𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲

Despite the constant exhaustion that now coursed through my body--all thanks to my unborn child--I was unable to sleep a wink last night. 

Paul had patrol which meant I was alone, and that always made it difficult to find rest now that we were bonded, but that wasn't the only reason I sat up on the porch until sunrise. 

Jake hadn't come back yet. 

I knew he was most likely fine, probably ran off to Quill's house, but I felt uneasy about him being gone all night and not answering his phone. I'd texted and called my brother multiple times, no response. 

Me: Jake... don't be like this, everything will work out, okay?

Me: Jake, please, at least let me know you're okay. 

Me: Please answer your phone, dad and I are worried. 

Me: Jacob Black, I swear on all the ancestors if you don't answer your phone or get home soon, I am so going to kill you.

Me: Okay, not really, just... please be safe. I love you. 

Not one messaged had received a response from him and while I'd felt Paul's reassurance through the bond all morning, it did nothing to ease the ache in my chest. 

It wasn't just about me being pregnant, it was about me keeping something huge from my brother--and we never kept anything from each other. 

This would all be so much easier if he would just shift already, I was tired of everyone's soons and soon enough's. Soon enough wasn't good enough. I hated that Jake was feeling so isolated from everyone and--

My train of thought was broken as I caught movement in the tree line. I wrapped my blanket around me, my eyes squinting in focus as my hand reached for my phone, just in case it was an unwelcome visitor. 

I relaxed as I saw the familiar grey wolf trotting toward me and I let out a breath. \

Paul trotted up to the porch before shifting into human. My eyes appreciatively drifted over his naked form as he rushed up the porch steps, giving me a crooked grin. "How's my girl?" He said, sitting beside me as I lifted the blanket for him to slip beneath. 

I wasted no time in curling into his side, breathing in his scent and soaking up his warmth. The bond between us buzzed happily. Paul placed a kiss to my head, pulling me against him. 

"Jake still hasn't come home yet," I replied softly, letting out a breath. Paul didn't say anything, he didn't need to. We could feel the emotions flowing between us, both of us worried, him reassuring and calming against my sadness. 

No words were needed, that was one of the benefits of our bond. 

After a moment, I lifted my head to look at him. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on patrol still?" 

Paul kissed the side of my head, letting out a breath before speaking slowly, "Quill shifted, we came back to help him through it, Sam and Embry are with him now, I just wanted to come give you a heads up." 

My face dropped into a frown and shook my head, "ugh...," I groan softly, dropping my head into Paul's chest, "poor Jake, he... he's all alone now... I don't... he's going to be so upset." 

Great, just great. Now Jake lost both of his best friends and his sister and father were lying to him. This was too much, I felt the guilt twisting around me as I worried over ruining my relationship with my brother. 

"Hey, hey," Paul called, his hand grasping my chin and lifting my face up to look at him. His whiskey brown eyes calling to soothe the ache within me. "Jacob will be okay, alright? Don't worry about him now, he'll shift soon enough. You need to focus on you..." 

Paul's eyes searched my own, hesitating a moment before he brushed my hair behind my ear and whispered, "Focus on us, on growing our child, that's your only job right now, okay? No stress, no worrying. Leave that to me."

My heart rate picked up, my cheeks flushing slightly, because how could I not react when the love of my life said things like that. 

Paul Lahote was my dream... and he was the father of my child--a prospect that still frightend me slightly, but when he said things like that? All fear went out the window. 

"Okay," I whisper back, leaning into his touch. "I..." I let out a breath, hesitating for a moment before saying the words that didn't need to be said, but hadn't been said until this point. "I love you, Paul." 

For a moment he doesn't move, his breath catches and he freezes, his eyes locked on mine as they flash with so many emotions I feel shooting down the bond right at me. 

Love, devotion, elation. 

I feel it as surely as I feel my own love mirroring his own through the tether between us. 

"Liv..." He breathes out, rough and choked as his forehead presses against mine, his eyes closing for a second like he's trying to hold himself together. But it's Paul--and he's never been good at hiding anything from me. 

