Page 73 of Ascension of the Pack

‘Are you due on?’ she asked.

We haven’t bled for five weeks,Esme noted.

I froze.Are you serious?

Yes.

I pulled out my phone and scrabbled through my calendar. I always kept a note of my periods, a habit from when they’d been infrequent when I was growing up. I scrolled back to the last one I’d noted and counted forward. She was right. I was more than a week late.

I whirled around to Greg, my eyes wide with panic. ‘I’m late. I’m a week late!’ Sure, I wanted kids – but eventually. Hypothetically. I wasn’t ready foractualkids.

He pulled me close. ‘Don’t freak out. Everything will be fine. Do you want me to go to the pharmacy and get a test?’

I swallowed hard as I suddenly thought of the gentle hug the orb had given me and the pinkandblue light it had showed over my tummy. Oh boy. Twins? Was I reaching? Possibly. Was I freaking out? Most definitely.

Two pups would be great.Esme was wagging her tail like crazy.Three would be better.

Bite your tongue!I almost fainted at the thought of triplets.

‘A test. Yes. Get a test. Get five!’ I ordered. He gave me a brief kiss and left the house.

‘He’s ever so obedient.’ My mum sighed dreamily and cast a sidelong glance at my dad. ‘That must be nice.’

‘Hey,’ Dad objected. ‘I cook, I do the dishes and I take out the rubbish. I’m a modern man.’

Mum smiled. ‘You are. But you’re still not obedient.’

Dad sniffed. ‘You want obedience, get a dog.’

I started to pace. ‘Lucy,’ Mum said. ‘It’ll be okay.’

‘Right. Sure. Yes. But the thing is, I don’t know what result I want.’

‘I can look for you,’ Ben offered quietly.

I thought for a moment he meant he could look at the pregnancy test, but then I realised he was offering to look into my future. I smiled. ‘Thank you, but no. There are some things in life you want to find out by pissing on your hand.’ Ben laughed and Noah snickered.

‘Tea?’ My dadoffered.

‘God, yes.’

In the end, I peed on my hand – and the pregnancy tests – three times and they all said the same thing. I was five weeks pregnant. I had been pregnant before Greg and I had even talked about kids, that time in the tunnel. Apparently, the pill didn’t work as well on a werewolf’s metabolism but usually that wasn’t a problem since it was so hard for werewolves to conceive anyway. Though not for me it seemed.

Esme’s joy was bouncing around in my skull like I had a whole host of cheerleaders in there, and that was enough to make me beam. Even ifIdidn’t feel ready,Esmewas prepared enough for both of us and she would make the most wonderful mother.

So will you,she said warmly.

I turned to Greg. ‘Positive,’ I murmured. ‘All three of them.’

Greg beamed, picked me up and spun me round. My stomach lurched. ‘Ugh, no spinny!’

He froze. ‘Do you feel sick?’

‘I do now. I was okay before. I’m sure I’ll be fine,’ I reassuredhim.

‘I’ll get you some ginger biscuits.’ He grabbed his car keys. ‘And pre-natal vitamins. I’ll ask the pharmacist if there’s anything else we should be doing.’ He hustled downstairs and out of the house before I could respond.

He needs to take care of us,Esme said with satisfaction, then she added,I would like to formally mate sooner rather than later now.

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