Chapter 1

Renee

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" The sharp bark behind me caused me to whirl around too fast, and the mug I had been reaching for slipped out of my grasp and went tumbling to the ground.

I let out a startled squeal, jumping away as the mug crashed to the ground.

"Renee, are you alright?" Rosalie cried, racing forward to pull me away from the wreckage.

"Oh goodness, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen," to my embarrassment, tears started to fill my eyes again. I blamed it on the hormones. Ever since I had gotten pregnant, I could go from laughing to sobbing in the space of seconds.

I couldn't wait to have this baby and finally be myself again.

"It's alright, just take a seat," my husband's stunning long-time friend said with a small smile, ushering me onto a kitchen stool.

I stared at the fragments of ceramic, "I should clean that up before it hurts someone"

She stared at me like I had grown a second head, "What are the maids for?"

Before I could say another word, she had snapped her fingers and two uniformed maids scurried into the kitchen with brooms at the ready, and I reflexively ducked my head to hide my face from them.

"Didn't I tell you that anything you needed, you were to get one of the maids to do it?" She chided, arms crossed over her chest.

Rosalie was a stunning woman, with hazel eyes and strawberry blonde hair. She was tall, slim and elegant, always wearing the most fashionable designer clothes. How someone like her could stand to be around someone like me was a mystery.

But then again, they did say birds of the same feathers flocked together, so I wasn't surprised that someone with such a pure heart as her was a good friend of my wonderful husband.

"I just wanted to make some tea. It's not a big deal," I muttered.

Her eyes narrowed at me, and then dropped down pointedly to my swollen stomach "If you continue stressing yourself this way, you'll only hurt your baby. You've already come such a long way, don't ruin things with your stubbornness"

I rubbed a hand over my nine month belly, marveling at the thought that any day from now, I would have a child with Levi’s vivid blue eyes to call mine. Tears beaded my eyes and I blinked them away.

"I'm so sorry. I'll be more careful," I owed these past few happy months of my life to my husband and his friend. If not for them, I would have been roaming the streets, homeless, scared, broke and hopeless.

Once I had the baby, I was going to talk to my husband about Rosalie becoming the child's godmother.

"I care about this child," her eyes softened, "We only want what's best for you. You know that right?"

I nodded rapidly, keeping my face turned slightly away from her, "I know. I appreciate everything you've done for me. You don't know how much it means to me. If not for you, I don't know what would have become of me"

Just then, I heard the sound of footsteps drawing nearer and I turned excitedly to watch my husband's gorgeous figure walk into the kitchen. He paused at the entrance, blue eyes swinging between Rosalie and I.

"What's going on here?" He asked.

I trailed my eyes over him hungrily as the woman at my side replied him. At over six feet tall, my husband was the definition of a tall glass of wine. A form fitting navy blue suit hugged his broad shoulders, wide chest and trim musculature, making my mouth water.

I hadn't known desire until I had met Levi by chance last year. From the first glance, I had been lost and when he had to my surprise smiled at me, I had fallen hard and fast.

Who would have thought that a nobody like me would ever be married to a handsome werewolf heir like him. I didn't even care about the rites that made him unable to make love to me after the first time, I was ready to stand by his side through any condition.

"You look radiant today, Renee," he smiled at me, "Is today perhaps the day?"

My smile withered a little, but I pasted it back on my face immediately. He had been more insistent about my due date of recent, and I was beginning to think he was tired of my pregnancy mood swings and cravings.

"Maybe" I replied.

"Fingers crossed!" Rosalie squealed, "I can't wait to have a baby"My brows furrowed, confusion painted on my face. Wasn't I the one having the baby? Well, it must have just slipped out in her excitement.

"Any more thought into the names I selected?" I asked my husband. He had been dragging his feet about selecting a name, and I really hoped we wouldn't end up rushing the process and naming our child something like “John”

He and Rosalie exchanged a glance and warning bells went off in my head.

"I'll look through the names today” he said, "I haven't really had time to look at the list. Everything has been hectic of late"

"We can look through it together tonight?" I suggested, hoping that it would be a step toward us sharing a bed for some cuddling.

Even though we weren't sleeping together, it was still strange that we had never shared a bed. At my side, the hazel eyed woman stiffened.

"Give it a rest, Renee," she chuckled, "He said he would look at them, and he would. Why don't you just let the poor, exhausted man rest?"

Guilt churned in my belly, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I…" Something wet began to slide down the inside of my thighs and I glanced down in panic. Realisation hit me barely a second later, "Oh gods…”

"What?" The two barked in unison, and I had the sudden thought that they were very similar.

"I think the baby is coming," I croaked.