Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 109(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 109(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
Laina smiled, practically vibrating with excitement. “I can’t wait to meet you in person. Cressida had such good things to say about you.”
Keane nodded. “Thank you for taking great care of her while she was giving birth.”
My mate waved off the compliment and gratitude. “It was nothing. I was just doing my job.”
“Why am I not surprised by how humble you are?” Laina asked just as Atlas’s eyes started to blink open. He stared at the screen for a moment before letting out a loud wail.
Keane reached over to unstrap his son. “Uh-oh, our little beast is up, and he sounds hungry.”
“Sorry, guys,” Laina apologized. “We better run.”
“No worries,” I assured her with a smile. “I know how demanding my nephew can be. Just like his father.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Keane muttered.
“Was there anything you needed to talk to me about?”
“Nah, just wanted to be a pest, like I promised myself I would do when you found your mate,” he admitted before disconnecting the video call.
“Your nephew is the cutest.” Evette let out a dreamy sigh.
“Unlike his father,” I grumbled.
Evette playfully swatted my arm with a laugh. “How old is he?”
“Nine months, and they recently found out they’re expecting another.” Chuckling, I raked my fingers through my hair. “And by found out, I mean that I told Laina that she was pregnant while my brother was out of town on pack business. He was pissed when he got back and promised to get even, so don’t be surprised if he tries to send me away to take care of shit he could do in the hope that he can return the favor at some point in the future.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t understand. Why did you know your sister-in-law was pregnant before your brother?”
“Not for any of the reasons running through your suspicious mind right now,” I reassured her, brushing my lips against her forehead to smooth her brow. “My sense of smell is good enough that I tracked you all the way to that no-name hotel yesterday. That is also how I was able to scent Laina’s pregnancy before she realized she was carrying another cub.”
The tension eased from her shoulders as she shook her head. “I feel like I’m always saying this…but that is incredibly cool even though it shouldn’t be possible.”
“Welcome to my world.” I winked at her. “It’s unusual, but at least it’s cool.”
“Does that mean if we…um…get pregnant, you’ll be able to tell right away?”
I loved how she stumbled over her words when she wasn’t sure what she wanted to say. It was so fucking adorable, especially combined with the pretty pink blush on her cheeks. “Not if but when.”
“Pardon?” she asked.
“Unless you don’t want kids, I fully intend for us to have babies together.” I dropped my palm over her belly. “If I had my way, you’d already be pregnant. It only takes one time, you know.”
She snorted and rolled her eyes. “I am well aware of how babies are made.”
“I assumed you were, being a nurse.” My inner animal puffed his chest in pride when my teasing earned us a laugh.
“I learned that way before nursing school,” she chided. “But I guess I can’t make any assumptions since the normal rules have already flown out the window on so many things when it comes to shifters compared to humans.”
I wagged my brows. “At least you won’t have to worry about one of us needing to run out to grab a pregnancy test when you miss your period. We’ll already know that you’re carrying my cub.”
“That will be quite convenient.” She twined her arms around my neck and smiled up at me. “Especially since I’ve always wanted a big family. Being an only child sucked, especially with my parents gone.”
“We can have as many as you want,” I promised, determined to give her everything she’d ever wanted.
9
EVETTE
When we pulled up to the hospital so I could meet with human resources for a few hours of orientation this afternoon, I was shocked by how run-down the place looked. I knew the assignment was in a rural location when I accepted it, but I still expected it to look more like the other hospitals where I had worked so far. Or at least remotely like somewhere that provided decent medical care.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” Leyton asked, his brows drawing together while he scanned the front of the building. “It’s a dump.”
The hospital where I’d met Leyton wasn’t much bigger than this one, but they looked worlds apart. From where we were sitting, I could see cracks in several windows and even one in the bricks to the left of the main entrance. The concrete of the sidewalk leading to the door was crumbling in places, and the grass on either side was brown. There were no plants in sight, except for dead ones with brown leaves hanging over the sides of the large planters flanking the doors. And the rusty water stains to my left, where one of the gutters was broken, had me concerned about the roof.