“Dada! Dada!” Evan cried, reaching up to Ransom. It never failed to make his chest puff up with pride, and frankly, he had teared up the first time he said it days ago.
“I’m fine,” she grumbled, shifting Evan to her other hip before he could take him. “There’s still no bump, Ransom,” she said as he possessively caressed her belly. “There won’t be for a while.”
Unable to stop himself, he knelt down. “I can’t help it.” He smoothed down the white linen of her sundress, and pressed a kiss to her stomach. “I missed it the first time with Evan, and I’m gonna enjoy every minute of this.” He was looking forward to watching her belly grow with his child.
“You mean, every minute I’m fat?” She sighed unhappily. “You might change your tune a few months from now when we get to the gross parts of pregnancy.”
“Never.” How could she even think that? She was the most beautiful woman in the world. The white linen sundress she wore clung to her gorgeous body, the sun shining behind it just right to show off her curves.
She laughed as he kissed his way up from her belly to her lips as he stood up. “C’mon, let’s go. Silke’s already called three times.” Turning to Evan, she nuzzled his cheek. “We can’t let the birthday boy be late to his own party.”
“Right.” It seemed impossible that Evan was a year old. He’d missed so much of his life, and Ransom vowed he’d be there for his son and all his kids for as long as he could. “Let’s go.”
They got into his truck, with Evan strapped safely in the back, and made their way to the lodge. It was a beautiful summer day in the Kentucky mountains. The grass seemed greener and the air sweeter, though Ransom knew it was probably because for the first time in his life, he truly was happy.
“It’s so gorgeous out here.” Isabelle said, as if echoing his thoughts.
“So, you’re not regretting moving out here with me?”
Her smile was even brighter than the sun. “Of course not. I’d move to Timbuktu if you wanted me to. But how about you? Do you regret not taking over as Alpha of Connecticut?”
He looked up at the road ahead. “No, not at all. That place … I was born there, but I have no other connection there. I don’t know the people or the territory. They’re better off under Cooper.”
Adam Cooper, the current Alpha, had taken over a few years ago when his uncle Logan had died. Cooper had apologized on behalf of his clan for what happened to them, but Ransom recognized that neither he nor his father was to blame. It had been chaos when Grayson Charles had been imprisoned and they suddenly scrambled to keep their clan intact. While it was sad, the truth was, it was mere oversight. But the past was past, and Ransom had let go long ago, the moment he decided to live for his mate and children.
“Have you thought about the council’s offer?” Isabelle asked.
“I have, actually.” Though he had declined the Connecticut territory, the Lycan High Council had offered to incorporate the Southeast Kentucky territory as a clan, with him as Alpha. This was a first in a very long time the Council offered to make a new clan and Alpha, and certainly the first ever for a Lone Wolf to be offered such a position. His first instinct, of course, was to decline.
“And?” she pressed.
“And I’m seriously considering it. Your father advised me to do it.”
“Hold on.” She held a hand up. “My father? You’ve been talking to my father?”
“Mm-hmm.” He guided the vehicle onto the road that led to the lodge.
Grant and Frankie had visited several times over the past couple of weeks to help Isabelle and Evan settle in. He had taken the opportunity to ask the former Alpha his thoughts on the offer. “He says I should do it in case things get sticky with the humans. The national government is close to recognizing the High Council as an official organization that represents the Lycans, so it would at least show the local authorities that everything’s above board and keep the heat off us, plus take off any Lone Wolf stigma.”
Grant had also said that the members of the MC obviously already considered him their Alpha anyway, plus with an Alpha status and a formal territory, he could offer other Lone Wolves protection. That was probably the part that enticed him the most as he knew it was something Pops would have done if he could.
She raised a dark brow. “Anything else you guys talked about behind my back?”
There was one more thing, but he didn’t want to ruin the surprise. “Wow,” he said as they neared the lodge. “You and Silke really went all out, huh?”
The entire front of the lodge was decorated with balloons, streamers, and banners, in all shades of blue. There were big blue and white letters on the front lawn that spelled out ‘Evan’, plus a small petting zoo, a bouncy castle, and even a carousel.
“It was mostly Silke,” Isabelle laughed. “I think she had more fun than me.”
As if on cue, his sister bounded out of the lodge to meet them. “There you are!” she greeted. “Where’s the birthday boy?”
Ransom was already unstrapping Evan out of his seat when Silke practically threw him aside to get him out. “Oooh, Evan, I missed you.”
“You were just at our place last night,” Ransom pointed out.
She covered his face with kisses. “Didja miss me, baby?”
Evan laughed and grabbed fistfuls of her red locks, tugging at it like he always did.
“Is everyone here?” Isabelle asked.
“Almost,” Silke said. “Cross and Daric are running transport for your guests who aren’t staying the night.” Isabelle’s family arrived earlier in the day and had settled into their cabins as they were going to be there for the weekend. “Oh, my God, I still can’t believe I have
