Esher: Winter Valley Wolves #7 (6 page)

I
gaze
out at the sun rising over Silver Lake. It sparkles on the water the way my ring sparkles in light. I lift my hand to look at my diamond one more time as Esher calls out from the kitchen. “Ouch!” He mutters a few obscenities under his breath that my wolf ears detect before he says, “Andi. Come save me from the cat from hell.”

I turn toward the kitchen and discover Snowflake curling around Esher’s ankle. “Aw, she’s trying to make up.” I moved in with Esher a week after I became a werewolf. It’s closing in on two months now, and Snowflake is finally adjusting to her new home and roommate.

“That’s because I just told her I was going to trade her in for a dog,” says Esher. He pulls the bowl of potato salad I made out of the fridge, and it thumps on the counter.

I grin at my true mate and fiancé as I walk toward him. “I think you secretly like her.”

Esher asks, “How old is she again?” I wrap my arms around his waist as he adds, “How many years of this do I have left?”

“She’s still adjusting to the fact that her human now smells like you.” I slide my hand up his chest slowly, and the ridges of his defined muscles are hard under my palm as I move it around his neck. I let out a low growl. “A natural predator.”

“I think she blames me for it too.” Esher nibbles on my lower lip. “Did you tell her you asked me to bite you?”

I nip at his neck and taste the slight salty flavor of him. “I did. But the silly cat doesn’t understand English.”

“Figures.” He kisses me and breaks away with a sigh. “My family’s waiting.”

I step away from him and place my hands on my stomach. “I’m still not sure we should tell them.”

“Are you kidding? My mother is going to be thrilled. She can’t wait to be a grandmother.” Keys jingle as he grabs them from the hook.

“She won’t care that we’re not married yet?” I ask as I grab my purse.

“Nope.” The screen door squeaks as he opens it for me. “We werewolves are quite modern that way.”

I chuckle. “Okay. You can share the news.” We’re on our way to a family dinner. Mia and Ekton will be there as well as Esher’s middle brother Ergan and his mate Kayla. I’m looking forward to the easy conversations with my new family.

Esher’s parents live less than a mile away, and our drive is quick. We let ourselves in, and voices carry from the kitchen. I recognize them as Mia and Esher’s mother, Betsy. I communicate with my mate.
“Can we tell your mom first?”

“Yes.”
When Betsy notices us, he kisses her on the cheek and whispers in her ear.

Mia and I can both hear him tell her I’m pregnant, and I grin when Betsy’s eyes get wide. She shoves him out of the way to come hug me. “I’m so thrilled for you. Oh my goodness.” She’s not a small woman, and her embrace is strong. I laugh at her excitement. She pulls away and says, “This is such great news.” She turns from me and yells, “Ted! Get in here!”

Mia hugs me too. “Congratulations. I’m really happy for you.”

“Thanks,” I say. Esher is on the other side of the kitchen, leaning against the counter. A cap clinks on the surface when he opens a beer.

Betsy frowns at him. “What? You don’t think the mother of your child deserves refreshment? Get the girl a drink.”

Esher winks at me as he pulls a bottle of lemonade from behind his back. I shake my head at the way he loves to tease his mother. Ted Wakefield comes in, and his sparkling blue eyes fit his playful personality. “What are you squawking about, woman?”

Betsy hits his stomach with the back of her hand. “You, old man, are about to become a grandfather. What do you think about that?”

Ted grabs me around the waist, lifts me off the ground, and swings me in a circle as he whoops. He sets me down and says, “I think I’m going to get little feet running around my house and someone one who will laugh at my jokes.” The silver-haired man gazes into my eyes. “Congratulations, Andi.”

“Thanks.” I glance over at Esher as he sips on his beer, and I say, “I did have a little help with all of this.”

Betsy snorts. “Right. He did the easy part. But don’t you worry. I didn’t raise a man afraid of changing diapers.”

Esher asks, “What? Doesn’t anyone in this room remember I’m a pediatrician?”

Mia shakes her head as she says, “Oh Esher, Esher, Esher. You have so much to learn.”

I walk over and lean against his side as he puts an arm around my waist. I say, “I love this family.” He leans down to kiss me.

We follow Betsy and Ted out to the patio behind the house and answer questions about the baby from the rest of the family. Our meal comes together with help from everyone, and it happens seamlessly. As Ted entertains Kayla with a story about her husband as a baby, I take a moment to reflect on my life. I think back to how I spent the last few years fighting to keep the Silver Lake wolves safe. I was so obsessed with making up for my mistake that it never occurred to me werewolves had been fighting the same battle for decades. And that they were capable of protecting themselves. I realize that I should have been working with them all these years.

I smile as I recall my conversation with our alpha, Paul Ryan. He asked me to work on research for the pack and other werewolves across the country. Doors to a whole new scientific world have been opened up to me.

My mate laughs at something his father said, and I gaze at the man who warms me all the way to my toes when we touch. He’s my hero, and the man I’m going to love for the rest of my life. We’re going to raise a family together, as a team.

I place my hand on Esher’s thigh and lean in to speak softly in his ear. “I don’t think I could be any happier than I am right now.”

He puts an arm around my shoulders, and his breath tickles my ear as he says, “You’ve made me incredibly happy too. I love you, Dr. Thompson.”

“Wait, you mean Dr. Wakefield.”

“You’d take my name?” He leans toward me so our noses touch.

“I belong to you, remember?” I place my hand on his cheek, and the slight stubble of his day-old beard is rough against my skin.

“We belong to each other. I love you, Andi.”

“I love you too, Esher.” I kiss him quickly before one of his brothers throws something at us. But I’m too late, and we both take the jeering as his family shares in our love.

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