Page 72 of The Fated Mate Bandit

“Yes.” The name fits her perfectly.

The pains come again, but the pushing helps. I bear down again and again until there’s a second release—a second gray pup with a pink nose who makes my heart grow so big, I don’t think my chest will be able to contain it.

“Star,” Silver says.

The third pup comes easily. Only two pushes, and she comes shooting out, making Silver laugh. This pup is silver, like his sisters, but there’s a single black stripe on his tail. I’ve never seen a black stripe on a gray wolf’s tail, but Silver’s raccoon tail has lots of them.

It’s like Fate is screaming at me. She wants me to know this is how it was always meant to be.

“Moonbeam,” Silver says.

My body is tired, but for the first time since I found out I was pregnant, I’m finally able to shift. It’s a relief to return to the power of my wolf legs and sharp wolf teeth. This has always been my favorite form. I am fast as a wolf. I am fierce. I am bigger than Silver, which he never seemed to mind.

I lie on my side and guide our pups with my nose to my teets that are full of milk for them. Silver shrinks into his raccoon, too, and bends down to pick up Moonbeam, who is having difficulty getting to the food. Silver waddles back and forth, carrying Moonbeam with his paws, and sets him right in front of my body where he can latch on. Silver stays there, crouching over our little ones, his black eyes focused on them.

The room shimmers around us, full of hope and love. Silver’s love, that I never truly lost, even though I wasn’t brave enough to accept it for far too long.

I’m brave now. And for the first time in my life, I believe I’m enough.

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