I feel it, the relief, all of it--and I'm reminded of his words in the woods a few weeks ago of how long he's wanted me and I wonder if this whole time he's just been waiting for me to say these words. Waiting and pleading and I feel like an ass for keeping them from him, from not telling him the truth--the words he deserves to hear every moment of every day. 

Paul's grip on me tightens, anchoring me to him. "I've been in love with you since before I even knew what that meant," He admits quietly, his eyes opening and clashing with mine with an intensity that rocks my center. "Since we were kids running around the res, when you had braces and I used to pull on your pigtails just to make you chase me--

"I've always loved you, Liv." He says it like a promise, like he means it with his entire being and I can feel it, the intensity and the enormity of his words and emotions and all I can do is listen and feel, "Not because of the bond. Not because of..." His words trail off, his hand dropping to my waist. My skin prickles as he brushes a thumb over my stomach, over the life growing inside of me. 

"It's you. It's always been you." 

I let out a shaky breath, my lips parting and my eyes misting over as I'm completely at a loss for words. How... "You need to stop doing that," I say, breathlessly as I shake my head, swallowing the lump in my throat. 

"What?" He responds, his thumb brushing over my lip as he cups my jaw. 

I suck in a breath, "Saying just the right thing... making me stupid." 

Paul's lips quirk into that self satisfied smirk I love. "Maybe I like you stupid." 

I shake my head, my lips curving to match his smile. "Shut up," I mutter before tipping my head up, meeting him halfway in a lazy sort of kiss. 

Because there's no rushing this, not anymore, not ever. 

So we stay like that—breathing each other in, letting everything else fall away. And the bond between us hums alive, warm and steady, pressing against my ribs like it's sealing something permanent between us.

Like a vow we didn't need words for.

Jacob finally returned to the house later that afternoon, with Bella in tow. They were working on the dirt bikes again and as much as I wanted to interrupt and try to fix things between my brother and me, I knew now wasn't the time. 

So, I settled on being happy he was safe and okay as I headed over to Sam and Emily's to help her prep for the pack dinner tonight to welcome Quill and tell everyone the news. 

Paul had said it was hard keeping the pack out of his thoughts, seeing as they pretty much were unable to, but he'd somehow managed to keep this secret under wraps, knowing I wanted to tell everyone after we'd told my dad. 

I kick off my shoes by the door as I walk into the warm home, shrugging off my jacket as I smile at Emily who is in the kitchen, bustling around.

"Hey, Em," I greeted, walking into the kitchen and leaning onto the island, trying to get a lay of the land. "What're we making?" 

Emily gave me a bright, warm smile as she rounded the counter and pulled me into a hug. "Oh, Olivia, it's great to see you." I let out a chuckle, hugging her back tightly before she released me and gave me a look. "You look tired, sweetie, have you been sleeping okay?" 

I give her a smile, nodding, "yeah, just... last night was a lot, I'll tell you about it later. For now, let's focus on feeding this small army, hm?"

Emily laughed, dropping it at my comment before quickly enlisting me to do all the prep work for the food--not allowing me to season or actually cook anything, no, we both knew better than that by now.

All afternoon was spent prepping and cooking enough food to feed the shifters plus some, I was still amazed by how much those boys could eat. We made lasagnas--three of them--a large salad that I put together and actually looked edible, 3 loaves of garlic bread, and enough muffins to last any normal person a month. 

By the end of it, the house smelt of Italian herbs and garlic, the table set and full of food. My hair was pulled back in a messy pony, trying to stay cool with the heat of the kitchen. 

Just as we pulled the last lasagna out of the oven, the back door burst open, voices quickly filling the space. 

I perked up, my eyes instantly finding Paul as he walks in, laughing and shoving Jared. Sam steps into the kitchen, moving around me to greet his mate. 

Paul is a close second, his eyes finding mine before he's moving over and pulling me into him, "Hey," he says softly, dipping his head down to kiss me deep and slow. 

I let out a breath, kissing him back, forgetting for a moment where we are until I hear a wolf-whistle and Jared's annoying voice breaking through the moment, "get a room, you two. Us unmated wolves don't need to be seeing all that." 

