Land of Wolves

Chapter 101

Caleb's side of the bed is cold when I wake up, and I groan before rolling over to check the time and baby monitor.

I slept in a bit later than usual today, thanks to Jackson and his late-night cries. His gums have been hurting him, and he's sure letting us know. We've found that letting him chew on cold items helps, though, so I've taken to wetting and freezing the corners of small washcloths for him to suck on when his gums are bothering him.

He went through three last night.

The baby monitor on my bedside table displays an empty crib, and I rub the sleep out of my eyes before crawling out of bed and making my way downstairs.

There's noise coming from the kitchen, and I quickly patter toward it. It's been a little over a week since Jackson officially moved in with us, and I look forward to seeing him every morning. It's his favorite time of the day, and even though I'm usually pretty grumpy, he manages to cheer me up.

Spending quality alone time with Caleb in the mornings is a huge bonus, too. I no longer have to share him with whatever wolf is working in the living room like I did back at the safe house, and it's spectacular.

"Morning," I say, stepping into the kitchen.

I can't help but laugh as I'm greeted by the sight of Caleb feeding Jackson tiny spoonfuls of banana-flavored baby food. Jackson's devouring them, and he grunts when Caleb pauses to look at me. It looks like half the bottle is smeared over Jackson's cheeks and chin, but he hardly seems to care as he follows the spoon around with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"How cute," I say, stepping closer.

Jackson smacks his hands on the top of his highchair as Caleb pushes the spoon between his lips, giving him another bite. Half of it immediately seeps out of the corners of his mouth, and Caleb smoothly scoops it up.

"Take a look at this," Caleb says, setting down the spoon before gently grabbing and pulling down Jackson's bottom jaw.

I lean in to look before letting out an excited gasp. Smack dap in the center of Jackson's bottom gum are two tiny little teeth. They're just barely popping through the skin, but they're definitely there. It's no wonder his gums have been giving him so many problems these past few days.

"No way," I say, clasping my hands together. "They're so tiny."

Jackson giggles, happy with the attention he's getting as his eyes dart between Caleb and me.

"What are you talking about?" Caleb huffs. "These are big teeth." He releases Jackson's chin with a tut. "Big teeth for a big boy."

I snort.

"Of course," I concede. "Have you eaten?"

Caleb shakes his head, and I kiss his cheek before walking around him and Jackson and pulling open the fridge. The two keep busy while I prepare a quick breakfast for Caleb and me.

I only grabbed the essentials when I went to the grocery store last week, so there aren't many options to choose from this morning, and I eventually settle on eggs and bacon with a side of toast. It's easy enough to cook, and Caleb likes it.

"What's your day look like today?" Caleb asks.

I flip our eggs and lean against the counter. Caleb's office building offers a daycare service, and Jackson's been going in the mornings. He seems to enjoy it, not that I'm surprised.

The wolves take their childcare seriously, and the wolves who work there are beyond friendly.

Jackson loves the attention, and I found I'm able to squeeze all my work into the mornings. As long as I stick to a schedule, I'm usually finished and at Caleb's office building to pick Jackson up by noon. Caleb seems to love that I need to stop by his work every day, and he's been insisting on taking me out for lunch every time I show up.