Baby and the Wolf by Victoria Sue

Chapter Thirteen

Ryker was getting fedup with being woken by his phone, and he reached for it before it woke up Calvin and Emmett. He slipped out of the bedroom and answered it.

“I just heard from the alpha down in Mills River,” Red said. “Apparently they have confirmed there have been no more sightings of Riggs on their land. He apologizes and has offered to help if you need him.”

“I may have to pass this up to the shifter council. If he’s still in the area, he might pose a threat to the human tourists. They would listen then.”

“So I can leave it with you, Alpha?”

Ryker tried not to roll his eyes. He knew Red was half-serious, half ragging on him by giving him his new title. He hung up and went into the kitchen to brew coffee and put the kettle on for Emmett’s tea. Emmett wanted to move back into the cabin, but Ryker couldn’t risk it. He knew his gammas, especially with the new ones, had the area covered, so they were safe; it just wasn’t a long-term solution. He even remembered Calvin’s juice, and he looked critically around the large pack kitchen. Nope, it was no good. He wanted their own space. He just couldn’t decide whether to build onto the pack house or to move into a new cabin. He liked the way his old one backed up to the forest and was hidden from the pack house, but maybe that wasn’t a good look for the alpha with one definitely and maybe even two kids to think about. The thought of Calvin running in the wrong direction and getting lost filled him with horror.

While he was waiting, he called Zeke.

“Ryker? Everything okay with Emmett?” He heard the faint alarm in Zeke’s voice and knew he had to remember Zeke was essentially a new father as well.

“Everything’s good.” He quickly told him about the phone call he’d just had, but as a human, this time there was nothing Zeke could do.

“Marco’s replacement starts today. She’s just going to need a day to orientate herself, and she should be good to go. How’s Darriel?”

“Not so good. He’s been bleeding.” He heard Zeke swear softly on the other end of the line. “I appreciate you getting Marco here permanently.”

“His replacement’s really good. She might not even need him there today. She lives locally and is based near Sapphire.”

He thanked Zeke, hung up, and carried in the peppermint tea, along with his coffee and Calvin’s juice, and sat down on the bed, chuckling to himself. All he could see of Emmett was a mound of blankets. Calvin was likewise huddled up under a similar pile of blankets on the small cot in the far corner. They really should start thinking about getting him into his own room. He waved the tea in the air, hoping it might rouse the two sleepyheads, and after a moment, Emmett cracked open an eyelid.

He smiled and glanced over at Calvin. “I think he’s got a lot of sleep to catch up on.”

Ryker grinned and kept his voice low. “His senses are telling him he’s safe though. He’s a shifter, and no amount of whispering would help if he felt threatened. I made your tea.”

Emmett nodded but didn’t reach for it. He pressed a hand to his belly. “I feel—” He cut off and shot out of bed, nearly catching Ryker with his foot.

Ryker followed, placing both mugs on the dresser. He winced when he heard Emmett getting sick, then ran to the kitchen for some cool water and tissues. He jogged back and knocked on the bathroom door. When Emmett didn’t respond, he let himself in.

Emmett flushed the toilet and sat down on the floor.

Ryker bent down. “What is it?”

“Either I ate something that doesn’t agree with me, or every awful pregnancy tale is going to happen. It probably means I’m going to get stretch marks,” Emmett wailed, shivering.

“You’re cold.” He pulled down a robe from the back of the door and draped it around Emmett’s shoulders. “Let me help you back to bed.”

“I can’t,” Emmett said pitifully. “I might get sick again, and Calvin’s in there.” Yep, they definitely needed more room. Emmett wouldn’t be persuaded, so Ryker simply sat down next to him. After a few minutes, Emmett decided to brush his teeth but still didn’t want to go back to bed. He was shivering, even in the robe.

“How about if we just sit down on the bed? Then it’s easier for you to get to the bathroom if you need to?”

“Okay,” Emmett agreed, and before Emmett could change his mind, Ryker simply picked him up and carried him back to the bedroom. Emmett turned his face into Ryker’s chest and closed his eyes. Ryker sat down on the bed and dragged the blanket over them both, cradling him close. “I hate being sick.”

Ryker dropped a kiss on Emmett’s head. “If it is the pregnancy, we’ll go ask Dinah about it when you feel okay. She’ll have something to help.”

Emmett nodded, and they just sat awhile.

“Any better?”

Emmett seemed to have to think. “I’m good here.”

Which wasn’t exactly the answer to Ryker’s question, but then he smiled. If he was really, really lucky, maybe it was the answer he was hoping for. They hadn’t talked about anything, other than his declaration just before Emmett crawled into the cave. He’d bitten Emmett. He didn’t even know as a half shifter he could do that, but the scar was a permanent reminder they were mated. The pack meeting, Darriel arriving, and Calvin all seemed to have taken over things, but he knew they had to sit down and talk, and as soon as possible.

Emmett lookednervous when he padded out of the house later that morning. Ryker had managed to sneak Calvin out when he’d woken, gotten him a snack, and they were now sitting on the decking above the steps and he was trying to explain to him what it felt like to be a wolf. Calvin had shifter instincts. His hearing, sight, and health were stronger, even if Sarah was right and he was an omega and wouldn’t shift. And it wasn’t that they doubted Sarah. It was that it didn’t matter. Alpha, omega, space alien. Calvin had wormed his way into both of their hearts. The only thing Ryker could tell him with any certainty was that at least one of his parents was a wolf.

Although he supposed now that they had the ultrasound machine, they could see what he looked like inside. Or could they? Was it something they were born with or developed? He had no clue.

