LOGINA lot of lives were impacted because of Nancy and her son.
HopeLearning to pump was strange but watching Levi give Matthan a bottle was more than worth it. I always knew he’d be a great dad. I just never thought that I could give him the pups I knew he wanted.‘But now we have. You have to stop thinking like you always have, Hope. You heard him. If we’re going to fix our bond, we have to fix our thought process,’ Qadira says.‘You mean I do.’‘We are one, Hope. What you do, impacts me. What you think, impacts me. We are not separate entities, even though we have a separate consciousness. I am as much to blame for our broken mate bond as you are.’‘No, you aren’t. I’ve always been the one who didn’t feel worthy of Levi.’‘But we are worthy. Do you see that now?’I look across the room and watch my mate feed our son.“I’m going to work very hard to believe it.’“The other thing that pumping will do,” Dr. Traeliorn says, pulling me away from my thoughts, "is helping us see exactly how much milk your sons are taking in. Just because Matthan is n
LeviI could tell the minute we passed out of Eventide. It was like the world around us suddenly turned up the volume. Of course, crossing the troll bridge was also a clear indication that we’d left Eventide.What surprised me was how social Hope was with the trolls and how much they seemed to like her. It’s another stark contrast to her quiet, reserved behavior in the packs.On the way, Matthan wakes. Hope changes him, wrapping the dirty diaper and tucking it into a bag before rewrapping our son so he can nurse while we walk. Once again, I’m in awe of her.“How did you do that carrying both boys and a bag?” I ask.“Very carefully,” she says, smiling at me.Goddess, I’ve missed that smile.When we get to Araphyra, it’s much the same. Hope seems to know everyone and, not surprisingly, the sprites come to say hello. Sprites have always been drawn to Hope. Her underlying kindness draws them in, and Qadira’s willingness to let them snuggle against her body and warmth, keeps them coming bac
HopeFirst thing in the morning, I always feed my boys back-to-back. By the time I'm done, the sun is up and I need to shower quickly and grab something to eat if we're going to make it to Araphyra before I have to do the back-to-back feeding again. As it is, I’ll have to nurse Matthan on the way.Once I’m dressed, I get the wraps that I use to carry my boys when I go to Araphyra. The sprites have been invaluable, making so many things for me to use for my babies, including these wraps. I have no idea what material they used, but it’s comfortable, it doesn’t irritate or rub against my boys’ skin, and it breathes, which is good for these long hikes.I grab my bag to put their diapers and wipes in, then I go into the nursery.Levi is there, eating some of the stew I made.“How is it?” I ask.“I have to say, I’m really impressed, Hope. I’d put this up against anything the omegas make back home.”I smile. “Good. There’s plenty. Eat as much as you want.”“Yeah, there’s not plenty anymore,”
LeviI’m exhausted after one night of being up with my pups. I have no idea how Hope has managed on her own. I get that she’s part bear and she likes the solitude, but all she had to do was call me, or her parents, and she wouldn’t have had to do all of this alone.Even when I tried to sleep, I couldn’t. I kept worrying that my sons might suffocate. Being unused to the noises they make, every sound jolted me awake. However, with Matthan, it was the lack of sound that drew my attention to where Hope was nursing him. That’s when I realized that she’d fallen asleep.Somehow, even in her sleep, she managed to hold him securely in her arms.I stood there, watching her holding my son, both of them sound asleep. No matter how angry I am at her, I still love her. I still want her. I don’t understand her choices. I don’t understand her need or desire to keep her pregnancy and my pups from me, but I can’t deny that she’s doing an amazing job at taking care of them.After hearing Orsa’s story, I
HopeI stare at the doorway where Levi walked out. Orsa was right, he’s furious, and I’m not sure he’ll ever forgive me.I sit there until I hear his breathing even out and I know he’s asleep. Then I grab a blanket and pillow and walk into the nursery. He’s sleeping on the floor in between the cribs. I put the blanket over him, then lay the pillow beside him.He rolls over in his sleep and pulls the pillow to him, breathing in my scent. I take that as a good sign.When I walk out, I know I need sleep, I’m exhausted, but I know I won’t get any.Instead, I walk to the kitchen, put the baby monitor on the counter, and begin pulling out food to make something to eat. I’m glad Levi ate at King Dominic’s. I was very short on provisions. Now, at least, he’ll have something to eat tomorrow.I check the time, making sure I have enough before Matthan needs to nurse again, then I begin making the beef stew. I would normally make chicken for me, but I know Levi prefers beef. I start simmering the
LeviI can’t stop staring at my son. My son. I have a son. Correction, I have two sons. Two sons who were born without me ever knowing they existed.Even Malcolm is hurt by Hope’s betrayal. I would never have expected her to keep something like this from me. Ever.“Levi, I need to nurse, LJ. Matthan will be waking up soon. He needs to nurse twice as often as LJ, and being small, he can’t wait when he’s hungry,” Hope says.She hasn’t moved from the doorway. I’ve noticed that LJ, Levi Jr., keeps opening his mouth and turning toward my body. He must be looking for Hope.I stand and carry him to her. “Did you name him Levi Jr. because he was more likely to survive than Matthan?” I ask, handing him to her.She shrugs and carries him to the rocking chair. In a move that’s obviously become second nature to her, she lifts her shift, unfastens her bra and puts her nipple in LJ’s mouth. He begins suckling immediately.“It was more that he was the first born. Matthan was behind him in the uterus.
LeviI was really glad to speak to Hope when I did. Every time I see her, she looks even more relaxed. I can tell that she and Tanya are getting really close, really fast. Just the fact that Tanya suggested calling me to tease Hope about being her ‘friend with benefits’ says a lot.After watching my
LeviBeing able to sleep in Hope’s apartment, being surrounded by her scent, helps me to sleep. But every other minute of my day is either work or frustration.Work is good, but it’s security. If nothing is happening, it’s beyond boring. The frustration comes from trying to locate Hope’s father. Onc
HopeAfter getting off the phone with Levi, I get ready for bed. My room is next to Tanya’s with an adjoining door, so if I need access to her quickly, I can get to her without any delay. After everything that I did today to prove that I am the real deal, I think Mr. Russell is finally accepting tha
LeviI should have had Hope stay in my apartment last night. When I returned to my apartment after work, it doesn’t smell like her. When she comes home again, I’ll make sure her scent is in my apartment before she leaves again.It’s not like I haven’t been working for the last two years and spent lo







