing smile as he squeezes my leg. “It should only be a couple more days, then we can take you home.” He gives me a wink, a signature trait I have seen him do countless times.

The first was when he first brought me to the pack house to meet Alpha Ansel. I don’t remember much about my home pack, but meeting Ansel and his girlfriend Gaia was a daunting experience. Sensing my nerves Braden gave me an encouraging wink. Gaia and I quickly became best friends. She was the most stunning girl I had ever seen with long flowing wavy blonde hair, bright blue eyes, tanned skin and rosy lips. She was the envy of every woman in the pack and annoyingly the kindest and sweetest person I had ever met. It was impossible to hate her.

Ansel was a rugged, intimidating man in his late thirties. After not finding his fated mate, he had started seeing Gaia with the promise that she would become his luna and she would give him an heir. Not the most romantic of stories, but Gaia, with her heart of gold, loved her pack and wanted to care for them.

To her, becoming luna and giving an heir was an honour she more than willingly accepted. Ansel’s age didn’t matter to her. She had known him for years as a child and told me she always had a crush on the man. I get it. He was handsome once you saw past that deadly alpha presence. Gaia was my age, and she helped me settle in.

I saw Braden every day for the first few months. Always with a sugeestive cheeky wink as he toyed with my hair or held my hand. He was the sweetest man I had met and one night he kissed me under the full moon and asked me to marry him. I was so excited that I said yes immediately. Knowing Gaia would be luna and I would be married to the beta, it meant I would be able to spend my time with my two favourite people in the world. What more could a girl ask for?

I’m pretty sure Braden has been my first and only man I have been with, kissed. Something I am glad about is I married the man I loved and have never had to deal with the sting of betrayal or rejection like so many I know suffer through. “What are you thinking about?” I smile as I see him watching my face. “How we first met,” he smiles back, his eyes gleaming as he looks at me. “The best day in my life was finding you. You changed everything for me,” he smiles as I blush. Sometimes he can be rather sweet.

I also love how this side of him is only something that I see. We have been married for so long and each day, month and year seems better than the last.

My face drops as I look down at my belly. The small bump has shrunk, but it’s still there. “The nurses gave you some medication to help … you will be back to normal by the time we leave,” I nod, not sure what else to say about it.

“When you’re better we shall try again, Claudia, just rest for now your body has been through so much,” he slicks his dark hair back that has fallen in front of his face. I sit there, a little stunned.

We haven’t even mourned this baby yet. I’m still in shock that this is even real and I’m not going to wake up from this nightmare. How can he be talking about trying again so soon? I know as the beta of the pack we need to lead by example and until Ansel produces an heir; we need to do our part for the pack. I snatch my hand from his, smoothing it over my stomach. I barely even feel like I have said goodbye. How can you say goodbye to something that was a part of you?