“That’s a baby,” I whispered.
I knew I was having a baby—I was panicking about that fact plenty—but there was something about seeing it in black and white that made the whole moment hit me. This was real.
In a matter of months, I was going to be a mother. Only, I wasn’t doing it alone. Merrick was going to be by my side.
Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes as everything became overwhelming.
“We can do this,” Merrick said, holding my hand tightly as he reassured me.
The strange thing was, when he said that to me, I believed him.
We were going to do it.
With or without Preston and his pack.
Chapter 19
Wilder
“Is that a giant stuffed bunny?” Nolan asked as I walked through the door.
“Well, it’s not a giant stuffed raccoon.” I shot him a look, holding the fluffy creature up.
It was pink and nearly half the size of my body, but when I saw it, all I could think of was that our omega would probably love it. Hailey needed squishy things, and as her alpha, I was going to provide.
Nolan stood in the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge, staring at me like my brain had leaked out of my ears. I suppose seeing his pack mate carrying a pastel pink, gigantic stuffed bunny wasn’t exactly normal.
“I picked up a bunch of nesting supplies for Hailey. Given her situation, she probably needs them,” I pointed out.
Lacking that bond meant she was seeking connection and comfort, and nothing comforted an omega quite like nesting.
“Nesting supplies, I understand. I’m not sure that thing counts,” Nolan said, standing up and brushing imaginary lint off his slacks. “I suppose that’s why you wanted to borrow my car?”
I nodded adamantly. Nolan owned a large SUV, whereas I had a motorcycle. I’d known I was going to buy some “nesty” things for Hailey, so his car was the obvious choice.
“Well, if she doesn’t like it, I’ll take it back,” I said simply, placing the fluffy monstrosity on the couch. “What areyoudoing?”
“Trying to figure out how to prep some semi-nutritional meals for her. Judging by the sheer amount of ice cream in this freezer, she’s not exactly a fan of vegetables. We didn’t grab enough proteins yesterday.”
“We can go grocery shopping again,” I suggested. “Though, I think we really do need to talk to her. She needs to know what Preston’srealjob is.”
Nolan shot me a sharp look.
“She’s bonded—she has a right to know that he’s not actually a terrible person.” I raised my brows at him, not backing down.
Then again, I wasn't sure how much we could tell her, becausewedidn't even really know what was going on.
“We can’t. Telling her will put Preston at risk,” he shot back.
“Yes, but we’re puttingherat risk. She needs to know.”
Also, Preston was the one who’d fucked up. If he was dumb enough to sink his teeth into someone he didn't trust, then the consequences were his own fault.
“Shouldn’t we wait until Preston finishes whatever the hell he’s doing?” Nolan suggested. “He said in his call that it would just be a few more weeks.”
“She’spregnantand so unsure about us that she climbed out of her bedroom window in the middle of the night. And Preston said this job was only going to take six weeks and that wasmonthsago.”
Nolan grimaced. “That’s far from ideal, yes, but it’s not like she’s going to do anything. She needs us to help her through hersickness. So, I say we focus on helping her and deal with Preston later.”