Intuition

The elder's door swung open and he motioned for them to enter from his chair before he rolled back into the kitchen. Flint’s hand on her lower back ushered Eve into the cozy structure. They sat across from Joshua at the table. The Luna looked over the elder, taking in his mood.

Joshua had a white beard and pale brown eyes. His skin had been tanned by sun so often that it retained a constant copper shade. Through the mindlink, Eve could feel his curiosity and he seemed to be relatively at ease.

“What’s this about, boy? You never come ask for a chat unless something is going on.” The old man began the conversation.

“We have some news.” Flint glanced at Eve as he spoke.

“Is it about Bastian? I thought there was something you were with-holding during the meeting.” Joshua probed.

“No. Nothing like that. As I said before, you’ll have the information when we have it to share.” He shook his head.

“Alright...” He looked over the couple. “What’s the news?”

He showed no emotion beyond curiosity but the Alpha and Luna could feel the kernel of apprehension growing within him.

“We’re having a pup.” Flint stated plainly.

Joshua’s eyes darted from Eve to her mate and back a few times. He did a pretty good job of covering his anxiety with surprise.

“C-congratulations. How far along are you?” The old man’s smile was weak.

“Ten weeks.” Eve answered.

“What’s going on?” Flint narrowed his gaze at his advisor suspiciously.

“I-” He was interrupted.

“I know you want to cover something up. Don’t. Just explain.” The Alpha spoke definitively.

Joshua paused for a moment before sighing.

“I worry for Eve’s health. Being accepted as Alpha has power, you know this. Each next generation of Alpha is stronger than the last. The Dolans have been the Alpha family for more than fifteen generations.” He looked at Eve. “That’s an incredible amount of power.”

“What are you saying?” She asked quietly.

“I don’t want this child to sap your strength.” Joshua stated.

“To what extent?” Flint’s tone was rigid.

“I don’t know. I heard about this briefly when Selena was pregnant but I can’t recall anything specific. It was nearly thirty years ago. I’ll have to do some research.” He replied.

The atmosphere was tense. Eve placed her hand on Flint’s knee in an attempt to sooth his heightening anxiety. His palm covered hers, reassuring them both... If only a slightly.

“How have you been feeling, Eve?” Joshua asked.

“Fine. Mostly fine.” She answered.

“She isn’t sleeping or eating enough. Food makes her ill and she’s only resting a few hours a night. Lightheadedness, dizziness, and her wolf has been running more often.” Flint explained.

“My doctor said that’s normal right now.” Eve stated.

“Listen to your doctor. Absolutely. There is most likely nothing to worry about. Still, I’ll look into it.” Joshua spoke in a reassuring tone.

The group drank some tea and continued talking. The conversation drifted from pack business to how Elijah was coping with his mate’s absence. The anxiety over Joshua’s uneasy proclamation was still building under the surface of the Alpha couple.

As they drove away, even the melodious tune on the radio couldn’t relax the tension.

“Are you sure you feel alright?” Flint asked.

“I do. I mean...” Her sentence trailed away.

The world became fuzzy and swirled around her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Eve?” He glanced at her.

“I’m just dizzy.” She replied quietly.

“See? That. That right there.” Flint pulled the car over.

“It’s okay.” Eve tried to convince herself and her mate.

“No. It’s not okay.” He touched her face gently.

“It is. I just need to try to eat something.” She forced a small smile.

Truthfully, Eve was worried. Less so than her mate; that much she could feel. If her doctor told her that she was progressing in her pregnancy like she should be, she wanted to believe that. No matter what vague fears Joshua may have had. The Alpha’s touch warmed her and comforted her.

“I’ll put this away until after dinner. But we still need to keep an eye on how you feel. A close eye.” Flint leaned his forehead against hers.

“Of course.” She agreed.

After another few moments of silence, Flint turned back to the wheel and pulled onto the road.

Be aware, little thing. The wolf’s voice entered Eve’s mind.

I am, love. Always. The she-beast answered.

Flint and Eve smiled at one another. Like them, their wolves were on the same page. This had never once wavered; not since their first run together.

Once they were parked in front of the country house, Eve climbed out of the SUV. She walked over to her mate and held his hand. They each took a moment to gaze up at the large house with its shutters and wrap around front porch...

