Page 56 of Taken By The Wolves
My gut twists, my chest hollowing with the weight of what she’s been denied.
And beneath that pain, my wolf awakens, howling to give her what she craves. To fill her with my seed. To claim her. To heal her. To breed her.
This desire to plant our legacy deep in the woman fate carved for us is primal.
She’s ours.
The doctors were wrong. Her body was waiting for the right mate. She was meant to be ours all along.
And we can give her everything she thinks she can’t have.
This may be the key to making Scarlet our willing mate.
27
SCARLET
The morning unfolds in a cascade of new roles. Ahya's cry carries through the silence, a tiny whimper that crescendos, and in a heartbeat, I’m awake. She needs a bath, but Nixon suggests we use the shower. The water is tepid on his skin and mine as we gently soap Ahya’s fragile frame together. Her surprise is endearing as the water trails through her red curls, slicking them to the gentle curve of her head. She blinks wide-eyed, then relaxes, lulled by the warmth. Gentle laughter drifts between us, me at how startled she is and Nixon at how perfect she looks with her hair teased into a mohawk. She’s so tiny that, clutched against Nixon’s broad chest, cradled by his huge hands, she seems impossibly small.
Reed dresses her in a powder blue onesie and Finn mixes her formula to her liking. They head out soon after, Nixon and Reed to the lumberyard, and Finn to his workshop, leaving me cradling our little miracle. I’m more complete than ever.
Ahya is the sweetest little thing. She listens, entranced, when I softly sing the lullabies I remember from childhood. When I lay her on the rug with a tiny plush toy Goldie packed for us, she kicks with delight. When her eyes flutter shut, she fusses only briefly before curling into me and slipping into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Before I realize it, lunchtime arrives, punctuated by the rumble of the truck and footsteps through the front door. Nixon and Reed enter, bags of tacos and sodas in hand. Finn is right behind them, carrying more.
“I could have made sandwiches,” I say, fishing a taco from a bag and letting the aroma flirt with my senses.
“You’re taking care of Ahya,” Reed says, his gaze drifting to her sleeping form. “That’s full-time work on its own.”
“She’s no trouble,” I admit. “I thought babies were supposed to be exhausting, but she’s so easy.”
“Wait until she shifts,” Reed teases. “Then you’ll be chasing her around the house.”
I freeze at the reminder of that part of her nature. “Do you think she will?”
“It’s hard to predict,” Nixon says, between giant bites of his taco. “Sometimes the shift comes later. But in Ahya’s case, maybe being left alone triggered it early. A human baby wouldn’t survive the woods, but a wolf cub might.”
“Poor baby,” I whisper. Fear climbs in my chest as I think how close she came to freezing.
Nixon wipes his hands. “We have something to talk about.”
My heart skips. “Finn mentioned.”
All three men fix their eyes on me. My stomach flips.
“You’re making me nervous,” I laugh, but it comes out like a squeak.
“It’s not bad,” Reed says, offering a crooked smile. “One more truth bomb, amidst everything you’ve already learned.”
Nixon’s pale blue eyes are so serious, my mouth is suddenly dry.
“You came here and found us.”
“You found me,” I remind him.
“Whatever.” He waves his hand as though the specifics are unimportant. “You’re here with us, not because of a set of random circumstances but because fate brought you to us… You’re our mate.”
Finn adjusts his weight beside me, his expression solemn and steady. Reed nods with silent support in his gaze.
