Page 71 of Holiday Surprise

I showed it to her, and she let out a big whoop. “You’re having a baby!”

Hearing her say that aloud did weird things to me. On the one hand I started to relax a little, on the other, I was completely terrified.

“You’re sure? Maybe we should read the instructions.”

“We don’t need to, but I read them a million times last night.”

“Huh?”

“I’m pregnant too! We found out last night and that’s what I was coming over to tell you!” Lily said.

I started crying, Lily started crying. I wasn’t even sure why we were crying.

I set the test stick back down on the counter and hugged her.

“Next future Collier Alpha and Pack Mother?” Lily joked.

I rolled my eyes. “Oh Lord, please do not ever mention that again. I know what kind of pressure that puts on a kid. Maybe we’ll both have girls.”

“Best friends forever, just like their mamas,” she said, we cried and hugged some more.

Neither of us heard Luke’s arrival until he cleared his throat and we both jumped.

“What’s going on here? Are you two okay?”

I glanced in the mirror and noticed I had mascara streaking down my cheeks and Lily looked a bit like a raccoon. We both sniffed and nodded.

“I’m gonna go so you guys can talk,” Lily said. “Congratulations!”

“Same to you!” I exclaimed.

Being pregnant terrified me, but being pregnant with my best friend, now that could be fun. It certainly took away a lot of the fear knowing I’d have Lily walking along beside me every step of the way.

“What’s wrong, Sydney?” Luke asked sounding genuinely worried.

“Um, well, I don’t exactly know how to tell you this, and haven’t had time to come up with anything cute or creative, so I guess I’m just going to lay it all out,” I rambled.

“You’re nervous,” he observed.

“A little.” I picked up the pee stick and showed him. “Apparently, you’re going to be a daddy soon.”

I almost wished I had a camera to capture the look of shock on his face.

“You’re pregnant?” he asked. “We’re having a baby?”

I bit my lip and nodded. “We haven’t exactly been careful about it. I mean I know we haven’t even talked about kids and a family and all that. With everything going on, it just hadn’t been a priority, but giving the circumstances we should probably make it one and sit down to have this talk, because I don’t know what I’m going to do if you don’t want this baby. I mean do you even like kids?”

His lips crushed against mine and I immediately melted into him as all my nerves disappeared.

He pulled back and I stared up at him in silence.

He smiled. “Better. That’s the only way I know how to shut you up when you’re freaking out like that,” he said with a chuckle. He pushed back the hair that fell into my face and stared into my eyes. “Syd, there’s nothing I want more than to see you all big and round with my child. Yes, I love kids, and while it may not have been planned and the timing may be insane, I very much want this baby.”

I started crying again as he wrapped me up into his arms and carried me to bed.

“I assume this is why you’ve been so tired, hungry, and sick to your stomach all week?” he asked.

I shrugged. “Hell if I know. But I guess so.”

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