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“If you can catch him.” His whole face lit up and the seriousness washed away once again. “Darron just started to walk and keeps everyone on their toes. Just come by our house whenever you’re free.”
When they reached the house, Seth turned to walk to the tree line, but Blake stopped him. “Mother wants you to grab some food before you leave.”
Seth didn’t seem happy but quickly walked in the house. Blake opened his arms and Niev came closer letting him wrap them tightly around her shoulders. Hugging his waist, she laid her head on his chest.
“Everything okay, beautiful?” he asked worriedly but also a little curious.
“Yes, just a little hungry.”
“Let’s get you inside then.” He loosened his hug and took her hand in his, leading her through the doors.
The table had been set. Mayra sat closest to the kitchen, next to a man with black hair and green eyes. Niev assumed it must be Tanner, her husband and Blake’s father. His face seemed friendly, yet she could see him wearing many years of worry like a mask. On the other side of the table sat Bill who smiled at her as she walked in. Niev and Blake had barely entered the house as Seth quickly ran past them, stuffing his mouth with food.
“Finally, I can meet my new daughter.” Tanner had gotten up. “Come here and let me take a look at you.”
Niev nervously walked over to him. As soon as she was close enough, he laid his big strong hands on her shoulders and gently squeezed them.
“Welcome,” he said, his voice rough and deep. “You look hungry. Let’s eat.”
He let go of her shoulders and pointed to a seat opposite him. Mayra was an amazing cook and Niev ate everything that Blake put in front of her.
“Blake, you should take Niev to Christa soon. She could be helpful to you both. Pregnancy isn’t always easy.” Mayra smiled at Niev with a knowing gaze. She’d carried four children, so she knew what she was talking about.
“Not just for the woman.” Tanner’s deep laugh vibrated through the whole room.
“Blake introduced me to Christa this morning and she’s wonderful.”
Mayra seemed upset about something, and Blake seemed to have noticed too. “I’m sorry, Mother. I should’ve let Niev meet you and Father first before letting anyone else meet her. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Don’t take your mother too seriously, she’ll get over it.” Tanner laughed again. “And if not, good luck to you.”
“Tanner.” Mayra gave her husband a nudge, but she seemed amused. “Are you experiencing any morning sickness yet? I felt horrible with all four of my children. The only thing I could keep down was strawberry and vanilla ice cream.”
“Oh, I don’t miss driving to the store in the middle of the night because you had your cravings.” Tanner turned to his wife and squeezed her hand.
“No, nothing yet.” And Niev was hoping it would stay that way. She’d heard terrible things about it and didn’t want to experience it herself.
“I pray for you it stays that way,” Mayra said as she handed Niev some dessert.
After lunch, Blake helped his mother clear the table. He had to force Niev to sit down and rest, she still looked tired but would never admit it or take a break on her own. He’d wanted to sit her down at the table or on the couch, but she’d been stubborn, not wanting to watch anyone work while she was being lazy. Instead, she was sitting by his grandfather’s tree soaking in the sun while Bill and his father had gone back into the office. His father and Bill had spent many endless hours trying to solve the situation with the Skadu Pack and so far, they’d had no luck.
The Skadu Pack was known for their aggressive andviolent behavior toward other packs. They came closer each day and their scouts had already reached the south outskirts of the Timber Territory. His father had always managed to find a peaceful solution with each of the other packs that attempted to take their land. The Skadu Pack on the other hand, wasn’t willing to negotiate. They were known to fight, kill, destroy, and never show any kind of mercy. Seth had been out patrolling the territory’s borders for days. Even though Seth and his father never showed it, Blake knew they were worried. Even Bill seemed less at ease than usual and that made Blake worry even more.
“I would feel better if you and Niev would stay with us till all this is over.” His mother always knew what was going on in his head.
“There are other things to be taken care of first.”
“What is more important than her safety?”
“Nothing is more important to me than her safety, but she has a life outside of this. She has friends, a home, a job. We need to figure out what to do with her life first before we start doing anything here.”
“Does she not want to stay here? She seems to be very pleased so far.”
“She thinks she knows what she wants, but I’m not sure she understands the consequences to her choices yet.”
“I hope you have told her we will take care of her? She has nothing to worry about if she becomes part of the pack.” It sounded like she was accusing him of forcing Niev to work. “She shouldn’t be working in her condition anyway.”
“Mother, have you not met her? She’s not like you, or any other woman in the pack for that matter. She’s not traditional. She willwantto work. She can barely handle sitting around and resting while others clear the table. What do you think will happen to her if I force her to stay home?”
