by Hawke Oakley
He nodded. “You’re right. She’ll be so excited to have a sibling.”
“I think she’s in the living room watching TV,” I told him. “To be honest, I’m not quite sure how she’ll take it. She’s always been an only child.”
“I think she’ll be okay,” Flint said reassuringly. “She’s a good kid. Besides, she must get bored by herself. A little sibling would always be there to play with her.”
He reached down to intertwine our fingers, then we headed into the living room. Casey was on the couch, eyes glued to the TV, just as we predicted. Flint and I exchanged glances.
“Ready?” he asked.
I let out a breath. “Yes.”
We surrounded the couch and took a spot on either side of Casey. Without taking her eyes off the screen, she said “Hi, daddy. Hi, daddy.”
Flint smiled. I knew he loved it when she called him that.
“Hey, pup,” Flint said. “What are you watching?”
“Bubble Puppies,” she replied. It was a colorful CGI cartoon featuring swimming dogs - or something like that.
“Case,” I began as I stroked her hair. “Flint and I have something to tell you.”
She wrenched her eyes away from the cartoon with an excited expression. “Is it a surprise?” she asked.
“Yes, actually,” Flint added.
She whipped around to him with a gasp. “What is it? A toy? Candy?”
“No, it’s something bigger than that,” I said.
Her eyes just about popped out of her head. What was a bigger, better surprise than candy or a toy to a young pup?
“Do you want me to tell her?” Flint asked, shooting me a look.
Flint was the alpha father to both Casey and our new baby. It was only fair that he broke the news. Besides, he had never done this before - I imagine he wanted to go through all the new father rituals he could. I nodded to tell him to go ahead.
Flint looked down at Casey with a smile. “Well… you know how we’re a family?”
Casey nodded.
“We’re not just a family of three anymore,” he told her gently. “Do you understand?”
The surprised look on her face turned into confusion. “I don’t get it.”
He put a hand on her small shoulder. “Your dad is pregnant. That means you’re going to have a little brother or sister.”
The living room went quiet, except for the background drawl from the TV. I couldn’t see Casey’s face because she was turned towards Flint - but judging from Flint’s suddenly concerned expression, the news had not gone over well.
A moment later, Casey threw herself off the couch and stormed towards the bedroom. She stomped her feet and slammed the door.
Flint turned to me with a sad expression.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “That didn’t go over the way I thought it would.”
“It’s okay,” I said with a sigh. “I had a feeling she wouldn’t exactly be thrilled at first. I’ll go talk to her.”
Flint’s brows knitted together in worry. “Do you want me to come?”
“I think it’s best if I talk to her alone for now,” I said. I shot him a sympathetic smile. “I’ll call for you later, when she’s not so wound up.”
Flint frowned. “Okay…”
I could tell the stress of not immediately being the picture-perfect father was getting to him. But being a parent wasn’t about being perfect; it was doing the best you could for your child. That was something he would learn in time.
I knocked on the door. “Casey, can I come in?” I asked gently.
There was a silence before I heard her mutter, “Fine.”
I entered the room to find Casey laying down in bed with her face buried in the pillow. Sitting next to her, I put a hand comfortingly on her back.
“Tell me how you’re feeling,” I said.
She sighed heavily and didn’t lift her head. “Mad,” she mumbled into the pillow.
I continued to rub soothing circles on her back. “Why’s that?”
“Because you’re gonna have another baby.”
“Do you not want a sibling?” I asked.
She paused. “I dunno.” She half-heartedly kicked her legs up and down in the air.
“So you’re not sure how you feel?”
Finally turning her head, she faced me with a sigh. “I guess…”
“You know,” I said, stroking her hair back. “Flint and I won’t love you any less just because there’s a new baby on the way. We both love you so much.”
Casey frowned. “But now Flint doesn’t need me anymore…”
I blinked at her in shock. “What do you mean?”
She looked away and stared at the floor. “‘Cuz now he has his own baby… he won’t care about me as much.”
