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West was born theseventhof January, meaning Callie finished her finals almost nine months pregnant and completely exhausted.
She was so tiny, her massive belly made walking around campus from class to class a chore.Jasper,Riley,andBlake helped as much as they could. But Callie was adamant nomissedlectures for her.
Today was the first dayJasperwouldn’t be with them. Classesstarted back up. Even though Jace had vetted Colorado’s best nannies, Callie decided to take the semester off. She’d go back in the fall, once the baby was older and she was feelingsteadieron her feet as a new mother.
Jasper supported her decision. He’d done so in the beginning, there was no reason to stop now. His mate was brilliant. Onesemester behind wouldn’t hold her back. She wanted to go into nursing, having enjoyed working with Maddi at the clinic so much.
“What time will your parents be here?” Jasper checked his watch. Hisfirst class wasn’t untilnine.
Callie leaned back, her eyes closed. “Soon. They left aroundsixto make it here before you had to leave.” She was tired. Alwaysso tired. He helped as much as he could, giving West bottleswith milk she’dpumped.He was still so young, only a few weeks old.
Jasper couldn’t wait for the day that he was more, uh, durable. He wanted to run and play and hear him giggle and call his name. He was trying toenjoy every stage, advice from Molly, but his kid felt breakable,and that was terrifying.
“It’ssweet they wanted to come early to see me.” He winked when she picked her head up, her sleepy gaze meeting his.
Callahan’s parents had come aroundnearthe end of her pregnancy. They’d met for dinner, and then they came for a visit. It was a slow recovery process, but they were obsessed with their grandson. They’d come to the hospital the day after he was born, and they were coming to stay with them for a week to help Callie adjust to not havingJasperat home all day.
The pack had come to visit too, although not allat once. They wouldn’t’vebeen able to fit in their small two-bedroom home, and all of them at the same timewastoo much for Callierightnow.
Jace had been right. The housewas a good investment. Once they were done with it, it’d be easy enough to rent to some college kids.They’dstay in Greenlyonlylong enoughforbothof them tograduate.
When they’d left Haxton and his family, Callie sobbed the whole three-hour car ride back. She told him that was where she was supposed to be, the only place she’d ever felt at home, at peace.
He’d move anywhere for her. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to make her happy.
If that meant posting up beside his surly brother and living in the mountains for the rest of his life, he’d do it. When Callie had decided on a degree path, so had he. He wanted to coach. He wanted to mentor the next round of young shifters, give them a safe space the way his coaches hadgivenhim, his twin,and his best friend.
He wasn’t sure if he liked his family that much, or if it was the underlying pull of the pack. Either way, he was content with the idea of moving back to a small town to raise his son.
“Hey, little family.” Blaketiptoedinto the room,andher face lit up at the sight of her nephew. “I missed him.I used my key.”
Jasper rolled his eyes. “Once the doc clears my girl for more than kisses, you’ll need to start knocking.”
Callie finished feeding the baby, then passed him to Blake. She and Riley were over pretty much every day.Jasperdidn’t mind, and as long as Callie didn’t either, they could come and go as they pleased. It was nice to have the extra hands, and ithelped himand Calliegeta couple hours of alone time each day.
“I’m done with classes aroundthree,” Blake said. “Afteryour parents leave next week, I can come by on my way home to take a feeding or whatever you need.”
His mate curled up in the glider. “Packs are the way to go.I don’t know how people survive without one.”
He stood, scooping her into his arms. “Good thing you’ll never have to find out.” Blake took her place, rocking West back to sleep and singing him a lullaby completely off key. “I’m taking her back to bed for an hour, you good?”
“I’m good until Riley finishes making us all breakfast and comes to steal him.”
Jasper laid his mate in their bed, chuckling when he saw she was already asleep.
He climbed in next to her, pulling herintohis arms.
He took a deep breath, completely in love and at peace with the way his life had turned out.
***
And the pack kept growing…
“You two are beyond annoying.” Wren turned her back on the twins, Bhodi and Riot. Giving attention to their antics only tended to escalate the situation. “If Uncle Keller finds out about this, you’ll be grounded for a month.” She sipped the mixed drink Oliver handed her when she reached the top of their mountain. Her father, Jace, owned it, but it belonged to all of them, to their pack.
She’d been raised at the base of it, staring up at its peak from her bedroom window. She’d been raised with the kids around her too. The last sixteen years of her lifeshe’dspent in the middle of overprotective wolves and the mates who loved them.
Haxton, Colorado was a sanctuary for her family, and life beyond its borders was as terrifying to her as it was alluring.
