Fated for Her Wolves - Tara West Page 0,83
Junior’s head. “You’re welcome, but he would have found his way home one way or another. I’d cheat death to come back to you, too.”
After cuddling Buster once more, she released him to play with the children and his dog friends. Even Annie’s dog Mako greeted the pup like a long-lost friend. She and Annie held hands while Annie shared stories about life in Texas. Amara couldn’t stop smiling. This was going to be the best Christmas ever.
THE SNOW CONTINUED to fall. The dogs chewed on bones beside the hearth while her family finished their Christmas Eve brunch. Her in-laws couldn’t attend because of the weather. The Amaroki chieftain had ordered all families to restrict travel to emergencies only until the heavy snowfall abated. Though the Amaroki didn’t normally celebrate Christmas, Amara and Annie had insisted they continue some of their childhood traditions. Amara, Annie, and Roy had spent many wonderful Christmases at their human grandparents’ house when they were young, and they wanted their children to share the joy, too. The kids loved having a tree with presents under it. Hakon had let them each open one, and they squealed when they got new wooden trains. She couldn’t wait for them to see the huge train table Drasko and Luc had built. It was so big it couldn’t be wrapped, which was why they’d hidden it in Drasko’s workshop. It came with an entire town and wooden people and a forest in the center with five play wolves.
Her oldest boys had finished their dinner early, begging to be excused so they could play with their trains. The adults sat around the big dining table Drasko had carved out of a pine, eating moose burgers and making jokes.
Well, most of her company made jokes. Annie’s alpha, Magnus, was far more stoic than Hakon, who watched over his family like a hen guarding her eggs. He sat protectively close to Annie, encouraging her to finish her meal and rubbing her belly. He and his brothers had refused Hakon’s offer of beer, preferring to drink soda while doting on Annie until she shooed them all away like they were stray dogs.
Amara remembered feeling smothered by her mates early on in their relationship. Now she didn’t know what she’d do without them.
“Rone, you’ve outdone yourself.” Annie patted her stomach and burped into her hand. “Those moose burgers were the best. Could you please give Frey the recipe?”
“I already got it,” Frey said with a deep Texas twang, snatching the uneaten pickles off Annie’s tray. Frey was a smaller version of Rone with a perpetual smile. He hung on Annie’s every word like a love-struck pup.
Luc stood and pushed back his chair, then flexed lean muscles. “Who’s ready to play the Xbox?”
“Are you kidding?” Annie snorted as Frey and her beta Jax helped her out of her chair. “I feel like I’m about to pop.” A familiar sounding splash startled everyone. “Aw, crud,” Annie said, moaning.
“Yep.” Rone pointed. “You popped.”
Annie gaped at Amara. “What do I do?”
She thanked Luc as he helped her up and said calmly, “Rone, sweetie, I need hot water and towels.”
Water splashed down Amara’s legs, and her stomach contracted. “Talk about bad timing.”
Rone looked like he was about to pass out. “Great Ancients!”
Her other mates turned ashen.
“This is my fifth baby, guys.” She waved away their concern, as if giving birth was as easy as squatting out an egg. “I got this.”
Luc pointed at her stomach. “But you’re early. Are you even ready?”
“We don’t have a choice.” She was frustrated by her mates’ lack of confidence and maybe a tad worried. “There’s no way we can get a midwife in this weather. Clear the living room and bring the air mattresses upstairs.” She clapped her hands, then made a shooing motion. “We’ll have these babies here.”
The guys scattered, running into each other like headless chickens. The dogs and kids stared at the adults as if they’d gone certifiably crazy. Luc grabbed sippy cups and bottles and ushered them all downstairs, Evin bouncing in his arms. Drasko followed with Bjorn, the baby looking over Drasko’s shoulder, wistfully eyeing Amara’s breasts. She got the feeling he knew he was going to have to share his food supply.
Annie clutched Amara’s wrist, the color draining from her cheeks. “I’m scared.”
Amara forced a smile, trying not to think of her girl being born too small. “I gave birth to my first child while werewolves were trying to break down the door. Trust me,” she said