It's been a bit over two months since I found out that Viola is pregnant with our child, and I'm over the moon with excitement. As her belly grows I've become even more and more clingy, trying to do as much of my work at home as I possibly can. Being home also gives me the benefit of taking care of my lovely mate, who is starting to have some difficulty now that's she's further along. She's had issues with headaches and nausea, and her feat have been hurting and swollen the past two or three days...especially this morning.

Which is why I'm massaging them as they sit in my lap, with her laying down on the rest of the couch while I sit on the end. Though from the way she's closing her eyes, it seems like she's about to fall asleep.

"Shall I leave you alone so you can take a nap?" I murmur, and she cracks her eyes open to give me a look.

"Don't you dare stop Mon Chou, It feels wonderful..." She sighs, and I chuckle.

"I'm glad, I can't have my beautiful mate feeling bad."

I reach to grab the lavender scented lotion she's so fond of that's sitting on the table beside me, squeezing some out onto my hands before rubbing it on her feet. Her sigh of content telling me she appreciates it greatly.

"Goddess Tyron...what would I do without you?"

"I wouldn't know love, cause you'll never be without me."

She smiles up at me, her eyes sparkling as her cheeks flush pink.

"That's good to know."

After a few moments of silence, I decide to trying asking her something that she's been very secretive about.

"Darlin'?"

"Yes love?"

"When do you plan on telling me whether our pup is a boy or a girl?"

She grins, that devious twinkle in her eyes.

"Why do you want to know so badly?"

"Well, doesn't it effect how we decorate the nursery? And any baby clothes we get at the baby shower in two weeks?" I question, and she shakes her head.

"I was thinking we could do a more gender neutral theme for the nursery, and as far as gifts, I told our guests on the invitations that since we're leaving the gender a surprise, to avoid things that specifically say 'boy or girl' on them." She explains, and I pout...I really thought that would work.

"Why do you really want to know?" She questions, and I sigh.

"I've just been struggling with figuring out a name, and I think I'd have an easier time if I knew..." I reply, halting my hands. I have a feeling that I kind of know which our pup is, but that's only because of the one name I decided on. Though I'm personally hoping that I'm right...

"Well, maybe I can help. Do you think it's a boy? Or a girl?"

I pause, gazing at her belly with soft smile.

"Honestly, I'm hoping it's a girl."

Her eyes widen in surprise, her hands going to her belly almost instinctively.

"Really?" She murmurs, and I nod.

"Yeah, a little angel that looks just like her mama." I murmur, raising up the shirt she got from my side of the closet as I lean over to press a kiss to her belly, repositioning myself so my head rests on top of it. I love listening for our little ones heartbeat, and feeling the soft kicks as Viola runs her fingers through my hair.

This is heaven.

"Wow...I figured you would want a boy first..." She murmurs after a moment, her fingers sliding through my hair soothingly.

"Why is that?"

"Well, don't you want a son to take over your position as Beta?"

I look up so my eyes meet hers, a conflicted look on her face.

"It doesn't matter whether it's a boy or girl, the first born child inherits the title. Some more old fashioned packs specify sons, but our pack doesn't. Besides, I could see our daughter being a powerful Beta...who's just as beautiful, intelligent, and badass as her mother." I chuckle out the last part, turning my face so that my cheeks nuzzles against her stomach.

"Really?"

"Are you kidding? With my Beta blood and your powerful vampire abilities, she'd be the strongest Beta this pack has ever seen!"

She laughs at my enthusiasm, which has our pup kicking in response.

"I think so too. Though I still want a little boy..."

"Why is that?"

"The same reason you want a girl, a little boy that's just as handsome and sweet as his daddy."

I grin, purring happily as I nuzzle her stomach.

"I'd be happy with either one. I just haven't decided on a name for a boy, I do like one for a girl though..."

"What is it?"

"Iris...Iris Johnson."

I look up to see her face flushing pink, that beautiful smile lighting up her face.

"Like the flowers you gave me on our first date, my favorites....I love it." She murmurs.

"Me too. I just can't decide on a boys name..."

"I was thinking...Gabriel."

"I think it's perfect." I smile, pressing another kiss to her belly before stretching up to kiss her lips.

