Chapter 4

Erin’s POV

Over the next few weeks, Carlos kept his word.

At first, I didn’t trust it. Every evening, when the clock crept closer to dinner, I found myself listening for the front door, already preparing for another message saying he was stuck with pack business.

But the messages never came.

Carlos did, though.

He came home on time, sometimes even earlier than I expected, and instead of disappearing into his office after dinner, he stayed with me.

At first, I kept waiting for something to change.

For his phone to ring or for him to become distant again.

But weeks passed, and nothing happened.

He started taking walks with me after dinner, slowing his steps whenever I got tired, even though I wasn’t even showing yet.

One afternoon, I found three pregnancy books sitting on his desk beside his pack paperwork.

A tiny blanket.

A packet of bottles.

Then he held up a pair of white socks that were so small they barely covered the palm of his hand.

I stared at them.

“Carlos, our baby isn’t even going to be here for months.”

“I know.”

“Then why did you buy socks?”

He looked down at them, completely serious. “Because our baby is going to need socks.”

A laugh slipped out before I could stop it.

Carlos smiled, and for the first time since I heard Julia’s name through that window, being around him didn’t hurt quite as much.

Carlos was still smiling when his eyes moved to the clock on the wall. “Come on.”

I frowned. “What?”

“We’re going to be late.”

I looked at the clock and shot to my feet.

“Oh, goddess.” I had been so distracted by the things he bought that I had completely forgotten about my appointment.

Carlos laughed, shoving everything back into the bag. “And you’re supposed to be the organised one.”

“Shut up.”

He grabbed his keys from the desk and held his hand out to me.

I took it, warmth spreading through me.

The drive to the hospital felt different from the silence that had filled the spaces between us only weeks ago. Carlos kept one hand on the steering wheel while the other rested on my thigh.

I glanced down at our joined hands.

Maybe we weren’t completely fixed. I still had a long way to go before I trusted him the way I used to. But sitting beside him now on our way to see our baby together, I finally felt like we were trying.

Carlos pulled into the hospital car park and switched off the engine.

He turned towards me. “You ready?”

The smile on his face was soft, almost nervous.

This was our first appointment.

Our first chance to actually see the little life growing inside me.

I smiled and nodded. “Yeah. I’m ready.”

Carlos leaned over and kissed my temple before opening his door and getting out, racing around to open mine. I climbed out, taking his hand as we walked towards the entrance.

“Alpha Carlos. Luna Erin.” Dr. Sasha smiled at us the second we walked through the door. “You can come straight through.”

Carlos squeezed my hand, and we followed her into the examination room.

Dr. Sasha closed the door behind us and gestured towards the bed. “Lie back for me, Luna.”

I climbed onto it while Carlos pulled a chair closer, sitting beside me. Nerves fluttered through my stomach as I lifted my top.

“This might be cold,” Dr. Sasha warned.

The gel hit my skin, and I sucked in a breath. “Definitely cold.”

Carlos smiled and took my hand.

Dr. Sasha pressed the probe against my stomach, her eyes moving to the screen beside her.

I did the same.

At first, I couldn’t make sense of anything.

Grey shapes moved across the screen as she slowly moved the probe around my stomach.

“Is that the baby?” I asked.

“There.”

She pointed towards a tiny shape.

My eyes widened.

That was our baby.

Carlos’s fingers tightened around mine.

Everything else disappeared around me. My heart swelled with happiness.

But then she moved it over and over again. I looked away from the screen, watching her face. Her smile was gone.

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

Dr. Sasha said nothing. She just kept moving the probe.

Carlos leaned forward. “Doctor?”

She finally looked at us. “Your baby is healthy.”

I let out a breath.

But she wasn’t smiling.

“But…”

My stomach twisted painfully.

There was always something terrifying about that word when it came from a doctor.

“But what?”

Dr. Sasha glanced at the screen again. “The pup is smaller than I would normally expect at this stage.”

“Smaller?” I repeated.

Dr. Sasha nodded slowly. “Smaller than I would normally expect for a pup at this stage, but his heartbeat is strong. Everything else looks healthy.”

I should have felt relieved.

But I couldn’t let go of that one word.

Smaller.

Among wolves, size mattered. The larger and stronger a wolf was, the more power they usually carried. Carlos was an Alpha. Our child would be expected to inherit that strength.

Alan’s words from the night we announced my pregnancy suddenly came back to me.

Silver Moon needs a strong future Alpha.

“What does that mean for him?” I asked. “Is something wrong?”

Carlos’s hand tightened around mine.

Dr. Sasha shook her head. “Not necessarily. Sometimes pups are simply a little smaller at the beginning.”

“But why?”

“There are a number of reasons it can happen, Luna, and right now I’m not seeing anything that concerns me besides his size.” She gave me a reassuring smile. “His heartbeat is strong, and everything else appears normal.”

I looked back at the tiny shape on the screen.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No.” Her voice softened. “Please don’t blame yourself.”

I swallowed, but the guilt had already started creeping in.

If my body was the one growing him, how could I not wonder whether I had done something wrong?

Dr. Sasha moved the probe one last time before setting it aside.

“For now, I want you to pay more attention to your nutrition. Make sure you’re eating enough and getting everything your pup needs. Moderate exercise will help as well.”

“So that could help him grow?”

“It can help support his development, yes.” She smiled again. “And we’ll keep a close eye on him at your next appointment.”

I nodded slowly.

Carlos leaned closer. “You heard her. He’s healthy.”

“I know.”

And he was.

Just small.

I shouldn’t have cared that he was smaller when everything else was okay.

But I did.

Dr. Sasha wiped the gel from my stomach. “Try not to worry too much, Luna. Sometimes this happens. Eat well, keep active, and we’ll check his growth again next time.”

“Okay.”

I pushed myself up and climbed off the bed, but even with Dr. Sasha’s reassurance, that uneasy feeling followed me.

Healthy heartbeat. No abnormalities. Just small.

I kept telling myself as we walked out to the car, everything around me blurring past.

Carlos opened the car door for me, and I climbed inside without saying a word.

“You’re worrying.”

I hadn’t even heard him get in the car.

I looked down at my stomach. “How can I not?”

“Because Sasha said he’s healthy.”

“I know she did, Carlos, but she also said he’s smaller than he should be.”

He reached across and took my hand.

“Then we do what she told us. Better food, exercise, whatever else she recommends.”

“We?”

“Of course we.” His thumb moved over my knuckles. “You’re not doing this by yourself.”

Butterflies swarmed inside me, and the uneasy feeling in my chest eased just enough for me to breathe.

A few weeks ago, I probably would have questioned whether he meant it.

But now, sitting here with his hand wrapped around mine, I believe him.

“And when we get home, I’ll cook you the best meal you’ve ever eaten.” He smiled wide.

I bit down on my lip, but the laugh still slipped through. Carlos never cooked. He couldn’t.

The last time he tried, he somehow managed to burn the outside of a steak while leaving the middle raw.

“You’re smiling like you don’t believe me,” he said.

“I don’t.”

Carlos leaned closer, his eyes narrowing playfully. “You’ll take that back tonight.”