Alpha’s Hybrid Cinderella
Chapter 74

"You have to catch my bouquet."

"Raf, I'm already married."

"It doesn't matter! It's the principle of the thing. I caught yours, now you have to catch mine!"

"But-"

"No buts!"

Raf fixated on the strangest things. Normally, I would write this off as one of her playful moments or even her stubborn ones where she knew she wasn't quite right but dug her heels in anyway for sentiment's sake. But that wasn't the case now. Raf was about to explode ten minutes before her wedding rehearsal started, and she was channeling all her frantic energy into arguments that made no sense. "Raf. Listen to me. This is just practice, okay? You'll be fine."

She didn't even try to deny her anxiety. She flopped into the chair and splayed over it, the hem of her white cocktail dress fraying against the strain. "This is going to be a disaster! Why is there only one rehearsal! What if something goes wrong now or we have to change something! Then the actual wedding will be a gamble and something could go wrong. There should be a rehearsal for the rehearsal! I want to die."

"Raf. It's okay. It's not the end of the world. If we have to change up a few things, we'll practice that as many times as we need to."

"It doesn't work like that! You can't just change and fix things in one day. Oh, Moon Goddess. I'm going to mess it all up. This was a mistake. Leon and I should have eloped. I had a dream last night that I forgot to wear undies and then when I looked down, I forgot the dress, and then I looked over and Leon was wearing it and-"

I held her hand. Nothing I said would calm her down. She needed to work all of her nervous energy out herself, and we still had ten minutes. I would stay by her side until she was ready to walk out. It was the least I could do for her. This last month of helping me with my progressing pregnancy while we scrambled to make final arrangements for her wedding had been chaotic, but we were closer than ever. If she truly wanted me to, I would pick her up and take her away from this place, and she only had to ask. But she wouldn't, and I knew it.

"You ready?"

She took a deep breath and straightened her dress. "Yeah. Ugh. I'm such a mess. This is just practice anyway. What am I getting so worked up for? Forget it, I'm fine. Let's get out there and shake our butts."

There was no butt-shaking involved, but she did enjoy herself anyway. There were a few hitches with the rehearsal, but nothing we couldn't fix on the spot. By the end, everyone went home in high spirits, hugging Raf and giving her early congratulations. "Save it for the real wedding!" she announced. "I'm going to be a superstar."

I smiled and hugged her sideways as we watched the last of the rehearsal participants depart for the parking lot. "You already are, Raf."

***

Raf discovered she was pregnant two months after I gave birth. This was not part of the plan. She and Leon had decided together they would wait until the time felt 'right' and that they would take it easy until it happened. Maybe some traveling, hitchhiking, adventuring all over the continent first. When they were satisfied with their childless couple phase, or so they said, they would have a baby or two.

A baby or two their exact words. They hadn't planned for children at all when all of a sudden, Raf picked up her phone, called me at three in the morning, and screamed that she was pregnant.

"What the hell!" she bellowed. "I'm on birth control! And Leon's been so careful to use condoms! This has got to be a mistake!"

"Is it a mistake? Did you try it more than once-"

"Seven! I tested myself seven times!"

"And?"

"I'm pregnant apparently!"

"Then it's probably right," I said patiently and sat up in bed as carefully as I could. It was no use. Evan was already awake, and he rolled closer to drape a heavy arm around my waist so I couldn't escape. He was such a light sleeper that I could hardly adjust the covers without waking him. He really needed to sleep - he was always up so much of the night checking in on the babies even though they were fine. "Evan, I'll be right back. It's Raf."

"I know. I can hear her."

"I'll check on the boys again while I'm on the phone. They're probably awake anyway."

"I'll come with you."

"No. Stay." I pushed him back down with a stern glower. Of course, I wasn't naive enough to think I could overpower him if he really wanted to get up - but he let me do as I wanted anyway, albeit with a compromise. Instead of lying on his back, he rolled onto his side and propped himself up on one elbow, hand cradling his face.

Stay, I told him through mind-link as I got off the bed. I'll be back soon. Raf just needs someone to talk to.

It can't wait until morning, I guess.

You said you heard her voice. She's pregnant. That's a big deal.

And you were pregnant until nine weeks ago. With both of our children.

I waved him off and hurried toward the attached nursery room. Despite his complaints, he would never really hold it against me that I would always be there for Raf when she needed me. And she was pregnant! Of course she would be panicking. I had been afraid at first when I learned I was going to have a baby, too. Would my baby be healthy? Would it come into the world safely? What if I ate or did something wrong and hurt the little budding life inside me without even knowing? What if I was doing something wrong that very second and the baby couldn't even tell me?

"I can't believe this," she moaned when she caught her breath long enough to speak. "We weren't going to have kids until we were ready. I'm not a mom! I'm still a party girl! I go out and do crazy things! Oh, Moon Goddess, last night I even had drinks! Claudia, what am I going to do!"

"Well, first off, no more drinks." I hummed a comforting sound when she let out a burst of mournful crying. "It's not the end of the world, I promise. You'll survive. It's only temporary, remember? But you'll have to control yourself a little better even after the baby's born. No more jello shots until you pass out and stuff. You have to take care of your body so you can be around for a long time for your child."

"Ugh! Jello shots. I haven't done those in ages. I'm twenty in two months, I'm too old to party it up like crazy anymore. My youth is behind me now."

Too old... Her youth? Raf really had a warped view of age. But with the insanity that had been our lives ever since the rogue attack on the city and the rift in the Scarlet pack, we all felt like we had aged ten years. Even now, the city was still recovering from the war. I repositioned the phone and nestled it between my cheek and shoulder so I could reach into the crib and adjust the tiny blanket over the twins. "Raf... Congratulations. I know you're scared right now, but I want to be the first one to tell you that. I'm really happy for you and Leon, and I'm really happy... Your kids and my kids are going to grow up together and go to school together, and they'll do everything we did as they get older... I'm so glad they could be born into peace, and not war, and I'm so glad I can be here for you the way you were there for me. Thanks for calling and telling me, Raf. I'm really happy."

She made an embarrassed noise. "Don't get all sappy on me... I was just panicking..." "But you're actually really excited, aren't you? I know you too well. Tell me the truth."

"Um... Well, I might have already told Leon to find his carpenter friends and make a custom crib and stuff..."

We giggled. At the sound, the twins waved their tiny fists at me and smiled. Werewolf babies grew up fast, I'd been told. All my life in the Dark Moon pack house, I'd never gotten the chance to see anyone grow except a few human slave children. I had no experience. I was brand-new to mothering.

But I would be all right. Surrounded by friends and a fated mate who loved me, surrounded by friends and a fated mate I loved...

"Raf?"

"Huh?"

"Everything's going to be all right."