Chapter 16

Korren

"How does that feel?" I pressed my hand to the swell of Isolde's stomach, using my gift to caress the budding life inside.

"Good." Isolde's eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled at me. "Warm."

With smooth, looping movements, my power wound around the quickly growing pup, checking the spine, heart, lungs, and limbs.

Perfect.

He was perfect.

And it was an honor to be the first to tend to him.

"He's strong, well-developed, and healthy." I gave her my no-nonsense look. "Have you been getting enough rest?"

"Yes," she said before wincing. "Well, when I can."

I walked over to my cabinet and took out a bottle of oil. "This is chrysanthemum root extract; use three drops in a glass of water at night, and it should help with your rest." I handed her the small vial. "How are you feeling now?"

"A bit forgetful, but fine. I almost missed my appointment today. Wynn was walking me and Brielle home when I remembered. Then he got called away for an emergency meeting, and Brielle offered to come with me, which helped soothe Wynn's moment of panic."

I nodded, understanding why her mate felt torn leaving her.

"Forgetfulness is common during pregnancy. Give yourself a bit of grace and start writing things down if it helps." I guided her to the monitoring section. "Down you go."

Already accustomed to my orders, Isolde lay on the observation bed while I strapped her into the monitors.

The machines beeped to life and blinked with readouts of the baby's heart rate and oxygen levels.

"So, how was the tour?" I asked, unable to rein in my curiosity.

Today was Brielle's first time around a pack, and I wanted to make sure everything went smoothly.

"Subtle." Isolde laughed. "It went well. We passed by the shops and picked up a few things. I also walked her through some of our job vacancies. She's particularly interested in carpentry."

Surprised, I asked, "Really?"

"Uh-huh, I practically had to drag her away from Theron once they got going. He walked her through the design for our crib and offered to teach her the next time she was around."

Ribbons of envy curled in my gut. Got going, huh? I wondered what was so fucking interesting about carpentry.

My wolf growled in displeasure as the bitter taste of jealousy coated my tongue. I'd never been jealous before, but all I could think about was what the hell he'd said to her.

To make things worse, she'd spent an unknown amount of time with him. I wanted to ask Isolde how long they talked for—Goddess, I was about five minutes away from asking for a play-by-play—but I bit my tongue.

Not now.

Isolde's blue eyes glimmered with mirth. "She's your mate, Korren." She patted my hand gently. "She was just excited about the prospect of doing something she has a genuine interest in."

Fuck, am I that obvious?

My lips twisted into a scowl, and Isolde laughed, mumbling about territorial males as I collected my chart to take notes.

Locking away my feelings, I focused on the examination.

Brielle was in the lobby, but her scent wrapped around me as if she were standing at my side.

Sweet and wild, it made my wolf restless beneath my skin. I wanted nothing more than to bury my nose in her neck and inhale her addictive fragrance.

It drove my wolf crazy that another male had spent more time with her today than us, and I fought the urge to growl.

Examination done, I tucked the report into an envelope for Alpha Wynn and walked Isolde into the lobby.

Brielle looked up as we approached, and her smile was like a punch in the gut. She was so beautiful. Even in the harsh lighting of the medical building, she glowed like her skin had captured the sun.

"I finally get to see you at work," she said when I stopped at her side.

"I'd be more than happy to bring you to work with me."

"And do what? Watch you cure patients?" She laughed. "I'd be useless here."

My voice came out huskier than intended as I purred, "I'm sure I could find something to occupy your time."

Her pupils dilated, and the air turned to molasses around us. My wolf hummed in appreciation as the scent of her lust wafted through the air.

My comms device rang before my restraint could snap.

As I answered, I heard Isolde mutter, "If that call came any later, I would have been watching you two fuck each other."

Ezra's voice drowned out Brielle's response. "Is Brielle still with you?"

"Yes. What's wrong?"

"There are new developments with the Council infiltration. Alpha Wynn wants to see Brielle in his office."

My protective instincts flared. It looked like the questioning was going to happen sooner than we had anticipated.

"We'll be there in a few."