My Female Alpha

SIXTY

"Mhmm?"

Her tongue lashes at her mouth to wet the chapped, pink skin. "Like a lake beach," she clarifies. "You were swimming in the water with an inflatable tube. A few pack members were there too, drinking and hanging out."

She swallows before tilting her chin down. Our eyes locked, the intensity in her gorgeous blue eyes knocking me breathless.

"I was sitting on the beach. I guess in a chair . . ."

I bite my lips to resist the urge to chuckle. She's clearly stalling. But why? It's just a dream, after all. I don't see what she could be so embarrassed about.

"Well, you see . . ." She smiles sheepishly and looks down. Damn, the big bad Alpha is fucking adorable when she's like this. "In the dream, I was sitting there, watching you . . . and I had a baby in my lap. She had blond pigtails and the cutest freckles. She looked like you, baby girl."

I blink up at her, smiling now. "That's cute. I was kind of an ugly baby—a little too round. So she was like, what? My little sister?"

Lenora chuckles as she rolls away from me. Her long fingers disappear into the dark cloud of her hair. She sits up and turns away from me. Curious, I crawl over to her and place my cheek against her leg.

"What is it?" I mumble.

"She wasn't your sister, Emery," she says softly, her voice like hot caramel and silk. "She was your daughter. Our daughter."

Our daughter. The words settle over me like a blanket made from stone. I only realize I haven't breathed once she brushes the hair from my face.

"What's going through that mind of yours, baby?" she asks.

"A baby?" I sound a bit incredulous but I can't disguise my shock. "You want a baby? How is that . . . how would it even be possible?"

Lenora shrugs and angles herself towards me again. "I don't know. We don't have to decide now but I know there are options . . . if you want. I mean, I have never really thought about kids. Hell, I didn't think I would ever have someone to want kids with." Her palm molds to my cheek and guides it up so I return her loaded gaze. "Have you? Do you want kids maybe, someday?"

I push myself up and cross my legs, leaning against her. "I guess . . . yeah. I used to dream about being a mom when I was younger. But then I became an adult and kind of gave up the idea." Rubbing my lips together, I sigh. "I don't know, though. We would have to figure something out since, you know. Biology. And I don't even know if I'd be a good mom. I'm a hot ass mess 24/7."

Lenora laughs. The sound relieves the heaviness and her arms drop around me. "You? Oh, baby, you'll be a wonderful mother. You care so much about everyone. If we're worried about anything, it's how to keep the baby from getting too spoiled. As long as there are pack members around, he or she will never have to cry or ask for a thing." She shakes her head, saying, "And if Denver is around, that kid will be the most spoiled creature on the planet between humans and wolves alike."

"Oh, I can totally see Denver being that cool uncle."

"He would love being an uncle. I think everyone would love to have a baby around here. It's been awhile."

I try to imagine being pregnant here, raising a child here. We have been up to our necks in danger these last several weeks that it's hard to envision true peace and security. Is it here now, finally? Are our enemies really taken care of? Arabella and Jacob are dead. Brian and Calla are . . . taken care of.

My throat suddenly feels constricted. I scratch at my arms and focus on breathing calmly.

"What is it?" Lenora asks.