Page 85 of The Alpha Wolf’s Secret Baby Boy

I’m content with living in the bubble we’ve created over our family, finally having some time to breathe since the dark witches’ last attack. All evidence points to the dark witches being responsible for Jackson and the rogues’ initial threat, but they seem to have gone into hiding.

They’re plotting their next move, and no one knows why the werewolves of Rosethorn are at the center of all of this.

And while my vision showed me that they fear me, I couldn’t care less about prophecies. All I know is that when the time comes, I will be ready. We will all be ready.

Either way, Damian, Daniel, and I have been using every moment we can to spend time together. And for the first time in a week, we’ll be traveling to Nightclaw for a meeting with the nomadic coven and the council. Alpha Cyrus has been using his facilities to track the dark witches and locate the specific waterfall and cave, while the good witches have been working on runes and spells to keep the evil out of our boundaries.

“Look, Ma!” Daniel chirps as he places the plate in front of me. “Dad made you a special pancake!”

I look down and gasp when I find a pancake in the shape of a heart on the plate. My heart squeezes, and I hold the small gesture with both hands, because everything Damian has been doing these past two weeks has made me fall harder for him.

When I look up, Damian is walking toward us, wearing a mischievous smile. He stops a few feet away, and then drops to one knee.

“Damian…what are you—”

“Relax, Ma!” Daniel insists, placing his hands on my shoulders as he winks at his father from behind me. “Dad has something to say.”

I giggle nervously as I nod and meet Damian’s eyes, my heart racing with anticipation as he pulls out two black velvet boxes from behind him.

He places the longer rectangular box in my hand, keeping the smaller square one in his.

“I had your necklace fixed,” he says with a smile, and I open the lid to find my mother’s gold chain shimmering under the morning light.

I lift it out of the box, and Daniel helps me put it on.

Touching the pendant, my heart fills with a sense of warmth and familiarity, and unlike every other time when I craved my mother’s reassurance, this time, I feel her presence in the background. It’s like she’s taking a step back and allowing me to be held in safety by someone else.

Damian clears his throat and throws a wink at our son before meeting my eyes again.

“More than a decade ago,” he begins, his voice serious, “I made a promise, and it’s taken me a while to finally fulfill it. But here we are now, and it’s time I asked you this question.”

I hold my breath as Damian opens the lid on the smaller box, revealing a gorgeous gold band with a rose-quartz crystal to match my mother’s necklace.

He lifts the piece of jewelry out of the box and holds the ring out to me as he takes my left hand.

“Will you do me the great honor of marrying me, Poppy Barnes?” he asks, and warmth spreads through me as I’m left speechless.

“Go on, Ma! Say something,” Daniel chuckles, poking my shoulder playfully. “You have to marry Dad!”

“Yes,” I whisper, finally letting out the breath I’d been holding. “Yes, of course, I’ll marry you!”

Damian smiles from ear to ear as he slips the ring onto my finger and then wraps his arms around me. Daniel joins in on the hug, and we embrace like that for a long moment.

I draw back first, smiling sheepishly at both of them.

“Well, I have something I need to tell both of you,” I say coyly, and Damian and Daniel exchange confused looks.

I turn to my son, smiling. “Daniel is going to be a big brother.”

Silence takes over for only a heartbeat until both Damian and Daniel erupt in cheers.

“That’s fantastic news, baby!” Damian exclaims as he hugs me.

“A big brother?! That’s so cool!” Daniel chirps, and then steps back. “I’m gonna go give Grandma the good news!”

“Don’t forget, we’re leaving in an hour,” Damian reminds him, and he nods fervently.

“Of course not! I don’t even care about the pay anymore. I’m gonna babysit Damita and Cindy for free now. I need all the practice I can get!”