Page 49 of Branches of the Willow

“Yes, because that’s the way with the white wolves.” I turned in his arms to face him then. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to give you a boy.”

“That’s okay, Jess.” He smiled down at me and nipped at my nose the way he always did. “I have you, and a daughter of yours will be an absolute treasure.”

My heart melted. “Ours,” I corrected him. “Daughter of ours.”

“You are so very right.” He leaned in again, and this time instead of a playful nip to the nose, Mikael kissed me. At first, it was a gentle brushing of his lips to mine, a caressing of his hand down my back, and then before I knew it, he was lifting me up and carrying me up the stairs and to our room.

A few hours later, when I was getting dressed, Sierra called me. She was a little panicked about the baby, and a conversation she had with Tatianna. At first, I thought maybe Tatianna had come to her senses and wanted the baby back, but it didn’t sound like that was the case. I convinced Mikael we needed to go over to the pack lands and check on everyone, after all. It was what I had planned to do earlier in the day before he distracted me with his gloriously hard body.

“You’re staring.” Mikael grinned as he said it.

“You’re still naked.” I countered.

“I’m looking for my pants.”

“They’re over by the windowsill, where I threw them.” His face lit up, the smile causing tiny lines to crinkle around the corner of his eyes, and his dimples became more prominent. He turned his back to me then, to go fetch his pants, and in a moment of weakness, I almost said to hell with everyone else and gave into my insatiable pregnancy hormones. But, before I could put thought to action, he slid those pants up his muscular thighs in one fluidly graceful move. “Damn,” I whispered. “I hate being responsible some days.”

“Don’t worry, you can be as irresponsible with me as you want to, later.” He crawled across the bed, stalking me like he was a cat instead of a wolf. Then he pounced and buried his face in the crook of my neck, nibbling there and pushing the neck of my shirt down with his face so he could continue nibbling across my shoulder too. “You better go, get downstairs while I finish up in here. If you keep following my movements with those hungry, emerald eyes of yours, I will not be able to keep my promises about you being responsible.”

I shivered. Mikael watching me, scenting me, and touching me was a distraction I would almost give up being the white wolf for. He was my forever though and knew exactly how to handle me in times like these. Mikael hopped off the bed, probably to save me from myself. Once I had some breathing room, actual thoughts started circulating again, and I decided that he had a point. I went downstairs and waited for him to finish getting ready.

When we finally showed up at Sierra’s new cottage, she was feeding the baby, and a teary-eyed Natalia was with her. “What’s the matter?” I asked as Mikael and I made our way into the house.

“Tatianna is gone. She came to see me and brought Natalia so that she could translate.” Sierra took the now empty bottle away from the baby’s mouth, and gently held him up on her shoulder, patting his back, trying to help him expel any extra gas.

“Tatianna said to tell her that he’ll always be a symbol of what was done to her, and if he looks like his father it will be a constant pain in her heart.” Natalia explained. “I tried to stop her from leaving, but she said she wouldn’t be forced to do this too.”

“I would never have forced the baby on her.” The words made their way from my mouth in barely a whisper. “If I had gotten here earlier, maybe I could have convinced her to stay.”

“No,” Natalia said without hesitation. “She would go anyway. Tatianna’s heart hurt. She wanted to not see the baby anymore. It was best, for her.” She swiped at a tear that started a trail down her cheek. “I am missing her.”

I hugged the woman, who I was only just now starting to get to know. Evan had brought her to the house a couple times while Mikael and I were taking a little time off. We had dinner together and watched a movie once. I didn’t know if Natalia and I would ever be close, but I offered the hug anyway, because she needed it.

“Jess?” Sierra got my attention as she laid the now sleeping baby boy down in the cradle by the sofa. “I want to keep him. I think maybe this is why I survived, when Jack, well, I think this is my purpose, because that sweet baby doesn’t have a mommy, and I couldn’t have a baby of my own.”

“Sierra, I think it would be the perfect situation for both of you.” I smiled, having anticipated this conversation already. I had already talked to both Evan and Mikael about the baby. Technically, he was their blood family. So, if they claimed him, either of them could take him from Sierra. They both understood the value of having a loving mother to raise a boy and had agreed that Sierra would be the perfect choice, since she would cherish every minute that she was given with him. “We’ll work everything out with my father and make it official as soon as possible. Have you decided on a name?”

Sierra’s face lit up then. “I’d like to call him Jack.”

“Of course, and I’m sure he’ll make the name proud one day.” I moved to go stand over them and look down on my nephew. “Hello, my little nephew, you have such a strong name. You also have the blessing of the white wolves, so I bet you’ll make us all proud one day,” I told him.

“Oh, Jess,” Sierra cried as she pulled the baby in closer, hugging him tightly to herself. “Thank you for that.” She glanced up at me, almost shyly then. “I think it just sunk in that he belongs, by blood, with Evan or Mikael,” she whispered.

I stroked my hand through her hair in a reassuring gesture. “They are both fine with this. They are and will remain his uncles. They will be there for you if you need anything for little Jack or yourself, but they have both given their blessing for this to happen.”

“Thank you. Thank them. I will thank them too, but please, let them know how much this means to me,” she whimpered as she leaned in and kissed my nephew’s perfect little head. Already, it was full of black hair, just like his father and uncle.

“Be blessed, Sierra. It seems your purpose found you, and he’s adorable,” I told her before I stood and moved to leave the cottage.

That night, I was pulled into the familiar cave of the white wolves. There before me was a beautiful willow sapling, where the last time only a little sprig of green had been. “Beautiful,” I said out loud.

“The willow is the symbol of our being. She symbolizes femininity, strength, and perseverance. As you know, these are all attributes of a white wolf.”

“I don’t feel like I’ve been very strong lately.”

“No?” The voices questioned.

“I was taken. I couldn’t escape on my own. I had to have too many other people to lean on in order to get through it.”

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