Emmett, wrapped in Ryker’s mom’s blanket, came and sat in the rocking chair on the deck. Ryker sat with his back to the pack house wall, knees bent, and Calvin had tucked himself between them, his back to Ryker’s chest. Calvin beamed when Emmett sat down, but Ryker guessed he was comfy because he made no move to leave the shelter provided by Ryker’s knees.

“What if I’m not a proper wolf though?” Calvin chewed his lip. It was clear this had been bothering the little scrap for a while, not exactly surprising when he saw how the old alpha had treated his omegas. Emmett sent Ryker a worried look, but he had this.

“What do you think a proper wolf is?”

Calvin tilted his head as if he was having to think hard. “You,” he said at last. “You’re the alpha.”

Ryker bent and kissed the top of his head. “But I’m a mixed breed.”

Calvin screwed his face up. “But you’re the alpha.”

“Exactly. I can shift, yes, but my mom was a human. She wasn’t even an omega.”

Calvin turned to stare at Ryker in shock. “And they let you be the alpha?”

Emmett chuckled.

“Nobody let me do anything,” Ryker said, smiling. “The wolves here, the ones who helped Emmett rescue you?” Calvin nodded. “They all voted and decided to make me alpha because I was doing the job anyway.” Calvin still looked stunned, but Ryker decided to press his advantage home. “The important thing is that no one can say you can’t be something.” He tapped Calvin’s chest. “If you have the heart of a shifter, you can be whatever you choose. You could be the alpha one day.”

Calvin gaped. “I could?”

“But you have to work hard. You’ll be starting school soon, huh?”

Calvin didn’t look impressed. “Riggs said book learning was for those that were too dumb to be a proper wolf.” It was obviously word for word one of the lessons Riggs had rammed down his throat.

“You know that’s not true though,” Emmett said.

Calvin glanced at Emmett. “Did you go to school?”

Emmett nodded. “I loved school. We got to play and make cool stuff like rocket ships.”

“A rocket ship?” Calvin asked in awe.

Ryker laughed, picked Calvin up as he stood, and set him down gently next to Emmett’s chair. “I have an important job for you,” Ryker said. “And only gamma cadets can do this.”

Calvin’s eyes rounded. “What’s a gamma cadet?”

“It’s what you call special shifters that when they grow a bit bigger will be in the gamma squad and help the alpha.”

“Can I be in the gamma squad?” Calvin asked eagerly.

Ryker swallowed down the sudden lump in his throat. “Yep, but that means you get to do important jobs for me.”

Calvin nodded so violently Ryker expected his head to fall off. “What do I do?”

“Well, for starters, we need to make sure Emmett gets looked after while I make pancakes. Can you do that?” Calvin looked awed and doubtful at the same time. “If you come in with me, we’re going to get him a glass of juice, and without spilling any, you need to carefully bring it back out and stay with him to make sure he drinks it. That’ll earn you at least two points for my new gamma cadet board. You need at least five points every day to make the team.”

Calvin immediately clasped the hand Ryker offered, and they went inside to start gamma cadet training.

Emmett was led into the kitchen by Calvin after he’d drunk all his juice and was encouraged to sit down again. Emmett thanked Calvin solemnly and announced if he kept it up, he had no doubt he would make an excellent gamma cadet.

Ryker popped another pancake into the oven to keep warm. “Why don’t you draw me a picture of a rocket? Then I have a surprise for you both after.”

“I’m starving,” Emmett said. Being sick earlier certainly wasn’t bothering him now, and he asked Calvin to get some napkins while he put everything on the table. They ate comfortably, and then they walked back to their rooms. Calvin went to brush his teeth.

“I’m thinking we need a bigger place,” Ryker said carefully.

Emmett looked around the room, then back at Ryker. “Another bedroom, certainly.”

Ryker’s heart picked up. “You, I mean, well—” Ughh. Ryker started again. “I meant what I said at the cave. About you being here, that is. I bit you.” He looked up and met Emmett’s eyes. “I’m not good at flowery words.” Emmett looked up at him expectantly, and because he was too far away, he leaned over and plucked Emmett from his chair and sat him on his knee. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d done that, but if he was unsure about everything else, touch, closeness was what they both needed. He took in a deep breath. That was better. Emmett raised his hand and brushed an errant hair from Ryker’s face. His hair was getting too long. He normally just hacked at it, but he’d been a bit distracted.

“I love being here,” Emmett said. “I know this is sudden, and scary, but we have to think about the baby. I think this is the best place for them both.” Ryker nodded eagerly. “And I’d like to help you with the pack.”

Ryker agreed in case Emmett thought he wouldn’t. “The alpha-mate has an important role.”

Emmett smiled. “Is that what I am?”

“God, I hope so,” Ryker admitted before he leaned down and kissed him. He tasted of sugar and syrup. Ryker’s hand fell to Emmett’s belly and the definite mound there and rubbed it lovingly. He wasn’t sure if Emmett had noticed it had grown. He guessed when Emmett broke off and looked down, he hadn’t.

“Wow.”

Ryker kissed him again. Emmett was rapidly becoming the most important thing in his life. He glanced to the bathroom and heard Calvin still brushing his teeth.

“We’re going to need to make a decision soon.” Although he had a feeling it had already been made.

Emmett followed his gaze and nodded his understanding. “I think we both made it.”

Which Ryker thought Emmett deserved a kiss for and thoroughly showed his approval.

Calvin bounced back in with his T-shirt on inside out, and Emmett smiled sweetly and reached over for him. Calvin eyed them both, probably wondering what Emmett was doing on Ryker’s knee, but Ryker recognized a little longing in the expression. Shifters—he knew—were very touch oriented. They got comfort from close ties with their pack. He reached out, and in another second, Calvin was snuggled in as well.

Emmett kissed his cheek. “It’s a good thing you have room.”

Plenty, thought Ryker. Room on his lap and room in his heart.