“You’re welcome to keep me company, but I’m going to put on some trashy TV and do some sewing. What have you been up to today?”
“Hey, man,” Wilder said, nodding at me.
He turned back to Hailey “I’m going to do some volunteering at a local clinic. Actually, I was going to ask—do you have anyold quilts you don’t particularly want anymore that you could donate? Those places are always running low.”
Hailey nodded. “I’ve got plenty. Come with me.”
I nodded too, turning down the corners of my mouth.
Was a small part of me happy that Hailey had found a use for the growing pile of completed projects? Maybe.
I loved that making things was enjoyable and relaxing for her, but during her pregnancy, she had gone nuts and made so many quilts that the house was slowly being overtaken by piles of completed blankets draped on every surface.
If she gave some away, then she could make more, a task I knew for a fact she would love greatly.
And they would be put to good use, which would also make her happy.
And me.
Hailey started to drag Wilder into the sewing room, so I called after them, “Dinner will be in like two hours. Make sure she eats, okay?”
“Sir, yes, sir!” Wilder saluted me playfully over his shoulder as Hailey continued to tug him out of sight.
Once I had the steaks on the grill outside, I pulled out my phone.
“Merrick, how are you?” Walker asked. “How’s Hailey?”
“She’s doing well, or at least as well as can be expected. Have you got any updates on that front?”
Walker was quiet for a moment, and over the phone, I could make out a door closing, meaning he was probably going somewhere no one would overhear him.
Smart.
“Honestly, progress is being made. He snuck me some pills to test last week and they are definitely fentanyl. That’s huge. He hasn’t said where he got them yet, but I’m planning on going over there to train new recruits for the wild fires, and I’ll try to talk with him too.”
“Fentanyl, that’s some hard shit.” I knew Preston was dealing with potential drug-related problems in the camp, but hearing Walker state exactly what was involved made the situation feel all the more real. “And it’s circulating through a prison? I mean…damn.”
“It is, but the good news is, now that it’s confirmed, I don’t think it’ll be long before the police can make a move, and we can get Preston out. Hopefully, it’s just a matter of time at this point. We catch who’s dealing in the act, and bam.”
Fuck, I really hoped it was fast. Life was moving quickly, and Hailey needed her last mate back home. The strain had lessened, yes, but it was still undeniable.
“Let’s hope so, Walker.” I nodded, this new information sitting heavy in my chest.” Let’s hope so.”
For all our sakes.
Chapter 40
Hailey
For the next three months, the four of us slipped into an easy routine. It was hard to believe how easy life was with the three alphas. Merrick would do his shifts while Nolan worked from home. I went down to only one shift a week because that was all my body could handle, and Wilder would occasionally volunteer at a local clinic to use some of his nursing skills.
Every day, my bump grew a bit bigger, and by the time I hit thirty-two weeks, I was starting to resemble a whale.
Minus the tail.
There were still weeks left to go, but my stomach felt stretched to its limits. I had no idea how I was going to handle six to ten more weeks of this.
Let alone, how my bladder was going to handle it. I peed like every five minutes.