Chapter 162: The News - Sam's POV

Her words hit me hard, and for a moment, I can’t breathe or think. My mind freezes mid-thought as my wolf snarls and nudges me with confused excitement. Halley’s… pregnant?

I blink at her, searching her face as if it’ll all suddenly make sense if I just keep looking closer. Her wide eyes search mine, shining with that same soft light I’ve come to rely on.

“Pregnant?” I manage, my voice cracking.

She nods, a small smile playing on her lips, and her hand instinctively rises to her stomach. The motion is slow, careful, but deliberate, and I feel it through the bond. My wolf surges inside me, a mixture of awe, protectiveness, and an unfamiliar tenderness that has me gripping her hands in mine.

“Halley…” I start again, and this time my voice nearly leaves me. I swallow, trying to steady it, trying to anchor myself, but the bond thrums against me like a living thing, amplifying her heartbeat, her nerves, and her joy. “We’re… you’re… we’re going to have a baby? But when did this happen?”

She nods again, her gaze unwavering, her hand still on her stomach. “Yes,” she whispers. “I wanted to tell you after everything settled… and now, it’s the right time. The day we bonded. I didn’t realize until after the fight that I was even pregnant.”

I can feel my wolf shifting beneath my skin, wild and protective, and I press a hand to her belly without thinking. It’s real and it’s happening. The bond vibrates, pulsing like life itself, and I realize I’m trembling. Not with fear, not exactly, but with something else.

Hope. Awe. Joy. Responsibility.

All of it collides together, tangling and pushing me to the edge of words.

“This… this is incredible,” I finally say, my voice low but steadying. I let my fingers trace the curve of her stomach, memorizing it, anchoring the reality. “We’re… we’re going to be parents… together.”

Her laugh is soft, nervous, warm, and it fills the clearing like music. “I… I didn’t plan it perfectly,” she admits, “but I knew you’d… handle it. You always do.”

I pull her close without thinking, wrapping her in my arms, feeling her body fit against mine like it’s always been this way. My wolf surges, curling around hers, protective and possessive, as if it’s claiming her for us in a way nothing else ever could.

“I’ll handle it,” I murmur into her hair, my lips brushing against her temple. “We’ll handle all of it together.”

She presses her forehead to mine, letting me feel her heartbeat through the bond. “I know,” she says softly. “And I’m not scared, Sam. Not when you’re here.”

Her confidence anchors me, and I let myself breathe, finally allowing the weight of the news to settle in. Everything we have fought for has finally come. She’s carrying our future in her and we’ve earned it.

“I can’t… I can’t believe it,” I whisper, my hands cupping her face now. “You… us… this little life.”

Halley smiles, laughing faintly, and I feel her wolf nudge mine again, playful and approving. “It’s going to be wild, isn’t it?” She asks softly.

“Wild doesn’t even cover it,” I murmur, pressing my forehead against hers. My wolf hums in delight, and I swear it’s laughing quietly, thrilled at the prospect of new life. “We’ve survived councils, wars, chaos… and now we have a baby?” I shake my head in disbelief, but there’s no fear here. Not really. Only resolve, only certainty that I’ll stand beside her, no matter what.

Halley leans into me, pressing her lips to my chest. “I didn’t know how you’d react,” she admits. “I was nervous.”

I cup her face again, lifting her head so our eyes meet. “Nervous?” I scoff softly. “Halley… I’m terrified. Terrified in the best way possible. Terrified that I’ll be the father I need to be. Terrified that I’ll screw this up.” I let out a breath, exhaling the tension I didn’t realize I was holding. “But I’m also… thrilled, happy, and excited. I get to raise a life with you and nothing else matters.”

Her hand drifts to mine again, resting lightly. “We’ll figure it out together,” she says, her voice steady, calm, and warm. “I trust you. I’ve always trusted you.”

And that’s all I need to hear. That bond, stronger than anything I’ve ever felt, wraps around me like armor and fire all at once. “I trust you too,” I whisper, holding her tight. “Every step. Every moment. Always.”

We sit like that for a long while, the world around us fading into background noise as the packs celebrate and share the news. All of it dims as we simply exist in this new, fragile, and perfect truth. Life is coming and I am overwhelmed with gratitude, pride, and love so fierce it hurts.

“I can’t believe you’re… ours,” I murmur, almost to myself. “This little one… will be ours. Half us, half… everything we’ve fought for.”

She laughs softly, shaking her head. “And you’re going to be a mess about it for the next nine months,” she says teasingly. “I can see it now that you’re already turning those wheels.”

I frown. “Excuse me?”

“You’re going to be wrapped around my finger and I will love every second of it.”

I growl softly, though it’s playful, letting my wolf poke hers under the surface. “I’m already wrapped around your finger, Halley, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.”

Her smile widens, her eyes sparkling, and I can feel her wolf nudging mine again, pleased and amused. “Good,” she says softly. “Because the baby won’t have a chance against you either.”

I laugh softly, pressing my lips to the top of her head. “I’ll protect both of you with everything I am. And nothing will ever change that.”

She rests her forehead against mine again, and I melt against her. My wolf settles back, completely satisfied. We’re safe and now we’re starting a new journey with our little family.

I trace my fingers along her arm, memorizing her skin, her warmth, and the gentle curve of her body as she presses closer. “I swear,” I murmur, “I’m going to make sure you and this little one have the safest, happiest life imaginable. No council, no old rules, no chaos… nothing will touch us unless we choose to face it.”

Halley tilts her head, her smile faint, proud, and soft. “I know, Sam. And that’s why I can do this. That’s why I can trust this life to you, to us.”

I press my lips to her temple again, holding her tight. “We’ve earned this,” I murmur, voice low. “We’ve earned every peaceful, terrifying, miraculous second of this. And we’re going to protect it.”

She laughs softly against my chest, warm and breathless, and I realize the tears I’ve been holding back are no longer needed. I brush them away instinctively, holding her even closer. “This… this is perfect,” I murmur. “All of it. Thank you.”

Her fingers curl into mine. “It’s not done yet,” she says softly. “We still have a life to plan. There’s also the pack who are probably waiting for us to talk, and, you know, raising a baby.”

I smile faintly, shaking my head. “Yeah,” I murmur. “But now, it’s the kind of chaos I can live with. The kind that makes sense. The kind I can handle because I have you. I’m so thankful that we’re doing this together.”

Halley presses her lips to mine briefly. “And you always will,” she says, whispering. “Our future feels more complete.”

I let my wolf surge, protective, possessive, but also thrilled beyond words. Life is coming. A future I never dared imagine is forming right in front of me. And with Halley, with our baby, with the packs beginning to truly settle… I can face anything.

I press my forehead to hers one last time, letting the bond settle around us, steady and warm. “I love you,” I whisper. “And I promise, no matter what happens, no matter what life throws at us, I will always protect you both. Always.”

Her smile is all the answer I need. I feel her wolf brush against mine again, soft and approving. And for the first time in my life, I know I can truly believe it: everything we’ve fought for has led to this moment.

Our family is beginning and I would protect it with every part of me.

“I love you too, Sam. I always have.”