Alpha Nocturne’s Contracted Mate by A E Randell
Chapter 301 Pups. Not Babies.
“Right, I think that’s the last of them,” Adam grinned as he jogged through the huge doors of the Enclave’s entrance hall to where Ann was pacing restlessly and Bartholomew was watching with mild amusement.
“Finally,” Ann sighed as she rubbed her belly with a grimace, “At this point, all I want to do is get my home back to what it used to be.”
Adam leaned forward and planted a k*iss on Ann’s forehead.
“Are they making things difficult for you?” He asked gently, rubbing her back. Ann reached for his hand with a scowl and placed it palm down on top of her belly and grimaced as another flurry of movement rippled under her skin and Adam blinked in surprise.
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“Are they fighting in there?!” He asked in shock.
“With two stubborn Alpha’s for parents, I wouldn’t put it past them.” Bartholomew chuckled as he made his way over to them, smiling kindly.
Ann lifted her gaze and her face softened as she looked at the kindly face of the old man that had been there for them through so much already. She stepped away from Adam and pulled him into a hug, taking him by surprise.
“Thank you Barty-boy,” she murmured with a slight laugh as she squeezed him tightly, “Promise me you’ll visit? I might even go so far as to have you an office installed at the Palace so that you can play Grandpa to these volatile little pups when they’re born,”
“You do me a great honor, my queen.” He murmured as Ann stepped back, “I don’t even know what to say…” He wiped at his eyes with a shaking hand and when he returned his gaze to Ann, she could see that he was still misty-eyed and a little overcome with emotion.
“Then don’t say anything, Barty. You are practically family, after all. Think about it, and if it’s something that you would like to do, then I’ll make the arrangements. You can be our liaison with the Enclave, simply based at the palace. It wouldn’t change your job too much, just your residence.” she smiled gently as Bartholomew nodded, clearly lost for words.
“Hey! You were going to leave without saying goodbye?!” Felix’s voice came from the archway as he practically skidded across the floor toward them and came to a stop close to Adam.
“We aren’t far away Felix, and you are more than welcome to visit.” Adam laughed, patting him on the back. “Still, I’m at a loss here honestly. Now that we know Aoife is alive, all my time is going to be spent hunting for her. The only problem is, I don’t really know where to start.” He grimaced.
“I can help with that,” Lord Brarthroroz’s deep voice rumbled as he too joined the small group that was forming in the hallway, “With Lexi away, it’s the perfect time for me to investigate Eromaug’s whereabouts without her throwing herself into danger just because she’s impulsive.”
“There you go Felix, problem solved. I’m curious though, don’t you need to return to your family as well?” Ann asked, tilting her head to the side.
“No, that can wait. The most important thing for me right now is to get my mate back. Whether she’s alive or… whatever state she is in, I just want to bring her home.” Felix answered, his voice breaking as he trailed off. Ann grimaced in empathy and leaned forward, rubbing his arm.
“We will find her Felix. No matter how long it takes. In the meantime, if you need anything at all, please, don’t hesitate to reach out or even just drop by.”
Felix nodded gratefully and managed a weak smile as Ann and Adam said their final goodbyes and made their way out to the waiting cars.
“Coral went ahead to organize the staff at the palace so that when we get there, all you have to worry about is settling in,” Adam said gently as they shut the doors to the back seat of the car and settled back for the ride.
Ann nodded and pursed her lips, turning her head to watch the scenery pass by as they drove out of the Enclave’s long driveway.
“Doesn’t it feel strange?” Ann asked suddenly, breaking the silence in the car. “What does?”
“I’ve been so used to having Allen and Lexi around all the time, and jumping from one problem to another, and now…” Ann sighed in frustration, “Now everything just seems too quiet if you get my meaning. It feels almost too good to be true.” Adam laughed softly as he reached for her hand and stroked it gently. “You know, if I didn’t know better I would think that you actually enjoyed all the drama and commotion that’s been going on around here.”
Ann scoffed loudly and swatted at him lightly with her hand.
“Fat chance of that.” she retorted indignantly, “Honestly, I appreciate the lull in issues that need resolving, but we still have so much to sort out…”
“And we have plenty of time for that, Ann.” Adam interrupted her, “We can’t move any further forward on finding Eromaug or the remnants of the coven until we have information as to their whereabouts. What good is there to be gained by sitting around in a musty old Enclave, confined to the stone walls, when you could be settling yourself back in at your home, and turning it into a place that your children will cherish growing up in.”
Ann bit her lip as she looked up at him under her lashes, a whirlwind of emotions assaulting her all at once thanks in part to the hormones that pregnancy had flooded her with.
“I just feel so guilty…” she whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek.
“I know, my queen, but I promise you that there’s no reason for you to feel that way,” Adam said soothingly as he wiped a tear from her cheek, “I promise you that if ever I feel that we should be doing more, then I will tell you. Okay?” Ann nodded up at him as his arm wrapped around her reassuringly.
“But right now, what you need to do is take it easy Ann. Before long, those little pups are going to be here and by the looks of it, creating enough chaos to keep us busy for centuries.”
Ann grinned up at him as Maeve surged to life in her mind at the mere mention of her babies.
“See? Pups. Not babies… pups. You’re a werewolf, we have pups.” Maeve insisted smugly. “I’m not arguing about this again Maeve,” Ann replied wearily, “They are going to be half human, half wolf for sure, so let’s just settle on baby pups, okay? It’s the best of both worlds.”
Maeve huffed in response.
“They’re pups Ann… you’ll see.” she muttered moodily, “And as soon as they arrive, they’re going to turn everything that people thought they knew about pups over on its head.”