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Chapter 10
Dorian
Byron and Amelia arrived for dinner, completely unaware of the impending announcement. I sat on the edge of my seat, impatiently waiting for my guardians to break the news.
“What do you think about Amelia’s idea?” Byron asked first.
“What idea is that?” Perdita asked, urging me to pass along a tray of roast potatoes.
“I thought it would be a good idea to offer up a space for those who use the community centre,” Amelia said, taking the tray off my hands. “Nathan can hold his classes here, so if we’re preparing for that anyway, we might as well open the place up to everyone.”
“The shed?” Perdita sounded unconvinced.
“The meeting hall,” Byron corrected. “Titles are important, you know. Besides, we’ll clean it up. It’ll look nice by the time we’re finished with it. It’ll be good for the community and our reputation to at least offer the space up. I like the idea. It’ll give the pack something to do and help out the greater community at the same time.”
“Tammie will take up the offer,” Nathan said. “She’s desperate to keep the concert going, and if the centre ever needed fundraising, it’s now.”
“What about the creche and playschool?” Perdita appeared to hold her breath.
“I’ll offer the space for that purpose, too,” Byron said. “We’ll need to make sure we keep the dog training sessions separate, for peace of mind, but we can reorganise once we have all the schedules. We can redecorate, do our best to accommodate everyone.”
“That’s great,” she said, as Nathan reached for her hand. She blew out a deep breath and nodded at him.
“Actually, we have news, too.” Nathan smiled at Perdita. “I’ll let you tell it.”
I moved closer to her for support.
She held onto her chair as though bracing herself. “I didn’t want to say before because of everything that was going on, and everything that happened last time, but I…” She exhaled sharply. “We’re having a baby, and so far, everything looks good.”
“Oh, my God!” Amelia jumped to her feet, flailing her arms and knocking both her bowl, glass, and Byron’s glass over in one fell swoop. “Really?”
“Really,” Nathan said with an eye roll. “Now can someone calm her down before she completely destroys dinner?”
Perdita and I were already on our feet, clearing up the mess Amelia had caused. Byron wrapped one arm around Perdita and squeezed her to him, apparently too emotional to speak, though I caught a hint of concern in his eyes. Nathan guided everyone back to their seats while I continued the clean-up, biting back my laughter at their reactions.
“I know it’s a surprise, given the timing and all.” Perdita looked uncomfortable. “I wasn’t sure if I would ever be ready to try again, but surprise, I suppose.”
“I’m so glad,” Amelia gushed. “You deserve to be happy, both of you.” She made a squeaky sound. “I can’t believe it.”
Byron rose to his feet to hug Perdita again. “I’m so happy for you both. And for us. I’m excited to have a new member of the family.”
She leaned back, holding his gaze. “This baby may never be a werewolf, Byron. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment.”
“Shifter or not, this child will be one of us, and that’s all that matters.” He looked at Nathan who was beaming. “I suspected something was up, but this never even crossed my mind. How far along are you, Perdita?”
She hesitated, and the room fell silent. “Over four months,” she admitted.
Amelia sank into her seat, pressing her fingertips against her eyelids.
“Oh, Perdita,” Byron said as the truth sank in. She had been pregnant when Dominic tried to kill her. “I’m so sorry.” His voice broke on his final word.
Nathan reached out to pat Byron’s shoulder. “She’s fine,” he said. “They both are. She’s had ultrasounds and everything. We’re already past the danger point, already past… last year.”
I held my breath, expecting Perdita to react, but she was more concerned with comforting Byron who looked crushed. Last year, Perdita had suffered an early miscarriage during her first pregnancy. It had affected the family deeply, which made her current pregnancy an even bigger deal.
“I’m happy,” she said firmly. “I’m feeling better than ever physically. A lot of first pregnancies don’t end well, but this baby is already a survivor, right? We’ve been through the worst. It’s all uphill from here.”
“Let’s finish the meal,” Nathan said in a gentler tone. “Food’s getting cold.”
