Page 96 of Home: Posy 5

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Alpha Quake made it in good time and jumped out of his SUV with a broad grin on his face as I came down the walk to greet him.

"Come see this!" he called as he opened the back door and motioned me with one hand.

I picked up my pace and trotted over to him, then leaned inside the SUV to see a little baby asleep with her hands in teeny fists by her ears. She had slightly chubby cheeks and a tuft of orange-red hair and was just about the cutest thing I'd ever seen.

"Isn't she adorable?" Alpha Quake cooed.

"Absolutely."

"You want to carry her in or should I?" he asked.

I swallowed hard.

"I don't know how this seat thing works," was my excuse, but the truth was she looked so utterly fragile that I was intimidated as hell to even touch her cheek with my finger.

So he unbuckled her car seat and showed me how the whole thing lifted right out of the vehicle.

"One of my pack members went shopping and got her some clothes, diapers, and all the necessities," he explained as he popped the handle up on the car seat. "We can unload that in a minute, but let's get her inside first. I don't want a bug to bite her or anything."

My eyes widened. A bug bite? On that delicate, soft-looking skin? Goddess forbid!

I hurried back up the walk and threw open the door, holding it for him as he came inside. He sat the carrier thing on the reception desk, and we both stood there staring at the baby girl who had yet to move or open her eyes. If it wasn't for the light rising and falling of her chest, I would have thought she was a doll.

Goddess, please let this be settled before Posy sees her…

Ash came out of his office, banging his head on the lintel with a loudboom!that made the poor little pup jump in her sleep.

"Owie!" he shouted.

The baby's face screwed up and a sound like a mewling kitten came out of her.

Of course, that captured Ash's immediate attention.

"A pup?"

Oh, no. A thousand times more dangerous than Posy seeing her!

"She is not ours, so don't get attached," I warned him. "She's meeting her father in a few minutes and regardless of his decision to give her up or keep her, she isn't coming home with us. I repeat, she isnotours—"

"Look at that red hair!" Ash squealed, completely ignoring every word coming out of my mouth. "And she's so tiny! She can't be more than a week old!"

Of course, his loud self made her cry harder, and he went right into nurturer mode.

"There, there, baby," he crooned. With no hesitation, he unbuckled that car seat contraption, slid one hand behind her neck and the other under her bum, and lifted her up. "Tama is sorry. Shh, now. Shh. You're okay."

"Hello. I'm Alpha Kayvon Quake of Cold Moon. Nice to meet you, Tama."

I couldn't stop the snort of amusement that slipped out at his misunderstanding.

"Sorry. I should have introduced you. This is my brother, Alpha Ash Mitchell," I said, then explained, "Tama is a Samoan term for dad or uncle."

I had forgotten how Ash used to call all our dads Tama when we were growing up. Alpha Jay once told us that baby Ash called his father that, and his father had calledhisfather that.

I have to remember to tell Posy. I'm sure she'll find that adorable, I told Garnet.

When we have our pups, they'll need different terms for each of you, he helpfully pointed out.If Ash is Tama, that leaves four more to figure out.

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