My heart broke for my daughter. “Oh, Casey. That’s not true at all.” I reached over and pulled her into a hug. She sniffled into my shirt. The anger etched into her features had dissipated, replaced now by a childlike sadness.
“How do you know?” she mumbled.
I rocked her gently in my arms, the same way I did when she was a young baby. “Because I know Flint. Don’t you see the way he looks at you? He would do anything for you, Casey.”
She just laid her head in my lap and sniffled. I figured now was as good a time as any to ask Flint to come inside.
“Flint?” I called.
His gentle footsteps fell across the floor before he slowly creaked the door open. I nodded at him to come closer. He sat on the edge of the bed next to me.
“Casey? Do you want to tell Flint how you feel?” I asked her.
She buried her face in my lap and mumbled something unintelligible. Flint frowned in concern.
“Casey, what’s wrong? You can tell me. I’m here,” he said.
She turned to him, her face red and streaked with tears, but wouldn’t meet his gaze. “You won’t… like me anymore… because you have your own baby now.”
Flint’s jaw dropped. Instantly he reached over and picked up Casey, cradling her gently against his chest.
“Now, you know that’s not true,” he murmured in her ear. “You will always be my first child, Casey. Nothing will change how much I love you, not even a new baby. Do you understand?”
She sniffled. “Will you still watch movies with me?”
“Of course,” he soothed. “Tonight we can watch a movie, if you want. Whichever one you like.”
“With chocolate milk?” she asked.
He smiled. “With chocolate milk.”
She inhaled and let out a shaky sigh. She hugged her arms tightly around Flint’s chest - or at least, as much of it she could with her short reach. “Will you still take me hunting like you promised?”
“Of course I will,” Flint growled affectionately. “I never forgot. We’re going to go out, just you and me.”
Casey smiled now. Flint wiped away the tear streaks on her cheeks.
“Can I name the baby?” she asked cautiously.
Flint and I exchanged glances. I shot him a half-shrugging gesture.
“How about this,” Flint said, looking her in the eye. “We all think of a name together. As a family. Is that okay?”
Casey beamed and nodded vigorously. “Yeah!”
“Good.” He kissed her on the top of the head. “Now let’s go have lunch. I’ll make whatever you want.”
She jumped off the bed in excitement. “I want a cheeseburger! And fries! And a - a milkshake!”
Flint grinned at her. “Well, I don’t have the ingredients to make those at home, so I guess we’re gonna have to go out for the day then, aren’t we?”
“Yay!” She ran around the room and started digging through her clothes.
“I guess I should primp up a bit too,” I said, standing up.
Flint put his arms around my waist and murmured, “You always look hot no matter what, Charlie. But I won’t say no if you want to look sexy when we go out. It’ll make all the other alphas jealous.” He a
dded a possessive, affectionate growl at the end. I blushed.
How did I get so lucky to land an alpha like Flint?
I decided to dress in a plain white button up shirt and the tight jeans I’d bought with Flint earlier. When he saw me, he raised an eyebrow and nodded for me to turn around. I did so and he growled sexily at the sight of my ass. Flint was dressed up for the occasion, too. He wore a genuine leather jacket on top of a classic green plaid shirt. His jeans had a few rips in them, giving him a rugged air. I bit my lip at the sight of him. His scent wafted over to me, musky and masculine. My inner omega howled for him, but we’d have to put that off until later.
Thankfully, Casey was still in the bathroom getting ready when this happened so she didn’t have to witness our display.
As we left the house, I noticed Flint staring off into the woods. His gaze was sharp and intent.
“Smell some prey?” I asked, coming up behind him.
He flinched slightly, which made me frown.
“Yeah,” he said. “Smells like wild turkey.”
I gave the air a quick scent, but didn’t smell anything. I chalked it up to my human nose, and the fact that I wasn’t a regular hunter like Flint was.
“Let’s get going,” he said.
We headed into town. Casey walked in-between Flint and I, each of us holding one of her hands.
