RiverWaiting with Ulysses for Sylvia to arrive at the wedding site was more stressful than River expected it to be. He'd known Ulysses for a long time, but he'd never really thought of him as a friend until recently. Now, watching the groom pace back and forth near the altar where his bride would be arriving eventually was making River nervous for him."She's late," Ulysses was muttering. The priestess was standing nearby, but she wasn't paying any attention, and the guests who were waiting patiently on log benches were mostly chatting amongst themselves, not listening to the groom or his best man."The bride is always late," River reminded him, patting him reassuringly on the shoulder."That's true," Ulysses said, sucking in a deep breath and blowing it out. "But… it's still nerve-wracking.""Isn't Sylvia always late, too?" River asked. Ulysses nodded. "So… put those two things together and she's bound to be extra late. She'll be here.""Yeah. I know," Ulysses said, still breathing

EllieStanding outside in the sun was not doing anything for Ellie's upset stomach. Even though it was still wintertime and hadn't gotten particularly hot yet, she still felt like the sun was directing all of its rays at her. She was doing her best to go through the day's lesson with the girls who'd come to train with her to be Lunas, but at the moment, she wanted to go back inside and teach them how to take a nap."Are you all right, Luna Ellie?" a sweet girl named Kara from River's pack asked her. "You're looking a little pale.""Oh, I'm fine," Ellie said, waving her hand at the girl dismissively. "I'm just fine. I think I just might've eaten something disagreeable this morning." She forced a laugh from between her lips but then grimaced again to keep anything else from coming out. Her experience earlier that morning, when she'd thrown up in the bathroom, was not as pleasant as sitting in a flower garden on a spring day admiring the roses, and she really didn't want to do it again.

EllieStanding in the bathroom staring at the toilet and the empty cup she'd been given like they were both her enemies, Ellie couldn't stop from crying. It wasn't like her to be so teary-eyed over anything, but for some reason, the reality that she had to be pregnant, that that was the only solution to what was wrong with her that made any sense, had her crying almost as much as she had when River had abandoned her at the aisle.Now, with her husband staring at her from the doorway, she had no answers for him. Was it a good thing that she was pregnant? She would like to think so. Ellie always thought she wanted to be a mother. She just wasn't sure she knew how.River came over to her and wrapped his arms around her, the bathroom door shutting behind him. "Ellie, honey, it's okay. Whatever it is that has you worried, we'll figure it out. It'll be fine, I promise you.""That's easy for you to say," Ellie said, trying to get her sniffles under control. "You have a mom, a great one. I ha

River"I can't believe it," Patricia said over breakfast the next morning. River had carried a tray up to Ellie to eat in her bed. The healer had told her that her stomach would likely feel better if she'd eat something in bed before she tried to get up–protein and carbs. So he'd taken her some eggs, toast, and turkey. He didn't think it would make any sense to bring her anything that was going to be greasy and potentially make her stomach feel even worse."It's exciting, isn't it, Mom?" River said before taking a bite of his own bacon. Knowing how much Ellie loved bacon and that he was eating some when he didn't bring her any made him feel a bit guilty. But then… so did the fact that she was carrying around his baby, and he couldn't do anything about the guilt he'd be feeling about that for the next several months. Visions of what would happen in the delivery room also made him feel like he should go buy Ellie a huge gift–whatever she wanted. Wives didn't get enough credit as it was,

RiverPatrolling such a large territory was harder than River would've thought before he became Alpha of two packs. Granted, he had a lot more Omega warriors to rely upon to help him out, but ultimately, he felt that he was responsible for ensuring every square inch of the borders were his responsibility for both territories, and that meant that he had to do a lot of running around himself.Ellie had told him about the uncomfortable feeling she'd had while she was out with her Luna's in training in the pack lands near the southwestern border of her original territory. Ever since that day about a month earlier, River was sure to keep a careful eye on that area of the land, but so far, in all of the patrols he'd done there, he'd seen nothing. Neither had anyone else. Likewise, they hadn't sensed anyone watching them the way that Ellie had. He didn't doubt his wife one bit, but he did wonder if maybe whoever she'd thought was out there in the woods had moved along.But then one day towar