Page 69 of To Challenge a Wolf

He did try to tell her exactly that, then realized he’d be lying.

“See? I knew it. I could tell every time you’ve talked about him.”

It was strange, but even Rhett—a single wolf, no personal experience with children—itched to say hello to the little pup. To see him in person, verify his wellbeing. Knowing he had finallyarrived here in the world, the responsibility murmured deep in Rhett’s bones. Maybe this was the alpha nature asserting itself again. A strange thought, but he felt almost ready to accept himself this way.

His phone buzzed with an incoming text.

Aaron:Hey Rhett, if you’re with Vivian today, she’s welcome to come meet Kolson, if she wants to. It was Ember’s idea, and I’m fine with it too.

Rhett grinned and held out his phone. As she read, Vivian’s dark eyebrows rose.

“Well…wow,” she said. “Okay. If I’m invited, sure I’ll come.”

When they arrived, Aaron opened the door to them before they were fully out of Rhett’s truck. His eyes shone, and he couldn’t seem to stop grinning as he welcomed them inside and they followed him to the den. “They’re in here. He’s asleep right now. He sleeps a lot—until the sun goes down.”

“I think that’s true of most infants,” Vivian said.

Ember sat on a two-person love seat surrounded by blankets and pillows, her feet propped on an ottoman and the tiny pup in her arms. “Don’t burst his bubble, Vivian. Kolson’s inability to sleep through the night is just one example of his utter uniqueness in history. And there areso manymore examples. No pup haseverkicked his legs with the strength of Kolson. No pup hasevercried for a feeding with the lung capacity of Kolson.”

Aaron’s rumbling laughter held a bottomless depth of joy. “I can’t help it, y’all. I want to watch him, hold him… Even the scent of him, so peaceful and safe. I didn’t know how it would be when he came.”

“You didn’t know you’d be obsessed? Because I did,” Ember said.

Aaron’s glad rumble faded when Vivian approached Ember and Kolson and peered down at him.

“Oh, he’s so perfect,” Vivian whispered.

“Want to hold him?” Ember said.

A low growl came from Aaron’s chest, and Vivian’s scent spiked with surprised wariness. Rhett stepped between them, his own growl echoing. Immediately Aaron subsided, both his wolf voice and his possessive scent, and Rhett took a step back in acknowledgment. As they nodded to each other—warning received, no harm meant—Ember sighed.

Vivian backed a few steps away from the baby. “I understand. I’m not pack.”

Ember said, “Oh, this has nothing to do with your status in the pack. Aaron’s growled at every single visitor we’ve had including the alpha.”

Aaron ran a hand through his hair. The wolf looked sheepish. “It’s a reflex every time someone comes near him. I have to remind you he’s mine.”

“According to Lucy,” Ember said, “Jeremy had a hard time letting Zane’s grandparents hold him, so I’m trying to be patient with Papa Wolf here. But it’s slightly ridiculous.”

“Oh, gosh. I donothave to hold the baby. Really.” Vivian lifted her hands in surrender.

“No,” Aaron said. He gestured to Vivian to sit beside Ember, then moved a few pillows to make space. “I’ve got to get used to it. Please, if you’d like to hold him, you’re welcome to.”

Rhett stayed on his feet as Ember transferred the tiny bundle to Vivian’s arms. Aaron’s scent spiked with possessiveness, but it leveled almost immediately, and he didn’t growl again. After a moment, Rhett’s shoulders relaxed, and his vigilance settled down to allow him to focus on the new member of his pack. He crouched in front of Vivian to study the smooth, sleeping face peeking out of a mint-green blanket.

Kolson’s sparse thatch of hair was as black as Aaron’s. One tiny fist poked up beside his face. His lips and nose were smalland delicate; in fact, all of him looked delicate. In any wolf’s arms, he’d appear even smaller.

“Hi, Kolson,” Vivian whispered. “It’s nice to meet you.” She turned to Ember. “How’re you feeling?”

“Better than I expected, actually. Tired of course, but we didn’t have any complications. He took his time, though.”

“Ember was strong,” Aaron said. “Stronger than me.”

Vivian laughed, quietly so as not to disturb the pup. “I think that goes without saying in this circumstance. But I get why it might feel weird to a wolf.”

“No complaints about Aaron, though,” Ember said. “He held me, supported me, praised me whenever I would let him. Meanwhile I definitely broke my personal ban on swearing, but it doesn’t count because first of all, childbirth; and second, we’d sent Quinn over to Nathan’s.”

Vivian chuckled, then glanced down the hallway. “Is Quinn here?”

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