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“I’ll wait right here,” she promised, understanding what I couldn’t quite articulate. “Go.”
I pushed open the door to find my sister propped up on the hospital bed, her face flushed and hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. The doctor and two nurses moved efficiently around her, monitoring both her vitals and the baby’s.
“Alex,” she gasped when she saw me, reaching out a trembling hand. “You’re here.”
I crossed the room in three strides, taking her hand in mine. “Of course I’m here. You think I’d miss meeting my niece?”
She tried to smile but it twisted into a grimace as another contraction hit. Her grip on my hand tightened to the point that even with my Alpha strength, I felt the pressure of her bones against mine.
“I’m scared,” she admitted when the pain subsided, her voice so small it reminded me of when we were
children and she’d come to my room during thunderstorms.
I smoothed the damp hair from her forehead. “Don’t be. You’re the strongest she–wolf I know, Ly. You’ve
got this.”
The doctor looked up from between Lyra’s legs. “She’s fully dilated. It’s time to push, Lyra.”
What followed was the most awe–inspiring and terrifying forty–three minutes of my life. I held my sister’s hand through each push, offering encouragement even as my wolf howled in distress at being unable to take away her pain. Lyra fought with everything she had, her determination never wavering despite her exhaustion.
And then, suddenly, a new sound filled the room–the indignant cry of a newborn wolf pup taking her
first breath.
“She’s here,” the doctor announced, lifting the tiny, wriggling bundle. “A beautiful, healthy girl.”
Lyra collapsed back against the pillows, tears of joy streaming down her face as the nurse placed the swaddled infant on her chest. I stood frozen, overwhelmed by the sight of my sister cradling her daughter.
“She’s perfect,” Lyra whispered, running a finger over the baby’s scrunched face. She looked up at me with tired eyes. “Do you want to hold your niece, Uncle Alpha?”
My throat tight with emotion, I carefully took the tiny bundle into my arms. The baby–my niece–blinked up at me with unfocused eyes, her tiny fist escaping the blanket to wave in the air. My wolf instantly recognized her as pack, as family, a fierce protectiveness surging through us both.
“Hello, little one,” I murmured, my voice rough. “Welcome to the pack.”
After a moment, I handed the baby back to Lyra, pressing a kiss to my sister’s forehead. “You did
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amazing, Lyra. Mom and Dad would be so proud.”
She beamed up at me, exhausted but radiant. “I’m going to name her Thea. Thea Rose Blackwood.”
“It’s perfect,” I assured her, my chest tight with love for these two females who were now the future of our bloodline.
The nurse approached, gently suggesting that Lyra needed rest. I reluctantly stepped out to find Summer waiting anxiously in the hallway.
“A girl,” I told her, unable to keep the smile from my face. “Thea Rose Blackwood. Seven pounds, three ounces of pure perfection.”
Summer threw her arms around me, her joy mirroring my own. “Congratulations, Uncle Alpha,” she teased, pressing a kiss to my lips.
I held her close for a moment, savoring the brief respite of happiness before reality came crashing back.
Beta Ethan approached, his expression grave. “Alpha, may I have a word?”
Summer squeezed my arm in understanding. “I’ll go see if Lyra needs anything.”
Once she had disappeared into the room, I turned to Ethan. “What is it?”
“We’ve completed the initial investigation of the border breach,” he said, keeping his voice low.
“But there’s something else. There’s an unfamiliar scent in her pack house room–someone not from our pack was there earlier today.”
My blood ran cold, my wolf surging forward with a rage so intense I had to clench my fists to maintain control. “You’re telling me someone in my pack has been poisoning my sister?”
Chapter 144
