A feeling of peace settles over me as I pull up in front of our cabin. Ever since I gave Riley my mark, my soul has felt content. A ride through the mountains on my motorcycle just heightens the feeling that all is right in the world.

I park my bike beside the Jeep and let myself into the house. My mate’s sweet vanilla-and-cloves scent engulfs me, but it’s heightened by something else.

A muffled cry takes my attention, my wolf instantly on high alert.

A ripple of unease shoots down my spine, and I cross the cabin in eight quick strides. I throw open the bathroom door, and it hits the wall so hard that it dents the drywall behind it.

I cast around, scanning for the axe murderer who’s hurting my mate, but it’s only Riley in the bathroom. She’s sitting on the toilet, panties bunched around her ankles. She gives a start when she sees me, and my heart nearly rips in two.

Her eyes are red, and her cheeks are tear-stained. But my gaze pings to the flimsy piece of plastic clutched in her trembling fingers.

A home pregnancy test.

“Riley. . .” My voice sounds rough — definitely wolfish. “What the fuck is that?”

Her bottom lip quivers, and she holds it up for my inspection. Two little pink lines stare back at me, and my brain seems to short-circuit as I try to interpret what that means.

“You’re pregnant?” I ask, my throat clogging with emotion.

She nods tearfully, and my wolf roars in pure male delight.

“That’s amazing,” I say, then immediately wish I could take the words back. 

This is an important moment. She’s scared and upset and maybe not ready. I can’t force my feelings on her, no matter how much I might want to shout my elation from the rooftops.

“Really?” she croaks, her chin wobbling in the most adorable way.

“Baby, you couldn’t have given me better news.” So much for tamping down my enthusiasm.

Riley breaks into a watery smile, then stands and pulls up her panties. She’s wearing one of my T-shirts over them, and the sight of my pregnant mate wearing my clothes brings my animal surging to the forefront.

I take her small hands in mine, bringing them to my chest. “Is this not what you want?”

“No, it is.” Riley’s gaze darts to the side, and I remember pouncing on her the last time she was in heat. “I just didn’t know if this was what you wanted,” she murmurs, staring at the floor.

My heart shatters, and I squeeze her hands, willing her to understand how much I fucking love her. What a joy and honor it would be to raise pups with her.

“I mean, we’re not even married.”

Understanding hits me like a punch to the chest.

I’ve been such an idiot. 

For months, I’ve been waiting for just the right moment, but Riley probably misinterpreted me taking my time as uncertainty about my feelings for her.

Ushering her into the living room, I guide her onto the edge of the couch and add a log to the fire. “Wait right here.”

Riley frowns but stays where she is as I go to the closet and dig out a file organizer labeled “taxes.” Stuck between the folders is a black velvet box that holds the ring I bought the day after I gave her my mark.

When I turn around, my little wolf is hunched on the edge of the couch, elbows resting on her knees as she watches the fire. My heart thumps with excitement as I get down on one knee and open the box to reveal the ridiculously huge diamond inside.

Damn, it’s bigger than I remembered. Hopefully it’s not too much for her slender finger.

Riley’s eyes widen as she looks from the ring to me.

Then I remember that I’m supposed to say something, and I hurriedly clear my throat. “Riley, would you do me the greatest honor of my life and marry me?”

“Are you serious?” She swallows thickly. “I mean, you don’t want to marry someone more . . . organized? Less chaotic?”

“You are my mate. I only want you.”

Tears brim in her eyes, and she breaks into a dazzling smile that snatches the air from my lungs. “Yes,” she giggles, sniffling. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you.” 

She throws her arms around my neck, and her warm vanilla scent engulfs me. It’s slightly sweeter from the pregnancy hormones, and it sends all my blood rushing south.

My mate. Pregnant with my pup. 

Ecstatic joy and protectiveness wash over me in equal measure, and I scoop Riley off her feet and stride into the bedroom. I toss her onto the bed before remembering she’s in a delicate condition. “Was that too rough?” I ask in a panic. “Did I hurt the baby?”

“No,” she says with a laugh. “Baby’s fine.”

“Good,” I huff out in relief, hooking my fingers into the waistband of her panties and pulling the scrap of lace down her legs. She’s already wet and ready for me, and I spread her thighs with my hands to lick a decadent stroke up her seam. 

Riley whimpers, and I increase the pressure, circling just where she likes it.

“My mate,” I growl against her skin. “Soon to be my wife.”

Riley moans, and I slip two fingers into her wet heat, curling them to reach a spot that I know drives her wild. My beautiful wolf arches into the mattress, and I circle my thumb over her swollen clit. 

She moans and rakes her nails over my shoulders, clawing at my shirt.

Whipping it over my head, I toss it into a corner before sliding hers off, too. Her nipples are two hard peaks, slightly darker than normal. Yet another sign of the pregnancy.

How did I not notice that my mate was carrying my pup? 

Now that I know, it’s apparent in everything from her swollen breasts to the sweet musk underlying her usual scent. My wolf is practically feral with need, and I close my mouth over one hardened bud, sucking until she cries out.

Fumbling with my belt, I only manage to undo my pants a split second before Riley dives forward and shoves them down my hips. My cock springs free, and I sheath myself inside of her, my mate’s cry of pleasure setting every nerve ending ablaze. 

My cock twitches as I pump in and out of her in short, hard thrusts. Already I can feel the tingle of my orgasm gathering at the base of my spine. My balls draw up tight to my body, my insides aching for release.

I reach between us to massage her clit, and Riley bites down on my shoulder as she comes undone. 

The sensation of her walls squeezing around me sends me straight over the edge. I spill myself inside of her with a shout, breathing hard as my orgasm barrels through me.

I collapse beside her so I don’t accidentally crush the baby, pulling her against my chest. I can feel Riley’s heartbeat fluttering against my ribs. It’s the most wonderful feeling in the world — at least until we get to hear our sweet little pup’s for the first time.

A pup.

Holy shit.

We’ll have to get a bigger place. One with enough room for an entire pack. I smile at the thought of building a family with Riley — at the thought of all our future holds.

She’s the storm I never knew I needed. The beautiful chaos that makes my life. 

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