“I know a great place just down the street from the hunting guild,” Flint told us. “They have everything you want there, Case.”
“I want three of everything!” she exclaimed.
“I told you, she’s going through a growth spurt,” Flint muttered with a grin. “I swear, she’s getting taller every day.”
We reached the store, a charming modern restaurant with an outdoor seating area. We all wanted to enjoy the beautiful day, so I sat down while Casey and Flint went inside to order. I asked them to grab me a burger combo. I knew I should’ve been eating healthy for the baby, but one cheat day wouldn’t hurt.
As I waited, I let my gaze wander. The sky overhead was a beautiful bright blue, streaked with white clouds. The sun’s rays cast a golden light on the town. Thick pines full of green needles stood tall and proud as they lined the streets. I let out a content sigh. Indigo Mountain pack was just gorgeous. I couldn’t get over how modern and well-kept it was compared to Scarlet Ridge territory. They were like two different worlds.
“Hey, Charlie!”
Snapped from my reverie, I turned in the direction of the voice. Jericho ambled up towards me with a wave.
“Hey, Jericho,” I said. “Come have a seat.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” he said with a grin, wiping the sweat off his brow as he slumped in the chair. “Where’s the family?”
I nodded towards the shop. “They’re inside ordering food. Do you want something?”
“No worries, I’m good. Just ate a couple wild rabbits while I was out in the woods. Yum.”
“You look like you’ve had a long day,” I said. “Were you hunting again?”
He shot me a strange glance. “Nah, we already went hunting yesterday. I was out, uh - doing something else.”
I wondered why he was being cagey, but decided not to press the issue.
A moment later, Flint and Casey emerged from the storefront with a tray full of food.
“Oh, hey, Jericho,” Flint said to his friend. “You here to join us?”
Jericho quirked a brow. “Well, now that there’s a bunch of fries in front of me, it’s harder to say no.” He plucked one from the cardboard box and threw it in his mouth.
“Hey, those are my fries, mister!” Casey said, pointing a finger at him. “Get your own!”
Flint and Jericho burst out laughing.
“I told you, I love this kid,” Jericho said. “She should join the hunting guild when she’s older.”
I’d never even considered that before. I always thought Casey was a beta wolf - just an average shifter. But what if she was an alpha? It wasn’t always easy to tell before puberty hit. I knew that the mating between an alpha and omega was the most likely pairing to create more alphas, after all. I guess that was something I’d never really thought about in the past.
“Did you know my daddy’s gonna take me hunting?” Casey asked Jericho.
He snuck another fry. “Really, eh?”
“Uh huh.” She nodded. “We’re gonna get a big deer and make it into dinner.”
“You’re lucky,” Jericho told her. “My dad’s never took me out hunting. Flint’s a good dad, don’t you think?” He winked at his friend. Flint grumbled.
Casey nodded seriously. “He is. And he’s my daddy, so don’t get any ideas.”
Jericho roared with laughter again, slapping his knee. “Flint, you better watch out or Casey’s gonna take over your role in the guild soon.”
Not wanting our food to get cold, we all dug in. I took pity on Jericho, who kept eyeing the fries like a begging dog at the dinner table, so I let him have mine.
Flint growled at him. “Hey, stop stealing my pregnant mate’s food.”
“C’mon, it’s just a couple fries!” Jericho protested.
Flint pushed his own fries towards his friend. “Here. Take mine instead. My omega needs all the food he can get.”
I chuckled. “Thanks, honey.”
“Why do you look like you got tangled up in the woods, anyway?” Flint asked him. “You’ve still got leaves in your hair.”
“I do?” Jericho picked a dry leaf from his head. “Huh, you’re right. Anyway, I was dealing with the - uh. You know.”
There was Jericho being cagey and unclear again. This time I watched Flint’s face intently for a reaction. A stern expression crossed his face and his mouth tightened. Even his muscles went taut. As an omega, I was more sensitive to body language than the average shifter. None of Flint’s minute body changes got past me. Something was definitely going on here.
