Entangled

Chapter 16

Details. Sasha can lose herself in them if she's not careful, but knowing it's for Becky changes things. They were planning to stay with Seth for the full moon anyway, but now they've turned his house into a command centre of sorts, charging cables trailing from nearly every socket like pale vines. "Did you know that Dolph and Randall both have wolf meanings?" Sasha says, scrolling through yet another baby name website. "Dolph means 'noble wolf' and Randall means—"

The delighted squeal she lets out startles both Seth and Becky, who are looking up doctors from the list Mina gave them. "Do we want to know?" Seth asks wearily.

Sasha just grins. She was handling more serious matters before, but since she's waiting to hear back from Eleyna, she's been relaxing by looking up baby names. "But Randall means 'shield wolf'!" She lets out a joyous cackle. "You could have a Shield Wolf baby!"

Becky shakes her head firmly. "I don't necessarily want a wolf-related name...."

"So the baby isn't going to have Seth's last name, then?" Sasha sits up a bit straighter. They've been talking details off and on since they arrived in Davenport, but she can't remember a last name for the baby being brought up. "Because Lopez means 'wolf' too—or 'son of the wolf' or something like that." Then she gives Becky a sly look. "You know, looking up potential names would be a lot easier if I knew which gender to search for...."

"Just... look for neat names." Becky blushes slightly. "As for the last name, I don't know...." She glances over at Seth, who sets his tablet down. "I mean, I don't want to assume anything. We'll have to decide before the baby's born, but...."

"I'm cool with whatever you decide." Seth blurts it out so quickly that Sasha almost laughs. They may have sex now and be expecting a baby, but some of Becky and Seth's old awkwardness with each other is still lurking right beneath the surface. "I mean, it might be easier for you legally if the baby has your name, but if you want—"

"Quinn Lopez!" Sasha bounces to her feet with a flourish. "It ticks the boxes, right? Homage to Becky's family, includes Seth's family, and Quinn is unisex, so...."

Becky's blush deepens. "I'd want to talk with my dad about that," she answers evasively. "It's a nice thought and all, but...."

Sasha doesn't want to upset her, so she switches to a new topic, even as she continues scrolling through names. "Have you decided where you're going to stay?" she asks. "I know you said Mina recommended having a stable base and not travelling so much...." It takes all her strength not to glance at Seth. Becky will never ask to stay at his house in Iowa—she's too independent, too proud—but she won't want any offer to be forced either.

Luckily Seth's on the same page—or he intuits something from the way Sasha asked the question—and clears his throat. "If you want to stay here, Becks, you're more than welcome," he offers. "Davenport's a lot smaller than Los Angeles, so you won't have to worry as much about being recognized. You can work out at Black & Brave whenever you like and I could tell the cafe to set up a tab for you." He gestures around at his house. Once he and Sasha started hooking up, she helped him decorate so it felt more like a home; now that Becky's in their pack too, her influence is also present, from the vibrant throw pillows to the bold art prints. "You know there's lots of space here." Now it's Seth's turn to blush as he adds, "You can have your own bedroom too, of course. I wouldn't expect... you know...."

"I don't want to impose," Becky says quickly, sitting back on the sofa. "I mean, it's one thing to crash here for a weekend or a full moon. But I'll be pregnant and probably getting morning sickness and having to pee at three in the morning...."

Sasha watches the back and forth with a mixture of affection and amusement. Even as Becky's listing off reasons she shouldn't stay, she's subconsciously leaning closer to Seth. "It might be better, Becks," Sasha says mildly, trying not to be too obvious. "Seth's family is here, so even when we're on the road, you'd have help nearby, and Eleyna's in Chicago, so you'd be close for—" Her phone rings before she can finish, so she shuts down her search window and accepts the call. "Hello?"