“They’re all cozy in there. Your daddy would—”
“I don’t care what my daddy would think. He’s not here to help me!” Rylie snapped, glaring at her aunt.
Gwyn’s hand stilled. “Don’t use that tone with me. Being scared is no reason to disrespect his memory.”
“Scared? I am so much more than scared, Aunt Gwyn. What am I going to do?”
“You’re going to deal with it,” she said matter-of-factly. “And I’m not going to listen to melodramatic whining on the subject. You’re allowed to be intimidated. That’s normal. But there’s a lot of terrible things in this world, many of which we’ve seen firsthand, and two wonderful little babies are not among those terrible things. You hear me?”
“Easy for you to say,” Rylie muttered.
Gwyn grabbed a mug of coffee, warming her hands on the outside without drinking. “You won’t have to deal with this alone, babe. I’m with you every step of the way.”
Seth had said something like that, too. It hadn’t been comforting then, and it wasn’t comforting now.
Levi pushed through the back door, stomping mud and slush on Gwyn’s clean linoleum. Rylie was glad for the distraction. She flipped the ultrasound pictures face-down on the table.
“Where have you been?” she asked.
“I was picking up the new werewolf from the airport.” Levi peeled off his boots. “Abel was probably too busy getting drunk to do it himself.”
He ambled toward the living room, and Rylie sniffed the air as he passed. “Why do you smell like Tate’s aftershave?”
“So Bekah told you.”
“She didn’t tell me anything.” Rylie turned in her chair to face him. “How did you run into Tate while going to the airport?”
“Why do you care? You ate his mom.”
Rylie shoved her chair back to stand, but before she could speak, Stephanie elbowed past Levi to enter the room. “What’s going on here?” she asked.
“Werewolf pissing contest,” Gwyn said.
Levi glared. “I’m glad you think it’s funny.”
He moved to leave, but Stephanie grabbed his arm. She was a tall woman, so she could look him straight in the eye. “I don’t care about werewolf pack Alpha nonsense,” she said. “You’re not allowed to get into fights with Rylie anymore. This is a health issue. You have to set aside your pettiness for the sake of her babies.”
His eyes widened. “Babies?”
“Whatever issues you have, they can wait,” Stephanie went on, ignoring his question. “She needs to rest.”
“Then it sounds like she’s not in good enough shape to be Alpha anymore, does it?” Levi asked, shooting a look at Rylie before storming out of the room.
Rylie moved to follow him, but Stephanie blocked her. “Get out of my way,” Rylie said. “He’s challenging my dominance!”
“And you’re hardly in a position to fight back. As your doctor, I forbid it.” Stephanie washed her hands at the sink, dried them on a towel, and grabbed her jacket off the back of a chair. “You’re officially off Alpha duty. If that means letting Levi have the pack, then let him have it.”
“But—”
“No buts. I’m serious.” Stephanie jerked her jacket closed, gave Rylie a stern look, and marched out the back door.
“No,” Rylie said, even though there was nobody left for her to argue with. “He can’t have my pack.”
“Stephanie’s right, babe. This isn’t the time to be fighting with anyone.” Aunt Gwyn lifted the mug to her lips without drinking, as if relishing the smell. “But there’s an Alpha male wandering around who can.”
Rylie bit her lip and flipped over the scans again. Stephanie had taken several pictures, including one that was meant to show the babies’ faces. They were too blurry to tell if either of them actually had noses and mouths, much less whether they resembled Seth or Abel.
Gwyn was right. Abel would be happy to fight Levi.
“I think he’s gone,” Rylie said. “He got in a fight with Seth this morning.”
“Then you know what
“I don’t care what my daddy would think. He’s not here to help me!” Rylie snapped, glaring at her aunt.
Gwyn’s hand stilled. “Don’t use that tone with me. Being scared is no reason to disrespect his memory.”
“Scared? I am so much more than scared, Aunt Gwyn. What am I going to do?”
“You’re going to deal with it,” she said matter-of-factly. “And I’m not going to listen to melodramatic whining on the subject. You’re allowed to be intimidated. That’s normal. But there’s a lot of terrible things in this world, many of which we’ve seen firsthand, and two wonderful little babies are not among those terrible things. You hear me?”
“Easy for you to say,” Rylie muttered.
Gwyn grabbed a mug of coffee, warming her hands on the outside without drinking. “You won’t have to deal with this alone, babe. I’m with you every step of the way.”
Seth had said something like that, too. It hadn’t been comforting then, and it wasn’t comforting now.
Levi pushed through the back door, stomping mud and slush on Gwyn’s clean linoleum. Rylie was glad for the distraction. She flipped the ultrasound pictures face-down on the table.
“Where have you been?” she asked.
“I was picking up the new werewolf from the airport.” Levi peeled off his boots. “Abel was probably too busy getting drunk to do it himself.”
He ambled toward the living room, and Rylie sniffed the air as he passed. “Why do you smell like Tate’s aftershave?”
“So Bekah told you.”
“She didn’t tell me anything.” Rylie turned in her chair to face him. “How did you run into Tate while going to the airport?”
“Why do you care? You ate his mom.”
Rylie shoved her chair back to stand, but before she could speak, Stephanie elbowed past Levi to enter the room. “What’s going on here?” she asked.
“Werewolf pissing contest,” Gwyn said.
Levi glared. “I’m glad you think it’s funny.”
He moved to leave, but Stephanie grabbed his arm. She was a tall woman, so she could look him straight in the eye. “I don’t care about werewolf pack Alpha nonsense,” she said. “You’re not allowed to get into fights with Rylie anymore. This is a health issue. You have to set aside your pettiness for the sake of her babies.”
His eyes widened. “Babies?”
“Whatever issues you have, they can wait,” Stephanie went on, ignoring his question. “She needs to rest.”
“Then it sounds like she’s not in good enough shape to be Alpha anymore, does it?” Levi asked, shooting a look at Rylie before storming out of the room.
Rylie moved to follow him, but Stephanie blocked her. “Get out of my way,” Rylie said. “He’s challenging my dominance!”
“And you’re hardly in a position to fight back. As your doctor, I forbid it.” Stephanie washed her hands at the sink, dried them on a towel, and grabbed her jacket off the back of a chair. “You’re officially off Alpha duty. If that means letting Levi have the pack, then let him have it.”
“But—”
“No buts. I’m serious.” Stephanie jerked her jacket closed, gave Rylie a stern look, and marched out the back door.
“No,” Rylie said, even though there was nobody left for her to argue with. “He can’t have my pack.”
“Stephanie’s right, babe. This isn’t the time to be fighting with anyone.” Aunt Gwyn lifted the mug to her lips without drinking, as if relishing the smell. “But there’s an Alpha male wandering around who can.”
Rylie bit her lip and flipped over the scans again. Stephanie had taken several pictures, including one that was meant to show the babies’ faces. They were too blurry to tell if either of them actually had noses and mouths, much less whether they resembled Seth or Abel.
Gwyn was right. Abel would be happy to fight Levi.
“I think he’s gone,” Rylie said. “He got in a fight with Seth this morning.”
“Then you know what
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