Paul and I break the kiss, laughing at Jared's insinuation. "I hear you aren't unmated, Jared," I say pointedly, moving toward the table, only for Paul to sit and pull me onto his lap. "How is Kim?" I waggle my brows at the shifter suggestively, laughing as I see his cheeks turn pink. 

"She's, fine. Y'know.. just-- hey, this isn't about me, okay?" He shakes his head, clapping a hand on Quill's back, "Tonight is about Quill finally joining the pack!" 

Voices overlap one another as food is passed around, the rest of the pack sitting down, Sam pulling Emily into his lap much like Paul did to me--not that either of us girls mind. 

Embry complains about patrol and fighting with his mom, Quill asks a million and one questions and asks me about Jacob--not that I had much info to give. And we laugh, and eat, and it's so great. It's my family. 

As dinner settles down, Paul nudges me lightly, raising a brow in question. I don't need to be a genius to know he's asking if we're sharing the news or not. 

I nod, biting my lip nervously as I let out a breath. 

Paul's hand tightens slightly on my waist—just enough for me to feel him there, steadying me without pushing.

The noise around the table fades just a little, like the world is waiting without even realizing it.

Sam's voice is somewhere to my left. Jared is still talking. Embry laughs at something Quill says. But I can feel Paul now, fully focused on me, the bond humming low and warm between us like he's already anchoring me before I even speak.

I clear my throat.

"Hey," I say, a little louder than I meant to.

The table quiets in pieces—first Embry, then Jared, then Quill mid-bite. One by one, attention shifts toward me.

My stomach flips.

This is ridiculous. I've faced down vampires. I've argued with Paul Lahote in a full storm of rage. I've survived being attacked by a vampire and lived to tell the tale. 

So why was this making me so nervous?

"Uh... Paul and I have news..." I say slowly, taking a breath as I glance at my mate. Paul's thumb strokes once against my side, grounding me. 

Jared leans forward immediately, grinning. "Oh no. This sounds serious. Did you finally admit Paul's annoying?"

A few chuckles ripple through the group and my shoulders loosen just a fraction.

Paul's mouth twitches against my hair. "Keep talking, Jared."

That gets another laugh.

I glance down for a second, then back up.

"No, it's not that," I say, and my voice softens without me meaning it to. "It's... actually really big."

That quiets them again.

Sam's expression shifts first—more attentive now. Emily slows her movements near the counter. Even Quill looks up fully, food forgotten.

I swallow. "I, uh... I'm pregnant." 

The room goes silent. It's not uncomfortable, but heavy feeling--like everyone stopped breathing as they process what I've just said. 

Jared blinks. "Wait—like... pregnant pregnant?"

Embry's eyes widen. "Oh my god."

Quill chokes slightly on his food.

And Sam just goes very still, his gaze flicking between me and Paul like he's processing a dozen different implications at once.

Paul's arm tightens around me again, and I feel him lean in just slightly, like he's reassuring me without the words, having my back.

"Yeah," he says finally, voice low but certain, cutting through the noise. "She is."

That settles it and studdenly, the room shifts, shock melting away into chaos. 

"No way!" Quill chokes out, sharing a surprised look with Embry. 

Jared is laughing, his head tipping back, "I called it! Embry you owe me 50 bucks!"

"That's not fair," Embry calls back, grumbling as he forks over some cash anyways. 

"Just saying, I'm going to be the best godfather this kid's got," Jared says with a grin, starting an argument with Embry and Quill over who would be the baby's godfather.

It's all so much, so overwhelming and a lot. But my shoulders relax, the tension leaving my body as I realize it's okay. This isn't going to be weird and awkward, of course it's not. They're our family, they've got us, no matter what. And they're not going to turn their backs on us just because our life is happening a little sooner than expected. 

Sam pulls Paul into a hug and Emily pulls me into one as well and I melt into it, feeling comforted and at peace. 

It was going to be okay. It would all be okay. 

I felt ridiculous for ever thinking otherwise.