Page 41 of Wrong Number, Right Gray Wolf

Our daughter stood on a chair and got the painting. She brought it to us and asked again if we knew what it was. Clyde brought it closer and we studied it. I cried again, great big hacking sobs and Posy handed me a box of tissues.

“That’s very sweet, darling.” I fingered the button in the corner, the broken pink one, that I had given our daughter when I gifted her the button collection.

“Maybe the baby will enjoy collecting buttons and we can share ours.”

The nursery needs something of us, me and Clyde’s wolf. My fox was one smart cookie.

My mate got a sweater he’d been wearing when I shifted the first time after discovering I was pregnant. It was infused with my beast’s scent. And I brought in a scarf that Clyde’s wolf had brushed against in the garden.

Much better. My beast approved.

“Can we sleep in the nursery tonight? It’ll be like camping.” Posy gave us both “the look,” the one she knew we couldn’t resist.

There was no way I could sleep on the floor, but Clyde brought in a folding bed for me and blow-up mattresses for him and our daughter.

“Perhaps I could sleep in the crib.” Posy giggled and added that she was just joking.

When it was time for bed, Posy turned on the fairy lights. I closed my eyes and imagined what it would be like when there was a baby in the crib and the three of us were peering over the side admiring our little one.

“I wish the baby was here so their bed wasn’t empty.” Posy crawled to the side of the crib.

Clyde rubbed her scalp. “Soon, angel. But when the baby comes, you might think they’re too loud.”

“Never.” She shook her head.

I stretched out my arm and my mate took my hand. “I’m with Posy. I don’t like that there’s one empty bed, but you’re right. It’ll be filled soon.”

20

CLYDE

Stephen was at the tail end of his pregnancy. You wouldn’t know it by looking at him, at least not by looking at the things he was doing. Visually, you could tell. He was reaching the limits of the paternity pants he had, and his belly was low. The baby had definitely dropped.

He was absolutely adorable. And if you looked really carefully when the baby was extra active, you could see his belly dance. Posy adored that and would put her favorite button on his belly to watch it move. The first time I told her not to do that, that it wasn’t nice. Stephen announced that if she didn’t he would, and it had since become their thing.

Stephen was full of energy. He’d woken up early and made breakfast the past few days, pancakes for both at Posy’s request. He took Posy to the park. We had a date night. He ran multiple errands with anyone willing to go with him, including calling Remy over because he wanted to get some peaches at the farmers’ market when Posy and I weren’t home. He even rearranged the silverware drawer.

My guess was his bout of energy had to do with being bored and being on paternity leave. But when he first took paternity leave, he was struggling physically. The pregnancy was taking a toll on him, and he needed it. Having the time off had obviously helped.

“Hey, Papa.” Posy came running in the front door, her hand clenched tight. “I found something for you when I was playing in the backyard.”

“Oh, what did you find?”

She ran over and slowly opened her hand. I couldn’t see what it was from the angle I was at, but his face lit up when he picked it up out of her hand. It was a shiny silver button. I should’ve known.

“It’s not even dirty,” he beamed.

“I cleaned it off for you.”

I could see exactly where on her shirt she’d done that. It was gonna be fun to get out.

“It’s got stars all over it. I love it. Where should we put it?” Stephen held it up to the light.

They bantered back and forth about where it belonged as a phone call came in from work. I ducked into the study to get it. And when I came out, my mate was bent over, breathing deeply, Posy looking at him like she didn’t know what to do.

“Hey. What’s wrong?” I rushed over.

“Nothing’s wrong,” he insisted. “Just a cramp. No big deal.”