I know now how lucky I was to have you, how much you gave me in the time we were together. You gave me the ability to dream. And you were right. You were always right, about believing.
Warmth and heat stole up on her from behind, strong arms caging her in a tender prison.
“Kieran.” She sighed, leaning back. “Finished with your run?”
He rubbed his jaw against her cheek and nipped her ear. “I can never stay away from you long, Alexandra.” He spread his fingers to encompass her belly, and the rhythm of his breathing became deep and slow.
“Trying to figure out if she’ll be like her daddy?” Alexandra said lazily, rolling her head against his bare chest.
He kissed her temple. “Hoping she’ll be like her mother. Beautiful.”
Alexandra sat up, twisting awkwardly to face him. He could still take her breath away when she saw him as he was now, magnificendy naked, gazing at her with pride and love.
“You know I want her to be like you,” she protested.
He rocked back into a crouch, hands dangling between his knees. “Even if it makes her life harder?”
“It won’t if we teach her right,” she said seriously, frowning at him. “If we make safe places for wolves where she can be herself when she needs to be. Like you.”
“She’ll have a mother to teach her courage,” Kieran murmured, taking her hands.
“And her father to teach her everything else she needs to know.” She scooted closer to him on her knees. “She’ll never feel like an outsider, Kieran.”
“Not with all of Val Cache and Julie’s family ready to stand as godparents.” Kieran pulled her head against his shoulder and stroked her hair.
“If our daughter is like you, your people will have an other reason to hope for the future,” she said, nestling as close as she could in spite of her bulk. “There are still so few of you. If you and I can have a loup-garou child—”
“She’ll be our kind, Alexandra—yours and mine—whatever she is. And she’ll be loved.”
“Yes.” She looked up at him, at amber eyes so vivid with emotion that she could either kiss him or drown.
He responded with a soft growl, filling his hands with her heavy breasts. He began to massage them with utmost gentleness, stroking her nipples to delicate points.
“Kieran—”
He slipped his tongue between her lips. “Hmmm?”
She sucked on him lightly and then bit down just enough to get his attention.
“Kieran, there’s a truck pulling into the driveway.”
He started and let her go. Alex pushed herself to her feet, reached for his jeans draped over the porch chair, and tossed them to him.
“If you can manage to get them on,” she said, glancing significantly at the base of his belly and blushing in spite of herself.
Kieran grinned and sniffed the air. “It’s only Julie,” he said.
“Still…” She brushed past him, trailing her fingers along his bare arm, and eased her way down from the porch. He tugged on his pants quickly and followed just as Julie got out of the truck.
“Julie!” Alex embraced her friend. “What brings you here?”
“Oh, just checking up on you guys.” Julie’s gaze settled on Kieran with teasing intensity. “Hope I wasn’t interrupting.”
“Not much to interrupt these days,” Alex said, rolling her eyes.
That was not precisely true. Between the two of them, Alex and Kieran had discovered any number of ways to assuage their constant hunger for each other.
“Feeling all right?” Julie asked.
“Perfect.” Alexandra leaned against Kieran as he curled his arm around her thick waist.
“Luke and his wife still coming down next month?”
“Yes. With their boys.” Alex laughed. “They seem to think they should be here for the blessed event.”
“I can understand that. Not that you won’t have all the help you need.” Julie grinned. “My whole family feels pretty possessive of the kid already…”
Alex listened to Julie chatter, letting her thoughts drift back to their return to Minnesota. It hadn’t even been spring then; now the leaves were turning, another summer gone. In British Columbia Kieran had told her that the two of them could face whatever waited for them here, but even he hadn’t counted on the help of his newfound people.