Page 62 of Breathe Again

He gave me a funny look. “That’s a good thing, right?”

I laughed. “Yes, a very good thing.”

We left without even bothering to grab breakfast. I knew Mom would have a full spread waiting anyway. When we arrived at the Alpha house, I was proven right. Everyone was up and running around getting ready, shoving food in their faces and talking. It was an unusual madness for my childhood home, but it felt good seeing everyone I cared about together in one place, and safe.

Kelsey grabbed me immediately and went over the contents of the diaper bag and details on both of the boys. She was as nervous as I was.

“I know it’s all just precautionary. I just can’t help worrying,” she finally confessed.

Lily swung by and hugged me, pulling back at arm’s length to study me. “You look amazing. Absolutely stunning.”

I took in her pink dress and the pink flower pulling back her pink-streaked blonde hair. “So do you,” I praised. “It’s your big day. How do you feel?”

Lily snorted. “Like I’m going to barf.”

We both laughed.

Kelsey pulled her from me to hug her tight. “You’re going to do great, Lil. I’m so proud of you.”

“If I manage to be half the Pack Mother you are, I’ll consider it a job well done.”

“You’re going to be twice as great as me, because while I fumble around trying to figure it all out, you’ve been surrounded by a fantastic role model your entire life,” Kelsey reminded her.

“Stop it,” Mary Westin said, joining our circle. “I forgot to bring my waterproof mascara!”

Cole

Chapter 25

Elizabeth looked genuinely happy surrounded by some of the most important women in my life. She also looked preoccupied, so I took the moment to sneak down the hall to Thomas’s office and join the men for a last-minute brief before the show began. And it truly felt like a theatrical production.

Silas had already started when I joined them. He had a map of the area laid out across Thomas’s desk.

“Painter is already set up here in the clock tower. He found signs that these guys were going to take to the high ground there, but if they dare show now, they’ll be in for a big surprise. Grant is stationed here, in the church steeple. No signs of them using that, but then there wasn’t a clear point of view from there until we moved the stage last night. Those are my eyes in the sky and they’re the best I’ve got. Nothing gets past them, so Thomas, relax. You’ll have eyes on you at all times.”

“How’d it go last night with that den I called in?” I asked, when it felt like he was at a break point.

“Great catch. I’m still trying to figure out how they snuck past my border, but my men got them quickly and quietly before they could alert any others. We found one other smaller cell on the opposite end of town thanks to your girl’s tip about the similarity in scents among Collier and Larken wolves. There were only a few sniffing around the prison this morning. They did not engage when they saw the heightened presence. Instead of disarming, my boys are trailing them. They’ll neutralize as necessary,” Silas assured me.

I gulped, but didn’t want to ask what exactly he meant by neutralize.

“How many more do you suspect?” Thomas asked.

“Hard to say. Could be that’s all of them and these are nothing but overly dramatic precautions. Relax. This is your big day and we’re here to see that nothing bad happens so you can enjoy your much deserved promotion, Alpha,” Silas said humbly.

“I really appreciate all you’ve done, Silas, and you, Kyle. You too, Cole. I mean, I didn’t exactly hide the fact that I wasn’t thrilled Lizzy chose you, but I want you to know I was wrong about that.” Thomas offered me his hand, and I shook it, pulling him into a hug.

“Don’t ever forget it either,” I teased, patting him on the back before letting go. “Get out there and make us proud. And Thomas?”

“Yeah?”

“You keep being thankful Elizabeth chose me, because I saw that mate of yours and Lily is looking damn fine today.”

Thomas growled and lunged at me as I started laughing. “Asshole,” he swore under his breath.

“What are you doing?” Kyle asked, looking mildly amused.

I shrugged. “Just messing with him. It’s good to keep those Alpha egos in check.”

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