SAMANTHA POV "It's only twelve. I have time to read," I think to myself as I head up the stairs back to my small room. I had gone to bed early since I had been missing Daniel. So the night is younger than I thought it was. I plop back down on my bed and take a deep breath before I begin to read my grandmother's next entry. August 19th, 1973 Dear diary, I have never felt more broken in all my life. Seven days ago, I gave birth to the most beautiful pups I have ever seen. They were a little early, so they were on the smaller side, but I was still over the moon. I named my son Kyle. He was the larger of the two and the firstborn. I named my daughter Grace after my friend who left with her mate. She was smaller than her brother but the louder of the two. I was nursing them for the first time when Graham and his father entered our room looking smug. I knew right then in deep within my heart, something was very wrong, but I tried to hide it. I put a big smile on my fa
DANIEL POV I drag my hands down my face as I try to push past the scent of antibacterial cleaners. I have been here for hours, and they haven't told me anything. To the hospital, I'm nothing but the boyfriend. I'm not her life partner or soulmate. They don't know that according to my community, we are already married, so here I sit. Waiting! The rest of the pack gave up about an hour ago. The cleaners are just too strong for our noses. And with Lauren also being pregnant, it isn't good for her. "Fuck," I growl as my patience grows even thinner. The nurse behind the desk shoots me a "watch your mouth" kind of look, and I reward it with my own "go to hell" look. I need someone to tell me the status of my girls, and I need them to tell me now! I can't even fake pleasantries at this point. As I go to place my hands behind my head, my cell vibrates in my pocket for the thousandth time, and I sigh. I know the pack is just as worried as I am, but having to repeat that, I kno
SAMANTHA POV "Ahhh," I groan as best as I can. My mouth feels dry, and my throat is sore. My body is weak feeling, and I am completely disoriented. What happened? I wonder as I manage to look around the mostly white room that isn't familiar to me. I look down at my body, and my eyes widen as I see the IV in my hand and the blue hospital gown. Panic surges through me, and I lift the thin blanket to reveal my noticeably flatter stomach. "NO," I scream as I begin to frantically feel for my baby girl. "ANGELICA," I scream again as sobs begin to shake my body. The door to the hospital room flies open, and two nurses run into the room. "Ms. Layne, please calm down," one says as she gets right next to my bed. She tries to touch my hand, but I swat at her. "Get away from me! Getaway. You, you took my baby," I scream, and the woman freezes. "No. No. Ms. Layne, your daughter, is just fine. Please calm down. Calm down, Ms. Layne," she says, and the other nurse
DANIEL POV I never thought a heart could grow larger. I always thought a person's love had to be shared among the people the person cares about. But that theory was demolished the moment Sam placed our little beauty in my big hands. Just like the Grinch, as soon as my eyes locked onto hers, my heart doubled in size. "She's beautiful," I whisper, and Sam hums in agreement. "I know. I can't believe it. I can't believe I ever lived without her," Sam whispers, and I nod as our little bean yawns in my arms. My inner animal and my protective instincts stir as I watch her grow comfortable against me. "I will protect you forever, little one. You and your mother are my life. Everything I am belongs to the two of you," I whisper, and Sam squeezes my bicep. "No need to be so serious, Love," Sam says, and I look at her. "It's true. I will never be the same again. As soon as I saw you, my entire world shifted, Sam. My mind became consumed with you, followed by my heart. And now t
SAMANTHA POV "You don't think the straps are too tight? She looks so tiny, and I don't want the straps hurting her," Daniel says as he slides a finger under Angelica's car seat belts. "We followed all the rules, and I will be sitting right next to her. I will be watching, Love," I say before kissing his cheek. He glances at me briefly before looking back down at our four-day-old daughter tenderly. "I just want to make sure. I know she is stronger than she looks, but she's also a cub. Cubs and pups are almost just as weak as human infants. I want her safe but comfortable," Daniel mutters so that the staring nurses won't hear. "Are you sure she isn't just a human infant," I whisper, and he glances at me before looking down at her? "The shifter gene is dominant. Both of your parents were shifters; you are a shifter. So that means she will be as well. I know you still have your doubts, but you half shifted. You kicked Lauren with shifter strength. You have done things th
DANIEL POV "Okay, well, here goes," I mumble with a grin, and Samantha laughs as I push open the front door that one of the guys must have fixed. As we step in, I don't spot anyone in the living room, which surprises me. I figured they would all be waiting, ready to jump on us the second we were inside the door. "That's weird," I mumble, and Samantha looks around curiously with Angelica tucked safely in her arms. "Where are they," she asks, and I shrug before testing my nose to answer the question. "Smells like they are all...oh, I get it. Come on, love," I say with a grin as I place my hand on Samantha's lower back. "The house looks nice. Cozier with all this stuff. I love the paintings," Samantha comments as we head to the mother-in-law suite in the back of the house. "My mother and sister like to paint, so most of the work is made by them," I reply to keep her distracted. She smiles and nods as we continue, but right as we get to the door, Samanth
SAMANTHA POV "I can't believe she is already three weeks old. Time is moving a little too fast," I grumble as I look down at my sleeping daughter. Daniel glances my way in the rearview mirror, and I see my emotions mirrored in his eyes. "I know, baby. But she can't stay squishy and small forever. We will make the most of it while we can," Daniel says, and my ears catch the slight note of excitement in his voice. "Mr. Daniel Gray, what do you have planned," I ask, and he grins. "Well, I knew today would be rough. So I scheduled a little photo shoot after we leave the doctor's office. I packed a change of clothes for us in the diaper bag. I picked matching clothes...Lauren approved, don't worry," Daniel says as he sees my face when he mentions clothes. "Really," I ask, and he nods. "You mentioned that you wanted to get pictures done, so I called a local bear shifter. She works as a photographer in town. She is going to meet us after we leave Dr. Hurst's office. I
SAMANTHA POV "The pictures are absolutely beautiful, Sam. I can't believe I still haven't met her, and she is over a month old. I do have a vacation week coming up, and I plan on spending the entire week there. Ever since I let Adam go, I have had to fill that position myself. I was hoping to be retired by now, but maybe in a few more years. Anyway, I can't just get up and leave like I used to, or I would have already taken a trip up there. Don't think I am a terrible grandfather. I promise it's just because of work, not because I don't care," Andrew says, and I laugh. "Stop stressing, Andrew. I don't think that at all. I know the company is demanding, especially during this season. On a little note, I have some exciting news. I have started looking at some blueprints for homes. Daniel and I plan on getting married soon, so we will be combining our land. We are going to build a big house in the middle for us and our ranch hands to share," I say excitedly, and he pauses. "Ran