Page 91 of My Fated Mate

"A few," I admit, chuckling. "Though none seem to quite capture the feeling I get when I think about this little one. She's going to be a troublesome one. I can feel it. Just like her mother.”

Elowen punches my shoulder, and I gasp dramatically, making her eyes roll playfully. "Well, there's always Selene," she offers, a sly smile playing on her lips.

"A bit… obvious, wouldn't you say?" I tease, bumping my shoulder against hers playfully.

Elowen's smile fades, replaced by a mock frown. "For our pup bathed in moonlight? I think it's rather fitting."

A laugh escapes me. "Alright, alright," I concede, raising my hands in surrender. "Selene, it is. Though, if it's a boy…"

"It is a girl," Elowen interrupts, her voice firm.

My eyebrows shoot up. "Is it? How do you know?"

A smug smile spreads across her face. "Because I haven't had a single craving for sweets the entire pregnancy. It's a scientific fact, you know."

I shake my head, unable to stifle a chuckle. "Scientific fact, huh? Since when did you become such an expert?"

"Since I started carrying our pup," she retorts playfully.

Suddenly, a blur of brown fur barrels towards us, a joyous bark echoing across the meadow.

It’s Kai, my faithful pup companion, a little one I saved weeks ago. He’s a Dark Moon pup but somehow managed to survive the death of his pack.

I don’t think a pup should suffer for something he knows nothing about, so I saved him and brought him back into our fold.

Kai skids to a halt at my feet, tail wagging furiously. I reach down, scratching him behind the ears, a familiar warmth settling over me.

"Easy there, boy," Elowen scolds gently. "Remember, no roughhousing with your injured Alpha."

Kai scampers off to play with Finn and Viktar, who are busy training a new group of adolescent pups.

I roll my eyes playfully. "He's just excited, Elowen. Besides, I can handle a little playful wrestling."

"That's what you said about climbing that tree last week," she counters, her voice laced with a worry that tugs at my heart. "And look what happened."

I glance down at my leg. On cue, a sharp pain shoots through it. She's right, of course. Even months after the battle, I have to be careful not to push myself too hard.

But sometimes, I forget the limitations my injury has placed on me. Lately, I’m just lost in the simple joy of life returning to normal.

"I'm fine, truly," I assure her, squeezing her hand gently. "Besides, with a little wolf on the way, I have all the motivation I need to be extra careful."

Elowen's face softens, and she leans in, planting a tender kiss on my lips. "Just promise me you'll be careful," she murmurs. "For our pup and for me."

The depth of her love and her concern washes over me. At that moment, with the setting sun painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, I know I have everything I can ever ask for. A loving mate, a coming child, and a hard-won peace—a happily ever after that feels more precious than any victory on the battlefield.

THE END