A Year Later

Ivy stepped through the front door and walked out onto the patio of their home, as she rubbed her extended belly.

“Same time tomorrow?” the female shifter asked, as she shoved her purse strap onto her shoulder. “I’m really excited about this project! I promise, I’ll get more ladies involved. It’s a great thing you’re doing.”

“I’m so happy that you’re onboard, Kacey! Thanks for all your help. I really appreciate it.” She glanced at the second hand on her watch. “We’ll have to wait and see about when we can meet again.”

“You’re going to have that baby any day now!”

“Hopefully, sooner rather than later. I’ve been having contractions off and on for a couple of days now.”

“Got my fingers crossed for you to go into labor soon! Call me when it happens, so I can let everyone else know!”

“I think Brick will be alerting the media,” Ivy said with a chuckle.

“So true! He’s so excited! I never thought he’d settle down, but he’s happier than I’ve ever seen him.”

“I am, too, Kacey.”

Ivy smiled at the life they had made together... and the years to come.

“Hey, I’ll see you later.”

“Bye,” Ivy replied, as Kacey left.

She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun, as she looked out over the yard, where Brick had taken Billy to teach him how to ride his bicycle. His adoption had been finalized a few months earlier, and he had been living with them since then. Ivy was intent on his healing from the horrible things that had occurred and growing up in a safe, loving home, which she had not.

“Ow.” She patted her tummy. “You’re about as patient as your father. You might be here sooner than we expected.”

“You got it!” she heard Brick yell.

She saw Billy wobbling along on his bike, as Brick ran behind him, his hand outstretched to catch him if he fell.

A few seconds later, he rolled up to a stop in front of her.

“I did it!” he shouted with a smile beaming on his face.

“You sure did!”

“Did you see me?”

“Yep! You need to come in and take a shower and get dressed.”

“Aaaww! I wanna keep riding! Can I? Please? I don’t wanna forget how! I never had a bike before!”

“Yeah, please?” Brick said with a wink at her.

Ivy laughed and shook her head at the spectacle Brick made. Such an imposing figure, asking her permission to do something.

“Okay. A while longer, but when I call you later, you need to put your bike away.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Remember, my friend Moira is coming over to meet you, and I think Duke might join us, too.”

“Oh, cool!”

“And keep your helmet on!”

“Remember what I taught you, Billy,” Brick called out after the boy, as he peddled away.

Brick walked up the steps, taking her gently into his arms, mindful of her state.

“How are you feeling?”

Ivy blew a breath and said, “Like my insides are being squeezed. It’s like hard cramps.”

“Contractions coming quicker?”

“Yeah, but not close enough yet.”

“Soon, though, huh?” She smiled and nodded. “After the baby comes, I need to resume the search for the book and for Rex. He has to be brought to justice for what he did to the pack, Carla Dyer, and everyone else in that fiasco.”

“That poor woman.” She leaned against him. “I can’t believe the book wasn’t at Peculiars. All those boxes we went through… and nothing.”

“It’ll be found eventually. The question is, by whom? As for Rex, the one good thing that pack traitor did was lead me to you.”

“And I’m so happy he did, despite everything.”

They heard an engine’s rumble and gravel popping under rubber, as a car came up their driveway.

“There’s Moira.”

She parked and practically leaped from the vehicle.

“I’ve got some preliminary critiques of your thesis!” she screamed, jumping up and down. “Oh, my God! You’re huge!”

“Yeah, I know. Ow!” Ivy winced and clutched her midsection a moment. “Come on! I need to sit down. Let’s go in the house.”

Moira hurried over to where Ivy stood and gave her a quick hug, and then they went inside.

“Hey, Brick!” Moira said, gesturing to Ivy’s belly. “Ready to be a daddy?”

“It’s gonna be the happiest day of my life.”

“Any plans to make an honest woman of her?” Moira asked, as they crossed into the living room.

“That’s up to her,” Brick replied, nodding towards Ivy. “Whatever she wants is fine by me.”

“Brick and I are mated. That’s more final than any piece of paper would ever be.”

“Just asking, girl!”

Going to the recliner with Brick at her heels, Ivy held his hand for support, as she eased herself into the seat.

Once she was settled and had caught her breath, she said, “Thanks, Brick.” Then she looked at Moira. “So, what happened?”

“Well, you know that I published it online at the university and then submitted it to some other academic and scientific sites.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Within a few weeks, I started getting messages about your findings from researchers who have started validating your work.”

“Okay. So, some congratulatory emails on what I did?”

“No! Ivy, you’re not hearing what I’m saying. You’ve turned history on its head, and the word is sweeping over the entire world. It’s a good thing you’re going to have the baby soon. You’ll be on TV, radio interviews, all of the media that had broadcast the horrid things about shifters in the beginning. There is no longer any denying the shifter race is the highest on the planet. You accomplished what you set out to do!”

“Oh, my God! I did it! I did it!” Ivy shouted, and then she grabbed her belly. “Oh, boy.”

“What is it?” Brick went to his knees beside her. “The baby?”

With wide eyes, she reached for him, nodding quickly.

“We need to go to the hospital!”

Later that night, Duke strolled the halls of the hospital with balloons and flowers. As he entered Ivy’s room, she was holding a small bundle in the crook of her arm, as Brick watched.

“Congratulations, Mom and Dad!”

Brick looked up with a huge grin on his face and then walked over to Duke.

“Come look at him! He’s gonna be an alpha... just like his father.”

“No doubt about it!”

After setting the gifts down, Duke went over to the bed, while Ivy cooed down into the infant’s chubby face.

“Hey, little guy! I’m Duke! We’re gonna be best friends!” Then to Ivy, he said, “You doing okay? You look great!”

“Thanks. The meds are still working, so I’m all right for now.”

“Where’s Billy? Is he with someone in the pack?”

“No, he’s with my friend Moira. She took him to get some dinner at a burger joint up the street.”

Just then, Billy ran into the room, straight to him.

“Duke!”

“Hey, dude! Have you met your little brother yet?”

“Yeah, I saw him. He’s gonna get big like Brick!”

“Did you eat something good?” Ivy asked.

Billy nodded, as he came over to stand by her and look at the baby.

“I tried to get him to eat the chicken sandwich,” Moira said, as she entered the room. “Something a bit healthier, but he wanted the burger box with the toy. You know how kids are.”

“It’s okay. Come over here and meet Brick’s best friend.”

Moira set her purse down and walked over to the bed, lifting her hand to shake Duke’s. He was still looking at the baby with a gentle smile.

“Duke, this is my friend Moira.” Ivy waved her hand towards her. “Moira, this is Duke.”

His eyes landed on her with a shattering of his soul, and a Hunger like he had never experienced raged through him, as he buckled to the floor.

“What’s wrong?” Brick ran over to his friend, who was lying on his back. “Do you need to shift?”

Still staring at Moira, Duke grabbed his stomach.

“I need a triple stack!”