Page 2 of Fated Secret Baby

“I don’t get favorite auntie status by being lame. Besides, I’ve missed out on four years of spoiling her up close.”

“You send her a new toy, like every six weeks.”

“I said up close.” Amara shakes her head as she starts the truck, and we pull out into the road. “It’s different when I get to see the in-the-moment reaction.”

Juniper is still chattering in the backseat, and I wave at her. “Well. Here it is. You did it. Are you happy with yourself?”

“Immensely.”

I shake my head. But the truth is that I feel incredibly lucky that Amara loves Juniper so much. She’s one of only a couple of people in Oakwood who know about her. She was the only one until about a month ago, when Ember Greene sat me down and convinced me to go to Oakwood.

I don’t know if I’m regretting my decision yet. Seeing Amara with Juniper makes me think that coming here was a good idea.

Then, part of me remembers that Amara was never the reason I stayed away.

“So,” Amara says cautiously. “Are we going to talk about?—”

“Not now,” I cut her off with a meaningful glance back at my kid, whose nose is pressed against the window as she takes in the scenery. “Later.”

“Okay. I’m going to hold you to that, though. None of your trademark Calista evasion tactics, please.”

I roll my eyes. “Fine. I promise we’ll talk about it later.”

“Good.” Amara nods. “How’s your mom?”

“She’s fine.” I think of the argument my mom and I had in Fort Myers before I left. “Didn’t think this was a good idea, but fine.”

“She just likes having Juniper all to herself out there in Florida.”

That’s the truth. I left Orion’s pack with a broken heart almost five years ago, when the pack still lived in Alaska, and didn’t find out that I was pregnant with Juniper until I’d already cried all the tears I possibly could onto my mom’s shoulder. Juniper really was, and is, the best light I have from that dark time.

And you’re walking right back here, like an idiot.

“She does, but she’s just protective. She trusts that I’m making the right decision,” I say.

That’s a little bit of an understatement. She trusts that I’m making the right decision, but doesn’t believe it.

I don’t think I believe it myself.

Amara looks over at me, then back at the road. “We’ll talk later,” she says quietly.

“Yeah,” I sigh.

“Junebug, your mom tells me that you’re really into Elena Arti,” she calls into the backseat.

The mention of Juniper’s favorite singer causes a whole new squeal.

Amara puts the familiar song on, and she and my daughter sing at the top of their lungs. I smile, but I’m quiet as the mountains roll away around us.

All the doubts that I’ve been ignoring claw at my mind.

They mostly focus on one thing.

When I left the pack, it was because the man I thought I was in love with, the man who is the father of my child, rejected me. Now that I’m back, I have no idea how he’s going to take it. And I don’t know what he’s going to do when I tell him about Juniper.

Orion Alderan rejected me once. What’s keeping him from doing it again?

Back at Amara’s place, the ice cream is consumed. There’s more dancing and singing along to Juniper’s favorite artist.

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