"There's something I've wanted to do for the nursery, and I think it would be even more fun if we did it together." She murmurs after a moment, and I grin.

"I'm listening."

After explaining to me what she had in mind, I help her up off the couch so we can go to her art room. I help set up cans of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple paint on a table along with about a dozen brushes while she does a tape outline of a howling wolf's head on a 24 x 30 canvas and sets it up on an easel in front of a wall covered in clear plastic that also covers the floor. Once we're done, she joins me beside the table, grabbing a brush and dipping it in green paint. I choose blue, turning back to her with a huge smile.

"Alright, the objective of a splatter painting is to make the pattern as random as possible, so no close painting, just sling it!" She explains, ending it with slinging her brush towards the canvas, making the green paint splatter and drip down the surface wildly.

"Got it, like this?" I take my turn, the blue paint hitting the canvas with a loud thwack.

"That's it!" She giggles, swinging her brush again.

We continue to laugh and send rainbow colored paint flying towards the canvas, it hitting the plastic covered wall and dripping onto the covered floor...eventually though, it turned into more of a paint fight between us after I accidentally splattered paint on her face. She retaliated with smearing purple on my neck, and after that it became a blur of laughter and paint. We eventually take off our shirts to have better access to each other's skin, painting words and symbols on with both our brushes and our hands...

On me, she painted little purple flowers with twisting green vines on my chest, along with words like Mon Chou and Beloved, and an imprint of her hand over my heart. I'm not sure what she painted on my back exactly, but I know that she wrote her name across the width of my shoulders. The rest were either polka dots, or paw prints.

On her chest and stomach I write Beautiful, and Darlin in blue paint, a yellow star on her forehead, and on her back I wrote my name across her shoulders, and did my best to do an outline of a howling wolf head too. As a final touch I paint a red heart on her belly, on top of her cute little belly button. After I fill it in I put the brush down, crouching down so I can press kisses to the rest of her belly. She giggles as she runs her hands through my hair, and our pup kicks in response.

"Your daddy is such a sweetheart, little one." She murmurs, and I purr happily.

"Only for you guys, don't tell anybody else, it'll ruin my reputation."

She giggles, and I stand up to pull her face in for a kiss.

"You're going to be a great daddy." She murmurs, and I smile as I peck her lips once again.

"And you're going to be a great mommy."

I smile to myself as I hang up the painting we made in the now finished nursery, the wolf head now visible since I've removed the tape outline. The colors pop against the gray and white walls, and go beautifully with the dark blue accents of the room.

Humming happily, I sit down in the white rocking chair with dark blue cushions, rocking gently as I look over the room. It took a week to finish everything, and its absolutely perfect.

Looking down as I rub my belly, I notice something new sitting beside the chair on the floor. Curious, I reach down and grab it...a bit surprised by the soft plush feel. Once it's in my lap, a smile stretches across my face.

It's a stuffed giraffe, and from the looks of it, an old one. The only new thing on it is a dark blue bow tie, tied perfectly at the base of its neck.

Investigating it a little more, I not only find a few places where he was carefully stitched up, I find a worn out tag on its tail, and after unrolling it I gasp at the name scrawled on it.

Tyron.

I ask through our link, since he is at the pack house, and his thoughts flicker with embarrassment.

He answers softly, and I can't help but giggle at the image of a little Tyron toddling around with this little guy.

I giggle, and he sighs.

He explains, and I grin.

I grin deviously at the idea of seeing baby pictures of him, no doubt they're adorable.

I tease, and I can almost see the pout on his handsome face.

He huffs in defeat, and I chuckle.

I reassure as I carefully push myself up and out of the chair, smiling as I place the stuffed giraffe in the crib.

I quickly pad down the hall to our bedroom to change into one of Tyron's gray sleeveless shirts, a pair of my black yoga pants, and slide on the only shoes that fit me anymore, flip flops. After brushing my hair up into a high ponytail, I grab my keys and my purse and make my way downstairs and out the door to his car, enjoying the warm sun on my skin and the soft breeze on my face.

Sighing, I flip through the keys to find the one that locks the front door, when suddenly the breeze shifts, and I freeze...inhaling deeply as I recognize a scent. Looking up, I scan the trees until my eyes lock on a figure in the distance, and I bare my teeth in anger as he comes closer.

Jacques...