The Alpha’s thoughts drifted back to the night of the last Call. Eve had fallen asleep on the long drive from Acres to Green Tree. Flint carried her through the door and up the stairs to his bedroom. A faint, content smile was on her lips as she unconsciously inhaled his scent. The sight of it warmed his entire chest and urged him to hold her closer.

The Luna’s mind was elsewhere. She recalled the day they left and moved to the manor. Flint wouldn't let Eve move any boxes that weighed more than ten pounds. He kept giving her sidelong glances and taking things from her hands. Johnny came to help load the moving truck and Eve cooked dinner that night.

When everything was done, Flint and the young warrior "wrestled". To Eve, it looked less like wrestling and more like Flint knocking Johnny around the backyard. Still, the young man went home that night with his usual goofy smile intact and present. The Luna was pulled from her memories by Flint. He squeezed her fingers securely.

"I miss this place." He sighed.

"Me too." She lifted their linked fingers to kiss the back of his hand.

Flint wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace. His lips met hers in a kiss that promised to consume her every thought, until they were interrupted. The sound of a car pulling up behind them grabbed their attention. They turned to see a silver van pulling to a stop behind Flint's SUV.

Before the driver door even opened, a small child burst from the other side.

"Christian Evan Grant!" Ashley called out as she got out of the car. "Just because you know how to undo the belt on your car-seat doesn't mean you can do it whenever you please! The car hadn't even stopped yet!"

The boy ignored his mother and barreled into Eve and Flint's legs.

"Hi!" He grinned up at them.

"Hey, buddy." Flint ruffled his hair.

"Christian..." Evan's voice cut through the air.

The boy immediately turned to face his father.

"Did you hear your mother?" He spoke firmly.

"Yes, sir." The four year old nodded before looking at his mother sadly. "Sorry, Momma."

"It's okay. Next time wait until I open your door. Okay?" Ashley walked toward him calmly.

"Okay." He nodded.

The little boy looked at his father pleadingly. He waited for his dad to smile and nod before he spun back toward the Alpha couple.

"Look Uncle! I have a dinosaur!" He held up his plastic toy with pride.

"I see that. Very nice!" Flint replied with an easy grin.

Eve felt something in the back of her mind. Ashley. She looked up to see the hesitant expression on the Beta's face. Eve could feel that she was uncomfortable and uncertain.

"Why don't you guys head in? The boy is clearly starving." Eve smiled down at the child.

"Ugh! I am!" He grumbled.

"Alright, alright." Evan ushered Chris toward the porch.

Flint looked at Eve curiously. She smiled at him reassuringly before he reluctantly went inside. Ashley walked up to Eve gratefully.

"What's up?" The Luna probed.

"I have to talk to Flint and Elijah about something but I need you to gauge this for me." She answered with honest worry.

"Okay... Try me." Eve replied hesitantly.

"Evan got a job offer at the hospital in Monette. The director of cardiology." Ashley stated simply. "He would have to move to take it and I would have to go with him."

"Wow. I don't know what to say." She answered thoughtfully.

"What is Flint going to say?" She asked quickly.

"He wants you to be happy. We all know being Beta hasn't exactly been the job of a lifetime for you." Eve reasoned.

"I know. I only entered the tournament because it was expected of me. Raised by Elijah and all that... I didn't think I would win it. And once I did, I couldn't just give it back." Ashley admitted quietly.

"I know. We all know." She patted her on the shoulder. "Flint wants you to be happy. The timing of this may put him off but ultimately, no matter how he reacts to the news, he'll be satisfied once he sees you doing something that makes you happy."

The Beta released a heavy breath and nodded at Eve gratefully. She then walked into the house with determined steps. Eve took a deep breath, preparing for the long night that was surely ahead of her.

The pack is getting weaker. Bastian is free. Selena is still missing. Elder Steven retired without warning. And now, we need a new Beta... The wolf in her mind was uncomfortable with Ashley leaving.

Having a Beta that wants to be Beta could help things more than hurt them. Probably will, actually. Eve tried to internally reassure herself.

Adding new people to the higher ranks is always a risk. We don't like letting others in. We can't trust anyone. The animal answered.

Then we won't trust them until they give us cause to. Eve stated.

We should hope not. The she-beast scoffed.

Eve walked across the porch and through the door. She had procrastinated as much as she could. The night, and the dreaded dinner, were already upon her. She replaced her most believable smile, before crossing the threshold to join the rest of the family.