I narrowed my eyes at Flint. “What’s he talking about?”
A strange expression flashed across Flint’s face before he managed to keep it under control. “It’s nothing. Just a hunting guild thing.”
But Jericho blinked in confusion. “You mean you haven’t told him?” he murmured.
“Told me what?” I asked.
Tension hung in the air and pricked my skin like electricity. I stared hard at Flint. He met my gaze, unwavering. Neither of us looked away.
Finally he sighed and dropped his gaze. “No, I haven’t told him,” he mumbled to Jericho.
Jericho grimaced slightly, looking back and forth between the two of us. “I don’t know if I should be here for this, then…”
“Jericho, can you watch Casey for a bit? Flint and I need to have a talk,” I said firmly.
He nodded. “Sure can do.”
Casey’s eyes were wide as Flint and I stood from the table. “Are you two fighting?” she asked quietly. Panic rose in her voice. “Do you hate each other?”
I sighed. “No, honey, don’t worry. We still love each other. We just need to talk about something.”
“We’ll be back before you know it,” Flint told her.
“Okay…” she said sadly.
Jericho caught her attention. “Hey, Case. Check this out.” He stuck two fries up his nose, which made Casey laugh. I appreciated him taking the heat off of us.
Flint and I snuck behind a large pine tree, out of sight.
“Okay,” I said with a sigh. “Explain what’s going on.”
Flint grimaced. “Charlie, before I tell you, I need you to stay calm.”
Instantly anxiety burst inside my chest. “Well, it’s hard when you preface it like that.”
“I’m sorry. Listen.” He took one of my hands in his own. “Just know that whatever happens, I will protect you and Casey.”
Annoyance built inside me. I resisted the urge to tear my hand away from him. “Will you just tell me what’s going on already? You’re stressing me out even more.”
Flint stared me in the
eye. “Hector has infiltrated the pack.”
My blood ran cold. “What?”
“Yesterday, during the hunt, we scented him. It was a fresh scent, and it was deep into our territory.”
I almost didn’t want to ask. “Where… where did you find it?”
His mouth went tight. “It was close to our home.”
“No, no, no, that’s not possible.” I stepped back as anxiety flooded my veins. “He wasn’t supposed to come back here. I’m so stupid, I knew he would do something like this.”
“Charlie, listen to me,” Flint growled, taking me by the shoulders. “I told you nothing would happen to you, and I mean it. I’ll fight for you, and so will every member of the hunting guild. Hell, the whole pack will fight for you.”
“What are you talking about?” I mumbled, feeling utterly defeated. “I’m just some outsider, an omega. Why would they care about me?”
“Because you have worth,” Flint growled fiercely. “You’re not just some omega, and no one cares where you came from. You’re an individual and you deserve freedom.”
I knew Flint was right, but years of living through hell at Scarlet Ridge had burned the opposite thoughts into my mind. It was hard to think any other way.
Flint’s fingers dug into my skin. “Charlie. Listen to me. You’re my mate. You mean everything to me. I’m not going to let some disgusting rat take you away from me. He can try all he wants, but he won’t get anywhere.”
“It’s not just Hector,” I mumbled. “He’s working for Gunner. Unless that changes, he’ll never stop.”
“Then we’ll attack at the root,” Flint said.
My eyes widened. “You’re not going to attack Gunner, are you?”
“If it comes to that, we will,” he growled deeply. “But before then, we’ll send his messenger home with a message he won’t forget.”
Flint’s gaze softened and he pulled me close to his chest. “I love you, Charlie. You’re not alone. Me, Jericho - my whole hunting party, we’re all looking out for you. We’re telling the whole pack about what’s going on. They’re not letting this slip by them.”
The whole pack knew? Suddenly tears brimmed my eyes. I wiped them away.
“What’s wrong?” Flint asked.
“Nothing,” I said with a short laugh. “It’s just that… no one’s ever looked out for me this way before. I’m not used to it.”
